In 2007 Tim Keller (New York) addressed the London Evangelical Ministry Assembly (EMA) thus: ‘If people are saying conservative evangelicals don’t know how to preach and don’t know how to minister in a way that reaches the working class or the poor, then I’m not able to tell you how to change that, but why in the world aren’t you talking about it incessantly?
‘You need to think biblically and theologically on race and class. You’re way behind on being able to integrate your congregations racially. But why aren’t you thinking about it? Why aren’t you talking about it? Why aren’t you writing papers about it? Why aren’t you producing books about it? “Ah”, you say, “we’ve got to deal with all these doctrinal issues...”’
The following is not a new view, but a representation of one long held by many across the social, ethnic, generational and denominational divides. Consid-ering the title question will show that doctrinal issues regarding eldership lie at the bottom of quite a few problems, not least that raised by Keller.
