A church elder is a person who has spiritual authority in the church. In simplest terms, a church elder is a long-time church member, typically older, who is there to offer guidance and mentorship for fellow members of a congregation.
But the title of elder isn’t given to someone simply because they are older and been there longer than most other congregants. Instead, it is a biblically based qualification. The term “elder” is rooted in the Bible (the Greek word presbýteros), with Acts alone mentioning it about 20 times. The title of elder in the New Testament refers to leaders and rulers of a community or heads of households. The Christian church followed the Jewish tradition of appointing more mature people of wisdom as church elders. Depending on the translation, elder is often labeled an “overseer” in the Bible, although we can assume it refers to the same role.