There are two aspects to it rebel.
Firstly there is a surprising amount of work because the org makes it so with copious paperwork, form filling, procedures etc. Really four or five elders is a minimum for a congregation above 80 or so people assuming those elders are healthy and have a reasonable amount of time. Many elders are older, are ill or have family circumstances that limit what they can do.
Secondly, having "privileges" in the congregation, especially being an elder, is aspirational and an outward sign you are "spiritual". It's a marker to everyone else that you can be trusted and are loyal. A man older than his late 30s who is not a ministerial servant, let alone an elder, is usually considered a little suspect even if everything else they do conforms to the norm.
Being an elder is a control mechanism, both of the flock the elder is in charge of and the individual holding the position.