The Most Important Decision a Church Makes

Last Spring, I co-taught the Sunday school class “The Beliefs and Practices of Zion PCA” alongside the elders. Our goal was to summarize the major doctrines we hold as a PCA church and how we operate. Near the end of the series, I made a statement that has led to a dozen questions and comments from members, and I believe it makes a good blog post. The statement is “The most important decision a church makes is who you elect as ruling elders.” 

I’ve thought about that statement over the last month, and in this post, I want to double down. I believe that who you elect as a ruling elder is more important than who you call as a senior, associate, or assistant pastor. Because Christ ordinarily governs His church through a plurality of elders, the congregation's election of ruling elders has the greatest long-term influence on the church's health, including the calling, support, and accountability of pastors.

And there are three reasons I believe this.

1 - A Bad Pastor Can’t Survive A Good Session

Calvin famously said in his commentary on Titus 1:9, “The shepherd ought to have two voices: one, for gathering the sheep; and another, for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves. The Scripture supplies him with the means of doing both.” And sadly, sometimes driving away wolves means protecting a church against a false pastor, as Paul said “know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock” (Acts 20:29). Or in the words of Christ, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matt. 7:15).

Scripture is clear: as we live in this fallen world, there will be false teachers who infiltrate the church. A brief survey of church history shows that it has always been the case. Some men pursue the ministry not to shepherd Christ's flock but to gain power, money, influence, or opportunities to manipulate others. Scripture repeatedly calls such men wolves because they prey upon the flock rather than protect it (see Jeremiah 23). But how does Christ ordinarily protect his Church from such men? Through true shepherds, faithful ruling elders, men who have been called by God and qualified to do the work of ministry. 

A false shepherd cannot withstand a healthy, courageous session for an extended period of time. His only options are to leave the church or undermine the session. But if the session is taking its responsibility seriously, it will fight such dangerous men. And the blessing of this is that such a session not only reacts against false teachers, but it also prevents them from ever reaching the pulpit.

2 - A Good Pastor Can’t Survive A Bad Session

The opposite is equally true. Just as unhealthy pastors can destroy churches, unhealthy sessions can destroy faithful pastors. Just as there are wolves who get ordained and installed to the role of teaching elder, there are also ruling elders, sessions, and churches that repeatedly drive away pastors. There are churches perpetually calling new pastors because of unhealthy sessions driving away godly shepherds. Some churches are spiritually dead and led by dead men. 

The importance of ruling elders is evident in the attention Scripture devotes to detailing their qualifications and responsibilities (1 Tim 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Peter 5:1-4). There is great honor in serving the Lord as an elder (1 Timothy 5:17-18), but also great responsibility and consequences. Just as the qualifications of an elder are clearly laid out, so is the process for dealing with elders who persist in sin, “Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear” (1 Tim 5:19-20).

The fact is that a true shepherd who is called to lead a flock governed by wolves will be attacked by the wolves. If there isn’t repentance, addition of healthy elders, or, in severe cases, exercise of church discipline, the pastor will likely burn out or be devoured. By the grace of God, however, many churches have been reformed. There are many cases where faithful men have come into an unfaithful place and restored the peace and purity of the church. But that only happens when there is true health among the leaders. And when a church seeks to elect men after God’s own heart, much pain, hurt, and evil can be averted by nominating, ordaining, and installing godly ruling elders. 

3 - It Is How Christ Designed His Church

Healthy sessions protect a church from an unhealthy pastor while also protecting faithful pastors in the discharge of their ministry. And I am not arguing these points on anecdotal evidence or opinion, but because it is the ordinary fruit of Christ’s design for the church and elders. The church is not a fiefdom with one man exerting unchecked authority over the people; it is an organism made up of the people of God, and an organization with worship, purpose, and a leadership structure designed and instituted by Jesus Christ.

Paul confirms this in Titus 1:5, “The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you,”  and the BCO summarizes this well in the preface 

“Christ, as King, has given to His Church officers, oracles and ordinances; and especially has He ordained therein His system of doctrine, government, discipline and worship, all of which are either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary inference may be deduced therefrom; and to which things He commands that nothing be added, and that from them naught be taken away.

The church was not designed to be governed by one man with others serving merely as advisors. Christ ordinarily governs His church through a plurality of faithful elders who together shepherd the flock, guard sound doctrine, exercise discipline, and care for God's people. That is why the election of ruling elders is among the most important decisions a congregation ever makes. It shapes the direction of the congregation and influences every significant spiritual decision made on behalf of Christ's flock. 

For these reasons, but especially because this is Christ's design for His church, I believe that who the church elects as ruling elders will have the greatest long-term impact in a local church. A faithful session will guard the doctrine, shepherd the people, encourage its pastors, and, under Christ, help preserve the peace and purity of His church for generations to come.