Local Church Leadership

Transcription

1 Local Church Leadership The Lord s Design for His Church Pastor James Mansfield

2 Contents Forward 2 Introduction 3 Difficult Assumptions 4 The Need for Leadership 5 God s Design 6 Elder 6 Pastor 7 Deacon 8 Appointment of leaders 9 So what went wrong? 10 The way to blessing 11 Keep them if you can 12

3 Forward It is very refreshing indeed in these days where church life is often characterised by expediency rather than biblical truth, to read this book that deals honestly with a subject that is vital to the life of the local church. To avoid the necessity of our searching such worthy volumes as Berkhof s Systematic Theology, or the works of Dabney, James Mansfield has produced a very readable booklet that gives the reader a clear and concise summary of the biblical teaching relating to Church Leadership. In particular he has shown clearly the offices, some seven in number, covering the New Testament pattern for Church leadership. He readily admits that people of different denominational persuasions may in good conscience take a slightly different view of these offices, nevertheless, he has sought to treat the matter fairly and biblically. What I consider to be most helpful is his differentiating the work of the Elders, citing as he does, the various titles given to Elders, and the qualifications required for their office, from the role of Deacons. How often in church life, whether through necessity, or what may be described as this is what we have always done, does the role of Deacon become somewhat blurred, and indistinct from that of an Elder. That said we should not be afraid to strive for a pattern of Church leadership that is as near as possible to the principles laid down in the Word of God. It is to be regretted that so often in the life of the Church personalities raise themselves, not unlike Diotrephes who love to have the pre-eminence. Such people only harm the cause of Christ, hinder the work of the Gospel, and allow the devil to bring God s work into disrepute. How rare is that attitude of heart and mind that was in Jesus Christ, Who made Himself of no reputation. May we, as those that love the Word of God, that seek to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered, use all our endeavours so that the local church may be used for the furtherance of the Gospel, the building up of the saints, but more importantly, the glory of God. Fred Raynsford Elder at Day s Lane Chapel 2

4 Introduction e live in a day of confusion. The history of church leadership indicates that the church Whas often been found in confusion. Man s old nature, the world s designs and the great enemy of the church have conspired to cause a continual drift from biblical truth. However inevitable that might seem, bible believing Christians ought not to use history for an excuse for today, but rather learn from it. More importantly we ought to learn from scripture returning to the simple design that the Lord has given us for Church leadership. This booklet is not intended to give a history of church leadership, but to set out a brief outline of church leadership as seen through the eyes of scripture. It is born out of the desire to give simple and straight forward responses to those who seek illumination on the subject. Much has been written about church leadership but it is often buried in substantial volumes into which many church members fear to delve. Here I have tried to strip away unnecessary material that might hinder clarity. I will also count it an added blessing if a few readers catch something of the burden many brethren carry in their leadership roles and take care not to carelessly add to their burden, but might rather give encouragement in prayer, word and deed. As a Minister of the Word for 30 years, ministering in free churches and more latterly Grace/Strict Baptist churches I have seen many leadership models and their consequences. Sadly like Israel of old, some have started out well but personalities and/or sin has marred their progress. If Moses and Paul found things difficult and had to endure much conflict in their task it is perhaps no wonder that lesser mortals also find these things difficult. I also hope those within the fellowship where I am privileged to serve the Lord, might also derive benefit from these pages to the glory of God. Some local fellowships appear to be quite content for one man, perhaps the Pastor, to take an authorative lead and will only object if he does something clearly outside the ambit of scripture. Other fellowships take a very democratic direction, insisting that the most mundane matters be taken to a vote of church members. This model may well work well for awhile but when important issues arise there maybe no one to give direction and the church is governed by the majority view which may vary from biblical principals. I appreciate many readers will belong to churches with few members whilst others have larger congregations with thriving youth work and various other ministries. Whatever the size of the local church, the Lord s design really does fit all. 3

