Shared Leadership in the Early Church: The Plural Office of Elder/Bishop

Abstract

Ecclesiastical governance reflects underlying theological commitments, embodying and reinforcing beliefs about ministry and leadership. Conceptions of church governance also contribute to the well-being and the dysfunction of congregations. Therefore, this study explores Christian polity by examining key New Testament terms — presbuteros (elder), episkopos (overseer/bishop), and poimen (shepherd/pastor) — to gain a better understanding of early church governance. We find that New Testament texts do not distinguish between the offices of elder and bishop. The mono-episcopacy, with a sharp delineation between these two positions, appears to have emerged at the very end of the first century or the beginning of the second century CE. Additionally, elders/bishops, rather than ‘pastors’ occupying a unique office, pastored or shepherded God’s people. Finally, early churches practised plural leadership with multiple individuals leading simultaneously. These insights challenge contemporary governance models in which a single pastoral authority dominates, reminding us that ministry is the shared responsibility of the body of Christ.