Mutual Ministers
Every member of the Body of Christ is a minister. Does that sound strange to you? For so many years, the word "minister" has referred to paid staff within a local church. But this isn't an accurate portrayal of the Scriptures.
As Ephesians 4:11-16 makes clear, every born-again believer is a minister and servant. The pastor's role is to equip (make ready, prepare, train) the believers in the church for the work of service. Each person has a level of spiritual giftedness from the moment of conversion (see my study on "Spiritual Gifts" in the Document Library).
Within the local church, there are those who aspire to positions of leadership. However, we cannot look at abilities or giftedness in a vacuum. Neither can we look to worldly success to determine who should lead the church. The New Testament places a premium on character. A careful study of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 show a predominant focus on character rather than abilities (although some abilities are mentioned and needed).
When CBC looks at a potential leader, whether as elder or deacon, we look to see how well the man leads his family. Is he a faithful shepherd and leader in the home? If yes, then we proceed to look at his character and abilities. But if he is not a faithful shepherd in the home, he has disqualified himself from applying for church leadership (1 Timothy 3:5, 12).
Our present elders and deacons are men who exhibit good leadership in the home. They are also men who have exemplary character and abilities. While these men are not perfect, they are progressing in their Christian walks.
For further study on the topics of elders, please see Kevin's sermon series on the topic (See the study "Biblical Eldership" under the Resources tab on the top of the menu). There are also two excellent books on the subject of eldership: Alexander Strauch's book, Biblical Eldership and Gene Getz's book, Elders and Leaders. To study the area of deacon, see Alexander Strauch's book, The New Testament Deacon.
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