Aim to be mistaken for an elder before you become one.

So counsels Bobby Jamieson in a recent article for TGC, adapted from his new book The Path to Being a Pastor: A Guide for the Aspiring (Crossway, 2021).

According to the apostle Paul, to “aspire” to eldership is to “desire a noble task” (1 Tim. 3:2). (By the way, Jamieson argues, this language of aspiration is more helpful—for numerous reasons—than the typical language of calling.)

To be clear, Jamieson is not simply (or even primarily) addressing those who aspire to pastoral ministry as a vocation—that is, serving on a church’s staff. He wants to Make Lay Eldership Great Again by holding up the pastoral office—both its qualifications (1 Tim. 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9) and its responsibilities (e.g., Acts 20:17–35; 1 Pet. 5:1–5; Heb. 13:17), in all their glorious gravity. He wants to help sheep become fit to shepherd by growing in maturity and taking spiritual initiative in the lives of others.

How can a man go about shepherding without the title? By being a humble, unassuming example-setter in various ways: discipling, extending hospitality, doing evangelism, and counseling.

An elder is a pastor and a pastor is an elder. You don’t have to attend seminary, or receive a paycheck from a church, to hold the office. If you aspire to it, grow in godliness and spend your energy for the spiritual good of others in your church, beginning with your own family. Elder before you elder.