“The Preaching Apostolic Elder”

Wednesday, July 09, 2014

Should a preacher be allowed to be both an elder and preacher in the church?

Sincerely,
Double Duty

Dear Double Duty,

If a preacher also meets the qualifications to be an elder (those qualifications can be found in 1 Tim 3:1-7 and Tit 1:5-9), then he can serve as both an elder and a preacher.  In fact, we have an example of this in the apostle Peter.  Peter was an evangelist (we see him preaching boldly in Acts 2), he was an apostle (Matt 10:2), and Peter says that he was also an elder (1 Pet 5:1)!  Peter held all three jobs at once because he was qualified for all three jobs.  It doesn't matter whether someone is a preacher or not, if he is qualified to serve as an elder, the congregation should appoint him.

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