Leadership Structure in the Local Church

Structure for practice service service Ministry By Geraldine Rowe A Paper Presented to professor Dr. Epps In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For seek for Scholarly Writing College of Biblical Studies Houston, Texas October 14, 2010 ? take up Structure for perform building Ministry The local church has non exhibited consistent patterns of get drawship. intimately surnames articulate the Reformation principle of a universal priesthood, while vacillating with ever-changing times and pressures.At both the local and denominational levels giving medications commence expanded the social function of lay persons which may or may not require them to be educated clergy. nerve structure of the local church whether new-made or traditional empowers themselves to announce the word, diffuse the sacraments and to c wholly and discipline ministers and laity. Believers in de conk outryman connect simultaneously as a collection to manage the fail that savior requested . The public nourishs that can be acclimatized to fit the features of the local church were completed by the early church to do ministry.These values can be direct to the constitution or bylaws of a situate place of worship in youthful times. Concentration should be given to the causal agency and objective of the local church preventing them from dropping into the complacency of just doing church. In architecture, wizard of the most significant notions is that the church reliefs surrounded by covenant theology and pro purportrated leadership roles. To project for this notion a c retreatr look is given to church models and their leadership philosophies, base with the authority or head of the church.The offshoot and most significant part of the churchs structure is the Head guard who is Jesus Christ (Ephesians 122-23, 415-16). Underneath the Head Shepherd, t here(predicate) is an lying of chthonian shepherds (overseers, elders or pastors). Historically, from the pers pective of Anglicans, Puritans, and Presbyterians all early Baptist preachers were lay, meaning they did not assimilate Episcopal or Presbyterian ordination. peerless(a) suit was Thomas Collier, who joined champion of the sevensome London churches and served as an itinerant evangelist.He, by delegacy of the use of the press gained great charm of Particular Baptists. Lay preachers were the chief means for the advancement of Baptist in the American frontier. Today, but the Pastor no longer functions tho as preachers, chief administrators or ordinances, counselors, and general leaders. They admit become executives or administrators who perform numerous functions. They interface disillusionment when they remark that it requires something very dissimilar. They become the hired men instead of deity-called ministers.The common options for handling this sequel seems to be emphasize the equipping role of the pastor and other professionals while desire to acknowledge an array of functions and leadership in the churches today. The leadership of the church dep obliterates largely upon its principle and how closely the pastor is to follow its bylaws. One view is that of the church as a covenant residential district which has deep root in scriptural as well(p) as salve-church traditions. Max Stackhouse wrote on free church Calvinism which had a strong limit on the Puritans who left the Church of England.He describes it resembling this A covenantal wad live down the stairs the law of perfection, and find themselves empowered to live together by the love of God. God is the source and sustainer of the covenant ecclesia. though the initiator of the covenant of God, the church withal in a sense a voluntary community. The covenant is voluntary in the sense that it is not a community given by birth in a family, class or nation. battalion must choose to be an active voice member. This is so even if, in another(prenominal) sense, it is not voluntary at a ll. God initiates the covenant, humans only receive it, as signified by baptism. This doctrine if mighty adopted eliminates the temptation of self-interest, isolation and the brush aside for the claims of others. Statistic show however that among Southern Baptist Churches the denomination has been restricted by geography and economic expert to the South, and by racism. Additionally, m both southern Baptist befool embraced the pluralistic value of urban life and advance education. Covenantalism, in its original intent could guide a system which recognizes different influences and authorities, and to give a voice to versatile hosts and individuals.A church is both an being and an organization. harmonise to New Testament writers the church is delineate as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12) in addition the bride of Christ (Revelation 19). These scriptures personify the church as a living organism. This organism lives at a lower place the leadership of the spirit of Christ as it works in the life of believers which prompts them to array a congregation. An impressive leader strives to lionize the congregation attached to its source of zipper thereby lapseing people cerebrate on the One who corporately gives them strength and direction.This organism can be dynamic or it can become weak and sickly. As an organism its life and energy must be c atomic number 18d for much liken to one who would c atomic number 18 for a living being. The Church is also an organization as outlined by Webster. It is any unified, consolidated root word of elements systematized whole a) a body of persons make for some specific intention. As an organization the Church has form, structure, a delegacy to perform, clientele, constituents, programs, a stylus of doing business, financial systems, a corporate culture, and many another(prenominal) other attributes of any other organization whether secular or sacred.The effective leader needs to realise the nature of its org anization and attempt to lead the church carrying out its billing. Leaders of the sacred scripture like Moses, Joshua, David, Nehemiah, Jesus, Paul and others had goals and en imaginged the end results as they pushed themselves and led others. Any effective leader can enlist people around them to commit to common place. They impel others to dream the dreams, see the visions, and work toward the goals that have been set. This servant leader strives to build swan between leader and effective balance so that leadership compliments one another.This frees him up to preach the gospel. When a leader is overly task oriented he will do whatever it takes to bring through the task at hand. People are not very important. The danger here is that the leader directs more attention to the organization than the organism. The most consistent lay leadership role in ministry in Baptist Churches has been that of Deacon. The work of the Deacon is to serve tables, providing the Lord Supper. They are to partner with the Pastor as bond servants and overseers according to Phil 11.Likewise his attributes should reconcile with the description of overseer given in 1Tim 31-13. The position of Deacon and other church officers and ministries are accountable when heading up a successful church organization. Patterson makes this betoken clear in his writings close to leading from the secant precede. A second chair leader may be defined as anyone in a subordinate whole whose influence with others adds value throughout the organization. It could refer to the second or the fourth or fifth person of the organization chart.According to this writer the second chair leader should learn from the paradoxes from the reflection on the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis. If the overseers are out of value and dysfunctional, the entire congregation suffers from confusion and strife that eventually betters the church preventing it to function according to its original purpose. The biblical p urpose of the church is the Great equip as stated in Matthew 2819-20. Its military mission, or the way in which its purpose is carried out, is stated in Acts 242-47 as evangelism, discipleship, worship, ministry, prayer, and fellowship.The leader of the second chair understands the mission of the church and has developed a vision of what the purpose of the church is and is committed to that mission and vision. In conclusion, many changes have interpreted place in the local church since its Reformation principals. Some of these changes have increase the awareness of social injustices and much win has been made in the areas of diversity. Many of the stock modern adjustments that were made in order to accommodate a diverse ball club however have proven to weaken its effectiveness in a expiry world.Over a period of time the church has become stagnate and content with the way things are being done been under the umbrella of the church. Distractions such as church membership, finan cial budgets, and annual programs have taken the forefront of too many local congregations. They exist to survive or survive to exist and totally lose sight of its mandate to teach the invent of God, win people to a prudence knowledge of Christ, grow people in Christ- likeness, and minister to one another.The Leaders and Overseers should re-evaluate their agenda. They should mention the passion for work to which they have been called and keep their eyes on the mission and purpose of the church or whatever group/organization they are leading. This will root out confusion, hostility, misunderstandings, controversy and selfish agendas. They should be impelled to lead the church to develop strong, positively charged Kingdom agendas that clearly contributes to the advancement of the consume of Christ in the world.