Every line of activity in the church ought to be an outlet for spiritual power. There is no place for secular leadership in the local congregation.
The work of the elder is to prepare people for the coming of the Lord. That is a spiritual work, and it can be done only with spiritual power
No one is likely to be appointed to eldership without having had a strong spiritual experience with Jesus Christ.
We may fall into the success trap of which God warned us through the prophetic ministry of Ellen White: "As activity increases, and men become successful in doing any work for God, there is danger of trusting to human plans and methods. There is a tendency to pray less, and to have less faith. Like the disciples, we are in danger of losing sight of our dependence on God, and seeking to make a savior of our activities. We need to look constantly to Jesus, realizing that it is His power which does the work. While we are to labor earnestly for the salvation of the lost, we must also take time for meditation, for prayer, and for the study of the Word of God. Only the work acomplished with much prayer, and sanctified by the merit of Christ, will in the end prove to have been sufficient for good." Desire of the Ages, p. 362.
In the Seventh-day Adventist Minister's Handbook are presented four reasons why spirituality is essential to any officer in the local congregation.
First, spirituality is essential to leadership.
Without the spiritual dimension, leadership will degenerate to implementation of psychological techniques, organizational methods, and motivational cheerleadings.
Second, spirituality is essential to soul-winning success.
Knowing Jesus and holding Him up before the people is the first secret to soul-winning activity.
Third, spirituality is essential to the preparation and delivering of the sermon.
Fourth, spirituality is essential to the elder's courage and boldness in doing his/her responsibility.
It is always a great mistake to look at any responsibility in the church as being merely an office or a title granted to a person.
We shouldn't appoint an elder to be responsible for the spirituality of the congregation. Every officer in the church ought to be a source of spirituality and an outlet of spiritual power.
It is good to remember that all programs and all sectors in the local congregation are working together and contributing to the great work of preparing men and women for the coming of the Lord and the setting up of His kingdom.
Here are two barriers to an elder's spiritual growth
1.Lack of confidence in God and His church.
Some members of our church are losing confidence in the Adventist Church as the prophetic movement of God and the remnant people in the last days.
If you lose confidence in God and in His church, your spirituality will decrese and your leadership will not be effective in building the spirituality of your people.
2. Lack of time and planning.
Today we never have enough time for the number of things we have to do every day, but finding time is basically an issue of priorities. If you feel private devotions are important, you'll find time.
If you don't, you won't. Martin Luther once wrote to his friend, "Today I have so many things to do, that instead of spending just one hour in prayer I will need to spend two hours." Luther knew that time in prayer would speed up his ability to do things.
If you promise to spend your spare time with God, the devil will see that you don't have any.
Daniel's secret of spiritual power was his prayer life. And one secret of his prayer life was his specific plan to pray three times a day (see Daniel 6:10). Even a royal edict could not interfere. Dare to be like Daniel and your ministry as an elder will increase greatly for the glory and honor of the name of the Lord.
