As I lifted my hands, scanned the room, and gave my first benediction, the realization that I really was a pastor now hit me like a ton of bricks. From now on it was my job to “shepherd the flock of God… exercising oversight…not domineering over those in [my] charge, but being [an] example[ ] to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:2-3). But this responsibility wasn’t mine alone. My calling was to shoulder this load alongside a group of godly men, all of whom were my parents age or older.
So there we were, one teaching elder in his mid-twenties and four ruling elders all sixty-plus, navigating not only the ordinary challenges of church life but, in time, a global pandemic. We had our work cut out for us.
In being called to lead such a session and at such a time, the question that I kept coming back to was—How do I reconcile Paul’s exhortation in 1 Timothy 5:1, “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father” with his exhortation in 1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no one despise you for your youth”? How was I, a young man, to show deference to the older men on my session and lead them?
In writing on this subject, I make no claims to having struck this balance perfectly. I’m still learning as I go. Nevertheless, I have learned several lessons along the way that I hope will prove helpful to those who are called to labor in situations like mine. Here are a few. Read more»
Stephen Spinnenweber | “Thoughts For Young Ministers With Older Elders” | September 17, 2025
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Stephen Spinnenweber
Stephen has been the pastor of Westminster PCA in Jacksonville, FL since 2019. Stephen earned his Masters of Divinity from Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and is a General Council member of the Gospel Reformation Network. Together with friends he hosts several podcasts on the Westminster Standards (The Shorter and Larger for Life podcasts) and is also the author of a forthcoming book from Christian Focus Publications on the three uses of the Moral Law, set to be released in 2025. Stephen and his wife, Sarah, are high school sweethearts and have been married since 2013. They are proud parents to four covenant children.
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