And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.  Acts 14.23, ESV (57)

Paul and Barnabas had established churches in several cities and were backtracking to visit with those churches and appoint elders in each church.  This passage indicates that a plurality of elders was appointed in each local church.  In fact, every passage that mentions a congregation’s elders mentions a plurality of elders (cf. Phil. 1.1; Titus 1.5).

In the New Testament elders are also referred to as presbyters, bishops, overseers, pastors, and shepherds (cf. Acts 20.17, 28; Titus 1.5, 7; 1 Pet. 5.1, 2).  In the New Testament preachers and elders are not the same work (Eph. 4.11).  In other words, a pastor was not a preacher and a preacher was not a pastor.  (Perhaps we’ll have an article on this soon.)

The qualifications for elders are found in 1 Timothy 3.1–7 and Titus 1.5–9.  These are not simply suggestions, but they are requirements for every man who would serve as an elder.

Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly …. 1 Pet. 5.2, ESV (58)

Peter, in addition to being an apostle and preacher, was also an elder (1 Pet. 5.1).  In this passage he instructs elders in their work.  This work included the need to shepherd, or pastor, the flock, or local church, and to exercise or have the oversight over a congregation.  In fulfilling this work they were to have a willing, eager attitude and were to avoid a greedy attitude.  Notice that Peter says that elders have oversight over the flock that is among them (cf. Acts 20.28).  Elders do not have the right to oversee other churches.  The concept of a metropolitan, city-wide, regional, or district elder, bishop, or pastor is foreign to the New Testament.

Does your church practice the one man pastor system that makes the preacher a pastor?  Can you find this in the New Testament?  If not, is this acceptable to God?  –JRG

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