Free Downloads Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call To Restore Biblical Church Leadership
With over 200,000 copies sold, this comprehensive look at the role and function of elders brings all the advantages of shared leadership into focus. Beginning with the four broad categories of eldership (leading, feeding, caring, and protecting), Biblical Eldership explores the essential work of elders, their qualifications (including why qualifications are necessary), their relationships with each other, and each of the biblical passages related to eldership. Written for those seeking a clear understanding of the mandate for biblical eldership, this full-length, expository book defines it accurately, practically, and according to Scripture. "Mr. Strauch has made a fine contribution to the subject of eldership. I am confident that it will be helpful to many." — John MacArthur, Jr., Pastor-Teacher, Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, CA "At last, a thorough biblical study on the basis of church government and especially the function and ministry of elders! New churches will find it a valuable guideline to effective functioning and older churches will find it a trustworthy corrective." — Ray Stedman, former pastor and elder, Peninsula Bible Church, Palo Alto, CA "An excellent text for the study of eldership by young and older men interested in the work of an elder. Strauch is a man of gift and experience, and I am grateful for his work." — S. Lewis Johnson, Professor Emeritus of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary
Paperback: 337 pages
Publisher: Lewis and Roth Publishers; Rev Exp edition (November 5, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0936083115
ISBN-13: 978-0936083117
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (121 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #36,997 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #15 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Churches & Church Leadership > Church Administration #15 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Churches & Church Leadership > Church Institutions & Organizations #25 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Christian Living > Leadership
As an Elder in a Bible believing church, I was shocked to find that our general way of doing business was in direct contradiction to the clear words of scripture. Questions of church structure are difficult because they are not consolidated into one verse or chapter. Some in our church suggested that there was no specific correct church structure given in the Bible. Others suggested that only traditional Pastors were qualified to lead a growing vibrant church. This book brings together every passage related to church leadership. It is a tremendous reference tool for analysing these various positions. Perhaps most importantly, it is written first as an examination of the Biblical text rather than an argument defending a denominational or traditional bias.Alexander Strauch makes the case again and again that a plurality of Elders is the only biblical structure for the church. There is solid exegesis of difficult passages. This weighty work distills the Biblical truth and clearly highlights the Biblical case for a group of Elders as God's plan for governing the local church.
This is an excellent study of the biblical teaching on church leadership. Strauch describes five essential aspects to biblical leadership; it should be pastoral, shared, male, qualified, and servant-hearted. The strength of the book is Strauch's relentless exegesis of EVERY NEW TESTAMENT TEXT on leadership! If he missed one, I haven't found it yet. But despite the scholarship, the book is readable and applicable.I would agree that the content of this book is potentially divisive. But that is no fault of the book. This is not a book on how to change church government. It is about what biblical church government is. How to get there from where you are is another issue. I, for one, would like to see Strauch write a book on "Transitioning a Church into Biblical Eldership."See also Strauch's books on Deacons (Minister of Mercy: The New Testament Deacon) and Meetings that Work - which is a life saver for any pastor!
This is the best book on church leadership that I've ever read! In fact, we ended up ordering three dozen books for our church, and reading this book led us to change our church constitution in 1997. If you are open-minded to exploring the model of church leadership exemplified in the New Testament, you need to read this book. (Strauch also has a companion book about Deacons, which is good, but the eldership book is the foundation.)
Strauch builds a strong case for the importance of eldership--not just any eldership but eldership as described in the New Testament. Biblical elders, Strauch argues, are not board members or advisors to the pastor, but are themselves called to pastor, lead, protect, and care for the church. They are not subordinate to the pastor, but part of a collaborative team of equals each with needed gifts. Elders must be qualified men, but the qualification isn't seminary: the biblical qualification lies in being mature men of character who are motivated to serve. Strauch presents his points clearly and with strong Biblical support, also adding historical and cultural data to back up his interpretation. Strauch's presentation is a bit redundant, in part because he makes the points above in the first section, supporting them with Scripture, and he later goes sequentially through each of the same Scriptures in more detail to show how and why he has interpreted each verse in the New Testament that mentions eldership. The redundancy is not all bad, especially since this model of eldership--while Biblical--does not appear to be practiced in most churches: the repetition and detailed analysis may indeed be useful to those for whom these concepts are new. While Strauch adequately ties his reflections into life--there are clear practical implications--for the reader who isn't already in a church that practices these principles, a bit more practical, real-life example--how we've seen these principle work in practice, how to get there from here type reflection might be useful. Nonetheless, Strauch's Biblical Eldership is a must-read for anyone seriously interested in exploring what the New Testament says about how the church should be lead.
Alexander Strauch writes an easy-to read biblical defense of eldership. The style is simple and easy to follow, though it is most helpful to read with a Bible open alongside for quick-reference as some thoughts can get clouded without seeing the biblical text right in front of you.Book thesis: This book is intended to help clarify the biblical doctrine of eldership.Thesis supported?Yes, in part. There are some unprecedented conclusions, and some answers informed by personal bias rather than solid, biblical exegesis, but all in all, Strauch does clarify as he intends to.If you are looking at a book which deals with a variety of issues surrounding the all-too-hot debate of eldership (specifically in regard to women-leadership), then this should certainly be one on your list--whether or not you agree with Strauch, you must leastwise be aware of the arguments which must be considered. Some of the material herein is a bit brief, though this is not to say surface-level; Strauch does attempt to really understand the historical, cultural, and Scriptural context from which he draws his thoughts regarding eldership. Sometimes, he returns to similar ideas or texts which can end up being redundant, but this book certainly offers a great overview of the biblical idea of eldership.If you would like to know a few things about his perspectives or conclusions before purchasing:Pastor is elder; elder is pastorElder is distinct from deaconShared/Multiple eldership should be soughtElders are to be maleThe primary qualification for elders is moral reputabilityElders are first and foremost servantsElders are not above the congregation, but they will be held responsible for the congregationIn the end, this book is very helpful. With 21 previous printings, how could one say it hasn't been influential?
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