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A Guide to Christian Theology - Lesson 46

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Importance of Church Leadership

This lesson outlines key principles of church leadership and governance. Elders guide teaching, while deacons lead ministry teams. It stresses active membership, mutual commitment, and using one’s gifts in ministry. Clear processes and bylaws help build trust.

Gerry Breshears
Gerry Breshears
A Guide to Christian Theology

I. Leadership Roles in the Church

A. Elders

B. Deacons (Men and Women)

C. Evangelists and Prophets

II. Church Structure and Authority

A. Congregational Authority

B. Preference for Single Guiding Board

III. Membership in the Church

A. Acts 2:42

IV. Active Church Participation

A. Members Should Serve and Volunteer

V. Governance and Decision-Making

A. Clear Leadership Roles

VI. Final Thoughts

 


Transcription
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Okay, Gary's principal for local church leadership. Authorities of the congregation as a whole, just filling some blanks. There are certain officers in the church that is a role that is bigger than an individual. Those permanent officers are elders and Deacons, there's a fill in. And elders, no matter what you call them, this is the group of people that guide and guard the teaching of the church, are married men. Responsible Deacons, which is more of a service office is men and women. I think both those of those. In our church, what we call Deacons, I think they're ministry team leaders. I think that's the best way to do it.

So in Acts chapter six, which is often seen to be the beginning of the office of Deacon, they're responsible for food distribution. It's a team, and the Deacon is a team leader for that team. And that's an official thing. So we have a student ministry team, we have a worship team, we have a preaching team. We have quite a few different teams in our church. And we'd have a Deacon, though to use that title would be somebody who is the team leader, that responsibly administer specific service or ministry, assisting elders, free them for the work that they do per Acts chapter six.

So Deacons are ministry team leaders. I'm very much in favor of a single Board to guide and guard the role of the church as a whole. I do believe there are offices. I think that they're at the top level of the church. You have elders, but you also have evangelists. You also have prophets to the top of the church. And I don't think a prophet is under the elders because I think prophets can bring scriptural teaching to the elders. So I seem to be more parallel. I'm less hierarchical in my structure of the church than a lot of people.

And then underneath that, we have the congregation and I have a high view of the congregation in my view. And I think membership, again, that's another blank, membership. That's what I see in Acts 2:42, they devoted themselves to the teaching of the elders and the life of the church. And we're in a very low commitment culture here, at least in my part of the world. And I was a part of the movement that three or four decades ago said, "Membership is a bad thing." And so we dropped a lot of church membership and I think we made a mistake at that point because what membership meant at that point is you get the right hand of fellowship and offering envelopes. And membership means you commit to regular giving to the church and you go through a class or something like that, and it really became meaningless. I think membership is a mutual commitment, people to the life of the church. And then the church gives primary commitment to the members to equip and care for those people.

So we give more commitment to equipping and care for members of the church than we do for regular attenders. And we give more to regular attenders than we do for community around us. So I think membership is a mutual public commitment to participation in the community ministry and mission investing, passion, service, resources, relationships for kingdom community. I think everybody should be a member of a church. And this isn't signing a covenant. I think signing a covenant is a fine thing to do, and I don't think it's a matter of making a commitment to give to the church. So again, I think that's a fine thing to do. Membership is a devotion to the ministry and life of that church where there's a priority given to that.

So I've invested a good part of my life in the community of the church as a whole. And when I see the church is being reduced to a Sunday morning meeting that I go to three times out of eight or something like that, we're not living at a church anymore. I think we need to bring membership back up to a higher level. And not just coming to a Sunday morning, but being involved in service and volunteering in the church and the ministry of the church inside the building and out.

I think every minister, every believer has a ministry growing from his or her gifting. And there is a responsibility honored to submit to the leaders. Not a silent, "Sure, whatever you say," but deferring in judgment to the leaders above us.

So those are my principles of polity. And again, all of these could be expanded at great length, but these are places. If you disagree with me, probably frankly I won't know about it. But if you want to send me an email and disagree publicly, I'm very open to that. I enjoy conversations about things. And if we disagree, okay, we're going to be great friends and disagree about these things and probably both profit from the disagreement.

But where you agree with me or not, these are kinds of questions that you have to decide for your local church. For example, elders. Either you have women elders or you don't. "Well, we're going to stand in the middle." You can't. You have women elders, or you don't. And as far as the roles of leadership and how things are done, you need to have a defined process or you've got anarchy. And anarchy, "Oh, just be organic." No, that means some powerful voice runs everything. Try to think these things through in such a way that serves the kingdom of God. So principle of polity bylaws will give you processes to deal with things. They will not save you from disaster. But good bylaws with good people will really help the church function clearly and well, and establish a community of trust, which is what this is all about. And commitment to the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

 

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