The duty of an Elder in a church is to provide guidance and set an example to the church. Elders are also called "Overseers" in the Bible. Originally, elders were set up in towns to make all of the important decisions for the betterment of the town and to keep within laws set there. Today, in the Church of Christ, Elders are elected by the church based on scripture (I Tim. 3:1-7) and they are to see that the church conducts itself according to the scriptures.