The role of the other elders is the same as the pastor...except they all have full time jobs and don't prepare the sermon the majority of the time (but they do when he is not there).Webdog, what is the role of the other elders in your church? Have these men articulated a call to FT ministry?
I see no problem with a plurality of elders with some paid and some volunteer. I know of some churches who pay all their elders, but almost all of these elders are vocational ministers in one sense or another.
We've kinda got off topic here, but this is intriguing.
In regards to the "call to FT ministry", besides the desire to want to be an elder, and meeting the qualifications outlined in Scripture, I see nothing else in regards to a "call" that some speak of, which sounds quite mystical. All the elders in our church desired to be so, they meet the requirements, one gets paid full time and the others receive no compensation. I don't agree with that, but it is what it is in today's Church.