This worthwhile book on Biblical eldership has been on the market for several years.  Strauch is a brother in Christ and his views are not far removed from the PCA’s own views of the eldership.  The publishers do not tell us much about Mr. Strauch.  We find that he is a Bible teacher and elder in a church in Littleton, Colorado; that he is married and the father of four children.  He mentions college and seminary early in the book, but gives no information as to which institutions he attended.

Now I am not mentioning the lack of information about Mr. Strauch to cast a shadow on his abilities, gifts, or qualifications, because I think he has produced some quality work on the office of elder.  I also think he gives a clue as to why we don’t have more personal information.  In several sections of the book he says such things as, “Much of our church vocabulary is unscriptural and terribly misleading.  Words such as clergyman, layman, reverend, minister . . . .”  He also makes the statement, “The New Testament . . . has no separate standards for professional clergy and lay elders  The reason is simple.  There aren’t three separate offices— pastor, elders, and deacons— in the New Testament local church.  There are only two offices— elders and deacons.” (p. 72) Further he states, “I must warn . . . against the arbitrary requirement that many denominations impose on their shepherds to earn a master’s degree before they are allowed to serve as a church pastor.  God does not require advanced academic degrees as a qualification for spiritual leadership.  When we set up formal academic standards, we professionalize the government of the church and create, at least in practice, a pastoral office that is separate from the eldership.  We do not have God’s authorization to establish such standards.” 

I think Mr. Strauch is desirous that his book stand on the merits of his study and interpretation of Scripture rather than on degrees from institutions.  And my guess is that he omits his own affiliations in an effort to gain readers from a broad range of church affiliations.

Strauch shows himself to be familiar with a number of writers in the reformed tradition; from John Calvin and G. Gresham Machen, to Francis Schaeffer, and others.  He often quotes them with approval.  Though Strauch would not be in accord with the PCA on his two-office view of church officers, he nevertheless has some very challenging and soul-searching thoughts for all elders, teaching and/or ruling, to contemplate.  Every PCA elder would do well to read Strauch’s chapters “Shared Leadership,” “Qualified Leadership,” and “Servant Leadership.”  Listen to these words, “Eldership will never work if the elders don’t understand or fall short of a total commitment to Christ’s principles of self-sacrificing love and humble servanthood.”

Regarding biblical based structure, he writes, “The average church member’s disinterest in how the church is governed needs to be challenged. . . .  Church government is an extremely practical and theologically significant issue. . . .  Since the structure of the church matters both practically and theologically, we must ask if there is a scriptural base for insisting on one form of church government.  I believe there is such a base and that church government by a plurality of elders can be honestly and reasonably demonstrated to be the teaching of the New Testament.”

Part three of the book is exegetical.  He covers all the major New Testament passages on elders from: the book of Acts, Paul’s letters to the churches, Paul’s pastoral letters to Timothy and Titus, Peter’s letters, James’ letter, and the book of Hebrews.  We in the PCA would take issue with some of his interpretation, and yet I think Strauch has some refreshing insights, such as those from the passage in James 5:13-18.  He says, “The church elders are to be called to the sick person’s bedside not because they are particularly gifted as healers, but because they are the official representatives of the church whose task is to shepherd the flock.  Visiting the sick and praying for healing are essential responsibilities of the shepherding task.”  Then he quotes R.V.G. Tasker, “While it is true that they (the elders) could intercede for the sick man without being present at his bedside, nevertheless, by coming to the actual scene of suffering and by praying within sight and hearing of the sufferer himself, not only is their prayer likely to be more heart-felt and fervid, but the stricken man may well become more conscious of the effective power of prayer uttered in faith, by which, even in moments of the most acute physical weakness, communion with God can be maintained.”

I believe that this book can sharpen our thinking and even in some cases improve our teaching and carrying out of our pastoral responsibilities.  This is also true of Strauch’s book, The New Testament Deacon.  Both are good books for every leader to have in his library.

- Richard Aeschliman, Resources Coordinator