Redeemer Church

BIBLICAL CHURCH LEADERSHIP


What, if any, is the structure of leadership that God intends for His Church?

There seems to be as many models for church leadership as there are churches. And for every such model, there are even more positions or offices: pastor, senior pastor, associate pastor, shepherd, elder, deacon, trustee, etc. Despite this apparent disorder we believe that God has always meant for his church to ordered around two offices: elder and deacon.


(1) Elder - Overseer (Bishop) - Pastor (Shepherd)

Much of the confusion about biblical church eldership comes from the NT authors' use of three Greek words, which have been translated into five different English words. However, despite the difference in terms, we believe that they all refer to a single office.

Here are the three Greek words and their respective English translations:

• Presbyteros - Elder

"The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you." (Titus 1:5 NIV)

"Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord." (James 5:14 NIV)

• Episkopos - Overseer or Bishop

"Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach..." (1Tim 3:1-2 NIV)

"The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless-not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain." (Titus 1:5-7 NIV)

• Poimen - Pastor or Shepherd

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers..." (Eph 4:11 NIV)

Though these three different words are used, it is also the case that they are used interchangeable, thus indicating that they refer to a single office.

"To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers-not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve..." (1Pet 5:1-2 NIV)

From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church... "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood." (Acts 20:17, 28 NIV)


(2) Deacon (Servant)

There is only one Greek word or term for deacon:

• Daikonos - Deacon (Servant)

Diakonos, which we have translated into "deacon", literally means "servant." This is the normal, everyday word for servant; it is the term used for those who served meals at a table. Since diakonos is the normal word for servant, and since the role/nature of service is so central to the Christian faith, the apostles and leaders of the NT church regularly used the word "deacon" to refer to themselves apart from the office of deacon.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God... (Rom. 1:1 NIV)

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. (James 1:1 NIV)

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ... (Jude 1:1 NIV)

Additionally, all Christians are called to have the attitude a servant, since we understand that this one of the ways in which we imitate Christ:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (Phil 2:5-7 NIV)

In fact, the role of a servant is the highest position to which a Christian can aspire:

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant... (Mark 10:43 NIV)

However, there is also the office of a diakonos in the church, which is distinct from what we've just seen. Historically, the office of deacon is traced back to the very first days of the church in Jerusalem.

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." (Acts 6:1-4 NIV)

Paul recognized the office of deacon and insisted that they meet qualifications similar to those of the elders.

"Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain... They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons...A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well." (1Tim 3:8,10,12 NIV)


Conclusions

First, it is clear that God has always intended His Church to be governed by these two offices: elder and deacon. Perhaps the clearest place that this can be seen is in Paul's address to the fledgling church in Philippi, in which he clearly identifies the leadership structure of the church:

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons... (Phil 1:1 NIV)

Secondly, we understand that this means that there is no separate office of "pastor". Rather, it is the role and responsibility of the elders to "pastor" the church.


DISTINCTIVES OF BIBLICAL ELDERS


To be faithful to the Scriptures and to God's plan for His Church, we affirm the pastoral leadership of those who are called by the Holy Spirit to lead our local church and who meet the qualifications for biblical eldership. We believe that the Scriptures teach that biblical elders function to provide pastoral, shared, male, qualified, servant leadership.


Pastoral Leadership

Elders are primarily called to pastoral ministry; they are the pastors of the people of God. As the pastors (or shepherds) of our church they are required to protect, feed, and lead the flock, as well as meet the flock's many practical needs.

The following list, while not exhaustive, gives a good overview of the biblical, pastoral responsibilities of the elders.

