Like many churches in an immigrant context, our congregation ministers in a largely bilingual community. The older generation prefers to speak Spanish, and the younger prefers English. It’s not unusual to hear two languages in a single conversation, even as both parties understand one another.
Language preference is but one cultural difference in our community and local church. These differences raise important considerations for how immigrant churches should go about finding shepherds, but they shouldn’t distract us from clear, biblical principles.
God’s Plan for Church Leadership
With all the logistical complications that a bilingual culture brings, churches can be tempted toward pragmatism without considering the biblical instructions for church leadership. For example, having only one church leader seems to simplify things, but that’s not the example in the New Testament. Instead, we see that local churches should be led by a plurality of qualified men known as elders (Acts 14:21–23; Titus 1:5; 1 Tim. 5:17; James 5:14; 1 Pet. 5:1–2). Together, these men shepherd the congregation toward maturity in Christ.
In 2 Timothy 2:1–2, Paul exhorts present leaders to raise up future leaders for future generations. However, they shouldn’t be hasty in appointing them as elders (1 Tim. 5:22). In
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