The Elder-Led Church: How an Eldership Team Shepherds a Healthy Flock

by Murray Capill

Church leadership is a shared responsibility, not a solo venture. This book equips pastors and elders to lead the church together as a team, focusing not so much on what they are to be but on what they as a body are to do. Written by a former pastor, now a seminary lecturer and longtime volunteer elder, this book is a groundbreaking resource for local churches of all shapes and sizes.

Endorsements“An amazing achievement on eldership—a true gift to the church! This Christ-centered, gospel-focused, biblically grounded, theologically clear, exegetically thorough, well-researched, and immensely practical book should find its home in every church and seminary library and the hands of every man called to lead, oversee, shepherd, protect, and teach God’s church.”

—Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Senior Vice President of Bible Editorial, Crossway Books

“The perspective provided by this reputable, credible, and gospel-sensitive author is valuable for philosophy but also a great blessing for the actual practices of leaders who serve in a local church.”

—Bryan Chapell, Author, Christ-Centered Preaching; Stated Clerk, Presbyterian Church in America

“Blends strong biblical foundations, gospel-driven intentionality, and practical wisdom. . . . Intentionality and practical wisdom inform discussions of such essential church issues as maintaining meaningful communication with and care for members, planning and conducting elders’ meetings, capitalizing on the diversity of gifts among elders, and prioritizing mission and evangelism—alongside worship and disciple-making.”

—Dennis E. Johnson, Professor Emeritus of Practical Theology, Westminster Seminary California

“Church leadership is hugely significant. We feel this significance especially in an age of cultural pressures hostile to Christianity, at times of painful division between churches and denominations, and on occasions of devastating ministry scandals. Murray Capill’s book is deeply biblical and astonishingly comprehensive. It is clearly the fruit of careful study based on a lifetime of pastoral experience. It is therefore both scriptural and practical, modeling beautifully how to take the Scriptures and apply them in the concrete realities of church life. This excellent book will prove a valuable resource for both church leaders and church members.”

—Christopher Ash, Writer in Residence, Tyndale House, Cambridge

“Churches are facing a leadership crisis. On the one hand, some churches’ leaders misuse their authority and harm people under their care, while other churches see the way forward as creating egalitarian spaces with minimal leaders. Many more churches are struggling to raise up leaders altogether. In his latest book, The Elder-Led Church, Murray Capill serves churches well by providing a book rich in biblical exegesis, pastoral insight, and practical help. Rather than moving away from the Bible’s vision for church leaders, Murray casts a positive vision for how and why a plurality of elders is good for the local church. This volume will be a great help for churches thinking through leadership and for existing elder groups as they seek to love and serve God’s people.”

—Murray Campbell, Senior Pastor, Mentone Baptist Church, Melbourne

“Capill’s book on eldership is clear, biblical, practical, and engaging. I encourage elders to read it for themselves and pastors to purchase it for all their elders.

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

312 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 17, 2024

About the author

Murray is originally from New Zealand where he pastored a church in Auckland for 10 years. He came to Australia in 2001 to teach part-time at Reformed Theological College Victoria and continue in pastoral ministry. Since 2006 he has taught practical theology full-time and in 2008 he became the Principal of RTC. He is the author of Preaching with Spiritual Vigour (2004) and The Heart is the Target (2014). Murray is married to Wendy and they have five children and one grandchild.

Reviews

[Rick Dobrowolski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murray Capill put together the most helpful book on an elder-led church that I have ever read. It is comprehensive & also presents options with wisdom. He doesn’t force his methods of leadership, and instead gives multiple approaches where it makes sense. He compiles what is good from other sources as well as thankfully providing real, practical ways to carry out the day-to-day of elder leadership.

[Adam Callis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great resource that combines the strengths of many of my favorite books on elders and seeks to act as a guide for churches that already have elders and are seeking to protect and strengthen their work as shepherds.

He outlines the work of elders in 3 major categories: Local and Global Evangelism, Word and Worship, and Care and Discipleship (by linking these last two together, he shows that pastoral care is not merely visiting the sick, but rather, it is an aspect of discipleship as elders lead people to maturity in Christ. This is a great observation).

