In one of my first shepherds, two deaconos did something unusual: they actually shepherded the congregation. In addition to these two men, the church had a typical governance structure of a mid-20th century Baptist church: eight deaconos served as a board of directors. , and the congregation as a whole voted on virtually all decisions related to the church in monthly administrative meetings. Deacoons generally focused on property, finance and occasional struggles.
Old man with another name?
- However.
- Both in nature and in practice.
- These two men did the work of elders.
- They simply did not have the title.
- They were shepherds and watched over the church (Heb 13:17; Hch 20.
- 28; 1 P 1.
- 2).
- Taught sound doctrine (Titus 1.
- 9).
- Exercised spiritual supervision (1 P 5.
- 2).
- And served as an example of a faithful Christian life (1 P 5.
- 3).
I seriously doubt that any of these men consider themselves an old man, but that was precisely what the church should have recognized. Instead, the church confused biblical functions, which are important to the health of the church, and hoped that deaconos would act as elders without the necessary qualifications, gifts, or authority.
Could the problem have been solved simply by changing the title of all deaconos to the elderly?While two men were actually doing the job, were the others clearly playing the role of deaconos?Servants of the church?, although they were sometimes assigned responsibilities of elders.
How can this “diaconal model” church? or any church in a similar situation?begin to recognize men qualified as elderly? First, you, the pastor, would need to face the obstacles that stand in the way to adopt the biblical model.
Obstacles on the road to transition for the elderly
1. La congregation probably does not include biblical teaching about the elderly. As he begins to recognize men as elders, he asks the congregation to understand and adopt a biblical practice. Does this require patient scripture exposure?groups and individuals in the task of interpreting and applying the Word of God. Many objections to changes in the governance structure lose strength when Christians think biblically.
2. De many congregations have a long history of bloated and clumsy congregationalism. Instead of a healthy and robust congregationalism, this church I mentioned earlier practiced micromanagement of the congregation. Nothing was done without painful administrative meetings, which often ended with hurt feelings and wounded Egos. Changing this, again, requires patient teaching and dialogue about the ideas of congregationalism in the New Testament and in history. It may be necessary to teach the church its own doctrinal denomination (if it is a good confession), to explain what it says about the roles of elders and deaconos, and at the same time to present how Congregationalism came to this particular scenario. Such a study provides a platform for presenting the image of a biblical and effective ecclesiastical governance structure.
When switching from a deacon model to an old model, deacons who are not chosen to become elderly can become jealous. These jealousy can become a severe division, perhaps losing the church’s opportunity to change its leadership structure. That? Observe in depth the direction of the elders and deaconos. Focus on the biblical skills of today’s deaconos (1 Timothy 3: 3-13), raising the bar. This reduces the number of diaconate candidates. Also work to clarify the biblical distinction between the responsibilities of the two positions. A man who simply wants a degree has no right to acquire it. Present the expectations of deaconos and elders so that the church can anticipate its biblical practice. Some may continue, to keep jealous, but the church is likely to realize this.
Perhaps none of today’s deaconos are qualified to serve as elders; simply switching from one title to another with more intense tasks will not help; instead, men should be cultivated with the prospect that they will serve as elders. Men who seem “irreproachable”? (Tt 1. 6). Help them develop greater coherence in their walk with Christ.
Feed them the Word of God and sound doctrine. Do they show love for the Word? Can you articulate a solid doctrine? After a period of constant discussion about the scriptures, provide opportunities to teach. Criticize, encourage and evaluate them. Are you willing to learn and ready to help the body understand God’s Word?
Do you enjoy caring for the flock?Recognize that some belong correctly to the deacon function. However, some may show the qualities required by the elderly. Keep investing in these men. Give them the responsibility to lead the church so that the congregation can begin to see the value of having unpaid elders.
Leading the transition
The real transition is beyond all these obstacles. How can a pastor lead the transition from deac to elders as spiritual leaders of the church?
Speed forest
As the car sticker says, Speed Kills. The same can be said of an attitude eager to turn qualified deaconos into elderly people. Trying to do this without proper preparation will likely bring chaos, if not the sudden loss of a shepherd!
How long does the transition take? It varies, but I tend to think that it takes a minimum of eighteen months to three years to change the leadership structure of a church. Why so long? Because most churches lack biblical clarity, they have lived with their government structures without examining them in the light of the scriptures, and you, the pastor, ask them to abandon their old positions.
So, if you want that to change, you have to patiently teach the structure of biblical government, going through different examples: pulpit, Bible studies, small groups, encounters with men, private conversations, etc. , to do so is to better serve the Church. to propose a resounding change in the structure of government. More important than changing government, however, is teaching the church to think biblically. The better a pastor teaches his congregation to interpret the scriptures correctly, the more able he is to understand the leadership of the church in a biblical way and want to change, which will lead to a much smoother transition.
Be intentional
Be intentional. Give the congregation a space to develop a biblical understanding of the structure of government. Maybe you, the pastor, have been involved in government affairs for several years. The church will probably need the same time, if not longer. new concepts pushed down the throat.
Conclusion
So set goals, but be patient. Teach, preach, and pray until the church appreciates the gospel. As the congregation begins to understand the nature and mission of the church, connect the structural points to it. In time, expect him to begin to respond to the Word. Then develop a plan for appointing qualified men to serve as elders. Following the method prescribed in the constitutional documents of the church, review the structure of government to reflect the leadership of the elders of the congregation. And, during the transition, seek to move forward with humility and patience for the glory of Christ and the good of his church.