Book Review: Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons by Thabiti Anyabwile

The issue of leadership always seem to be an issue in any church. Who are the leaders of the church and what qualifies them? Some churches put their qualifications in their by-laws and constitution without referring to what the Bible says about who can lead the church.

This book, Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons by Thabiti Anyabwile, the latest book from 9 Marks, addresses the issue of what qualifies a leader in the church. This book is based on the teachings of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, on the qualifications of elders and deacons. The book is divided into three sections: Finding Table Servants, Finding Reliable Elders, and What Good Pastors Do.

The first section deals with finding deacons to serve in the church. Anyabwile refers back to Acts 6 where the deacon ministry began in the church and went through what qualifies them as deacons from 1 Timothy 3. The second section deals with searching for elders, which takes up majority of the book. The third section deals with the role of a pastor and what they should do using various scripture passages.

The chapters are short and to the point. The book is an easy read and even great for all in church leadership especially church planters that are getting a new church plant started. This book will also be a good for those who are leaders in a church that are reforming it to get back to the Biblical model of church leadership.

Thanks Crossway for letting me review this book.