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GOVERNANCE & MINISTRY
by Dan Hotchkiss
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What Should I Do about the Elders?
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Excerpt
W.C. Vaughan doorknob, vintage 1978 When I was a young seminarian, I worked in a factory that made doorknobs for historic buildings. In class I studied new, improved ideas about faith and life. At the W.C. Vaughan Company—working with Joe, Homer, and Fred—I learned to value what my elders had to teach. That was more than forty years ago! Today pastors often ask me, “What should I do about the Elders?” They’re talking about the old guard—longtime and former leaders. Different congregations call them Deacons, Past Presidents, the Women’s Fellowship, or something else. Sometimes Elders have no formal name at all—but rest assured, if your congregation has existed for more than a decade, they do exist! Like Joe, Homer, and Fred, they can be challenging, but have a lot to teach. Elders are the bearers of tradition, and tradition can weigh heavy on the shoulders of new clergy leaders. Elders
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