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All Scripture References are from the Authorized Version 1611 (KJV).

Home Blog Is the Leadership of the Church a One-Man Show?

Is the Leadership of the Church a One-Man Show?

Where in the Bible are we shown a church run solely by a single “pastor”?

1 Peter 5:1-3 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

Elder in the Bible always means more advanced in age. Regardless of the number, the elders of an assembly are responsible for overseeing the Church as a whole. It is a duty, a responsibility, placed upon them by God.

Acts 20:17-28 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. … 28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

This would make any elder who fulfilled his responsibility a Pastor. The more Pastors, the better.

Bishops and Deacons are chosen from among the elders. The Bishop would be the chief deacon; he would be the representative, CEO, of the Church in any dealings with those outside the Church. It would be the Bishop’s responsibility with the aid of the Deacons to serve the Churches needs, to know everyone, to know who needs help, elderly, widows, the fatherless, etc. These are not paid positions, not callings, but desires to serve.

1 Timothy 3:1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

There is no requirement for the Bishop to be the preacher, just a man who is apt to teach, that is, if you hang around him, you are apt to learn something.

Acts 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

They would have ordained elders to be Bishops. Take note that in the book of Acts, it is never the Bishops that are called, but the elders. It is the apostles and elders, Paul would call the elders of a Church to meet with him. A Bishop would have been just one of the elders.

Acts 15:6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

Acts 20:17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

The idea that one man is the Bishop, Pastor, Preacher, and Elder, is erroneous. The idea that an elder is an office of the Church is erroneous. One reason for the corrupt one-man organization is the pride and desire for preeminence of the man and the indolence of the assembly, happy to let one man do all rather than do anything themselves.

“…the acquisition of such absolute command over the consciences and understanding of a congregation, however obscure or despised by the world, is more truly grateful to the pride of the human heart, than the possession of the most despotic power, imposed by arms and conquest on a reluctant people”.

Edward Gibbon, Esq; “History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire”, Chapter XV: Progress Of The Christian Religion

3 John 1:9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

Philippians 2:21 For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.

Any adult man who has studied and has a grasp of God’s word can preach and teach. The more elder, the more time in life and the word, the better the grasp of the word. Teaching the word is not for a young man who has not experienced life, regardless of his education. The experience of having to raise, support, and prayed over, a family is needed to fully fill a position of teaching. We see that it is absolutely necessary to be a Bishop or Deacon.

1 Timothy 3:4-6 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

1 Timothy 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

Obviously, not speaking of newlyweds.

A congregation could financially support a full-time preacher, teacher, evangelist if it desired to, and what would be especially nice, a principal/teacher of their Church school.

It would take more time and space to cover the topic than we have here now. I hope this provides some food for thought.

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