Obey Church Leaders

June 22nd, 2026
by Lance Waldie

Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Church leaders have the God-given task of caring for Christ’s Church on earth—serving His people, preaching His word. They are to preach Scripture, reprove, rebuke, and exhort—in season and out of season—with patience and careful instruction (2 Tim. 4:2). In so doing, they “shepherd the flock of God… exercising oversight not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to [their] charge, but proving to be examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:2-3).

Whereas Hebrews 13:7 reminds us to “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you… considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith,” Hebrews 13:17 commands us to “Obey your leaders and submit to them.” To “remember” (Gr. mnēmoneuō) is a command to recall those who taught God’s word to us and to imitate their faith. But to “obey” (Gr. peithō) means “to follow,” having been persuaded of some course of action by our leaders. Though Christians are also taught to obey their governmental leaders (Rom. 13:1; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13-14), the context here concerns church leaders (i.e., pastors, elders, deacons), for God has founded three institutions through which He rules from heaven and of which His people are to submit: family, government, and church. In obedience to God, we thus submit to our leaders.

The reason for obeying and submitting to God’s chosen leaders in the church in v. 17, insofar as they are godly men following Christ, is that “they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.” To “keep watch” (Gr. agrupneō) literally means “sleepless” in the sense of staying awake in order to protect something vulnerable. What is vulnerable here are sheep, though not literal sheep but God’s-people-in-Christ sheep. As under-shepherds of the Good Shepherd (Christ), elders-pastors-deacons (i.e., leaders) are tirelessly praying for church members, caring for them, and doing everything within their limited powers to protect them from outside influences that might corrupt and even ruin their very lives. One example of this was Epaphras whom Paul told the church in Colossae was “always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God” (Col. 4:12).

One day, God will summon His appointed under-shepherds (pastors, elders, deacons) to “give an account” for the spiritual maturity of those He placed under their care in the churches. Those leaders who prayed diligently for the sheep in their care, who taught them God’s word and counseled them to apply and obey, and who modeled true love for Christ may or may not have produced a mature church. But having been faithful to their task, they will have nothing to fear from God. But those who coddled church members, who failed to teach Scripture in its entirety, who did not labor in prayer, and who did not model love for Christ will have much to fear.

As to church leaders, Jesus said, “He who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me” (John 13:20). Paul wrote, “I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls” (2 Cor. 12:15). Likewise, John could say, “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth” (3 John 4). Preaching God’s word therefore and loving His people are the essential tasks for church leaders. Now the task of church members is to “Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”

So it is the duty of the Church to help their leaders rule with joy and pleasure. Failure in this by church members only brings “grief” (Gr. stenazō), literally a “groaning” that pastors know all too well. Moreover, failing to bring joy to church leaders displeases God, behavior that is “unprofitable” (Gr. alusitelēs)—a term that means “of no benefit or gain.”

Food For Thought
Speaking from experience, joyous and fulfilled pastors serve in churches where its members demand Scriptural preaching from their shepherd. They don’t demand perfection since pastors are not perfect, but they do insist on their pastors be living above reproach. There may of course be times when Christians ought not submit to its leaders, dark times when church leaders are not in fellowship with Christ—living for their own self-satisfaction, not the glory of God. If so, their sin must be evident and brought to light in public view (cf. 1 Tim. 5:19-20), not private meetings where the church is left in the dark. But insofar as our leaders are godly, let us strive to submit to them and honor their God-given authority, their oversight of our very souls. If they are genuine, they are faithfully following Christ. In such cases, we can therefore safely follow them.