Church Elders by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 5, 1885

Church Elders.

By Editor

THE Interior says some keen things about church elders that may be made profitable to all who have responsibilities in this direction. When the elders rule well, the churches prosper spiritually and financially. This can only be done by becoming ensamples to the flock. But here are the words referred to:—

“We have in the eldership of the church some of the noblest men in the nation. They give gratuitously a great deal of time and thought to the work of the church. They should be counted worthy of double honor. We have another class of elders, not numerous, however, whose ambition is to be ecclesiastical bosses—to rule the minister and run the church. They are unmitigated nuisances, and ought to be abated. And we have elders, not a few, who regard themselves as purely ornamental. They want to be the figure-heads of the churches. Their full responsibility is met, in their own estimation, by distributing the elements at the quarterly communion. May the great Head of the church send down his Spirit to convert the bosses and the figure-heads, and to make all our elders examples to the flock, so that when the Chief Shepherd shall appear they may ‘receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.’”