When elders go awry

The role of the elder is a scary one to me, even scarier in some ways then the lead/teaching/head/main/whatever you want to call him pastor. You see, in many churches, the elders, when all together, have all the power. If they so choose, they can oust the pastor, they can lead the church this way or that, they are the essence of power. The lead pastor is one guy, he may be well loved by the church, if he were to leave the church would be upset, but there is a different shift of power when the elders are in unison, especially when the elders are in unison and are against someone. I have never encountered something like this before, it is very interesting to me. When one thinks of a biblical elder they think of someone of humility, who practises biblical confrontation, who shows love and grace. As a group I think of people who want to see the best for the church, as almost a living security blanket. I have known well some of the elders at my previous church and have known them to be great men, men with amazing families (I judge probably too much by your family), men who have given their time, energy, and sweat to the church over many years. Do they all have their own selfish desires - probably yes, do I think that for the most part they try to keep those in check - yes.

So, what do you do when an elder board goes haywire? I would say that the majority of people in the pews do not know what to expect from their elders. They don't understand their church government enough to even ask the right questions. How do you submit to leadership while it seems almost corrupt? At what point do you say enough is enough and you leave the chaos behind? These are the questions I am pondering.