“Overseeing The Overseers”

Thursday, June 27, 2019

     If a man has been christian for many years and starts to miss services for many months, should he be called on to say a pray when he comes to services for the first time and has not asked to be back in fellowship with the local church?  How should the elders approach him on this matter?

Sincerely,
Perplexed From The Pew

Dear Perplexed From The Pew,

The elders should approach him with wisdom – and not approaching him might be the wise thing to do as well.  The Bible tells us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matt 10:16).  When someone is struggling in their attendance, the elders, as watchers of the flock (Heb 13:17), have a responsibility to help them.  (Having said that, all christians have a responsibility to pull alongside those who are struggling – it is just that the elders have an increased responsibility).  How the elders deal with that person is completely a matter of wisdom, and it will vary from situation to situation.  For all you know, the elders already approached this man and have dealt with him privately – that certainly would be a biblical approach (Matt 18:15-17).  The best thing to do is to either talk to this man yourself if you are worried about him, or if you are simply worried about the image of the church… talk to the elders.

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