A Long Road to Elders

When an unreached people group is finally reached and a church is born, it takes a long time to get to the point where the new church has elders.

“A great many foundational ministry blocks must be carefully laid in preparation,” said Keith Miles, an NTM leader in the Asia-Pacific Region. “There isn’t an exact timetable for this process and every man will move through it at a different pace.”

Elders are Needed

And recognizing elders is a vital step.

“It is critically important that the Moi church have leaders that are from their own culture,” Keith said. These are the men who can make the tough calls about which aspects of Moi culture line up with Scripture and which contradict it.

But it’s also important to realize that ordaining elders is not the final step in establishing a church.

Elders Not the End

“There is a perception out there among many that once elders are ordained the missionary is done,” Keith said. “The reality is that seeing elders ordained is just a step in the overall growth of a church. … There are many things that these men will not have had any experience with, things that they will need someone to coach them through. …

“There are abundant pitfalls and rabbit trails along that journey. I think it is important that the original church planters continue to walk alongside ordained elders.”

Please pray for the Moi elders (Daoma, Tepaiye and Bumani) and for Stephen Crockett as he walks alongside them.