Pastors and Deacons Leading and Serving at Ephesus Church By: Nicholas Kennicott A particular Church gathered, and completely organized, according to the mind of Christ, consists of officers, and members; and the officers appointed by Christ to be chosen and set apart by the church (so called and gathered) for the peculiar administration of ordinances, and execution of power or duty which he entrusts them with or calls them to, to be continued to the end of the world, are bishops or elders and deacons. 2nd London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, Article 26.8 April, 2009 Last modified August, 2011
Pastors/Elders "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil." 1 Timothy 3:1-7 "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching." 1 Timothy 5:17 "So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory." 1 Peter 5:1-4 "To pastors and ministers the Lord commits his Church as his beloved wife." 1 John Calvin 1 Graham Miller, Calvin's Wisdom: An Anthology Arranged Alphabetically (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1992), 209. Page 2
How is the church to be ruled? American Churches in the 21st century are governed and led in 1, or a combination of 2, of the following 4 ways: Congregational Rule Congregationally ruled local churches typically consist of various committees holding authority and oversight over the ministries and business of the congregation. These committees are established by consensus vote, committee chairs are appointed, and pastors are given ex officio status on each committee. In this model of governance, the pastor's role is to carry out the will of the congregation based on the decisions of committees that are voted on by the entire membership of the church. Deacon Rule While few churches would define their governance as deacon rule, in practice there are many local congregations that function in this manner. In essence, the local congregation has given the authority of church governance to the deaconate, calling on them to make decisions regarding the operation of the church. In many American congregations, the deacons are responsible for the finances, personnel decisions (i.e. hiring/firing of church staff, to include pastors), implementation and oversight of ministries, benevolence, and property maintenance. Additionally, deacon ruled congregations often call on the deacons to take on the role of preaching and teaching in the absence of a pastor. Single-Elder Rule Single-elder ruled local churches typically consist of one pastor, several ministers (depending on the size of the congregation and the variety of ministries within the church), and a deacon board. Most often, this form of church governance is coupled with congregational rule, with the exception being that the pastor is not ex officio in committees, but rather is given the authority to mandate, direct, and vote within the various committees of the church. Some single-elder ruled congregations function with the pastor as a sort of CEO or president, for lack of a better description. Multiple-Elder Rule Multiple-Elder rule is also known as a plurality of elders. An elder ruled congregation entrusts the leadership and governance of the church to a multiplicity of elders, all seen as equal in authority. While specifics vary from church to church based on a congregation's size, decisions made by elders are typically done by majority or unanimous consensus. In this model, the elders are called upon to do the work of shepherding and oversight in the local church. The eldership is authorized to govern the entire life of their particular local church according to the Word of God. We must readily admit that there are always exceptions to the rule, and there are most assuredly congregations who would take exception with the descriptions above, but this defines the predominate culture of the American Church. 2 2 This does not take into account the various understandings of the autonomy of the local church vs. a governing board, presbytery, session, etc. These differences certainly make a difference in how a local congregation views its leadership, but even still, one of the aforementioned systems of rule will still be present in at least some variation. Page 3
The Leadership of Ephesus Church At the outset, it must be recognized that Ephesus Church acknowledges and indeed rejoices in the fact that Jesus governs His Church (Matthew 16:18). "Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior" (Ephesians 5:23b); "And [Christ] is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent" (Colossians 1:18). John Piper comments: So the church is like a body that gets its leadership and its nourishment from its head, Jesus Christ. The church is not a mere human organization. It is not a mere organization because it is an organism, a body. And it is not merely human, because its head is divine; the life he gives is supernatural life. So the way a church is run should not simply copy the way a human organization is run. There should be structures and practices that let Christ the head govern, lead, and nurture his church. Jesus Christ is the living head the leader and the sustainer of the church, his body. 3 Therefore, Ephesus Church is committed to being governed by Jesus Christ. "It is absolutely vital that a church loves Jesus, obeys Jesus, imitates Jesus, and follows Jesus at all times and in all ways, according to the teaching of his Word." 4 Jesus' governance of the Church took place through the authority of the apostles and their trusted partners in the ministry (Ephesians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 7:17; 14:37-38; 2 Thessalonians 3:14). Christ is still the ruler of His Church today and governs through the words of His apostles preserved in the Holy Spirit inspired writings of the New Testament of the Bible. "So then you are... fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:19-20). Under the ultimate authority of Jesus, as is clearly defined in Scripture, Ephesus Church finds that a plurality of elders (multiple-elder rule) is the way in which the local church should be governed (Acts 20:17, 28; Ephesians 4:11; Philippians 1:1; 1 Peter 5:2). Synonymously, elders are also referred to as bishops or overseers in the Bible, as they are charged with the oversight of the congregation (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2). It is important to understand that an elder-ruled church is not dictatorial in nature. Pastors are bound to the Word of God as the only source of absolute truth and authority. Additionally, specific to Ephesus Church, there will always be matters in which the congregation will be asked to voice their will by way of majority vote. According to the Ephesus Church by-laws, matters in which the congregation must vote include the annual church budget, the creation of a salaried position, the salary of said position, salary increases, building construction, any proposed amendments to the church by-laws, and the approval of ordination for elder and deacon candidates. 