5 Difficult Assumptions There are certain assumptions that Christians should be able to make when it comes to church leadership. However I fear that tradition and prejudice means that we cannot take as read that all Christians accept basic biblical assumptions necessary for a God given look at the subject in hand. The following assumptions ought to be obvious. You might like to see how many you are able to accept:- That the bible alone is authority for church leadership; That the bible will take precedence over tradition; That the bible will take precedence over church member s feelings and what we have always done ; Because a church that appears to be growing numerically uses a particular leadership model it does not mean that it must be an improvement on ours; Most readers will have experience of church leadership, and we are not necessarily called to simply tear up our structures because things are not perfect. After all, dare we demand perfection from our leaders without looking to ourselves? Many of us have reason to thank the Lord for godly Pastors, Elders and Deacons who have cared for us in the past and shown what it is to lead in the love of Christ. They have not been perfect but they have been faithful to God s Word and loved us in Christ. However, if starting from scratch we might well do things differently from what we do now. 4

6 The need for leadership Like children we can fall into the trap of wanting to do what we like. After all who knows our needs better than us? The church in the next town called a new Pastor and looked what happened to them perhaps we are better without. We ought never to gauge what we do, or don t do by the experiences of other people there are simply too many unknowns. It is part of our old sinful nature to rebel. Some people have a rebellious nature that lurks just below the surface and emerges at crucial moments, usually to cause unnecessary upset and often at Church Member s meetings. Others are more subtle in voicing their complaints in what they call private forgetting the One who listens to every conversation. Most of us are familiar with Israel s experiences in the book of Judges where we read In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. [Judges 21:25] In other words there was anarchy whereas God is a God of order. In many ways much of the professing church is in a leaderless vacuum as we see different parts of the church doing and believing different things. Sadly there are elements of such confusion in what we might call sound biblical churches. A number of pastors have reluctantly given up the work due to churches simply not accepting sound teaching or in some cases the continual over bearance of some church members has led to stress and a good man is set aside and the devil has a good laugh. Leadership in a local church is a God given blessing to advance His glory in the fellowship. We must never forget that the end of all that the local church does must be for the glory of God. Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. [Ephesians 3:21] The task of the leadership is to lead the people of God away from sin, error and false teaching and lead them into the truth of God s Word, in holiness applying relevant discipline in love. To oversee a fellowship of God s people in love and care is the most privileged role on earth. This side of glory no church leadership is going to be perfect, even if we do follow God s model because we are but sinners saved by grace. But the knowledge of imperfection should not discourage us from applying our minds to seek perfection or completeness in what we do. He knows our weaknesses and as we turn to Him in prayer He will bless obedience to his Word. 5

7 God s Design Without stating the obvious, the church belongs to the Lord. He is the Head of the church, for the church He died; we are His purchased possession. It is therefore important that we use the leadership model He gives us and not something we think suits us at this time. God s Word is never out of date, nor will it need updating. The God of eternity knew that Christians would be needing a leadership model in the 21 st century and gave it in scripture. When we think of design we tend to see structure, roles and responsibilities. The Lord sees these but with the added dimensions of character, and behaviours which are vital parts of his model for leadership. We think of who might be suitable in terms of who we like, and who might have upset us or might help us, rather than looking for the qualities God has given to a man that He in turn has given to a local church. There are seven main descriptions in the New Testament for leadership roles. Apostles Prophets Elders/ Bishops/overseers [same Greek word] Pastors Teachers Evangelists Deacons Apostles and Prophets. Whilst some look for apostles and prophets in today s church, they look in vain. Apostles were those who had been commissioned by Christ and could bear direct witness to His resurrection. Paul laid claim to his apostleship on the basis of the revelation of Jesus Christ. Prophets appear to have been used before the whole canon of scripture was available. We now have the whole of scripture and are warned not to look for anything more there isn t anything more than the complete revelation of God. I appreciate some will disagree with this view but it is the accepted view of scripture with which I am very happy to concur. For those who want to pursue this area there are weighty volumes on this subject, eg Berkhof s Systematic Theology. Elders, bishops, overseers, teachers and evangelists. Elders, bishops and overseers are basically the same office and there is an inter-change of translation in the New Testament where for example the same Greek word has been translated elder or bishop in one place [Titus 1:5] and overseer in another. [Acts 20:28] For simplicity I will use the term elder. 1 Timothy 5:17 infers that there are two types of elder, or at very least not all elders have exactly the same role. Let elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in word and doctrine. All elders share responsibility for the affairs of the church but some have particular responsibility for preaching. Although all elders are not called to preach they are all called to be able to teach, that is to be able to explain the main doctrine of scripture. 6