He also emphasizes the need for humility amongst an eldership team, emphasizing that the right structure alone will not suffice: "Only one thing makes this model work: the mind of Christ...Only as we embody Christlike humility and deep love for one another will we find that this model works" (49).

[Alexander Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5/5) Surprisingly excellent. A perfect book to give to any aspiring elder, especially lay people. Clear and well-rounded.

[Jake Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful and accessible guide to the theological and practical concerns of elder teams. Capill strikes a needed balance between the call to articulate the church's mission and vision and the necessity that elders engage in day-to-day ministry and care.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is easily the best reading I’ve done on eldership. I will be rereading a second time, pencil in hand. I already have another elder reading it. Looking forward to more meditation on this content.

[Zach Hollifield · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCELLENT. I’ve read over 10 book on elders and this one stands apart for its focus on actually leading a congregation. An invaluable resource for elder teams and raising new elders. Was pleased to read and recognize much of what he suggests already in practice among the elders at my local church.

[Peter Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful theological and practical guide to eldership, ideally read as a group. I wish I'd read this alongside my fellow elders when I was in church eldership years ago!

[Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive.

[David Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

outstanding book on church leadership

This book really surprised and delighted me One of the best I have ever read on church leadership. Biblical, practical and stimulating. I’m off to buy a hard copy- actually several - for all the new elders I hope to see in our church!

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick review of *The Elder-Led Church: how an eldership team shepherds a healthy flock* by Murray Capill. P&R Publishing, 2025.

Murray Capill’s The Elder-Led Church offers a refreshing perspective on leadership. While written from a Reformed perspective, the principles discussed are adaptable to various church contexts, making it a valuable resource for leadership development. Drawing from biblical foundations, Capill presents eldership not as a managerial role but as a collaborative leadership team, where pastors and elders work together to shepherd the church. The book is practical and engaging, with clear insights into how elders can lead with theological clarity, foster a gospel-driven culture, and oversee key ministries like mission, worship, and discipleship.

As someone who has always been a reluctant leader, I found Capill’s approach refreshing The book is structured into accessible chapters, each ending with discussion questions—perfect for church boards or leadership teams looking to grow together. Though some may take issue with the complementarian perspective, the broader lessons on teamwork, vision, and practical leadership are universally applicable. Whether you’re part of a small congregation or a larger church, The Elder-Led Church provides actionable advice and thought-provoking insights that can strengthen your leadership journey.

For a deeper dive, check out my full review on my blog: https://alexhuggett.com/2025/08/13/ho...

[Kelton Zacharias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with the elders of Stafford Baptist Church — this is a great "handbook" to give to new elders to navigate working as a member of a pastoral team.

[Nate Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars, but I'm feeling generous to upscale. Very interesting book of practical guidances and considerations for plurality of elders. While not providing a checklist, this book drives discussion and thought about how church leaders may develop or approach their ministry.

Quite enjoyable, even though there is some advice taken from Rick Warren, it balances out quite well.

