⁷ A chairman presides for one year by agreement of the body of elders and the others accord him certain initiative, so that the congregation matters are promptly cared for and the activity of the meetings moves along smoothly. Thus Jesus Christ remains the one Head of the congregation, and the chairman will not assume the attitude that now, since “he” is presiding, things will be done “his way.” Rather, he seeks to serve his fellow elders and the entire congregation by coordinating the theocratic activity for smooth functioning.​—Col. 1:18; 1 Pet. 5:4.

8. What can the chairman do to ensure a harmonious acting together of the body of elders?

⁸ At the quarterly meeting of the elders, all should work together harmoniously. To assist in this, the chairman needs to recognize his position in relation to the others. He ought to apply the Bible rule of ‘taking the lead in showing honor’ to others, ‘considering that they are superior to him.’ He should listen to them and solicit their views. He should be careful not to “condition” the opinions of the elders. This danger may exist if he always insists on giving his opinion first. The others will listen to what he says, but may hesitate to express a different view. So when various matters are considered, the chairman can ask others for their opinions first. At the same time he does not want to give the impression that what he has to say is the final word on the matter and nothing more need be said. So he may choose not to give his opinion last. He also should take care not to call on the same elder first each time, especially if that one has a strong personality and tends to want to shape others’ opinions. Each elder should be given equal opportunity to comment first. If the chairman remembers that all are equals and his duty is merely to keep order, the meeting should progress smoothly and accomplish its purpose. Also, if he can keep the meeting informal, that too will minimize his importance.

PREPARATION FOR MEETINGS IMPORTANT

9. (a) Why is preparation for the elders’ meetings important? (b) Who are involved in the preparation? (c) How can the meeting be kept orderly?

⁹ The meetings of the elders are important, so the chairman should make proper advance preparation. This gives evidence that he is presiding in earnest. “The plans of the diligent one surely make for advantage.” (Prov. 21:5) When possible, the other elders should be informed in advance of what matters will be discussed so they can give due thought to them and be in position to contribute to the discussion. If the chairman waits until the meeting starts, the others may not be properly prepared to speak. Of course, other matters may be brought before the meeting by other elders, and, when possible, the chairman should be informed of these ahead of time so that he can include them on the meeting’s agenda. He does not want the discussion to get “bogged down” or to ramble; hence, he should see that each matter is disposed of before another is discussed. Thus he can keep the meeting orderly. That does not mean that the meeting should be so formal that spontaneous comment is discouraged. He needs to remember, too, that some may not be able to express themselves fluently, so he must exercise patience and allow these time to express their opinion.

10, 11. (a) How can the length of the meetings and the number of meetings of the elders be controlled? (b) What should all the elders keep in mind in dealing with one another?

¹⁰ If the chairman is prepared so that there is something definite to discuss and decide, and if he conducts the meeting properly, the length of the meeting can be controlled, and also the number of meetings can be held to a minimum; probably the suggested four in a year will be sufficient. This emphasizes good planning. Much depends on the chairman’s handling of the meeting, so he should be alert. But not all depends on him.​—1 Cor. 14:40.

¹¹ Time is valuable. So that it is not wasted, all the elders should be as brief and to the point as possible. Those who are naturally wordy should practice curbing that tendency for the good of all. King Solomon’s counsel at Proverbs 10:19 is appropriate: “In the abundance of words there does not fail to be transgression, but the one keeping his lips in check [under restraint] is acting discreetly.” Some have more ability to speak than do others (sometimes colloquially called “the gift of gab”), and so they should guard the tendency to “wear down” a different view by much talking or eloquence. (Compare Romans 16:18.) If they cannot get the others to adopt their views it will not result in a calamity! Rather, meekness and a quiet spirit are evidence of true wisdom. (Eccl. 9:17; Jas. 3:13-17) The elders should guard against the danger of making matters a personal issue just because some “pet idea” of theirs is not adopted. Paul counsels: “I desire that in every place the men carry on prayer, lifting up loyal hands, apart from wrath and debates [“divided reckonings”​—Interlinear; “quarrelsome thoughts”​—New English Bible].”​—1 Tim. 2:8; 6:4.

12. What must elders, using wisdom, recognize as to individual conscience?

¹² At their meetings to discuss the welfare of the congregation, the elders petition Jehovah to guide their hearts and minds to reach conclusions that are in harmony with Jehovah’s will, and that the wisdom from above may prevail. Such wisdom, says James, is chaste, peaceable, reasonable, ready to obey, full of mercy and not hypocritical. (Jas. 3:17) If the elders keep this in mind, as well as the fact that Jesus is there in their midst (Matt. 18:20), it will result in Jehovah’s blessings on their deliberations. They appreciate that there are areas in life that the Bible shows we leave up to an individual’s conscience. If the Bible and the publications of the “faithful and discreet slave” do not clearly outline a course, the elders should not impose their personal likes and dislikes, as if these were rules to be followed by the others. Thinking too much of one’s own opinion could lead one to speak of one’s own ideas and achievements beyond what the Scriptures allow.​—2 Cor. 10:12, 18.

It is not the business of the elders at their meetings to review all the good points and all the bad points of every publisher. About the only time that it would be appropriate to do this would be when qualifications of brothers to serve as elders or ministerial servants are being considered, or when there is a serious problem involving one in the congregation that calls for careful scrutiny of that particular person.

15. Why are the discussions at the elders’ meeting not made public?

¹⁵ The meetings of the elders are not secret gatherings. But there is no need to tell everybody, or anybody not concerned, what is discussed at the meetings that is of a confidential nature. Why burden or upset others with matters with which they are not individually concerned? There are confidential matters that are disclosed to the elders that should not be publicized.