Don’t assume that relational participatory churches don’t need leaders.

In fact, it takes strong, secure leadership to create and maintain a safe environment …

Where others feel secure enough to come forth and minister one to another for the mutual building up of each other like the New Testament commands.

To help achieve that, the New Testament provides for elders (plural) who, among other tasks, watch over and protect each local church.

We do that by helping to equip everyone else to do works of ministry according to their diverse gifts, rather than assuming the primary burden of ministry ourselves …

And by creating a safe, secure environment in our gatherings where everyone feels free to actually come forth in ministry, one to another.

As an elder in a relational participatory church that meets in my home, I can attest to the weighty responsibility this puts on us.

To do it well takes humility as we discern when intervention is actually needed to protect the church and its members …

And then firm action when it is.

For example:

In my experience, smaller relational participatory churches like we see in the New Testament …

Often attract people who tend to dominate the gatherings – either intentionally or unintentionally – with their own unresolved issues, pet doctrines and individual agendas.

They haven’t learned to properly prefer and minister to others, and participate out of their own issues instead.

A good elder sees what’s happening and privately tries to work with them to help them come into balance.

But if they refuse, and persist in trying to dominate the church and thwarting it’s ability to function as the multi-gifted, multi-part Body of Christ …

The elders must act.

Otherwise, without proper leadership …

Those churches will inevitably fail, no matter how good everyone else’s intentions may be.

Ultimately, the goal of Biblical leaders must be to help folks properly come forth, rather than elevating themselves over the church.

So the issue isn’t whether we need leaders, but how they lead …

And whether they truly function as servants to all.