Frank

Amos, I have reviewed both my comments and yours. And since this is Cheryl’s website, and not mine, I don’t want to take up unnecessary space discussing what I now perceive to be a difference of opinion regarding false leadership vs. true leadership. So I’m going to finish my part of this discussion with some short observations.
1. It may be that in the material I quoted from Dr. Norrington, I failed to make explicit my own understanding that both elders and congregational members are mutually accountable to each other, with the elders primarily being responsible to guide, disciple and equip the members, and the members being responsible to receive and yield to this guidance, discipleship and equipping as long as they’r ministers in training.
2. Paul specifically sent Timothy and Titus to replace fallen elders with elders who met the requirements we find in 1 Tim 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-2:5. However, Amos, I get the impression from what you say, that unless they’re absolutely perfect, no one should be a leader nor are we to yield to their guidance or counsel in any way. Does that include Paul himself, who indicates in Phil. 3:12-14 that he is not absolutely perfect and needs to make greater progress himself? I may be wrong, but it seems you are promoting perfectionism, which is erroneous teaching, in my view. So is that what you are teaching?