Brannon Howse: Aired May 16, 2013

“Pastor Anonymous” joins us today to explain what happens when a Senior Pastor leads the church instead of a group of biblically qualified elders who are recognized by the congregation as the spiritual leaders of the church (according to 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1), several issues will normally surface that should cause concern. These issues fall in the following categories of confusion, characte,r and calamity. Immediately following the Senior Pastor’s departure, the elders gathered for prayer – repenting of our contribution to this disaster and asking God to guide us as we sought His direction from the Scriptures as to the kind of church that we should be. We clearly defined what we meant by elder leadership in the church and used that definition in the process of hiring our next Teaching Pastor. We took the title Senior Pastor out of any communication concerning a vacant position; and clearly defined who we are as a church so the next man who stood in our pulpit would know that he was an elder among other elders and that WE together will stand before Christ, to present to Him a faithful and devoted congregation. What was the result once this church left the “Pastor rule” model and went to a Biblical model?: We are a stronger, and unified elder council. God has blessed us with a gifted Bible teacher who embraces the biblical definition of elder leadership in the church and …we have a committed congregation that is enjoying a sweet season of unity and grace and ministry that is advancing the gospel. In sum, we are the beneficiaries of a kind and loving Savior who took us through a season of much needed chastisement for His glory so that we would be His church and not Senior Pastor So-and-So’s church. Topic: We take your calls.