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Adult Class: September-November 2006

The Church

Lesson 10

Ministry in the Church: Leadership

            Ephesians 4:7-11 notes that “grace” has been given to all of us, meaning gifts for service in the church. Paul follows with a partial list of the gifts. Other passages that deal with giftedness in the church include Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12 and 1 Peter 4. None of these passages provides an exhaustive list of gifts; all are based on the fact that God is the source of our abilities, no matter what kind of abilities they might be.

            One of the most critical needs in the church is that of leadership. Leadership sets the vision for the future. By definition, leadership takes people from where they are to a new place. A lack of proper leadership allows people to turn away from God’s way and substitute their own ideas. The evidence of this is found throughout the Bible, from Exodus and Judges through the prophets, into the New Testament, especially in 1 Corinthians and in Titus.

            While we greatly need leadership, there is some confusion about what leadership is and how it functions in the church. Before we discuss the leaders of the church, we must understand some principles about the general subject of leadership.

• Leadership is service, not lordship—Matthew 20:24-28. Real leaders seek to imitate Jesus Christ and fulfill His commission in their lives (Matthew 28:18-20). This includes raising up new leaders to secure the health and strength of the church (2 Timothy 2:2). It does not include securing worldly wealth, power, respect, or possessions (2 Corinthians 11:21b-29).
• Leadership is influence. Leaders influence others to do better than they have in the past, to be better people, to grow and develop. Leaders do not force anybody, coerce anybody or pressure anybody—they influence people. Those who have influence are leaders—and everybody influences somebody. You cannot become a leader by having a title or position. In the church, we gain position by leading and having influence for Christ Jesus.
• The goal of leadership in the church is maturity and ministry. The task in developing new leaders is to grow and mature people to take on ministry in the church (Ephesians 4:11-16). Just as parents train their children to become independent, leaders must train the children of God to do ministry without constant oversight. They must learn to take initiative and work as the people of God.

Leaders the church needs:

Elders—

            The task of the elders is the most critical job in the church. Theirs is the responsibility for the care of the souls of the people in the church. The preachers lead people to Christ; the elders keep the saved safe. They have the responsibility to develop and mature the members. The elders are not a “board of directors” in place merely to make business decisions about the financial health of the congregation. Their work is far more serious than making “right decisions.”

            There are three words that describe the function of elders: (see 1 Peter 5:1-4)

• Elder—calls for one who is older in years. This implies good judgment and life experience along with maturity in the faith. This term is sometimes borrowed from Greek and is called, “presbyter.”
• Overseer—calls for one who is skilled in developing others. This implies sound understanding of the basics of the faith and the ability to persuade others. The fruit of his ability will first be seen in his own household. This term is sometimes borrowed from Greek and is called, “bishop.”
• Shepherd—calls for one who is compassionate and caring, yet also committed to the safety of the church. This implies unapologetic emphasis on the interests of the church. This term is sometimes borrowed from Latin and is called, “pastor.”

            Because these functions are so critical and the influence of elders is so powerful, the qualifications for these men are very strict. They are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and in Titus 1:6-9.

Deacons—

            The task of deacons is one of spiritual leadership. They serve as special servants to the elders in fulfilling needed tasks. They may be asked to undertake Bible studies, to maintain property, to serve special needs in the church or to do anything else that the elders may need. This is a spiritual leadership role! It is a mistake to try to separate the physical and spiritual sides of ministry.

            As with the elders, the qualifications for deacons are very strict and are found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. These provide for a division of labor so that the elders can do what only the elders can do, while the deacons continue ministry in other directions.

Preachers—

            The task of preachers is to preach the word of God. They are to take the gospel message to the lost and encourage the brethren through the teaching of the Scriptures. They are not in charge of the congregation. They are to develop and grow the members of the church so that all can take their rightful places of ministry.

            Evangelists become evangelists by telling the gospel and being consumed by spreading the love of Christ. A great example of such a man is the apostle Paul. He did not meet the qualifications of elders or deacons, yet he was a powerful teacher and preacher of the gospel of Christ.

Godly women in the home—

            The role of women within the culture of the church should not be underestimated. They serve as the emotional center of the home and by their teaching and example lead their children to respect and love the Lord or to hold Him in contempt. Godly women have had enormous impact in the church, hosting church assemblies, providing financial support, and training their children. Just because women have no formal role in the public worship and administration of the church does not mean they are of little value or that they have no leadership function. Great examples of godly women include Mary, the mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12), Lydia in Philippi (Acts 16:14-15), and the grandmother (Lois) and mother (Eunice) of Timothy (2 Timothy 1:5).