Elder’s Responsibility: Heart Intimacy

Often times I have been labeled “anti-church”. This is a false accusation. Maybe I see “church” much differently than others. I think the purpose of our meetings have been obliterated, and what remains are unrecognizable fragments that have been glued together to produce something wholly different than what was intended.

My pendulum of thought has been slowly moving towards the middle, though I am glad of my past two years of diving head long into arguments about the Church, what she looks like, what she should not look like, her purpose, her call, her responsibility, her leadership, her history and the critique of her current state. It has been beyond rewarding, though maybe a bit too stressful and antagonistic at times. But again I would do it all over if I had to as I have learned and heard from people working hard to see her reach her potential in Christ.

With that said, I will write a few take aways that will go with me and still raise a level of concern that I have with Church today. One of the biggest problems I have is her leadership. I haven’t moved much on this one, thus the reason for this post.

What is an Elder’s responsibility? I will say up front that I don’t think I qualify for such a role in the church. I have LOTS of learning to do but my reading and my past stint in a “house church” and a “semi-traditional” church has given me some pretty good experiences, again I have a bunch of maturing to do, I recognize that, embrace and look forward to interacting with believers, being admonished, rebuked, exhorted and held accountable in those areas I need growth in, some more than others.

However, the primary and ultimate role of elders is that of HEART INTIMACY!!! Let me say that again, the primary and ultimate role of elders is HEART INTIMACY! Well what does that mean? The diagram in the picture (which I borrowed from somewhere) explains it as clearly and as vividly as I could with words.

Let me first start by saying what are not the roles of elders. The Elders roles are not to be about the “business aspect” of the church. We have NO examples of that in scripture. Not one. Elders primary role isn’t to discuss, should we expand, or should we take the reserves and begin building a youth wing. It isn’t their decision to talk about pay raises or who gets fired or hired. Now can they do those things? Sure; however, those things are not Christian. Thus it would be neutral side discussion which has nothing to do with the elders recognition, much like my going to get a psychology degree though I work in finance. Secondly the elders roles isn’t to make decisions for the body. They can help guide decision making, but they are not to make decisions for people. I know this is hard to understand but again there is nothing in the scripture to combat what I am saying. Finally it is not an elder’s role to discipline wayward Christians. This again belongs to the church, the body of believers. Elders can bring someone before the church just like every other member has the right to bring someone before the church; however, elders don’t decide who gets disciplined and who doesn’t. Again if I am wrong the scripture would have to say so.

So what are elder’s roles? Plain and simple “heart intimacy”. They are to cultivate intimacy within the body by living an intimate life (hospitality) and a morally upright life (the qualifications) and then teaching others by both word and deed (a qualfication of him being able to teach). They are to be examples of: Mutual Understanding, Deeping Committment and Personal Sharing”.

Elders (Pastors) are to go before the church in developing the family atmosphere, cultivating love, stimulating mutual edification and finally producing an atmosphere of openness, in order that people begin to love one another from the heart and be conformed to Christ’s image! These are roles of elders, but too often they are stuck in “business meetings” or meeting with architects, or they are the body’s local business man and his biblical roles and functions become a distant second in his overall responsibilities.

Until the three things that produce heart intimacy are occurring on a regular basis, everything else an elder does is pretty much abiblical. It doesn’t serve the body of Christ and may actually be taking time from his primary role and function. Much like a car being used to stop up a dam! It may stop the dam uup and do a good job of it, but it was not made for that purpose and function of the elder was not given to the body to make Corporation decisions, though they can if necessary; however, it would be abiblical to do so!

I close with this. If your church doesn’t have enough elders to stimulate, heart intimacy your church is doing a disservice to itself and ultimately the body of Christ. If your elders are busy (elders=pastors for me) teaching behind pulpits, caught up in business meetings, thinking of how to invest extra resources, looking at blueprints or anything other than helping people grow up into Christ (Ephesians 4), then your elders are not being biblical elders. They may be leaders and they may be Christian but they are not being “pastors”. Pastors care for sheep, know sheep, interact sheep, feed sheep, protect sheep, and teach sheep how to care for one another. Heart Intimacy is the reason we meet. We have to know Christ and know one another and Elders were given to the church for that purpose. How is your church doing in this?