• "Prayer and ministry of the word" (Acts 6:2-4)
• Protect against false teachers and heretical doctrines (Acts 20:28-31; Titus 1:9)
• Teach sound doctrine (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:9)
• Pray for the sick (James 5:14)
• Enact church discipline and admonish improper behavior (1 Thess. 5:12)
• Lead, supervise and manage/steward the church, the household of God (1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:7; 1 Pet 5:1-3)
• Preach and teach (1 Tim. 5:17)

In order to accomplish the above responsibilities, the elders of the church must also:

• Be prayerful and watchful over the whole church
• Be aware of changing issues in our church and society
• Be courageous in his defense of the people and doctrines of our church
• Be able to clearly articulate the mission, vision, values and goals of our church
• Be able to make decisions, give direction, motivate people, and evaluate processes
• Be willing to work hard for the benefit of others

Perhaps above all, an elder must possess a deep, self-sacrificial love for God's people. As a shepherd, an elder is called to lead for the sake of the church.


Shared Leadership

The Scriptures clearly point to a plurality of elders in each local church.

"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." (Acts 14:23 NIV)

"The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching." (1Tim 5:17 NIV)

"The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you." (Titus 1:5 NIV)

"To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed:" (1Pet 5:1 NIV)

"Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord." (James 5:14 NIV)

Thus, in our understanding of shared leadership, a plurality of elders is a collective (or collegiate) form of leadership, in which each elder shares equally the authority and responsibility of the office. Our elder board is to be a council of equals.

However, among the plurality of the elders some may be regarded as the "first among equals."

"Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say." (Acts 2:14 NIV)

"The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching." (1Tim 5:17 NIV)

Elders who are recognized as the first among equals may operate in a functionally different role, thus eliminating the need to create an official or superior position over fellow elders.


Male Leadership

All passages in the NT, whether descriptive or prescriptive, universally refer to elders as men. However, we hasten to emphasize that the principle of male eldership in no way diminishes the significance and necessity of active female involvement and leadership in our church.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are given irrespective of gender, but the office of elder is reserved for men. We believe that this understanding of male pastoral leadership is in accordance with a biblical, complementarian view of gender roles within the family of God.


Qualified Leadership

The office of elder is not an honorary position for those who have faithfully attended or generously given to the church. Nor is it an office that we reserve only for those who attended a Bible college or seminary. The office of elder is open to all men in our church who meet the biblical requirements.

When it comes to elders, the primary concern of the NT authors is their qualifications. The overriding concern of the NT authors is that the right men be selected for eldership. (In fact, there are more passages about the qualifications of elders than about the Lord's Supper, baptism or spiritual gifts.)

Elders must meet these qualifications because they are the ones who are entrusted with God's most dear and costly possession, His children (Titus 1:7).

The three primary texts which list elder qualifications are 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, and 1 Peter 5:1-4. From these passages, we determine the following qualifications for eldership at our church:

• Moral and Spiritual Prerequisites: An elder must morally be above reproach, especially in his marital and sexual life. He must be a man of integrity, self-control and spiritual maturity. He must be self-controlled particularly with respect to money, alcohol and the exercise of authority. He must consistently demonstrate hospitality, humility, balance, gentleness, stability, and sober-mindedness. He must not be a man who seeks controversy or confrontation, but rather be prone to peace making and reconciliation.

• Abilities: As the role of an elder is to be a steward of God's household, an elder must manage his own household and family well (1 Tim. 3:4-5). He must be a godly role model - an "example to the flock" (1 Peter 5:3). He must be able to teach and defend the faith so that he can "exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict." (Titus 1:9) He must be committed to continual study of the Word of God so that he may be equipped of every good work (2 Tim. 3:17).

• Motivation: An elder must possess the Spirit-given desire to serve our church in this pastoral office.

Servant Leadership

The elders of our church are called to be servant-leaders. Thus, each of our elders must be committed to self-sacrificial love and humble servant hood in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our elders agree to live and lead as Christ would have them do so, with patience, forgiveness, humility, oneness and love.

The elders of our church will not practice abusive, heavy-handed leadership (1 Peter 5:3), but will clothe themselves in humility just as Jesus clothed Himself in humility (Philippians 2:3-7).

