Evangelical churches are generally known by their desire to evangelize the unevangelized world; that is, to send missionaries into all the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, in obedience to Christ’s command (Matt. 28:18-20). Then, when people who hear the gospel accept Christ, the missionary will endeavor to lead the convert into baptism, church membership, and then into a systematic discipleship program, grounding new believers in the doctrines taught in the Bible. All of this is done in the context of a local church ministry, as the church is the pillar and ground of the truth. (I Tim.3:15)
The goal of world mission endeavors originating in and mothered by a local church is the birthing of churches of like precious faith, churches that will in time—through teaching—become indigenous local assemblies; that is, bodies that are self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating. “To the uttermost part of the world” is the scope of this aggressive outreach that every local New Testament church has as its eventual goal. (Acts 1:8)
The part of “indigenous” that sometimes becomes a thorny issue—that of self-governing—has caused some unique challenges in the everyday, week after week, life of the local church.
Self-governing means that each local assembly, directed by the Holy Spirit through prayer and a consensus of the body, calls its own pastor, sends missionaries by action of the local church, and determines for itself what, when, and how the church, under the Headship and leadership of the Lord Jesus Christ, will conduct its worship and outreach without any directives from a “denominational” headquarters. Each local New Testament church, beginning with the first church in Jerusalem serving as a model (see Acts 15), governs its own affairs by Christ Jesus through the Spirit, led by an overseer—a bishop/pastor.
The earliest missions outreach, as set forth in Acts 13 and 14, was the result of the Holy Spirit directing the Antioch church to send forth two men whom the Spirit had set apart for service. These first missionaries were thrust out into missions ministries to start churches wherever people would accept Christ and gather together around Bible doctrine as taught by Paul and Barnabas in the earliest days of the Church. It should not be missed that, in many of these towns, Paul and his missionary companion not only led people to Christ but instituted Bible-doctrine classes, enrolling truth-thirsty new converts into a crash-course of New Testament teachings. Remarkably, in many of these cities, “elders—pastors” were “ordained” to lead the local flocks. That, at its core, was and is New Testament missions.
“Elders” were set apart, trained and left to be under shepherds of these baby churches. Later, in the epistles, Paul specified those who were delegated assignments in the church, and who were gifted by the Holy Spirit to execute their work responsibilities. (I Tim. 3) Peter, in his first epistle, addresses the elders as ones who were to “feed the flock” and to take the “oversight” thereof. These elders, pastors, bishops were called and equipped to do the work of the ministry, the bulk of which was to labor in the Word, teaching and preaching the whole counsel of God.
Early in the book of Acts, deacons were appointed, set apart in the local church, to “serve tables.” Qualifications for deacons were spiritual (I Tim. 3:8-14); there is no indication that they were to do anything but serve though. The work of a deacon was (is) to minister to the physical, temporal needs of those in the church who may, due to circumstances, find themselves in need of special assistance. Widows would be an example of those who, in some congregations, would need extra assistance in daily needs for food, shelter, watch care. There is not, in the New Testament, anything that would lend itself to the current, common mode of thinking that the duties of pastors and deacons are sometimes, somehow blended; and that deacons, if there is no pastor, can function as pastors. In extreme (yet not uncommon) instances, deacons sometimes feel that their “gift” to the church is that of assuming the duties of a pastor, that is, taking on pastoral responsibilities. This is unscriptural in any setting, in any church, whether the church has or does not have a pastor.
Pastors lead by the Spirit and at the direction of the Head, Jesus Christ; deacons serve as in “serving tables.” (Acts 6:1-5) The pastors give themselves over “continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word.” Too often, these Biblical roles are mingled. Pastors sometimes feel they need to “micromanage” every detail of the Body life; and, too often, deacons get the idea that their calling is tantamount to being an “assistant pastor.” This is not to say, though, that godly deacons cannot be an invaluable help to their pastor—by lifting his load of temporal cares, and by wise, thoughtful, and scriptural counsel.
The confusing and unscriptural mixing of ministries will cause dissension, division, and, if not corrected, the eventual death of what might have once been a great church. Any pastor who is blessed by the counsel, fellowship, prayers, and loyalty of a servant-deacon is a pastor whose ministry will flourish, as will the church that God has called him to lead.
No member, nor any visitor to any local church, should ever leave a service wondering, “Who’s in charge here?” Pastors, elders, and bishops are called and gifted to teach, preach, and lead the flock of God. Deacons are servers who do not have any “power,” either stated or implied. Happy and healthy is the local church that understands these distinctions in principle and in practice. Selah.
“And He gave some…pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” (Eph. 4:11,12)
YOU and GOD 