When Elders don't attend prayer meetings

Judah: Brother, unfortunately what you are seeing is not uncommon. I have a question? Where has God set you in the body? I really don't believe it is up to me where I fit into the body, but that God has a local fellowship to which He has called me. I would say that you and your wife need to pray about this until you know for sure where God has called you.

If God has called you where you are now, then be the most faithful in attendance, the most faithful in prayer, the most faithful in ministry, and allow God to grow you. We never grow when times are good and everything is wonderful. Those are the times we rest. The growth comes when there is struggle and we have to go to our knees and the word in order to know what to do.

Thank God that there are a few who really desire to pray. You may not totally agree with the man who comes from a WOF background, but it sounds to me like he loves God and desires to pray. Pray with and for this man. There can be a sweet unity in the Spirit apart from a unity in doctrinal teaching as long as you don't disagree on the essentials. I have people I attend with that I think have some odd opinions, but they love the Lord and our fellowship is sweet all the same.

Remember, you are being faithful to God, not to man. Faithfulness always results in blessing.

Travis gives good advice.

I have been involved in prayer times at a few different churches. At one none of the pastors or elders attended but the folks who who meant to did and that prayer meeting was amazing.

At another, one of the elders attended but he was about 80 and the meeting was less than it could have been because of his stodgy ways.

Just do what God wants to do and leave the rest to Him.

I used to get discouraged at both churches because the had congregations in the 300s but only 5 or 6 would show up to pray. Then God told me not to worry about them.

Todd: Unfortunately this is the way it goes it seems. Prayer is work. It is labor. It is self-sacrifice. There are usually few who are really into work, labor, and self-sacrifice. I long for the time when a church of 70 has 70 who show up just to pray. But God deals with me based on my faithfulness, not based on the faithfulness of others. How many prayer warriors live in their closets and will not be "found out" until they reap reward in heaven for their faithfulness. Praise God for those saints!

I recently heard this from Brother Zac Ponnen that really blessed me. I always thought being committed in a Church is based on regular attendance but he said it is totally wrong. Church is God's family. To be part of a family does not mean you frequently visit them, it means you play an active role in them. In a family everyone including children has a role to play and they all play that role each day a week. A visitor or family friend can visit the house frequently every day but may still not take any responsibility.

Now based on above criteria if the Elders are found not committed anymore then why are they even considered Elders? It is like a father who no longer brings money nor fulfills his responsibilities.

Leonhard Ravenhill once said,
if you want to know how popular the church is, go to the Sunday morning service,
if you want to know how popular the preacher is, go to the Sunday evening service,
if you want to know how popular God is, go to the midweek prayer meeting.

I am in a fellowship where I started to pray publically in the morning service and a number came to me and encouraged me that it furthers the spirit of worship in the church.

Then the elder came to me and forbid me to pray publically because it "interupted the music programme".

I sensed that they had grieved the Spirit and was saddended but held my peace.

I still grapple with the question if I should continue in that fellowship, but I am waiting unto God and will see what he says. On the other hand, I see that I can give much encouragement to some brothers and sisters in the fellowship. There is a hunger among some folk and God has his people there, too.

Tough one, but I think many of us are in this place.

deleted double post

Sreeram: Very good. I agree brother. You are right. Elders have a responsibility to lead the body by example. If they are not seeking God, then how can the people they lead be expected to do the same.

I will give one brief thought that should be considered. In our body we have three elders. The church is growing quickly, and all three of us are very busy with the oversight of the body. We have regular corporate prayer meetings in our body. All of the elders also have a committed prayer life in their closets (away from the corporate meetings). The demands of leadership and the fact that all of us still have full time employment mean that we find time with our own families hard to come by, yet we know that our own families are our number one ministry priority. So we may not all attend every corporate prayer meeting. We have discussed this as a group and we understand that we cannot all be at every function and still keep our priorities right where our families are concerned. If this is the case, I cannot fault an elder for not showing up to every corporate prayer meeting that is held. However, for the sake of leadership and example, his prayer life should be evident to the body and he should probably attend a certain percentage of these meetings. I guess there are sometimes circumstances that are not apparent to everyone and this should be taken into account.