Page 41 - Pastoral Ministries -Student Textbook

Deal Astutely with a Tribal Leader

Every church has one or two very strong individuals that may have great influence in the church. In most cases,
it is committing professional suicide for a pastor to cross this person seriously. How much more effective the
pastor will be to recognize that in a church, the pastor should engage the services of those individuals to assist
him in forwarding the church toward godliness.

The Right to be Heard

Do not go into a pastoral ministry thinking that you have all the answers and that the older leaders of the church
are necessarily ignorant or retrogressive. They may have far greater wisdom than you, especially in practical
matters. Attach yourself to them. Ask them questions. Respect their judgement. In most cases you will prosper
and mature greatly if you do and the church and your ministry will remain intact.

The Pastor and Deacon

In Acts 6, we have the record of the first deacons. Simply stated, the preachers
needed help. Overwhelmed with ministry, Peter and the disciples were
spending too much time meeting the physical demands of the people and too
little time in spiritual preparation to teach and preach the Word.

God’s answer? Set aside deacons.

The catalyst was the distribution of daily food to the widows. The Grecian widows complained that the Hebrew
widows were getting priority, while they were being neglected.

Even a cursory reading of the text shows that the most important issue was not the food but the argument over
the distribution of the food. The fellowship was divided. The church was split. And we know that divided
fellowships go nowhere. Luke’s statement, “Look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy
Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business” (Acts 6:3) may be interpreted, “Find seven men
whom you can appoint over this mess!”

Clearly the apostles were disturbed over the division of the fellowship. The primary purpose of deacons was not
to do the physical work of the church but to preserve the fellowship of the church that is often disturbed in the
process of doing the physical.

Division within the church is devastating. The unity of the
body of Christ is everything. The unbeliever may
disbelieve God and doubt the Bible, but when he comes
into the presence of Jesus as created in the life of a
unified people, something mystical and wonderful
happens. And in that presence, there is life. Unity in the
church must be preserved at all costs.

And to whom is the responsibility given to preserve the
unity of the congregation? That responsibility is placed
squarely on the shoulders of the deacons. Never forget,
deacons were ordained not just to meet the physical
needs of the congregations but also to preserve the
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