I knew from the very beginning of ReCAST Church that I wanted there to be a plurality of leadership. More than just a generalized desire for plurality of leadership in the church, I was convinced from the Scriptures that having more than one person leading a church was what God desires. For this reason, we had two elders alongside of me even when we were a church of 20 people meeting in a basement.
Fast forward 12 years and we now have 7 elders including myself and Spencer, our associate pastor. We meet monthly, but we also interact with prayers requests and other business between meetings. I also meet with every elder monthly to find out how they are doing, and to check in with them about how I am doing.
I have heard of pastors that have fallen into an adversarial relationship with their board of elders, and I cannot imagine the pain, frustration, and angst that this would add to the other stresses of pastoral ministry. But I have seen grace, kindness, spiritual strength, conviction, authenticity, and a strong commitment to the Word of God and Jesus Christ in the men who have served ReCAST Church in the role of eldership over the years.
So here are three reasons I love having a plurality of elders working with me in overseeing the church.
1. It Is Not Good For Me to Have All the Authority
I am not suggesting that I am more prone to abuse of authority than the average person, but I would suggest that the average person IS quite naturally capable of abusing authority. I like to do things “my way”. And there is something about settling into years of doing things my own way that could subtly shift in my mind to think that “my way” is always the “right way”. Having other voices, other ideas, and other eyes on the church brings to me a balancing perspective.
Having other leaders also protects me from arrogance and pride. The successes of the church are not mine. We work together.
2. I Need Accountability
I have grown to appreciate the accountability that these other guys provide for me. This comes about through being known over the years by a group of guys who can say to me, “You seem a little __________ (angry, tired, distant, quiet, etc.), what’s going on?” We often put out unintentional signs that we are not doing well. Having a group of guys who know me well is a good pathway to accountability.
3. The Church Needs Different Kinds of Leaders
The elders of ReCAST Church are not all clones. We have different strengths and weaknesses. We have different perspectives and even different circles we run in within the church. This makes for a much more broad reach in relational ministry than I could ever provide by myself.
It is good for the church to see that there are different men, with different personalities, that God uses to lead His church.
God has been kind to ReCAST Church over the past 12 years to grant us godly men to lead, oversee, and shepherd his people. I am so grateful for this group of men. We share together, we pull together, and we seek to honor and worship God together.
How have you seen plurality of leadership work well in your church? Have you seen singularity in leadership backfire?
