“Art Vandalay?”
No one spoke. A few men at the table sat stone-faced. Others shrugged or grimaced. Their eyes and brows trying communicate what they couldn’t quite find the words to say: Art (name changed to protect the immature) is not a good fit for the counsel. At least not yet.
Our team of elders was once again brainstorming names for future additions. By God’s grace, the voicing of some names elicited words of praise. Sometimes there was largely enthusiasm, with some minor misgivings. On occasion, it seemed as if many of us intuited that “something’s not right” or “doesn’t resonate” when thinking of this man as an elder. Over time, I came to learn that often the language we were groping for was right here in the eldership qualifications: sober-minded.
MORE THAN JUST TEACHING
In a previous article, I celebrated what we might call the most central or most distinctive trait of the pastor-elders: “teachative” or “prone to teach” (Greek didaktikos). That means at least that the pastor-elders are “fond of or given to teaching.” They want to teach. They are
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