Take the 2-minute tour ×

Some churches who appoint elders do so for a term (3 years is typical from what I have seen). Other churches ordain elders for life. Is there a Biblical basis for ordaining elders for life?

This is a follow on to my question about term eldership.

share|improve this question
Good question. Theses questions are the reason why I love this site. It open your eyes to different way of doing things. Question we might not have in my context. Thanks for the question. –  David Laberge May 16 '12 at 10:45
I'm adding this as a comment because it's not really an answer to your question, but an opinion. In my experience (though it may be limited) no elder that truly serves God ever leaves the office. They might have another person take the office of an elder, but the prior elder always continues to council, pray for, and feed the flock. –  SamuelWarren May 16 '12 at 21:09
@SamuelWarren I agree. I believe that elders can be more or less active. Some even go emeritus whatever that is :-) but I believe that the calling of an elder is for life. Just want scriptural backing for it. –  Nathan Bunney May 17 '12 at 0:59

3 Answers 3

I would believed that this issues falls under church polity. The conduct of the local body of Christ is not always clear in the Bible. There are no verses, that I know of, that state how long the mandate of an elder most be. Historically, an office was hold as long as you qualify to it. A carpenter would be exercising the same profession all his life. This is why I think the Bible does not tackle the question of a term.

In today's thinking, we have the idea that power corrupts, and therefore is almost a sin to hold a position of power, and the influence of our political model might be the reason why we are considering this question.

From a Bible perceptive, as long as an elder fulfills the requirements from Titus and Timothy, I do not see a biblical recommendation on the question of time or term. This question presents another aspect of our Christian liberty.

This being said, elders have a huge responsibility. If an elder does not qualify, not merely as a result of a sin, he should give his resignation (not wait the end of the term) to protect the glory of God in the local body. (The idea I have in mind in this case, could be a young father that cannot take an adequate time with is family. A husband that is always out of the home. These are not sin, but that they are unwise may be patent.)

http://www.9marks.org is a good resource on the question of church polity. I know that I am greatly influenced by them in my thinking on this question.

share|improve this answer

John 20:21-23


Here Jesus commissions his disciples as apostles, and that commission is repeated to those whom they ordain, in that time and now.

There is no intimation in what Christ said that the change wrought in the apostles was time-limited.

Now, this answer is given from a Catholic perspective. Once a person is ordained, he's ordained and the Spirit effects an ontological change — a change in his very nature — to conform him more closely to Christ. That change cannot be undone. Even if a priest [or deacon] resigns his orders and is released from vows and no longer permitted to act according to his orders, he cannot be re-ordained because it's already been done once.

share|improve this answer
+1 for the part about ontological change. It's similar to the ontological change brought about by baptism. –  LoveTheFaith May 28 '12 at 4:07

Being an Elder depends on three things.

  1. Having the qualifications according to Timothy and Titus.
  2. Having an inner assurance that you are called to the office.
  3. Having the inner call confirmed by being called by the congregation.

Unless all three aspects are in place the person is not an Elder.

share|improve this answer
Thanks for your post and welcome to Christianity.SE. I understand these points are relevant to eldership in general, but I don't see how it answers the specific question this OP was asking. These points could apply to eldership whether the term was a month or a lifetime. The question being posed is "What do churches who believe in lifetime eldership terms see as the Biblical basis for their position?" Do you care to take a stab at that question or at least relate these points to that issue? –  Caleb Aug 11 '12 at 10:52

Your Answer