Amongst themselves, the elders of our church must humbly and lovingly relate to one another as they patiently seek wisdom and consensus. They must practice mutual submission and mutual accountability. When necessary, they must also practice confession, repentance and reconciliation with one another. Elders must be willing to listen, persuade, compromise, receive, rebuke, correct, and appreciate the wisdom and diversity of the other elders.

SERVICE OF ELDERS


Elder Board Structure

An elder is a servant of Jesus who as a singular voice on a plural board of godly men. Jesus is the head of our church (Eph. 5:23) and the elders are a team of servants under His authority. Ultimately, the congregation itself governs our church.

Amongst themselves, the elders may determine various functional distinctions, as they deem necessary.


Elder Responsibilities

In general, the elders have the responsibility to shepherd the flock of God by overseeing the general direction and ministries of the church, teaching the Word of God, and providing spiritual care and guidance.

Specifically, the elders have the following responsibilities:

• To effectively teach and/or oversee the teaching of the Word of God as part of the regular life of our church
• To protect the church against false doctrines and/or false teachers
• To provide humble, godly leadership to our church as a whole and to any discrete areas of individual ministerial responsibility
• To pastor/shepherd our church in love by means of discipleship, prayer, and healthy relationships
• To oversee the process of member assimilation, education and acceptance
• To guide the church through any arising social, cultural, or theological issues
• To direct church discipline in keeping with biblical guidelines
• To oversee and direct the financial matters of the church
• To oversee and direct the employment and evaluation of the staff of the church
• To oversee and direct the appointment of elders
• To oversee and direct the appointment of deacons

APPOINTMENT OF ELDERS


We understand that the family of God gathers in perfect equality before the Lord (Gal. 3:26; Col. 3:11). Thus the position of elder is open to all in the community who desires it and is qualified for such leadership.


The Process

1) Recognize those in the congregation who exhibit the actions and attitudes of a shepherd.
2) Invite them to sit in on an elder meeting in order to observe how they interact with the other elders.
3) Examine the spiritual and moral character of each man, as well as available time (i.e. examination by the elder board)
4) Achieve unanimity about whether or not to nominate each man.
5) Recommend the candidate to the congregation and allow for input (i.e. examination by the congregation)
6) Achieve a super-majority (75%) affirmation of the call from the congregation.
7) Install elders in a public ceremony
8) Allow elders to serve for 3+3 years, followed by a mandatory year off.



DISTINCTIVES OF BIBLICAL DEACONS


To be faithful to the Scriptures and to God's plan for His Church, we affirm the leadership of those who are called by the Holy Spirit to serve our local church and who meet the qualifications for biblical deaconate.


Servant Leadership

Though the word "deacon" means "servant", the office of deacon is a position of leadership through service. The very first deacons were chosen to assist the Apostles in the leadership of the church.

So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them... This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them." (Acts 6:2-3, 5-6 NIV)

Deacons are to be selected from those who have chosen to lead through Christ-like service. They are to be examined, doctrinally and morally, to see if they are qualified to lead in the Body of Christ.

"They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons." (1Tim 3:10 NIV)

Finally, Paul pairs the deacons with the elders/overseers, thus indicating both offices together form the leadership of the church:

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons... (Phil 1:1 NIV)


Shared Leadership

The church is to be served by a plurality of deacons, amongst which there is equality, humility and respect.

"Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons..." (Phil 1:1 NIV)

"Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain." (1Tim 3:8 NIV)


Qualified Leadership

Deacons may only serve the church if they have been examined and found morally and spiritually sound. The apostle Paul gives a description of qualifications for the deaconate:

"Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons... A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well." (1Tim 3:8-10, 12 NIV)

Clearly, deacons are to be worthy role models, full of integrity. They are to be balanced and self-controlled, particularly with respect to alcohol, money and gossip. They must be deeply committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They also must be above reproach in their marital and sexual lives. They must manage their own lives and households well.