Elders
Mailbag 52: Nominating Other Elders When I’m the Only One; American Flags on the Stage
By Jonathan Leeman | 02.17.2017— How does nominating new elders work when I’m the only elder? — Does having an American flag on stage obscure the message of the gospel?
Mark Dever Interviews Jonathan Leeman about “Don’t Fire Your Church Members”
By J. Leeman, M. Dever | 02.07.2017Would you believe it if someone told you church structure actually plays a crucial role in your individual discipleship?
Mailbag #48: How to Discuss Books as Elders; Advice for Husband & Wife Who Can’t Agree about Church
By Jonathan Leeman | 01.13.2017— You’ve mentioned before the value of elders reading books together. What’s the best way to go about that? — Do you have any advice for a husband and wife who can’t agree on which church to go to?
Mailbag #47: Applying Paul’s “Able to Teach” Qualification; Confidentiality between Pastors and Members?
By Jonathan Leeman | 01.06.2017— How gifted does someone have to be in order to be considered “able to teach”? — Can church members appeal to a kind of “pastor-member confidentiality”?
Churches in Myanmar: Fighting the Fear of Man and Glorying in God
By Justin Caudill | 9Marks Journal: Healthy Churches around the World | 12.12.2016Though they may never receive the fame of an Adoniram Judson, faithful workers across Myanmar are quietly laboring to build up the church.
Churches in the Philippines: Taking Seriously the Joy of the Lord
By Alvin Litonjua | 9Marks Journal: Healthy Churches around the World | 12.12.2016The Philippines prides itself on being fun and happy, and so churches are often tempted by happy, superficial solutions. Yet churches are gaining humble, careful pastors who take seriously instructing their people in the joy of the Lord.
A Church in an Undisclosed Location: Slowly and Waveringly Maturing
By Brother John | 9Marks Journal: Healthy Churches around the World | 12.12.2016Here is the story of one church in one of the least reached corners of the world slowly and waveringly growing into maturity by the grace of God.
Mailbag #44: Applying “Husband of One Wife”; Leaving the Church but Attending Bible Study; Women Voting in the Church
By Jonathan Leeman | 12.09.2016— What does “husband of one wife” mean? That a prospective elder must have never been divorced? — Someone who left our church still wants to attend our church’s ladies’ Bible study. Is that okay? — Does 1 Timothy 2:12 forbid women from voting in congregational matters?
1500-Year-Old Pastoral Wisdom from John Chrysostom
By Eric Beach | 12.05.2016Despite the more than 1500 years between us, I couldn’t help but notice the wisdom John Chrysostom offered for pastors today.
Mailbag #41: When the Church Votes “No” on a Clear Discipline Case; The Biblical Case of “Lay Elders”
By Jonathan Leeman | 11.11.2016—What if the congregation votes “no” in a clear case of discipline? —Are “lay elders” a biblical category?
Reflecting on 30 Years of Ministry at the Same Church
By Tom Ascol | 11.01.2016I’m now more convinced than ever that consistently applying the grace of God in the gospel to my own heart is the most important and most difficult responsibility that I have as a pastor.
25 Years Ago, “Nine Marks” Was Born
By Mark Dever | 10.28.2016On October 30, 1991—25 years ago this Sunday—Mark Dever wrote a letter to a church in Massachusetts. They needed a new pastor and wanted to know what they should be looking for. Mark responded with a list of nine must-haves—a list that has since become known as “nine marks of a healthy church.”
Mailbag #39: Turning Elder Training into a Program; Divorced, Repentant, but Not Seeking Reconciliation?
By Jonathan Leeman | 10.28.2016—Is it wise to turn elder training into a program? —Can a divorced member of the church be repentant without seeking reconciliation with their spouse?
Is It Self-Serving to Teach on Your Own Authority?
By B. Johnson, J. Yong | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016We asked two pastors the question: Is it self-serving to teach on a pastor’s authority? If not, then how should you do it?
Authority and Its Abuse
By Shai Linne | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016The greater the degree of authority, the greater the pain inflicted when it is abused. If it’s devastating in the world, how much more so in the church of Jesus Christ?
