I always thought the term “elder” meant an old person in church leadership. However, I grew up in a tradition that rarely used the term “elder” at all. Now that I am serving as an elder in our current church, I have to say I don’t feel old! It’s clear being an elder doesn’t necessarily refer to the age of a person, but rather their maturity of faith. You don’t normally see new Christians as elders.
An elder brings wisdom to the community. As members of the body of Christ, we each have our experiences to draw upon. We share these experiences along with our gifts as a benefit to the whole church body. Our passage today sets out the expectations for elders leading the church community. Continue reading “1 Peter 5:1-4 – Elders as Leaders”
