Elder (religious)

A religious elder (in Greek, presbuteros) is valued for his or her wisdom, in part for their age, by the logic that the older one is then the more one is likely to know. The concept of an elder was common in parts of the world where what is now called civilization had taken over. The elders in the Bible were also called Scribes or Pharisees. Elders are typical of societies where oral history plays a large part; in societies with patrilineal descent, elders are frequently male, whereas in societies with matrilineal descent, elders are often female. However, both men and women may be elders of a particular society. The sections below look at the concept of eldership held in various religious denominations.

Restoration Movement

In churches growing out of the American Restoration Movement (or Campbell-Stone Movement), namely the Church of Christ, Independent Christian Church, and Disciples of Christ, elders are laity who form the major government of the church. In the Church of Christ, all elders are still male. In this group, the elders are generally the entire governing unit of the congregation; they hire and fire minsters, determine Sunday school curriculum, and are generally the trustees of the physical building and other real estate of the congregation as well. This arrangement is generally followed to some extent in the Independent Christian Church as well; in more recent years the function of the eldership in the Disciples of Christ has been more of an advisory and ceremonial role (serving the Lord's Supper, for example) and a separate board has been constituted to serve in conjunction with the minister in the church's governance.

Related Topics:
Restoration Movement - Church of Christ - Independent Christian Church - Disciples of Christ - Minsters - Sunday school - Trustee - Real estate - Lord's Supper

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