Our lord did not intend for church leaders to wield the kind of control over other people that we often see today. The clergy-laity distinction is not biblical and has caused God's people incalculable damage throughout history. The gift of apostle is probably one of the most misunderstood ministry gifts. Yet it must be received if the church is going to be truly effective in worldwide church planting. The New Testament function of elder is often misunderstood and rarely practiced.
Biblical elders are more than older men who are good businessmen.
The protestant reformation re-instated the truth of the priesthood of all believers, but not the practice. For most churches in America, the position commonly referred to as pastor has turned into a vocation and probably should not be one at all. Often, the senior pastor is not necessarily the most capable teacher of an assembly, yet is usually the one who does most of the teaching. In many cases, the senior pastor is really a church planter, evangelist, teacher or biblical pastor who has settled into a biblically inappropriate role. One of the best things that could ever happen to a senior pastor and the church would be for him to get a job and share many of his duties with others.