The following article was written for the 2005 Bellview Lectureship book "The Blight of Liberalism." The lectureship book maybe ordered from Bellview church of Christ, 4850 Saufley Field Road, Pensacola, FL 32526. E-Mail: bellview@bellviewcoc.com

Elders then have no authority to change the organization of the church to one man rule or adding a group of leaders. When elders attempt to appoint men as leaders, they are attempting to change the organization of the church. When some are appointed as leaders, men are attempting to create an office in the church which was not created by God.

Preachers have responsibilities which have been given by God and these responsibilities do not include taking the oversight of the local congregation. The preacher is not the one who makes the decisions for the congregation. Paul gave the young preacher Timothy a very serious charge to preach the Word (2 Tim. 4:1-5). The church at Philippi had elders and deacons (Phil. 1:1), but Timothy was sent to them to do the work that an evangelist needed to do (Phil. 2:19). A preacher has a duty to preach and teach the word of God. Paul said, "These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee" (Titus 2:15).

Some liberals are attempting to create a new office in the church called "church leaders." This usually takes place when there are no men qualified to serve as elders. In an article from the Gospel Advocate J. Roy Vaughan stated:

This is not a new departure from the scriptural organization of the church. This article was written August 8, 1946. This practice seems to have been widely accepted since that time. The only group of men which God has approved to have the oversight of a congregation are called elders. Therefore just because the church appoints a group of men they call "leaders" that does not make it right with God.

Today some liberals are advocating putting women into leadership positions. Some are even advocating placing women into the eldership. The Honolulu church of Christ several years ago was holding men’s business meetings and women’s business meetings. While visiting the congregation one Sunday night (November, 1997) the women were coming out of their business

meeting and one lady said, "the women meet to discuss what they want done and then we tell the men what they need to do." One of the most powerful influences in all humanity is the influence of a woman and mother. It is the woman who wields the greatest influence in the lives of the children. They are to teach (Titus 2:3-5; Acts 18:24-26). But they are to be in subjection to their own husbands (Eph. 5:22-23; Titus 2:3-5). They are not to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence (1 Tim. 2:11-12). Therefore, the woman is not to teach or have authority over a man. Paul gives reasons for this restriction (1 Tim. 2:13-15). The woman’s role in the church is not a role of general leadership but it is one of subordination and subjection, but subordination and subjection do not mean inferiority.

The Bible does not give women the authority to be elders. The Bible says, "This is a true saying, IF A MAN desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work" (1 Tim. 3:1, emp. mine LDP). The word (ei tis) which is translated "if a man" in 1 Timothy 3:1 is also translated "if any man" 35 times, "if any" 19 times, "if a man" eight times, "if any thing" six times, "if ought" three times, and "whosoever" two times (Smith, p. 111). Paul continues to give the qualifications for a man that desires to serve as one of the elders and one of those qualifications is "the husband of one wife" (1 Tim. 3:2). The word (aner) that is translated "husband" means "with a reference to sex, and so to distinguish a man from a woman; either as a male...or as a husband (Matt. 1:16; Mark 10:2; John 4:16; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:2; Gal. 4:27; 1 Tim. 3:2,12; Titus 1:6)...as reference to age, and to distinguish an adult man from a boy" (Thayer, p. 45). This word is translated "man/men" 156 times, "husband" 50 times, "sir" six times, "fellow" one time and is not translated two times (Luke 24:19; Acts 3:14) (Smith, p. 24).

Today some liberals are advocating that elders should be re-evaluated each year or so. While visiting the Pearl Harbor church of Christ in Honolulu (December, 1996) one of the elders said, "I will only be serving as one of the elders until December 31^st, after that the congregation will be re-evaluating us and I probably will not be serving after that." This elder did not attend the Sunday evening service that evening because he had family visiting. There are other congregations throughout the brotherhood who have adopted this practice of reevaluating or reaffirming elders. Contending for the Faith, January 2003, list some congregations who are using this unscriptural method of dealing with elders. They list: