Whats going on @BBC Memphis?

I wish we could do the following more often:

Have plural elders

Raise up these plural elders from within the congregation

 

Many churches already have problems with deacons coming from within the congregation. Don't give anyone any leadership until they prove themselves first by discipling others. That solves a lot of problems in leadership.

The problem is that many churches call them leaders when the "leaders" have not proven their leadership first.

Methods do not improve a situation. It may actually make things worse.

Good people do not need a title or name. People are not good just because you give them a name or a title.

 

I've read the blog site in question

Good Gracious!! The blogger needs to repent, then either seek & achieve restoration with Pastor Gaines or move his letter!! Its almost like the dude wants Gaines to come crawlin' up to him for forgiveness!!! Get a life, dude!!!

 

AMEN!

Plural elders is a newer fad amongst larger Baptist churches, but I am not certain that anything works that is NOT under the authority of God Himself.

And when we do not disciple and we make the church a dog and pony show - we get what we should expect to get - people showing off instead of humility before an Almighty God.

 

I absolutely agree.

A number of SBC leaders and pastors are converting from biblical theology to dispensationalism. Dispensationalism has maintained at least three different theologies in the 34 years I have been a Christian.

MacArthur has made an impact on the SBC with the help of SBC leaders.

 

Without getting into the "dog and pony show" remark, and agreeing that discipling is too often lacking, I have to disagree with a couple of premises, here. Around the time of the 'constituting' of my home church, which has since chosen to align with the SBC, (although it is not, and could not be SBC, even if it wanted, considering that it was 'constituted' in 1782 [and is the third oldest extant Baptist church "west of the Appalachians and/or Alleghenies" (Mountains)], and the SBC did not come to be until over 60 years later in 1845), multiple elders were fairly common, so I'd hardly call that a "newer fad". And I'm not sure that we qualify, as one "amongst larger Baptist churches", either, although we are in an unprecedented growth stage, of late, starting with participating in mission trips, by church members, and our membership is now around 550, or so. We have had our current pastor for almost nine years (a close personal friend from HS days, whom I respect highly, but voted not to call, BTW, for his continued lack of clarity as to what is called "Lordship Salvation".) I don't beleive Scripture teaches it, and use every opportunity to clearly espouse the so-called (and misnamed) "free grace" position. Don't know how I managed to 'hijack' my own post. And I am a 'dispensationalist', personally, as well as most of the members, I would think, since another poster that responded to you mentioned that. But dispensationalist and "plural" elders have no intrinsic ties, per se, as far as I can tell.

Ed

 

Plurality of elders is common among the brethren churches.

The book on eldership written by Alexander Strauch has had quite an impact on the churches in America. I have never seen a church planter ever begin with a plurality of elders. If one takes a look at scripture there are a variety of leadership styles and methods. Bad people are a guarantee for failure. I have been in churches with elders and those who do not have them. I was in one where the elders stifled the church because of their laziness and lack of zeal. It has taken about 25 years to turn that church around. Two pastors later and the new pastor has strategically worked around them in a nice way to get things done. It does create a stability good or bad.