5 3 John Piper, Who Are the Elders?, from Sermons from John Piper (1990-1999) (Minneapolis: Desiring God, 2007). 4 Mark Driscoll, Vintage Church (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008), 64. 5 The Constitution of Ephesus Church in Rincon, GA, Art. IX, Sec. 3. Page 4
The Qualifications of an Elder "If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task" (1 Timothy 3:1). The elders are men (1 Timothy 2:8-3:7; Titus 1:5-9), called by God (Acts 20:28), and appointed by the local church through congregational vote and the laying on of hands (Deuteronomy 1:12-16; Acts 14:23; 1 Timothy 4:14; Titus 1:5). These men should be spiritually mature and exemplary (cf. 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). 6 Elders are to be uniquely gifted for the ministry in which they serve (Romans 12:6-8), each must be a keen observer of himself and the congregation (Acts 20:28), and each should find himself to be in harmony with the established leadership of the local church (Philippians 2:2). Elders are distinguished from deacons and all other Christians in that they are "able to teach" (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9). They are pastors and teachers given to the church to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-12). The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 summarizes well the calling and appointment of an elder to his office: The way appointed by Christ for the calling of any person, fitted and gifted by the Holy Spirit, unto the office of bishop or elder in a church, is, that he be chosen thereunto by the common suffrage of the church itself; and solemnly set apart by fasting and prayer, with imposition of hands of the eldership of the church, if there be any before constituted therein. 7 The Duties of an Elder The Bible gives many specific exhortations as to the duties of an elder in the local church: Praying and studying Scripture (Acts 6:4) Ruling/leading the church (1 Timothy 5:17) Managing the church (1 Timothy 3:4-5) Caring for people in the church (1 Peter 5:2-5) Giving account to God for the church (Hebrews 13:17) Living exemplary lives (Hebrews 13:7) Rightly using the authority God has given them (Acts 20:28) Teaching the Bible correctly (Ephesians 4:11; 1 Timothy 3:2) Preaching (1 Timothy 5:17) Praying for the sick (James 5:13-15) Teaching sound doctrine and refuting false teachings (Titus 1:9) Working hard (1 Thessalonians 5:12) Rightly using money and power (1 Peter 5:1-3) 6 Paul describes the moral attributes of a qualified overseer: above reproach, a "one-woman man", sober-minded, self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined, respectable, hospitable, a lover of good, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money, a good manager of his household, a man with submissive children (if he, in fact, has children), a mature believer, not arrogant, not quick-tempered, not greedy for gain, and well thought of by outsiders. 7 The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, Ch. 26, Para. 9. Page 5
Protecting the church from false teachers (Acts 20:17-31) Disciplining unrepentant Christians (Matthew 18:15-17) Obeying the secular laws as the legal ruling body of the land (Romans 13:1-7) Developing/training other leaders and teachers (Ephesians 4:11-16; 2 Timothy 2:1-2) The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 provides a summary description of the duties of an elder, and a congregation's appropriate response: The work of pastors being constantly to attend the service of Christ, in his churches, in the ministry of the word and prayer, with watching for their souls, as they that must give an account to Him; it is incumbent on the churches to whom they minister, not only to give them all due respect, but also to communicate to them of all their good things according to their ability, so as they may have a comfortable supply, without being themselves entangled in secular affairs; and may also be capable of exercising hospitality towards others; and this is required by the law of nature, and by the express order of our Lord Jesus, who has ordained that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel. 8 Every Elder a Pastor It should be evident at this point that we recognize every elder in the local church to be a pastor of the church. Therefore, since every elder is a pastor, they all carry the same authority and deserve the same respect. However, it would be negligent on the part of the elders to not recognize the grace that God has shown the church in supplying a diversity in spiritual gifts amongst the elders (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:28-31; Ephesians 4:9-11; 1 Timothy 4:13, 14). Thus, it is important that the elders delegate oversight amongst themselves in the areas of ministry that most readily fit their gifts. It must also be recognized that the diversity amongst the elders will mean that some elders may have more significant preaching and teaching responsibilities, others may take a larger share of visiting, counseling and evangelism, and still others may be more focused on the administration of the church. 