Can you explain the difference in roles that you would expect an elder to do versus a biblical counsellor? Would a biblical counselling ministry in a church take away from the role of an elder?
I will start off by saying that Tim Challies did a wonderful job unpacking Ephesians 4:11-16 for us in the opening session of the conference, which addresses part of this question. If you attended our conference, I would recommend going back and watching the recording. If you did not attend the conference and would like access to the recording, you can purchase the videos here.
During Tim’s talk, he mentioned that there is no special, scriptural category for a ‘biblical counsellor’. Instead, it is better to think of biblical counsellors as first and foremost, members of the body of Christ, who are called to carry out the work of ministry.
The Role of an Elder
Scripture provides us with some clear direction on what an elder is and what an elder does. The passages of 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 outline the qualifications of an elder, while passages like Ephesians 4:11-12, and 1 Peter 5:2-4 speak more to what an elder is called to do. The passage from 1 Peter is perhaps the most helpful in explaining an elder’s role.
As Peter explains in verse 2, elders are the ‘under-shepherds’ of a local church. They receive their calling from the ‘chief Shepherd’ (v.4), imitating His way of caring for the flock. Elders are the primary leaders who care for, encourage, build up, correct, protect, train, guide, and serve the church body. Ultimately, God will hold the leaders of the church (referred to in Scripture as ‘overseers’, ‘elders’, or ‘pastors’) responsible for how they have shepherded God’s people.
Now, does that mean that elders must be the only ones doing biblical counselling within a church? I think Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:11-12 are helpful here. Although Paul does not mention elders specifically, he stresses that it is the responsibility of the leaders (pastors, teachers etc.) to also equip the saints for the work of ministry. Elders (church leaders) are called to invest time in equipping people in their congregation for all kinds of ministry, including biblical counselling.
The Role of a Biblical Counselling Ministry
A biblical counselling ministry can be a great asset to the church and a great help to the church’s elders, but it does not take away from the elders’ role and responsibility to ‘shepherd the flock’ (1 Pet 5:2). Elders are required to provide direct oversight to the ministries of their church, including a biblical counselling ministry. This means that those who are offering biblical counselling, whether as lay people, or as paid staff, should report to the elders of the church. The elders must take steps to ensure that any of the church’s biblical counsellors are mature Christians with integrity, who are properly trained and possess a deep understanding of the Scriptures.
It is also important that the elders continue to exercise their God-given authority. If someone in the church is meeting with a staff or lay biblical counsellor, they should be able to do so with the confidence that the church leaders (elders and pastors) are deeply invested in their care.