What Position Do Elders Hold?
Over the past few weeks, we have been sharing excerpts from Stephen Kneale’s new book Independent Eldership, the first volume in our church polity series ‘A People on Purpose’. In this final instalment, Stephen considers the dynamic link between congregational rule and elder…
Why Independent Eldership?
A question that those who encounter my new book on church polity might be tempted to ask is what is meant by independent eldership, and why is this worth highlighting? Rather than being an irrelevant part of how I describe…
How Important is Church Polity?
Stephen Kneale has served as the full-time pastor at Oldham Bethel Church since 2014, where he has carried the main responsibility for preaching and teaching. A prolific blogger, Stephen’s writings have come to be valued for their candour, theological rigour,…
Structuring for Growth and Glory
Stephen Kneale has served as the full-time pastor at Oldham Bethel Church since 2014, where he has carried the main responsibility for preaching and teaching. A prolific blogger, Stephen’s writings have come to be valued for their candour, theological rigour,…
What’s the difference between a pastor and an elder?
I was chatting with someone recently and explaining how co-equal, plural eldership works in our context. One of the questions was, how is the pastor distinguished from the other elders? On our understanding, there were a couple of points worth…
The Genius of the Church at the Turn of the Age
I am a member of a generation of Christians who have lived through the impact of the digital revolution on church life. In my childhood the only significant use of technology in Christian gatherings was the amplification system, and then…