Leadership in the church

What does it mean?

First, here are the meanings of some of the words found in church hierarchies.

The gifts and where they come from ...

God has given gifts to the Church/Assembly to strengthen it and edify it. Every believer has been given grace. “But to each one of us has been given grace according to the measure of the gift of the Christ” (Ephesians 4:7). Grace is where God has given us favour that we do not deserve. In His grace He has given the Church a number of gifts to enable us all to grow in faith and the knowledge of God. Having left the Church and ascended up to the right hand of God the Lord Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in the Church/Assembly and also given many gifts which will maintain the Church/Assembly in preparation for the Lord’s coming again. “Wherefore he says, Having ascended up on high, he has led captivity captive, and has given gifts to men” (Ephesians 4:8).

“He that descended is the same who has also ascended up above all the heavens, that he might fill all things; and he has given some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some shepherds and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints; with a view to the work of the ministry, with a view to the edifying of the body of Christ; until we all arrive at the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, at the full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ” (Ephesians 4:10-13).

“And God has set certain in the assembly: first, apostles; secondly, prophets; thirdly, teachers; then miraculous powers; then gifts of healings; helps; governments; kinds of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:28).

The key thing to note here is that apostle, prophets, evangelists, shepherds (or Bishops) and teachers (or ministers) are given by God. The titles of these gifts have been used by many in Christendom to given names to particular offices in a church. In some churches these people are chosen by a leader, moderator or even a Head of State. They may also be elected into office bearing the name of one of these gifts. However, it can rarely be said that God has given these persons the office they occupy. Rather a man, woman or council has given them their office. This is an important distinction to make – the gifts, as described in the Bible, are given to persons directly by God, whereas in Christendom they are generally conferred by mankind.

Another point to note is that it appears from this scripture (and others that we’ll see later) that in Ephesus there were more than one of each gift, in fact, there may have been many persons who had been given one of these gifts.

“For, as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office; thus we, being many, are one body in Christ, and each one members one of the other. But having different gifts, according to the grace which has been given to us, whether it be prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or service, let us occupy ourselves in service; or he that teaches, in teaching; or he that exhorts, in exhortation; he that gives, in simplicity; he that leads, with diligence; he that shews mercy, with cheerfulness” (Romans 12:4-8).

In Romans 12, Paul again connects the offices with the giving of God in His grace. The Church is to contain a variety of persons and gifts that, when used appropriately and under His influence, will build up and edify every Christian. It is clear that there are not simply one of each in a church but rather there are many gifts within the same local church which the Holy Spirit will use for the blessing of all the Christians that gather there. He tells the Roman church that whatever God has given us to do we should do it diligently and cheerfully, not seeking to take on things that have been given to others to do and learning from them just as much as others might learn from them.

Another thing that is obvious here is that there is no mention of anyone having any form of official qualification to have received one of these gifts. There is no mention of any degree, bible college certificate, apprenticeship, etc, that needs to be gained before someone can be given any of these things. This is consistent with the whole of the scriptures. Moses, Elijah, Elisha and many others were called into service. It was only after they had begun to serve God that He gave them the training that they needed to complete the work that He had given them to do. They were appointed (or called) into service and then they were fitted for service. This is not the way mankind does things but it is the way God has always done things. The idea that someone must have a qualification before they can start on the service to which God has called them is entirely an idea of Man not God.

“Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock, wherein the Holy Spirit has set you as overseers, to shepherd the assembly of God, which he has purchased with the blood of his own” (Acts 20:28). Here again the place of an overseer (or elder) is given by the Holy Spirit and not by anyone else. More on this later.

Leaders in 'the Church'

The first thing is to recognise who is Head over the Church and who is the person who has formed and influences the Church. The Lord Jesus is in heaven. He is Head of the Church/Assembly (see Ephesians 1:22,5:23 and Colossians 1:18). He has become our supreme leader having set out the way for us to follow. He has been made a leader by God (“Him has God exalted by his right hand as leader and saviour” (Acts 5:31)) and He has become our great example and master have completed a life of absolute faith. “Looking steadfastly on Jesus the leader and completer of faith: who, in view of the joy lying before him, endured the cross, having despised the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). He was made perfectly qualified (or perfected) for this role as our saviour. “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make perfect the leader of their salvation through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:10). He is seated in glory but He did not leave His people without a Comforter who would continue to focus their attentions on Him and lead them from glory to glory (see studies on “The Holy Spirit” for more).

The Lord said, “But when he is come, the Spirit of truth, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but whatsoever he shall hear he shall speak; and he will announce to you what is coming” (John 16:13). It is the Holy Spirit that leads us into truth. It is not a man in a particular office but the Holy Spirit who teaches and leads the Church. It is the Holy Spirit who administers these spiritual gifts and organises their use.