[Bill Pence · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author of this book is a former pastor, who currently teaches at Reformed Theological College in Melbourne, Australia. For churches that have elders, the question the author addresses is: How can a team of elders lead a church in such a way that great clarity is brought to its entire life and ministry?
The author begins by looking at the role of the elder in the Bible, which includes around 160 references to elders. He tells us that the entire story, from Exodus to Revelation, provides a compelling biblical picture of the central role of elders in leading God’s people.
The author tells us that the eldership as a body is responsible for leading the church community. They lead by caring and care by leading. The team of elders is a team of pastors, all called to shepherd the church. An elder both shepherds and oversees the church.
Elders are leaders. They are a church’s “lead leaders”. These lead leaders must be mature, godly men. The qualifications of an elder are found in 1 Timothy 3: 1-7 and Titus 1: 6-9.
This is a dense book. It should be read slowly. Among the many subjects the author addresses in the book are a leadership pipeline, theological clarity, a gospel vision, mission, core values, strategy, ministry practice, church structure/organization, church size dynamics, church life cycle, signature ministries of the church (mission and evangelism, Word and worship, care and discipleship), elders operating as leaders in day-to-day church life, and elder meetings.
This is a helpful leadership book for elders, designed to equip local-church eldership teams to be effective leaders of the local church. It would be a good book to read and discuss as an elder team. A helpful “Team Discussion” section includes questions for discussion at the end of each chapter.
Here are 15 of my favorite quotes from the book:
• Prayer cannot be a mere supplement to our leadership work; it has to be the very heart of it.
• A leadership pathway (or pipeline, as it is often called) is a way of helping people move from lower levels of leadership responsibility to higher ones. A church that is serious about its leadership pipeline will have good mentoring in place for leaders at each level.
• Churches will be assailed by false teachings and doctrinal distortions. Church leaders, therefore, must be defenders of the faith.
• A gospel vision is not a vision statement of what we hope the church will be in the future, but rather a clear, biblically driven vision for what a healthy church is meant to be and to do.
• Our theological convictions (what we believe) are foundational and drive everything else.
• The mission is what God calls the church to do in this world. This mission must be advanced with clear gospel vision.
• Identifying several core values that grow out of our theological convictions and our mission and gospel vision, and that are essential to driving it forward, helps keep the church focused on the things that matter most.
• Strategy is how we plan to advance our mission and gospel vision in our time and place.
• A church’s mission is not a tool or device. It is its God-given, biblically mandated reason for existence.
• A clear gospel vision is a picture of what the church will be like if it is true to this mission.
• Our vision for ministry must be one in which all the members of the church are equipped to serve God with the gifts that he has given them.
• The elders will have to map an overarching structure that connects and coordinates the entirety of church life, making lines of communication, support, and reporting clear.
• The immediate mission field of each church is its own local community. The church as salt and light, as a city on a hill, should have a visible impact on the lives of people in its area.
• The elders must provide clarity about what approach to music and song will best reflect the mission and the gospel vision of the church.
• Ministry is service. It is using our gifts to serve the Lord and serve other people.

[Michael Toleno · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ stars, but I may change this to 5 stars after future consideration. I and the other elders of our church are reading this and will discuss it over the next year. I read this in a week but took extensive notes.

Capill’s book is full of excellent ideas and exhortations for elders of an elder-led church (hence the title), meaning that a local church is led, according to the well-established biblical model, by a plurality of elders, not by a single “head pastor,” nor by all the congregants collectively (i.e., no leader), or any other model. All elders are pastors and all pastors are elders, and all elders lead the church with equal authority.

Its strengths are its wealth of ideas, its biblical grounding, its allowance for variations where the Bible also allows for variations, and the mostly logical and orderly flow to the chapters. The chapters build on each other and progress through a fairly straightforward model of “steps toward clear leadership”:
(1) determining and articulating the church’s theological convictions and
(2) mission and gospel vision,
(3) understanding the values and culture that flow from that vision,
(4) making a strategy (often expressed in church structures), and
(5) ensuring that ministry practice aligns with and flows from the foregoing.

There are a few weak areas. First, Capill brings up several topics and ideas and seems to hint that they will receive further treatment—or they seem to demand further treatment—and then never mentions them again. At the moment, I can only remember one example: the idea of having and formally recognizing a single leader who is “first among equals” while having the same overall level of leadership among the rest of the elders.

Another difficulty is that the abundance of ideas and implied or stated requirements, even those in a single subsection of a chapter, may leave the reader (and sincere elder) doubtful about how all such ideas and requirements can be established and maintained. This is especially jarring or frustrating given that the author, on multiple occasions, indicates that he understands that many elders are rather limited in the total amount of time that they can contribute. Most of these ideas or requirements were specifically tasks and responsibilities for elders; others involved the entire church body, but in a church such as mine, we have a fraction of the number of people required to meet them.

