Working with the pastor in the local church is the elder who is appointed by the local church and ordained by the local pastor. The elder is seen as a religious leader in the local church and is able to conduct ordinances. The elder, or elders in some cases (who are led by a “head elder”), is largely responsible for the running of the church and the distribution of responsibility in the church. In the Adventist Church “elder” is not a title. It’s a function. The “local elder’s position authority is limited to the local church he is serving. The local elder gets his authority from the pastor he is serving under or otherwise from the field administration.
