9 The executive director of Marcas, Matt Schmucker, answers more practical questions about the life of the elderly, in particular disputes and differences with other elders, and warnings about the search for elders.
About disputes with other elders
9M: What do you do when you’re having trouble get along with another old man?
MS: First, you have to distinguish whether these struggles are doctrinal or personal, assuming that the problem is related to the staff, I would seek God in prayer to keep Satan away from that relationship, as Satan likes to share, usually does. between two leaders AND will use everything you can, even simple personality problems.
The next step is to find the brother to build the relationship. In general, irritation comes from ignorance. Strive to get to know your brother and remember that you usually don’t know all the data.
Finally, be humble. Even if in the end you do not understand why a person is as he is, God has tolerated you much more, and you can also trust that God has given this man to the body, with his particular combination of strengths and weaknesses, to build the body in a way that you cannot. Study the passages on the body in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, or elsewhere, and know that God desires good through these differences, even if, in our fallen state, these differences may imply a lack of camaraderie.
9M: Have you ever had trouble getting along with someone?
MS: Yes.
9M: Is there anything else to say about it?
MS: Over the years, I’ve had to practice the same things mentioned above. Much more can be lost than my personal tastes and dislikes and unmet territorial wars. The health of the church can be lost, which means that the glory of God himself can be lost (from the point of view of human responsibility).
In general, personal conflicts with another old man may arise because an old man rejects his ideas in meetings. That is why it was important for me to separate my ideas from my identity (which is justified in Christ!). That’s why rejecting my ideas is not a problem. Rejection of my person. In this sense, developing personal relationships outside the meetings of the consistory facilitates the task of the priest.
9M: With thirteen elders in your church, how do you find the time to deal with these particular relationships?
MS: It is difficult to do so in a growing church and in a bustling city, although at the beginning of each meeting we take care of ourselves before taking care of the church, we do so by sharing our concerns, confessing, praising and praying. Basically, we let someone else know what’s going on in our lives. It may take the elders an hour to do so. In addition, we try to meet individually for lunch and dinner from time to time.
On differences with other elders
9M: Let’s move on to differences in principles. How do you know, as an old man, when to get away from the pressure you put on your beliefs and when to keep them?
MS: The clearer it is in the scriptures, the stronger your support. On the one hand, I will not yield to the divinity of Christ, even if the other twelve elders do. On the other hand, I personally have strong beliefs about birth. control that are not obvious and clear in the scriptures; and these convictions are not shared by all my former colleagues. So, on this subject, I’m leaning more lightly. A situation involving the issue of birth control really arose some time ago. And yet I had to submit, fortunately, to the other elders who might have sympathized with my position but voted against it.
I recently returned to seniors after a gap year and was asked what I had learned during recess. I realized that the church continued to thrive without my active participation and views as an elder. This made me realize that I had to support my opinions more lightly.
Unity and maturity
9M: Given the importance of unity and maturity among the elderly, what are certain traits or characteristics of old potentials that should generate warnings?
MS: I think there are several that are obvious: volatility, instability, bad reputation in the community, disobedient children, etc.
Let me tell you some not-so-obvious reasons to warn. Another less obvious would be that of the opposite mind. You know that kind of guy, if you say so?will say “dark gray. ” No matter what you say, that’s what you get. The spirit that perpetually looks “in the other direction,” or waits for the next step, is not useful in the construction of the church. In Acts 6, for example, Paul orders the church to choose deaconos not only because of his abilities, but because these men will bring unity among Greek-speaking and Hebrew-speaking widows. to resolve, rather than simply offer, a contrary opinion?
Another warning that is often underestimated is the question of a man’s spiritual fruit in the lives of those around him; to put it positively, this is what struck us in 1998, for example, about a church member named Andy Johnson. had discreetly disciplined other single men on a constant basis, which had led to real spiritual progress in their lives. To put it negatively, the lack of spiritual fruit is therefore a warning, even if the world recognizes that man succeeds.
Finally, an insecure woman is a warning. Good service to the elderly is a very demanding task and it takes time to pray. It takes time to prepare to teach; it takes time to become a disciple. Hospitality takes time, all this has an impact on the home and imposes certain requirements on women, what does she think of being hospitable?How does it feel to lose your husband every Tuesday night after a meeting with an old man?Do you welcome the unexpected visitor who needs help?
9M: What positive qualities would you like to highlight when looking for older people?
MS: We often seek the success of the world to evaluate a man. Should we teach our churches to seek men of the Word?Evaluate men based on their knowledge, submission, and ability to proclaim the Word of God. I like what Mark Dever says: the ability to teach an old man means that when wolves approach the flock, sheep know they can trust that shepherd to hunt the wolf and, in turn, protect him. This is the great call of the elders.
Translation: Matheus Fernandes. Crítica: Yago Martins. © 2016 Faithful Ministério. All rights reserved. Website: MinistryFiel. com. br. Original: Disagreements and differences between the old
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