The Holy Spirit indwells every believer (see the papers on ‘The Holy Spirit’). As a result every Christian is a priest (1 Peter 2:9) and so all are capable of service towards God. We are all temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19) and so the Holy Spirit dwells in us and induces us to worship.

Every believer is expected to be growing in their knowledge of God and to be seeking to understand the scriptures. When we don’t understand the scriptures then we are told where to go to get help. In James 1:5 we are told “But if any one of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all freely and reproaches not, and it shall be given to him” and so we are all to go directly to God for our help. Any help we receive via another person who has been able to teach us has come directly from God. It is God, through His Holy Spirit with in us, who teaches us though it may be through a number of different means. “But God has revealed to us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). Men have no place in this except to act under the power of the Holy Spirit to make known God’s will. This is why we must make ourselves available for the Holy Spirit of God to act and then we will hear what “the Spirit says to the Assemblies” (see Revelation 2 and 3).

So the Lord is the only Head of the Church and the Holy Spirit is the person who leads it, causes it to worship and cry “Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:17) and it is He who appoints anyone to take up responsibility in it as can be seen in Acts 20:28: “Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock, wherein the Holy Spirit has set you as overseers, to shepherd the assembly of God, which he has purchased with the blood of his own.”

The second thing to realise is that the church/assembly doesn’t belong to anyone but the Lord Jesus. He refers to it as “my sheep” and “my assembly”. “And on this rock I will build my assembly, and hades' gates shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18) and “He says to him, Shepherd my sheep … Jesus says to him, Feed my sheep” (John 21:16-17). Peter was told to shepherd the Lord’s sheep. They did not become his, nor did he have any rights over the Church, but rather he was to serve his Lord by looking after them.

Shepherding in Bible times involved a shepherd walking in front of the flock of sheep and the sheep following the shepherd. He did not have to drive them or cajole them with dogs as many do today, but rather they knew the shepherd’s voice and followed him. This is the character of leaders in God’s sight. David and Moses were great leaders chosen by God and they both began life as shepherds. They learned to lead by example and although they weren’t perfect (for no-one but Christ could be) but they were remembered for their care of God’s people and the example they gave. Peter confirmed this when he says “shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising oversight, not by necessity, but willingly; not for base gain, but readily; not as lording it over your possessions, but being models for the flock” (1 Peter 5:2-3). A leader is not to be someone who tells others what to do but rather they are to be a model for others to follow. Thus they will serve others, not as a great personage but as a servant. The Lord Jesus says “But let the greater among you be as the younger, and the leader as he that serves” (Luke 22:26). He Himself was the greatest person on earth and yet He was the greatest servant, the good shepherd (see John 10). He left his example for us in John 13 “Ye call me the Teacher and the Lord, and ye say well, for I am so. If I therefore, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet; for I have given you an example that, as I have done to you, ye should do also” (John 13:13-15).

The third thing to realise is that we are to recognise (or know) the real leaders in the church/assembly. The leadership in the Church/Assembly is to have a completely different character to the idea we have of leaders in the world. In the church we are to follow those who are like Christ and try to imitate their Christ-like features. A Christian leader will not be giving orders nor pontificating on what they think others ought to do. Rather, they will follow Christ as models for the flock to follow, seeking no important place and with their eyes on the Lord. They may shepherd or teach, evangelise or serve; they may be humble and unrecognised by the world or even many believers, nevertheless we are told to “know those who labour among you, and take the lead among you in the Lord, and admonish you” (1 Thessalonians 5:12). In other words, we are to recognise those who are leading by example and who have a genuine care for how the Lord’s people are progressing spiritually. Then we are to follow their example. “Remember your leaders who have spoken to you the word of God; and considering the issue of their conversation, imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7).

It is this character of leader that we are then told to obey. This is not because they are invested in authority and giving orders as being a lord over the Church, but rather because they have genuine concern that others should be living godly lives. It is this type of person who will see clearly and pray for those who are falling away from the faith, while rejoicing in soul which is become more stable in faith. “Obey your leaders, and be submissive; for they watch over your souls as those that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not groaning, for this would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17). Thus it may be that in many churches, the leaders may actually be the members of the congregation that are often overlooked because they are not in the pulpit. We have to see the leaders according to God and not according to man.

“And he said to them, The kings of the nations rule over them, and they that exercise authority over them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be thus; but let the greater among you be as the younger, and the leader as he that serves. For which is greater, he that is at table or he that serves? Is not he that is at table? But I am in the midst of you as the one that serves” (Luke 22:25-27).