9 What Elders Are Not It is often helpful to positively define what is, by negatively determining what is not. With such a variety of contexts in the 21st century American Church, it can be very confusing to know exactly what a congregation can expect to see happening amongst her elders. This was also the case in the early Church as the apostles were being burdened with the task of "serving tables" (Acts 6:2). It is good and right for a congregation to know what not to expect from her pastors so that each member will know how better to serve as equal, yet differently skilled members of the body. In the Bible, as has been outlined above, the primary emphasis for the pastor's ministry is given to prayer, the study and teaching of Scripture (Acts 6:4; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Timothy 3:2, 5:17; Titus 1:9), and governance (1 Timothy 3:4-5, 5:17; 1 Peter 5:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:12; Hebrews 13:17). Most 8 Ibid., Ch. 26, Para. 10. 9 cf. Greg Nichols, Parity and Diversity in the Eldership: Part Two-Diversity, from In Defense of Parity: A Presentation of the Parity or Equality of Elders in the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Truth for Eternity Ministries, 1997), 44-49. Page 6
certainly at times, a pastor will take part in a variety of activities within the church as a member of the congregation. But, it should be expected that elders are using their gifts in concert with their biblically assigned duties and responsibilities, not for the planning and execution of various other activities. A misunderstanding of the role of elders can be detrimental to the health of a local congregation, and the longevity of a pastor serving in any particular church. Many relationships between pastors and their congregations have been severed because of a lack of proper teaching on the division of labor within the local church. It has become increasingly popular in American evangelicalism to treat pastors as "hired-guns" that carry out the will of the people, or as celebrity CEOs that make the "business" successful. Sadly, many Christian churches have taken a page from the world's book of wisdom and have applied it to the Church. A gospel-centered, Christ-honoring local church is one that sees her pastors as neither hiredguns nor CEOs, but rather as servant leaders, uniquely gifted by God to carry out His purposes, for His glory. A God-centered church will wisely determine who God has prepared in their midst for the office of elder, will give him due respect, and will be slow to criticize his leadership. Pastor Mark Dever's exhortation is both fitting and timely in this regard: Our conduct in the church in regard to this matter of leadership is to be such that the gospel is not brought into disrepute but rather is held up to be the glorious light of hope and truth in the world. Our lives together are to be as pure as can be, so that God's heart of love for the world will shine clearly through us. This is a tremendous call that God gives us, to recognize and respect godly authority in the church. This is a sign of a healthy church and healthy Christians. This is our call. This is our privilege. And there is a world that needs to see people made in the image of God living out that image in this way. Let's pray that we can do that together in our churches -- for our churches' health and for God's glory. 10 10 Mark Dever, 9 Marks of a Healthy Church (Wheaton: Crossway, 2004), 242-43. Page 7
Deacons "Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, 'It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.' And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them." Acts 6:1-6 "Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus." 1 Timothy 3:8-13 "You [deacons] have a trust committed to you, namely, the alms and contributions of the church, which are indeed a kind of hallowed or dedicated things, and this is a considerable trust. Yea the poor members of Christ, which are dear to Him as the apple of His eye, are committed to your care so far as concerns their relief and succor in outward things, and this is a great trust. You are in stewards for the church, yea stewards for Christ; and it is required of a steward, that he be found faithful. Consider therefore the duty of your position, and make conscience of a faithful discharge thereof, as knowing you must give an account to Christ, who has appointed you to this service, and with Him there is no respect of persons." 11 Nehemiah Coxe 11 Nehemiah Coxe, "Ordination Of An Elder And Deacons In a Baptized Congregation in London", sermon preached in London, in Reformed Baptist Theological Review Volume 1, (Reformed Baptist Theological Review: 2003; 2004), 138-39. Page 8
What is a deacon to do? As with the office of elder, there is no lack of misunderstanding when it comes to the office of deacon within the local church. As was previously mentioned, some local congregations have even given the ruling responsibilities of the church to the deacons, thus undermining the biblical authority and office that is granted to elders. There must be a distinction made between elders and deacons, not just in verbal and intellectual assent, but also in practice within the local church, as is the biblical model. It is also important to acknowledge that the Bible has very little to say regarding the office of deacon. Qualifications for deacons are given in 1 Timothy 3:8-13, and there is also a description of what, arguably, may very well have been the first duties of the early church's deacons in Acts 6:1-6. Other than those two instances, the only other reference to deacons is in Philippians 1:1 in the form of a greeting. Lastly, to show the limited scope in which the Bible addresses the office, the word deacon itself offers only limited assistance. The Greek word for deacon, diakonos, simply means servant. " [Deacon] is a general term covering both slaves and hired servants. It is thus distinct from bond-servant. It represents a servant, not in his relation, but in his activity." 