In Acts 14:23 (narrative, descriptive) we read that it was the Apostle Paul's pattern to appoint Christian elders within churches early on in the lifecycle of a church (1):

Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

The Apostle Paul frequently spoke of who he was before Christ confronted him. In his telling of who Jesus was and why he mattered Paul often has 3 parts to his story - who he used to be, what changed him, and who he is now.