8 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince gainsayers. Titus 1:9 The following sets out succinctly the role and character necessary for elders:- Character/Action Detailed description Reference Example in behaviour An example in word, conversation, 1 Tim 4:12 charity, spirit, faith and purity Not to be drunk 1 Tim 3:2 Husband of one wife Titus 1:5 Hospitable 1 Tim 3:2 Rules his own house Patient Not violent or covetous Holy Titus 1:8 Temperate Teaching Feed the flock 1 Peter 5:2 Apt to teach 1 Tim 3:2 Holding fast the faithful word Titus 1:9 Preaching Labour in word and doctrine 1 Tim 5:17 Holding fast the faithful word Titus 1:9 Elders with a preaching gift will probably find their gifts differ in that one maybe more apt to preach the gospel whereas another maybe more devotional in preaching content. The Pastor is usually the teaching elder but where he stands alone he may have to do as Paul exhorted Timothy and do the work of an evangelist [2 Timothy 4:5] A church blessed with a number of preaching elders is blessed indeed. Although the Pastor would take the majority of sermons other preaching elders help as able and necessary. Pastor The Pastor is an elder who has particular responsibility for preaching the Word. As with other ministering elders he will have a measure of intelligence and possess the ability to communicate. Beyond that he needs to know that the Lord has given him the gift of ministry. Many a Pastor has been denied an advanced education but if the Lord has appointed Him He will give Him the necessary gifts and in particular the aid and power of his Spirit. The Pastor will take the leading role among other elders and will most likely be the one who is allocated most time and resources to give himself to the work of teaching and preaching the Word. The Pastor will normally chair Church Member s Meetings but other elders will take responsibility for various aspects of the work of the church according to the size of the fellowship and activities involved. For example one elder may be responsible for work among the elderly and another for the young, and another for outreach. 7

9 Church Members will be working among the young, elderly etc but there will be an eldership link to each aspect of the work in order that the elders be responsible and accountable for the various aspects of the ministry of the local church. The eldership working to ensure everything and everyone is working together and supporting one another according to scripture. Deacon That which the Lord requires in a Deacon differs little from that of an Elder. The difference is not one of character but of function. Deacons have the general responsibility for the fabric and social well being of the Local church. According to the number of deacons and size of the fellowship each will have an area of responsibility, eg care of the building, finance, door keeping. The following sets out succinctly the role and character necessary for deacons:- Character/Action Detailed description Reference Example in behaviour Serious or grave in outlook 1 Tim 3:5-8 Not to be drunk Not greedy for money Rules his own house Faithful Husband of one wife 8

10 Appointment of leaders t is one thing for the Lord to give a church men of leadership quality and another for the Ichurch to recognise them in an appropriate manner. As in a number of things the scripture does not set down 3 steps to appointing leaders but the Lord has set down principles to follow. In the early church leaders were recognised by the apostles and appointed accordingly. Paul wrote to Titus specifically telling him to set in order the things that are wanting, and to ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee. Titus 1:5 He then goes on to tell Titus the requirements for elders and deacons. It would appear that Paul may have told Titus who to appoint or at least made suggestions and then told him what to look for in these men. So, the Lord gives men to a local church and the local church needs spiritual discernment to recognise such men and seek their appointment in the church. In some churches the recommendation of the existing eldership is sufficient to appoint new deacons and elders but in most cases the members of the church vote. Whilst voting is not specifically mentioned in New Testament practice it does indicate consent and voting is a simple means of consent. Some churches appoint men for life, others for set period. For life would be ideal so long as people have the courage to ask a man to go when he no longer fulfils the biblical requirements. To appoint pastors, elders and deacons without a time limit requires faith but has been a proven blessing in the past where men have continued to walk close to the Lord. 9