12 Therefore, we can at least safely conclude that a deacon is a servant in his activity amongst the body of Christ and the broader community of a local church. The Chief Deacon Romans 15:8 describes Jesus as a servant of the Jews (a deacon to the Jews) in order that by His death He might purchase the gentiles for His kingdom. Mark recorded in his gospel the words of Jesus when He said, "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Jesus is the chief deacon. He humbled Himself to the utmost in love for the sake of redeeming His people. In His self-sacrifice, Jesus served the Church, His bride, by dying for her. The Qualifications of a Deacon The list of qualifications for deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 is strikingly similar to the list of qualifications for elders/overseers in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. The implication of these similarities is that both elders and deacons must have lives that are noticeably marked by the gospel being worked out personally, and in their families. Deacons will have a good understanding and will bear the fruit of the gospel in their lives and service (1 Timothy 3:9). Paul instructs Timothy that deacons are to be "dignified, not doubletongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain" (1 Timothy 3:8). The most immediate concern regarding a deacon is his character. He must be tested, proving himself to be blameless (1 Timothy 3:10); a "one woman man" who rules his household well (1 Timothy 3:11-12). Perhaps the most important distinction to be made between the qualifications of elders and deacons is that deacons are not required to be "able to teach" (1 Timothy 3:2).Therefore, it can be concluded that deacons are to be men of good character; mature Christians who are honorable servants, bearing gospel fruit in their lives. Through their service, deacons are proving the power of the gospel (1 Timothy 3:13). 12 Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2002), 3:415-416. Page 9
The Duties of a Deacon The clearest indication of a deacon's duties is found in Acts 6:1-6. Their function was explained by the phrase, "to serve tables" (Acts 6:2). The ministry of the apostles had grown so rapidly because the Lord continued to increase the numbers within the church, that many of the Greek-speaking Jewish widows were being neglected in receiving daily distributions (Acts 6:1). Quite simply, the apostles were unable to handle the work load of their ministry as they were also having to devote a great deal of time to prayer, study, and preaching/teaching. For this reason, the apostles called on the church to appoint seven men "of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom" to tend to the physical needs of the Christians (Acts 6:3). This freed up the apostles to devote themselves to prayer, and the ministry of the word (1 Timothy 6:4). "It seems quite evident that [to be a deacon] involved a number of different functions as persons served others, especially in connection with relief to the poor... it may be best to translate [deacon] as to 'have responsibility to help others' or 'to be responsible to take care of the needs of believers.'" 13 Deacons are those in the church who are primarily responsible for the relief of the sick and poor, and for "the practical details of church life: administration, maintenance, and the care of church members with physical needs." 14 "Practically, elders and deacons work together like left and right hands, with elders specializing in leading by their words and deacons specializing in leading by their works." 15 Crucial in this understanding is the fact that the Bible never assigns oversight or ruling authority to deacons; this is the task of elders (cf. 1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Peter 5:1). Deacons at Ephesus Church The limited direction from Scripture regarding the details of diaconal duties seems to intentionally serve the purpose of allowing each local congregation to make specific conclusions about these duties based on cultural and functional nuances within the local body. In other words, each local congregation will have different needs that ought to be met by the diaconate depending on a wide variety of factors. These specific needs (as are fitting with the biblically defined duties of a deacon) at Ephesus Church are as follows: Personalized care for widows of the church through phone calls, visits, and arranging to fulfill their daily needs to include household maintenance, transportation, etc. Visiting those who are hospitalized or who have undergone major surgery while simultaneously arranging for follow-on provision for their daily needs Regular contact with the members of Ephesus Church inquiring as to whether or not there are specific needs that ought to be considered within each family Oversight of the budget team to provide a safeguard of integrity and to ensure monies are being properly provided for the service needs of Ephesus Church 13 Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament : Based on Semantic Domains, electronic ed. of the 2nd edition. (New York: United Bible societies, 1996, c1989), 1:540. 14 Dever, 231. 15 Driscoll, 75. Page 10
Making arrangements for the regular maintenance of the Ephesus Church campus and her assets Leading in service to the community outside of Ephesus Church to include local, national, and foreign service projects and missions work Greeting guests of Ephesus Church and gathering their contact information for follow-on communication Arranging for the collection and counting of monies at Lord's Day worship services Preparing and serving the elements of the Lord's Supper While this list is by no means exhaustive regarding the duties of the deacons within Ephesus Church, it shall function to provide a basic framework in which the congregation is made aware of their responsibilities and how they are to be fulfilled. As Ephesus Church changes, so will some of these duties. Nevertheless, it is always safe to assume that anything within the life of the church having to do with service falls squarely on the diaconate. Deacons must serve with faithfulness to Christ and to the tasks set before them. They are to show compassion as they relieve the necessities of poor saints in their affliction. Deacons must show great prudence and wisdom in determining the breadth of service that is to be provided to any one person or family. And it is of utmost importance that deacons work diligently in their service to the church and community, for they are serving on Christ's behalf as His appointed laborers. Deacons are essential to the overall function of the church in her service to members, the local community, and to the nations that they would all delight in God. Page 11