JBC: Leadership Training- Response

In my home church we do not have any sort of elder training program. The elders are elected to a 2-3 year term by the confessing members of the congregation. They are devout Christian and well meaning men, but again, most (if not all) have no official training. Most men in our culture are business men who have not even gone on to post-secondary institutions. Mind you, this I am not saying this does not disqualify them as being suitable to lead God’s flock. I am simply saying that in our churches I feel that there ought to be some sort of training program that all the men (and women!) in our congregation ought to go through at some time.

The climate in our churches reflects a strong deference to the elders and pastor (who is seen to be above the other elders because of his training and special calling. As such, the congregation often lays the burdens of care upon the elders, who look mostly to the pastor for insight and wisdom into the given cases, although the elders all deliberate issues together. The pastor is also the one who does most of the catechism instruction for the youth, as well as confession of faith classes. This, as can be imagined, leaves a lot of responsibility upon the shoulders of the pastor.

Therefore, when I read the article on leadership training in the JBC, having a training program for the elders and potential elders made a lot of sense. Unfortunately, there are few qualified people in our congregations to teach such a course, and indeed, such a course does not exist.
However, I feel a burden of responsibility to bring the How People Change and Helping Others Change courses to our church(es) back home. Hearing of the effective, God-glorifying change that has taken place within other churches is a huge encouragement for me as I begin to ponder this endeavor. This visions, of course, is not without the recognition that the Spirit must be at work to make others receptive to this idea as well as to the training itself. I pray that the Lord will give me a heart of humility and servitude as this opportunity presents itself, and that I will not lose sight of the fact that I of all these men need radical heart change.

Of course, the vision that Giles presents is bigger than that of training the leadership. That is only the beginning. Giles recognizes that the “best learning occurs in community, because there you find a mutual mentoring process” (57). Indeed, this seems to be the secondary focus of any such leadership training program, as the two CCEF courses mentioned above point out. The individual is to seek to understand himself (herself) in the light of Scripture, then come along side others and mentor them in the things God has taught them. The ultimate goal, to be sure, is the glory of God and the building up of His kingdom.

Indeed there is much need in my local church (as in my own heart) for change. I pray that God will use my time here at WTS to prepare me for the possibility of such an endeavor.