The Faithful Flock: Principles for Shepherds and Sheep

This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to worship at a church that is not the one I pastor. It was a glorious time to be with the saints at Cleveland Road Baptist Church in Athens, GA. Parker Moore is doing wonderful work there for Christ’s sake. In God’s good providence, the service was a unique one, as they were setting a man aside to be an elder of the church, and the whole service was centered on that purpose. There was a guest preacher who gave a charge both to the man being set aside as an elder and to the congregation. He preached from the well-known passage of Acts 20:17–38, in which Paul addresses the Ephesian elders.

You can listen to that sermon here!

The reason I mention that sermon is because the introduction really got me thinking about a particular topic that is close to my heart and quite important for the church to understand: the relationship between the elders and the church members.

The guest preacher that day said this in his introduction:

“What should you expect from your elders? Those of us who are in pastoral ministry sometimes smile at the accumulated expectations that people have for pastors.

People want a pastor:
 • Who doesn’t bend to criticism but responds and adapts to thoughtful feedback that people like them may give.
 • Who prioritizes deep sermon preparation but is available to talk anytime.
 • Who invests deeply in his family while still spending several evenings each week in committee meetings.
 • A young and energetic, but experienced and wise pastor.
 • One whose counsel is bold but gentle.
 • Whose sermons are deep but simple to understand—not too long, not too short, but just right.”

There is plenty to say on this topic, but I wanted to help us think through five principles for this relationship, as it pertains to the elders’ job as shepherds and the members’ contributions to this shepherding relationship.

The primary—though not exclusive—way that an elder shepherds the whole congregation is by preaching the whole counsel of God’s Word. Paul’s example and charge to the Ephesian elders was to preach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). As the church gathers each Lord’s Day, the sheep are gathering at the feeding trough of God, where the shepherd feeds them with the holy food of the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

This is one of the many reasons the Lord’s Day is central to living a faithful Christian life. In attending the weekly Lord’s Day service, individual sheep gather to make up the whole congregation. As the shepherd feeds the flock, each individual sheep is fed by the Word when the Holy Spirit uniquely comforts, convicts, and applies the Word of God to their own life. At the same time, the flock as a whole is fed as the shepherd leads and guides them through the Scriptures.

Also, through the preaching of the Word, the shepherd is able to warn the sheep of the wolves whose aim is to devour them (Acts 20:29–30).

To shepherds:
 “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” – 2 Tim. 4:1–2

To sheep:
 Go be fed by your local pastors, who are tasked with feeding you the food of God’s Word—the Word of the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ!

Early in the book of Acts, the Apostles make it clear that their ministry was to be one of the Word and of prayer (Acts 6:4). Elders should be men of prayer, but also, their work as shepherds includes praying for their sheep.

Elders should be keenly sensitive and eager to find ways to pray with the sheep. Anything that comes up should be a matter of prayer. Here are a few suggestions to encourage this:

• Pray through the membership list consistently, and reach out to those you are praying for.
  
  
• Start and end meetings (church meetings, meals, etc.) with prayer.
  
  
• Pray spontaneously with the sheep.

• Who cares if it’s awkward? You have been tasked with the work of prayer. And might I add, your sheep should expect this of you. Before church? Pray. During fellowship time? Pray. At a meal? Pray. On the phone? Pray.

• Invite your sheep to share how you can be praying for them.

• Actually pray—and pray quickly. Be cautious about saying, “I’ll pray for you!” and then never doing so.
  
  

In an elder’s efforts to shepherd through prayer, he is acknowledging his limitations in wisdom and ability and taking the sheep, in prayer, to the Father who is able to meet every need in Christ. So elders, shepherd the flock through the ministry of prayer.

To close this section, here are a few promises of prayer from the Scriptures:

• “You do not have because you do not ask.” – James 4:2
  
  
• “Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7
  
  
• God answers prayer – Jeremiah 33:3, Matthew 7:7–8
  
  
• God hears our prayers – 1 John 5:14–15

Elders are not lords. In fact, 1 Peter 5:2–3 says:
“Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.”

So how are elders to “pay close attention to the flock” (Acts 20:28), while also leading “not under compulsion” (1 Peter 5:2)?

Here are two ways:

Planned shepherding
This may look different in every church, but elders must have intentional ways of shepherding. Not to bind your conscience to all his practices, but to offer a good example, I commend to you Richard Baxter’s book The Reformed Pastor (by reformed, he means renewed, not necessarily Calvinist).

Spontaneous shepherding
 If elders plan to meet with each member twice a year (a reasonable goal) but fail to shepherd outside those times, they miss countless opportunities. Life happens spontaneously—job changes, births, deaths, joys, and griefs. Shepherds must be present for these.

Perhaps the best summary phrase I’ve heard is this:
“Shepherds should smell like sheep.”

Elders should seek to be hospitable, as they are able, by having people in their homes. Being hospitable is certainly not limited to hosting people in your home. The qualification of being hospitable has more to do with being a comforting, welcoming, tender person who readily available. However, being hospitable has to translate to an action of showing hospitality. This is a general principle to be worked out by each elder according to his family and situation, but elders should unapologetically practice hospitality (1 Tim. 3:2).

That said, elders and members should understand that an elder will naturally spend more time with some people than others. This can be a sensitive subject. Some members may feel entitled to an intimate relationship with every elder, but this is unrealistic. If an elder has a clear conscience before God and man, he is free to act accordingly. Some folks might share a meal with an elder 20 times a year, others only once. That’s okay. This should be handled carefully and with wisdom.

The biblical pattern of leadership in the local church is twofold: a plurality of elders and the priesthood of all believers.

A plurality of elders relieves the burden from the “ex officio” leader—whether he’s called Lead Pastor, Senior Pastor, Preaching Pastor, or The Full-Time Guy—from having to manage every detail of the church’s shepherding ministry. Other qualified men share the load.

As for the members' responsibilities, it’s vital to remember: elders are not the “professionals,” and members are not second-class Christians. Every member has a role, and it’s a beautiful thing when the church functions according to Ephesians 5:21:
“Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Elders should be encouraged—not threatened—when they see fellow elders and members offering wise, biblical counsel. I believe this pleases the Lord.

Although ordinary church members can apply most of what’s above, it is largely directed at elders. So, let me give some practical thoughts for the sheep: Be willing and eager to be shepherded by your elders. God has given them to you as a gift and called you to submit to their wise counsel and biblical admonition (Hebrews 13:17).

How do you do that? Here are a few ways:

• Go to church, and make your absences extremely rare.
  
  
• Follow up with your elders after sermons. Encourage them, ask questions, or express your desire to apply the Word.
  
  
• Pray for your elders—and let them know you’re doing so.
  
  
• Initiate a relationship with your elders. Don’t wait passively—seek it.
  
  
• Regularly seek their wise counsel.
  
  
• Relieve your elders by also engaging with other members for mutual growth in Christ.
  
  
• Be proactive in ministry. Don’t be a member who only receives.
  
  

In doing these things, the Lord will build a beautiful and gloriously productive church—for the sake of His glory.

Ryan Wade
Pastor at Faith Community Church Bainbridge
4/28/2025