There were a few points of editorial inconsistency. In at least the first half of the book, the author (or editors) eschews the present subjunctive (which makes for some ungrammatical sentences); in the last few chapters, it is employed. There were also several instances of mismatches between plural or compound subjects and verbs. These were editorial gaffes, but I’ve seen plenty worse.

Again, I rate this very highly (potentially 5 stars) and look forward to discussing it with my church’s elders over the next year, seeking to bless and edify our church and glorify God by implementing the best ideas.

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't belong to a Presbyterian church BUT I think this book is still worth reading. Caphill is exploring the role of a Shepherd (or team of Shepherds) in the church and gives clear and helpful insights.

What the book does well is combine the theological elements (what are the Biblical roles and expectations of sheperds or a group of shepherds) and think about the practical outworking of that (ie., what are some things one could include in elders meetings, what does that look like for the shape and structure of church).

Even though my church doesn't have the same structure, I found it helpful for having clarity on thinking about leadership roles and responsiblities in a church.

[Alastair Gooderham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murray Capill’s book on Eldership is very different from many others. Building on the biblical foundations of eldership in Old and New Testaments it’s then moves on to examine the need for theological clarity and gospel vision in leading churches with effective structures.

The book takes good practice from business and leadership and applies the gospel to them before applying them to the church.

It’s makes you think about what effective eldership looks like practically in a congregation and would be a profitable study for elders looking to refresh what they do and ask the why and how we shepherd the church well for the glory of God.

[Daniel Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was really helpful in thinking through how to lead the church as a “team of elders” particularly, not just as one among the elders.

Pretty comprehensive in covering the biblical basis, mission/philosophy of ministry, practical leading, conducting elder meetings, etc.

Though he’s coming from a presbyterian perspective, there’s near full alignment in the way we function as an elder team at my church and he references a handful of our kind of books—Whitmer’s Shepherd-Leader, Keller’s Center Church, etc.

Recommending it to our elder team to read and walk through at our annual pastor retreat as it has accompanying questions at the end of each chapter!

[Garrett Wishall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murray Cappill's book is our church's new go to as a one-stop shop for defining the biblical definition, expectation, and purpose of elders, with a focus on practical application. Cappill's stated aim is to address how a team of elders can lead a church in a way that brings great clarity to its entire life and ministry (p. xvi). Cappill draws from a number of other books on biblical eldership, including Biblical Eldership (Strauch), The Shepherd Leader (Witmer), Elders in the Life of the Church (Newton and Schmucker), Gospel Eldership (Thune), and Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons (Anyabwile).

[Rob Sumrall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Other books do a better job of defending biblical eldership from Scripture, but he states that is not his main objective. Where he excels in a way that is unique among the plethora of books on eldership is in his practical outworkings. He really gets in the weeds, offering insights on everything from running meetings, nurturing the flock, developing leaders, overseeing corporate worship, and many, many other areas that are necessary for elders to consider. This is a must read for any elder-led church leadership team.

[Sean Harding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Capill-Aries #1
Cracking good book discussing eldership and more broadly leadership in a healthy church.
Widely quoted and with a real pragmatic approach, and Biblically (and gospel) centred.
Well recommended for church sessions to read together over a period of time.
A thorough and wonderful read.

[Christian Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It seems readily applicable, lays out a biblical foundation for what elders are, and provides useful and practical examples concerning leadings as elders. A good resource for church leaders.

[nate]

This was very timely for me as I continue to learn how to better lead with a team of elders in our church. Combining biblical teaching with a practical roadmap for an elder team, this book rises above other recent books on church eldership. I am looking forward to working through it with our team.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

This seems like a really good resource to work through with an elder team, especially if there is a new pastor starting, or if there's a lack of clarity on what the elders are supposed to be doing and how they are supposed to be leading.

[Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the best books I’ve read on elders.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different from most books on being an elder that I’ve read; however, I found this one the most helpful and stimulating. I’ll definitely be handing this one out to elders and potential elders.

[Joseph Bouchoc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very practical. Works through many questions I had that other books didn’t address as directly.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only wish I read this sooner. Will be coming back to this often.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://andywolverton.substack.com/p/...