Throughout my ministr(ies), we have had about ten elders and deacons, give or take. The question sometimes arises as to how many there should be. It needs to be a generous number, for a number of reasons. Here are some:
• Representation matters. One takes people on board who represent parents, women, labourers, youth, and so on. This has to do with elders and deacons being a witness to unity and diversity, too.• Diversity matters. There is strength in a mix of experience, abilities, perspectives, and convictions.• Mentoring matters. Elders and deacons are not there merely for their own sake, but take people on board with their potential in mind. Thus there may be a few more than strictly needed.• Safety matters. It is safer for the Church, for its policy and its governance, to have a larger body of elders and deacons, in the interests of wisdom and balance.• Congregationalism matters. Where there is a smaller group of elders and deacons, a "hard core" of competent people may tend to call the shots, and lose a spirit of deference to all.
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