Newton, Elders in Congregational Life

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Phil A. Newton, Elders in Congregational Life: Rediscovering the Biblical Model for Church Leadership. Kregel, 2005.

Referenced in: Plural-Elder Congregational Leadership

LifeandLeadership.com Summary

This volume appears on most suggested reading lists on the subject of plural-elder church leadership. It has its merits, but these are couched in Newton’s primary emphasis on demonstrating the importance of elders in Baptist faith and history. Throughout, he asks the question, “Is it Baptist?” This limits the value for those of other faith traditions.

Among Baptists on this issue, Newton is in the company of authors such as Benjamin Merkle and Mark Dever. The differences are that Dever writes out of practical concerns as the pastor of a large metropolitan church, Newton ties his observations to Baptist polity and denominational history. Merkle brings his strength of biblical scholarship. Each represents a conservative, evangelical approach that emphasizes the positional/structural authority of elders.

One special contribution of Newton is chapter 3, where he argues that elder-plurality is a good balance between pure congregationalism and senior-pastor-led models.

From the Publisher

Self-government and autonomy are long-standing cherished traditions of most evangelical churches. Ideally this means each member participates in decision making, but in reality pure congregationalism is unwieldy and unworkable. Pastors try to solve the problem by assuming more and more of the authority themselves. Neither approach is biblical.

A biblically functioning church requires intentional devotion to the New Testament model of church leadership. In this practical book, experienced pastor Phil Newton examines this biblical model of leadership by explaining the necessity of elder plurality and how it functions in a congregational setting. Newton demonstrates the history of elder plurality from personal experience in Baptist life, expounds three biblical texts to shed light on the New Testament model for spiritual leaders, and provides answers to commonly asked questions.

About the Author

Phil A. Newton (D.Min., Fuller Theological Seminary) is a senior pastor at South Woods Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn., where he has been since 1987. In ministry for more than thirty years, he also has served as an adjunct professor at several schools, and is regularly involved in leading international mission teams. Phil and his wife, Karen, live in Germantown, Tenn.


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