Many churches are committed to the concept of a plurality of elders. That is to say, the local church is not led by the pastor alone, but by a team of leaders. The elders as a body are shepherds and overseers of the flock and together they lead the local church.
Interestingly, the norm in many churches committed to that principle is for there to only be one preacher. There’s a plurality of elders, but a singular preacher. But is that healthy? And is it biblical? Should the “plurality” principle apply to preachers as well?
The classic text for making a distinction between elders who “rule” or lead, and those among them who are particularly gifted to preach and teach, is 1 Timothy 5:17. Paul says, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in preaching and teaching.” He goes on to talk about not muzzling the ox while it is treading out the grain, establishing the principle that the worker is worthy of his wages. It is appropriate, he is saying, to financially support church workers. In fact, this remuneration is often seen as the “double” honour – there’s the honour of respect and also the honour of remuneration. That’s double honour.
With this understanding a model has developed where local churches have a plurality of elders, one of whom is set aside, and financially supported, to preach and teach as his fulltime work. But is that what Paul envisioned? It seems significant that the “double honour” is spoken of in regard to elders who rule well, not just to those who preach. And he does not then speak of “especially the one” who teaches and preaches, but “especially those” who preach and teach. His words are suggestive of a plurality of preachers among the plurality of elders.
In larger churches with multiple pastors that is, of course, what happens. But most churches are smaller and have only one minister. He’s expected to preach most weeks, with a few weeks’ holiday and perhaps the occasional swap with another minister or guest preacher to help out. So, one person provides over 80% of the preaching ministry.
While that model has provided for the needs of many churches and been sustainable for many preachers, it is worth asking, is it really best? Is it the healthiest model for preachers and for churches? Or should a belief in the principle of a plurality of elders be matched by a commitment to a plurality of preachers?
I’d like to suggest that a plurality of preachers is the healthiest and most biblical pattern for every church, no matter what its size. It is healthy for a number of reasons:
- It is healthy for a church not to be overly dependent on one person. The whole point of a plurality of elders is it is not a one-man show. But it can too easily look and feel like it is if only one person preaches.
- It is healthy for the church to hear the Word through more than one person. Each preacher brings their own insights, preaches with their own style, and connects in different ways to different people. It is healthy to hear the Word from several different people.
- It is healthy to use and develop the gifts of many. It is unlikely, even in a fairly small church, that the minister is the only person with teaching gifts. Other men will grow greatly if they are asked to step up and preach from time to time. For some of them it may prove to be the first step towards further gospel ministry.
- It is healthy for the preacher to sit under the ministry of the Word, being fed by others. We believe that is important for everyone else in the church, and it is important for the minister too.
- It is healthy for a minister to have some weeks when he doesn’t have to prepare a new sermon, but can spend additional time digging his well deeper for ongoing Word ministry or doing advance preparation for an upcoming series.
- It is healthy for the minister not to be in a category of one. If he is the only person in the church with his particular set of responsibilities, there can be undue focus on him, excessive pressure on, and a measure of isolation for him. The plurality principle is designed to ensure he is not alone in his tasks.
- It is healthy for preachers to be able to share the load with each other. They can help carry each other’s burdens in times of greater stress, weariness or harder seasons of life.
- It is also healthy come the time when the minister leaves. The church is not suddenly stuck, but already has a pool of other preachers who step in.
It’s healthier. But is it achievable? Is it possible for even a small church to have several preachers?
It is likely that in a smaller church there will only be one fulltime pastor, but if part of his mandate is not only to preach but to equip others to preach, then over time a pool of preachers can be raised up.
To achieve that, many churches now establish a preaching group where a few people come together to study biblical texts, and learn how to structure a message, develop sound applications, and communicate in public. They may begin by preparing short talks and presenting them to each other, giving feedback and learning from each other, while being coached by the pastor. Over time, some will show capacity to prepare a longer message and then eventually preach in church.
Actually, the RTC has just added another unit to The Way Discipleship course specifically designed to help with this. “Communicating the Word” is a new unit designed to help equip people to handle, teach and preach God’s Word well. You can find more information at https://thewaydiscipleship.com/
People who are trained in this way will typically grow spiritually through doing this. It will grow their understanding of preaching, of the Bible, of good communication, and of what is involved in feeding the flock. It may well grow the ability of elders to give feedback on the main preacher’s sermons and it may increase their empathy for him as well as they discover firsthand the demands of preaching.
Some may preach just once or twice a year, while others may have time and capacity to preach more often. In a very small church, you don’t have to be an amazing public speaker to stand in front of a few people and open up an edifying message from God’s Word. When a church is a bit larger, more developed gifts are needed to speak to a greater number of people, but the pool of people to draw from is also larger.
Once a few men have been trained, others will be encouraged to consider learning to preach as well. Preaching won’t be seen as the domain of just one person, but as one of the gifts God gives to his church for the upbuilding of the body. Those who show marked giftedness should then be encouraged to consider going further, perhaps undertaking full theological training in order to devote themselves to fulltime work as a pastor or gospel worker.
Of course, great care should be taken in calling on more people to preach. It is a large responsibility that has a huge impact on the wellbeing of the church. Preaching standards must be kept high. Those who are trained will need to be very sound in doctrine, apt to teach, and godly in their daily lives. But they are the qualifications for all the elders, so it is not outlandish to think that more elders, and others aspiring to eldership, might be able to test and develop their gifts to preach.
It seems biblical, healthy, and wise, therefore, for a church to develop not only a plurality of elders, but a plurality of preachers.