11 So what went wrong? his is not the place for analysing church history. To a large extent we have to start from Twhere we are today. Churches bound by denominational rules tend to have evolved leadership models that are difficult to change unless there is a ground swell of opinion with a mind to do something. I suspect few from such fellowships will be looking to move towards a more biblical approach and if they did they will struggle to find many to stand with them. And let s not forget that some cases churches are close to the Biblical pattern. Most Bible believing Christians will I believe accept most if not all I have put forward. I appreciate that some friends in Brethren fellowships might put more emphasis on a team leadership and not then look for a full time Pastor. Those of a more Pentecostal persuasion might take a similar line to our brethren friends but would look for a full time Pastor. Those with a more Calvinistic or Reformed fellowship will expect their Pastor to take more responsibility than in some other fellowships. In some quarters there is a history of using different terms, so we have church committee members which will consist of elders and/or deacons but neither term is used. This results in the loss of biblical language but more importantly the role of elder and deacon gets blurred and church members did not know which qualities to look for. Others have no elders but expect deacons to act as elders. This gives rise to church members voting for deacons but having to think of candidates as elders and voting accordingly. Some have voted for men with deacon qualities only to find later that they are acting as elders for which some may not be qualified. Few churches have deliberately moved away from the Lord s design, but have slowly drifted, or more likely lacked men of discernment to show the way. In a few cases people have tried to impose structures that work well in business, and so we have churches with directors using various business models for management and finance. Some of these ideas sound sensible until we remember that the church is not an organisation but a living organism, part of the body of Christ and our Head has clearly set out the churches leadership model. 10

12 The Way to Blessing he old hymn has it right, Trust and obey for there s no other way If we are to seriously Tseek God s blessing in His Church we must follow his Word in our church leadership. I appreciate not every church will have men able to take up every role. Church members need discernment to ascertain who the Lord has given to the fellowship to fulfil the role of elder, deacon etc. It is possible to find churches longing and praying for leadership whilst others have gifts of men but fail to recognise them. A small fellowship may be blessed by a single elder who is able to preach a little and find suitable men to fill the pulpit. However the gift of a Pastor and other men in leadership roles is to be greatly valued and sought by the church. 11

13 Keep them if you can Sadly church members often perceive church leaders as either over bearing or weak. Those who see a man as being over bearing may of course be quite right but more likely it is because the leader has had to make a stand on a particular issue. Those who perceive a leader as being weak may again be correct but it is often a perception made by those who can t get their own way or more likely can t get the Pastor or Elder to do what the complainant thinks is right. To preach two or three times a week is a high responsibility. Preparation and preaching can take it s toll on a man, but observation shows that a far greater toll is taken when the Pastor/Elder is having to contend with people and behavioural issues. When confronted by leaders, church members appear to instantly forget issues discussed and promises made when they came into membership. They can even forget about the doctrine that they claim to love so much and become all consumed that the Pastor /elder has challenged them over a particular issue in their life. Yet that is one of the roles of leadership and if church members did as encouraged in the ministry they might not have these issues. There are also Christians who do not particularly want leadership in the church. They prefer a line up of visiting preachers to politely drop their sermons each week and then fly away. The thought of a consistent and regular ministry aimed at their souls calling for changes in behaviour and the way they do things is just too much for them. No Pastor/elder/deacon is perfect but they are a gift from the Lord to be honoured, if not so much for themselves, for the role they fill. know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them highly in love for their works sake. And be ye at peace among yourselves. 1 Thess 5: It is interesting to note how being at peace among yourselves is included in those verses. Being at peace is one way of showing our esteem in love May we ever look to appoint those brethren the Lord has graciously raised up, thanking Him for those He has given to lead His Church, and show our thanks in supporting them in private and public prayer. 12