Church Elders: How to Shepherd God's People Like Jesus

by Jeramie Rinne

What does effective church leadership look like? In this conversational book, pastor Jeramie Rinne sets forth an easy-to-understand “job description” for elders drawn from the Bible’s teaching on church leadership. Offering practical guidance for new elders and helping church members better understand and support their spiritual leaders, this succinct volume will encourage elders to embrace their calling with grace, wisdom, and clarity of vision. Part of the 9 Building Healthy Churches series.

Genres: Leadership, Theology, Ecclesiology, Church, Christian, Nonfiction, Faith

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2014

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. Pastors and members alike should read it.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, but incredible helpful. It covers the basics while diving deep into practical specifics. My elders had never read a book before together and really appreciated this one.

[William Cheung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who gave his life for his sheep and rose again. He also gave elders to tend the flock as under-shepherds (Ephesians 4:7-13, 1 Peter 5:1-4).

Qualifications for an elder: 1) you want to be an elder, 2) you exemplify godly character, 3) you can teach the bible, 4) you lead your family well, 5) you are a male, 6) you are an established believer. (1 Timothy 3, 1 Peter 5, Titus 1)

Elders smell like sheep 🐑

Love the analogy of the tracking down the strays rather than using the term falling through the racks. Types of straying sheep: 1) sinning sheep, 2) wandering sheep, 3) limping sheep, 4) fighting sheep, 5) biting sheep.

Elders lead without lording, facts.

Elder plurality (Acts 15:4, Acts 14:23, Acts 20:17, Phil. 1:1, Titus 1:5, 1 Pet. 5:1, James 5:14).

fun fact: elders = pastors

- Greek word poimen translates to pastor, which means shepherd. Poimen can refer to a literal shepherd, but it often refers to Jesus, our Good Shepherd.
The verb poimaino translates to “to shepherd” or “to tend the flock”.
- Our English word pastor comes from the Latin word pastor, which means “shepherd.”
IMPORTANT: The NT applies these noun and verb forms of “shepherd”, as well as broader shepherding imagery, to describe elders and their work.

Acts 20:28 (italicized are the words poimaino and poimen into English)
“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock that the Holy Spirit has appointed you to as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased

1 Peter 5:1-4 (italicized are the words poimaino and poimen into English)
“I exhort the elders among you: Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but freely, according to God’s will; not for the money but eagerly; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown.”

Jesus also says, “Feed my lambs”, “tend/shepherd my sheep” (John 21:15,16).

[Jon Cheek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding.

[Calla Summerlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Extremely clear and Biblical.

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know whether I will ever be a church elder, but that is no reason to avoid reading books like these. Every church member should strive, in some sense, to be like a Biblical church elder. Christ commands through Paul that an elder should be above reproach and exercise consistent piety among the brethren. This plays itself out in many ways, but practically speaking it means that good elders are good Christians. Rinne gives perhaps one of the most basic and easy rundowns of what it means to be a church elder and how to be one that exemplifies what God has in mind.

For instance, many who are elders or who want to be elders, should never actually be elders. They don't exhibit the Pauline criteria of an elder and they actually do damage to the church instead of shepherding it faithfully. On the other hand, many who don't want to be elders or who do not currently hold the office of an elder would actually be tremendous elders. They have shown themselves to be pious men who live sacrificially, serve faithfully, and are not driven around by whatever theological car is passing them by in the moment.

Additionally, there is more to being an Elder than simply serving. They are different from deacons after all, and this is shown most clearly in their level of responsibility that they are given. Some are given to shepherd and oversee, still others are given to teach and preach. These qualities will certainly be taught and developed over the years of an eldership position, but they should be immediately present to begin with to some degree.

It is not a position that one should take without fully understanding the gravity of the responsibility. Elders are held responsible for those that they shepherd. If the sheep are led astray because of an elder, he should be most fearful of the repercussions. But it isn't all negative consequences, there is also a great joy is seeing a congregation serve God joyfully, faithfully, and truthfully. It is the elders responsibility, through the work of the Spirit, to help keep that ship in the right direction. There are perils. And many fall or leave. It can be soul-crushing. But there is glory that awaits. And there is an eternal reward found in Christ for those that lead faithfully.

This book goes over these topics and more and keeps it mercifully short and to the point. Because it is short, there is no room for fluff. But there is also not room for nuance. Let the reader understand.

[Luke Schmeltzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic 9Marks resource on biblical ecclesiology! Short but relatively thorough, this book details the character, qualifications, and duties of the elders of a local church. Rinne takes time to explain contested concepts and address potential questions. Very helpful!

[J. J.]

Really superlative. Case wisdom, concrete examples, gospel aroma, and good counsel. For such a tiny book, I was repeatedly struck by how balanced, comprehensive, and able to get to the core of the matter the author was.

