In both of my major ministries, we introduced elders. The elders took proposals to a combined meeting of elders-deacons, for a combined vote -- and elders' proposals were always at the top of the combined agenda. I received a question this week which I understood like this: Did elders reduce the pressure of ministry? The answer is no, but it did two things besides. Firstly, I had experienced considerable stress through deacons-only meetings, because these prioritised temporal issues, and closed before spiritual issues could be discussed. Now spiritual issues were foregrounded -- and these are the most important issues in a Church. Secondly, elders contributed much to vibrant Churches. We were now making spiritually significant decisions. Put finances, property, or administration at the top, and the writing may be on the wall for a Church. While, by and large, the spiritual decisions were not major, a raft of small decisions changed the dynamics of the Church.
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