Page 43 - Pastoral Ministries -Student Textbook

• Ushers: The deacons could be responsible for distributing bulletins, seating the congregation, or
preparing the elements for communion.
• Logistics: Deacons should be available to help in variety of ways so that the elders are able to
concentrate on teaching and shepherding the church.

Whereas the Bible charges elders with the tasks of teaching and leading the church, deacons’ role is more
service-oriented. That is, they are to care for the physical or temporal concerns of the church. By handling such
matters, deacons free up the elders to focus on shepherding the spiritual needs of the congregation.

Yet even though deacons are not the congregation’s spiritual leaders, their character is of utmost importance,
which is why deacons should be examined and held to the biblical qualifications
laid down in 1 Timothy 3.

Both Offices will be rewarded.

I Timothy 3:13 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great
assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

Clearly, the offices of elder and deacon are important in the church. Ministering to God’s people in word and
deed is a serious responsibility for a man to take on, and it should never be done lightly. A biblically unqualified
individual should not occupy either the office of elder or deacon; the church deserves better.

What about all the other offices and staff positions we now have in local churches today?

Since only two offices are mentioned in the New Testament, all these other staff positions that have been
created by the local churches are modern day inventions. Obviously, the elder(s) who lead the church will be
held accountable for any other leadership positions they create to oversee the church.

That is not to say that it is unbiblical to have a minister of music or youth pastor, but that these man-made
positions are to be under the leadership and scrutiny of the elder leadership of the church.

Dealing Honorably with All

We have considered some of the people with whom it is necessary for the pastor to have meaningful and solid
relationships. There are still more people who may not be quite as important to the pastor’s success as those we
have named, but who can enhance his ministry or detract from its effectiveness, depending on the way the
pastor handles his relationships with them. While the below list is not exhaustive, the following are the most
significant:

Other Sheep

There is no positive gain to the Kingdom when Christians move from one evangelical church to another. Pastors
must observe scrupulous ethics in avoiding “stealing” sheep from other congregations. When dealing with
people who are dissatisfied with their church, it is important that the potential receiving pastor make no effort
to persuade them to make a change. Under no circumstances should a pastor deliberately try to steal another’s
sheep. Such a practice is unethical.

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