The Bible tells Christians to have “elders” in every congregation (Acts 14:23) because these men provide the leadership in local congregations (1 Tim. 3:5). The Bible does not, however, describe how these men are selected and installed. Some of the procedures used by congregations are found below; if you have other suggestions, please use the “comment box” so they can be added for other visitors.
Elder and Deacon Selection Process
The method we have used in the past:
1. Receive nominations from members of the congregation.
2. Persons receiving more than 50% of respondents would be contacted to see if they are willing to serve. Any who are clearly not scripturally qualified (such as husband of one wife, or unmarried, without children) will also be dropped from consideration.
3. A slate of those receiving enough support and who are willing to serve would be announced to the congregation.
4. Anyone with scriptural objections about an individual could either approach that individual, approach the committee, or put their objection in writing.
5. If none were dismissed after the objection time, all the men on the slate would be appointed as elders and deacons.
Alternative methods for consideration:
1. Receive nominations from members of the congregation/ask the congregation to decide on the percentage of affirmation that will be used in the final selection process.
2. Persons receiving more than 50% of respondents would be contacted to see if they are willing to serve. Any who are clearly not scripturally qualified (such as husband of one wife, or unmarried, without children) will also be dropped from consideration.
3. A slate of those receiving enough support and who are willing to serve would be announced to the congregation.
4. Anyone with scriptural objections about an individual could either approach that individual, approach the committee, or put their objection in writing.
a. All objections must be in writing and signed by the member.
b. Objections should be directly or indirectly related to Scripture.
5. A ballot showing the final slate of candidates will be distributed to the congregation. The men receiving the beforehand percentage of affirmation will then be appointed as elders and deacons.
–David Owens (Liverpool, New York)
James Bales (The Deacon And His Work, p. 100f) also addressed this topic: “The Bible does not tell us how deacons are to be selected, and so one cannot affirm that there is only one way to do it. It should be done in such a way as to harmonize with the Bible instead of contradicting the Bible. There are some who maintain that they are not selected in any way, but are appointed by the Holy Spirit in that they gradually develop these qualifications and do the work that deacons do. This is also the way, they assume, that the Spirit made elders. The Holy Spirit made the elders (Acts 20:28), but Paul here did not say how. If the Holy Spirit did it directly, there would have been no need for the apostle to have stated the qualifications of elders; or to tell Titus to ‘appoint elders in every city.’ (Titus 1:5). How would an individual, if he just grows into it, know when he is an elder with authority? How would the congregation know it? If an individual claimed that the Spirit had made him an elder, how could anyone refute his claim if the church has nothing to do with the selection and appointment of elders or deacons” (p. 100).
“The Spirit makes men elders and deacons, but He does it through His word and through the church. First, the Spirit has revealed the qualifications of elder and deacons. Second, the Spirit through His word enables them to grow, so that they can meet these qualifications. Third, the Spirit has said that there are to be elders and deacons. Fourth, since no one has the right to be a dictator over the congregation, and tell them that they must accept so and so as a deacon, regardless of whether he is recognized as being qualified, the congregation should be involved in some way in the selection of the deacons (and elders, BP). How can deacons serve the church if the church is not convinced that they are qualified; and does not really recognize them as deacons.”
“Since a congregation cannot go to sleep one night without having thought about deacons, and awaken the next morning with deacons serving the church, there must be some way to select and to appoint deacons. Although the Bible is not specific as to how it is to be done, it does clearly indicate that they are to be selected and appointed, or designated, for this work (Bales, p. 102). Men must first be qualified for their prospective role as an elder or deacon; men are not installed and “get qualified” with the passing of time. Part of the process appears to involve the members of a local congregation (see this principle in Acts 6:3).
“Although the apostles authoritatively laid down the qualifications, yet they did not tell the church by what means they were to select the men; or which individuals they were to select. It is true that the apostles had the final word in that they appointed the men to this work. if they knew men had been chosen who did not have these qualifications, they would have undoubtedly have rejected these men; for the men were to be selected in the light of the qualifications” (Bales, pp. 109-110).