leadership
The Scripture speaks of the fact that the church belongs to the Lord Jesus personally, on account of His own sacrifice on it's behalf (Matthew 16:18,Ephesians 5:23). So Christ's church is to be directly accountable to Him (Ephesians 5:24). It has been our desire to function in direct relation to the Head of the body - our Lord and Savior - without the intermediate interference of unscriptural hierarchy and denominational authority coming between the local assembly and her Lord.
It is only reasonable that the Lord Jesus should be the One who oversees the church that belongs to Him. In 1 Peter 5:4 we are told that He is the Chief Shepherd of the flock of God. We are also given specific direction regarding the fact that Christ has ordained there to be human shepherds under His authority to carry out the responsibility of exercising oversight of the flock until He Himself comes (1 Peter 5:1-4). The apostle Paul spoke of the fact that it is the Holy Spirit who makes known those who are to be elders in the church (Acts 20:28). It seems obvious that God's people will recognize who these men are as they carefully consider the qualifications set forth in God's word, and as they are responsive to the ministry of God's Spirit among them. A godly leader must, first of all, be a godly follower – of the Lord Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 11:1).
It is only reasonable that the Lord Jesus should be the One who oversees the church that belongs to Him. In 1 Peter 5:4 we are told that He is the Chief Shepherd of the flock of God. We are also given specific direction regarding the fact that Christ has ordained there to be human shepherds under His authority to carry out the responsibility of exercising oversight of the flock until He Himself comes (1 Peter 5:1-4). The apostle Paul spoke of the fact that it is the Holy Spirit who makes known those who are to be elders in the church (Acts 20:28). It seems obvious that God's people will recognize who these men are as they carefully consider the qualifications set forth in God's word, and as they are responsive to the ministry of God's Spirit among them. A godly leader must, first of all, be a godly follower – of the Lord Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 11:1).
the office of elder
As numerous passages in the New Testament indicate, the words “elder” (presbuteros), “overseer” (episkopos), and “pastor” (poimen) all refer to the same office. In other words, overseers and pastors are not distinct from elders; the terms are simply different ways of identifying the same people. The qualifications for an overseer (episkopos) in I Timothy 3:1-7, and those for an elder (presbuteros) in Titus 1:6-9 are unmistakably parallel. In fact, in Titus 1, Paul uses both terms to refer to the same man (presbuteros in v. 5 and episkopos in v. 7). This is a position that is clearly limited to men (I Timothy 3:1).
the plurality of elders
The consistent pattern throughout the New Testament is that each local body of believers is shepherded by a plurality of God-ordained elders. Simply stated, this is the only pattern for church leadership given in the New Testament. Nowhere in Scripture does one find a local assembly ruled by majority opinion or by a single pastor.
the office of deacon
The office of deacon is a position of serving that is complimentary to the office of elder. We notice that the qualifications for this position are very similar to the position of elder, with the notable exception of being ‘able to teach’. (I Timothy 3:1-13)
the need and function of leadership in Christ's church
There is a direct connection between the leadership in a local assembly, and the extent to which the Lord Jesus Himself is being magnified. We are all characterized as being like sheep throughout the Scriptures. The one thing that is absolutely crucial for the overall health and vitality of sheep – is the consistent care of a good shepherd.
Each overseer shares the responsibility of shepherding the local assembly of God’s church under the authority, care, and enablement of the Chief Shepherd – the Lord Jesus Christ. The elder’s function is to guide, feed, and guard the Lord’s flock, through the enablement provided by the unique ministry of the Holy Spirit of God. (Acts 20:28)
Each overseer shares the responsibility of shepherding the local assembly of God’s church under the authority, care, and enablement of the Chief Shepherd – the Lord Jesus Christ. The elder’s function is to guide, feed, and guard the Lord’s flock, through the enablement provided by the unique ministry of the Holy Spirit of God. (Acts 20:28)
