How to ordain elders in a fellowship

We are a small fellowship that wants to ordain elders. I know what the requirements are, but who should ordain the elders? In my biblical understanding it would be best if an apostle could do that because there must be a laying on of hands. Nowadays not many people understand these doctrines and state that there are no more apostles today and point to the errors of the NAR movement.

Does anyone of you know some teaching material about that?

Hi Alec,

I listened to B.H. Clandennen a lot, infact even today. Best would be someone who is actually local.

I am very aware of the dangers that false apostles pose to a church and I have witnessed abuse from false ones. Then there are those who want to turn your church into a franchise with their agenda.
Only those who are under Christs authority themselves can exercise spiritual authority.

We need to pray..

It sounds as if there currently are no elders.

Is there consensus in your group who the elders should be?

Titus dies not mention "ordaining” but rather "appointing.”

If there is consensus who the elders should be and they are qualified, isn’t that sufficient?

How can an outsider who doesn’t know your fellowship appoint elders?

When Paul was ordained to the work God called him to do it was in a gathering with "certain prophets and teachers". In the new testament we usually find an apostle ordaining elders, but not always. I think we find it being an apostle primarily because that is the person who was establishing the works and setting them up. So an apostle laying on hands and ordaining is good, but it is not universal in the New Testament, so I don't think we can make a hard and fast rule about it.

Ordination is, and I am sure from your post that you believe this yourself, simply a recognition by current leadership that God is calling out a man at a certain time for a certain work. It is a setting in of a man into a position that God has called him to fill. So I would say that you need to make sure that the men you are ordaining are the ones that God has said, "separate these men to eldership in this body." Then, I believe existing leadership should ordain these men. Remember, it is God who calls and actually God who ordains. It is men who lay on hands and set in publicly. If you have an established work with established leadership, I would say your existing leadership is sufficient. But, if you have other men, perhaps an apostle, that regularly sow into your body and want them involved that is great as well.

At our fellowship, we initially had a man who is an apostle come in, do some leadership training with us, and then ordain the initial three elders. But after that, we as the existing elders have simply ordained as God called out.

Hi Travis,
thanks for taking the time to answer me. There are 2 leaders in our fellowship who seek to become elders, one being myself the main preacher, we do not have any established leadership that could ordain elders. So in our case, having an apostle would be our best bet.

Unfortunately, few have a proper understanding of the role of apostles today. Most think they have ceased with the first century, others make superstars out of them. I think apostles are simply church planters and those that regularily visit churches and strengthen and admonish them in Christ.

I am praying and searching if the Lord will send us such a man.

Philip

"There are 2 leaders in our fellowship who seek to become elders, one being myself the main preacher..."

Phillip,

Based upon your above statement, I have a question.

Does one who is a "leader" or "main preacher" in a fellowship/church need to be "ordained"?

[Phillip,

Based upon your above statement, I have a question.

Does one who is a "leader" or "main preacher" in a fellowship/church need to be "ordained"?]

You can preach without being ordained an elder, but it appears to be the order of the apostles to have publically recognized elder everywhere. Elders exercise God given authority in the local church.

Titus 1:5 5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.

This was necessary because of all those empty talkers and slow bellies that would otherwise corrupt the church. Titus 1:10-16

In our case, the fellowship are partly members who came out of a church with very strict practices, over and above what the bible demands. So we are not a church plant, but a group or leavers that wanted to continue fellowship.

I may have found a man who can help us, just waiting to hear back from him.

Philip: I agree that most people do not understand the role of new testament apostles. But I believe we don't understand, by and large, the role of prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers either. But I also believe that God is the one who calls and ultimately ordains. It is His anointing, His grace, for the calling that is bestowed upon the person being called. Paul often established a church in a city and then returned a year or more later and ordained elders. I believe that by doing so he could see who God had really called and the whole body in that place would bear witness to that calling. These men would have already risen to leadership and be functioning in the grace of God in that place. So, I don't think it is totally necessary that an apostle ordain you. Remember Paul was ordained by prophets and teachers. If you and this other man are already universally recognized as the leadership of your fellowship, then you may simply need to take that role on. If you are recognized as such anyway, then perhaps you don't need any kind of official ordination service.