Evangelically, an increasing number of our congregations are unable to call and to support pastors. If these congregations are to be vital and to grow, we need the leadership of elders who have deep faith, a vision for mission and outreach, and energy to serve their people. Too often, we seek to recruit people to “serve on session” by minimizing to them the cost and commitment of being an elder. We need to extend calls which rebuild the understanding that ordination is to a lifetime of discipleship, not just to a three-year term on session.
Ecclesiastically, we risk clericalism and a decline in our basic Presbyterian democracy if we diminish the office of elder, by making it such a transient task, by emphasizing wide participation at the price of seeking serious gifts, or by hiring paid staff (often not ordained and installed) to replace the leadership of our elders.
The Red Cross long ago learned that you cannot buy as good a pint of blood as you receive from voluntary donors! Should we think again about the rotation system? Currently a pastor gains seniority over all the session in six years — three years in many congregations. One consequence is a de facto clericalism, and a diminution of the authority of the session as a deliberative body.
Ecumenically, the elder is at the heart of our polity. We need to learn more about the Episcopal Church’s understanding of episkope (the principle of oversight) and we need to share the gift of ordained eldership, in its full theological and historic context.
We can only address these things as we reclaim our own history and theology. The current emphases on short-term, no-pain obligation, on sharing the opportunity widely, and our increasing staff dependency all eviscerate the strength of the gift we have received in the eldership.
JOHN NILES BARTHOLOMEW, a retired synod executive, is parish associate, Riverside church, Jacksonville, Fla.