[Caleb Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book that displayed both the importance and the weight of eldership. I would recommend every person in the church should take the time to understand the role of elder a little better, wether with this book or another.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A succinct and bold book about eldership that is based in Scripture.

Definitely puts a healthy fear/hesitation in me when considering potential eldership down the road. A long long way down the road btw.

[Joshua Bethay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lifelong quote: “the shepherd must smell like the sheep”

[Aaron Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

Other works could be supplemented for a more in-depth biblical/theological understanding of church elders and pastoring, but for what it seeks to provide in a small package this is great stuff.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Church Elders is exactly what the potential reader would expect: a practical explanation and guide on what it means to be an effective elder at your church. When I began reading, I wasn't sure what to expect - I've read what the scriptures have to say about eldership - but the way Mr. Rinne expounds the text with real-life examples makes this a good resource that I am certain to reference over time. Thank you, Jeramie Rinne!

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I’ve come across about being an elder in a church because of its broad scope, concise writing, and accessible style. Elders/Overseers/Pastors (all the same category in Scripture) are simultaneously shepherds and sheep. They must not forget their position in Christ while also bearing in mind the weighty responsibility of leading and caring for the flock. Rinne does a fantastic job describing the many aspects of biblical eldership.

[Cameron McCartney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a challenging read, I just couldn’t put it down. Jermaine Rinne highlights the weight, the joy and the need for faithful elders to serve the Lord and their churches. Rinne does not sugar coat the task, by debunking myths and laying out what Scripture says he makes a passionate plea for elders to lead, oversee, pastor and shepherd their flocks. I love Rinne’s illustration of an elder being “a sheep who leads other sheep”. Chapters 3 and 4 both excellent but I found Chapter 6 on shepherding together an eye-opening read. I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants to explore what Scripture says about eldership.

[Brendan Conrad]

This book is a great introduction to the topic of eldership. Rinne makes a number of important points about being an elder that may get overlooked. He emphasizes the value of desiring the position (which I think many people assume would be a bad thing) while underlining the weight of such a position. He also draws a number of a theological lines that, while they are ultimately his opinion, are important orthodox stances to uphold.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would definitely emphasize the introductory nature of its examination of topic.

[Landon Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book! Short - around 100 pages in small format. Concise - contains illustrations, but they don't dominate the book. Biblical - the charge here is rooted in Scripture. Practical - there is direct application to the local church. We will use this book with our elders as well as with new elders.

[Cory Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

So thankful for this small book. Not only do I believe it is biblical I believe it is achievable. I’ve seen the difficulties of transition to elder led congregationalism and it wasn’t easy but it was worth it.

[Michaela Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really insightful read going through the qualifications and duties of an elder. It made me appreciate even more the role that they have within the church and how they are to lead and care for their congregation.

[Andrew McCartney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise and eminently practical guide for elders in a local church. While not the ultimate exposition of all the biblical verses on the role of elders, it should be required reading for anyone who is considering becoming an elder in their church. A perfect combination of encouragement and challenge to understand the seriousness of the position.

[Brennan Penner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction

I was hoping for a simple, basic guide to eldership. This filled that purpose. I hoped to see the author contrast the role of pastor/elder and deacon but he did not.

[Barbier Jacky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un excellent livre à mettre entre toutes les mains. Un guide, un défi et un encouragement pour tous ceux qui sont impliqués dans ce ministère.

[Tanner B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this again for the second time with a younger brother who is aspiring to be an elder. It is a wonderful treatment on the office and function of the elder. Members and pastors should read this!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, but so edifying

[Melvin Kauffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise and compelling!

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet book on what biblical eldership looks like. I like how concise yet practical it is.

[Tuyi Yohana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good succinct book on the office of an elder/pastor. Good read for those who are aspiring, like myself, and even for current elders who may not entirely understand their role as an elder. Btw, I’m not claiming that this book helps you entirely understand what an elder is or should do, but gives clear principles on what he is and should do and be. Really good! Maybe I’ll buy the whole 9marks series one day, who knows🤷🏾‍♂️.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read about four of these little books in this series and each one is excellent. This one was a great summary of biblical eldership and would not only spur an interested reader on to other more extensive works, but provides plenty of practical advice to formulate an action plan on its own. As with the other books, I hihghly recommend this quick read.

[Thomas Duell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction and encouragement, particularly for lay elders looking for a biblical intro into their role. I really appreciate Jeramie's reminder that elders are pastors and pastors are elders. For those looking for a slightly more in depth read on this subject, I (and the author I believe, based on his footnotes) would recommend "Biblical Eldership" by Alexander Strauch.

[Míriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Súper práctico.