The Call for Ruling Elders to be Churchmen

Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’ 18 And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’ – Exodus 3:16-18 (ESV)

 

The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them….And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me…” – Acts 15:6-7, 12-13 (ESV)

The Ruling Elder according to The Book of Church Order

Most Ruling Elders (REs) today see their role as confined to their local church which elected and installed them. That’s commendable and our primary role, but not our only role. When a local church ordains a ruling elder, that ordination is to the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), not just the local congregation. The Book of Church Order (BCO) describes an RE’s calls in paragraph 8-3:

It belongs to those in the office of elder, both severally and jointly, to watch diligently over the flock committed to his charge, that no corruption of doctrine or of morals enter therein. They must exercise government and discipline, and take oversight not only of the spiritual interests of the particular church, but also the Church generally when called thereunto.

 

Thus, REs are called to serve the broader Church as well as their particular congregation. BCO 8-9 describes the general call of REs:

As there were in the Church under the law, elders of the people for the government thereof, so in the Gospel Church, Christ has furnished others besides ministers of the Word with gifts and commission to govern when called thereunto, who are called ruling elders.

 

The Holy Spirit calls REs to the broader Church to govern, and gives them the required gifts. BCO 8-10 elaborates on REs duties to the Church:

Elders being of one class of office, ruling elders possess the same authority and eligibility to office in the courts of the Church as teaching elders. They should, moreover, cultivate zealously their own aptness to teach the Bible and should improve every opportunity of doing so.

 

Note that REs are of “the same authority and eligibility to office in the courts of the Church as teaching elders.” This applies not only to your local Session, but also to your Presbytery and the General Assembly. Scripture, as reflected in the BCO, doesn’t just expect REs to confine themselves to work in their local churches. It also compels them to serve the broader Church of Jesus Christ as they are gifted by the Spirit.

Going back to the Westminster’s Form of Presbyterial Church Government from 1645, we read:

As there were in the Jewish church elders of the people joined with the priests and Levites in the government of the church; so Christ, who hath instituted government, and governors ecclesiastical in the church, hath furnished some in His church, beside the ministers of the word, with gifts for government, and with commission to execute the same when called thereunto, who are to join with the ministers in the government of the church. Which officers reformed churches commonly call Elders.

 

The Ruling Elder according to Scripture & Church History

Scripture provides the template for this. We see in Exodus 3 and Acts 15 as prime examples. In both cases, the elders gathered to discuss and resolve issues beyond their local context. Acts 15 provided an example of what we would call a Presbytery (regional) meeting. It certainly wasn’t the last as we read of it in Church History continuing today. Our Lord called elders then and calls them now to serve His broader Church to bless Her through their Spirit-provided gifts.

As the Church grew, many councils would be held—for instance at Nicaea and Chalcedon—to resolve doctrinal and other issues. Our own Presbyterian tradition most famously clarified the role of elders during the Westminster Assembly. Elders from the broader Reformed Church resolved a variety of theological and practical issues to pen our Standards. In all these cases, the “commissioners” to these councils continued to serve their local congregations as well as Christ’s broader Church.

 

Ruling Elders & The PCA

Ruling Elders largely created the PCA and made up the majority of the first two General Assemblies (GAs). Ruling Elder participation declined after those first two years. For decades, RE attendance at GA hovered around the low 20% level. Many Presbyteries had an even lower RE participation. That’s not the PCA that our founders envisioned—as we saw in Chapter 8 of the BCO.

By God’s grace, RE participation started increasing in 2018, with REs making up about 25% of the GA in 2018 and 2019. Then attendance rose to over 30% in 2022 and has continued that pattern since. While RE representation has improved, we have a distance to close before we reach 50%—the minimum ideal level.

 

Practical Ways To Improve Ruling Elder Attendance

An important implication of this is that Sessions should offset the costs of their officers to attend Presbytery and GA. Some REs choose to pay their own way. One helpful ministry is MORE (More Orthodox Ruling Elders) in the PCA who offers scholarships for those that need financial assistance. Yes, Presbytery and General Assembly attendance for REs often involves sacrificing vacation time—but that’s our calling.

I started attending General Assembly with 34th General Assembly. At this time, I was serving as the Clerk of Session in my local church. After that Assembly, the moderator selected me to serve on the AD Interim Study Committee on Federal Vision, New Perspective, and Auburn Avenue Theology. I worked with four Teaching Elders and two other Ruling Elders to develop and present our report to 35th Assembly. I have served on almost every Committee of Commissioners at GA over the years. On the presbytery level, I have served on the Credentials Committee as well as serving as the Moderator of Presbytery. Part of my responsibilities was to lead the presbytery through the first year of COVID and first-ever Zoom meetings. Like many other Ruling elders serving at General Assembly and Presbytery levels, during this entire time I’ve also led Bible studies and taught adult Sunday School.

Not everyone can or wants to become this widely involved, but it is possible to serve at presbytery and PCA General Assembly every year—even while leading your family well. In fact, it’s critical to the health and fidelity of the PCA that REs do so. Ruling Elders bring valuable real-world perspectives to every debate.

 

Conclusion

Ruling Elders provide a critical element in leading and governing the Church. There have been various wake-up calls which have contributed to increased percentages of Ruling Elders at presbytery and General Assembly in recent years. Ruling Elders are similar to “neutron rods” in the nuclear reactor of the PCA. When the nuclear reactor starts to get out of hand, REs step in to correct the course of the PCA. While some feel that the larger denominational issues don’t affect their local church, experience in the PCA and other denominations shows that eventually, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” (Galatians 5:9) When the Holy Spirit calls men to be Ruling Elders, He calls them to serve the local and greater Church. Brothers, consider and pray about how you can be true to all aspects of that call.