Boersma's Insights on Hierarchy & Modern Authoritarianism - Robin Mark Phillips

A plurality of elders can be an example to the congregation of unity of mind and heart despite differences. Pastors are not appointed to a church primarily to lead in the instruction of skills and the dissemination of information; they are appointed to a church primarily to lead in Christ-following.

If male headship in the family provided the model for male headship in the church, then we discover profound implications here for Christian leadership. Far from aspiring to become the strong, dynamic, visionary leader to whom God uniquely speaks and then expecting the “flock” to follow relatively passively, the overseer-elder must ask what it mean

Even better, reflecting my conviction (some would say bias!) that the congregational model is the most scriptural of the three,170 one could seek to reestablish a small group of male elders in each local church who all have equal authority and roughly equal responsibility for the authoritative teaching of the church.171

The authority of the leader does not “originate” or “arise” with the people but with the Lord. It is on that basis, and on that basis alone, that leaders can act with confidence.