The document discusses the roles of elders, deacons, and ministers in Presbyterian churches. It provides historical context and compares Presbyterian polity to other denominations. Key points include: - Elders lead the church through preaching, teaching, prayer, and exemplary living. - Deacons serve the practical needs of the church and community. In some churches they also handle finances. - The role of minister focuses on prayer, study of Scripture, and proclaiming God's word, to avoid burnout.

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2. Since Presbyterians don’t have Bishops, I can cross that out and end up with a
shorter sermon.
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3. Back in 1972, I was the Minister of Music in First Presbyterian Church, New
Westminster. We had this Musical by Jimmie and Carol Owens, a tongue in cheek
satire on stuffy churches that were uncomfortable with the hippie’s culture.
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4. They wrote this humorous song about how young people view Church Boards.
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10. Amusing yes, but in my experience this caricature is all too common an image of
church Boards.
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11. Presbyterian polity
Is a rejection of governance by hierarchies of single bishops (episcopal polity i.e.
Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican),
differs from the Congregationalist polity in which each congregation is
independent. (Typical of Mennonite and Baptist)
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12. from the bottom up (Congregation elects elders & deacons)
Congregation appoints representative elders to Presbytery (i.e. Conference of
Pastors and elders)
flows both from the top down (Synods & Presbyteries instead of a lone Bishop
Give direction to congregations)
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14. When all these positions were in different institutions, they didn’t have to worry
about getting on each other’s nerves.
On the other hand there was the “silo” effect: they didn’t communicate very much
either.
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15. All on the CITY PAYROLL? Maybe that worked in Geneva, or Glasgow, where everyone
belonged to the church, but in North America, it simply doesn’t fit.
Nevertheless, I had the opportunity to witness the function of Doctors of the Church in the
60’s when I was the music director of a Canadian Presbyterian Church that had been
infiltrated by the charismatic movement. Neither the church session nor the Westminster
Presbytery could agree what was to be done, so they called in “The Doctors of the Church.”
Four learned theologians flew out from Knox Seminary in Toronto and interviewed as many
of the congregation as they could in four days. The following Sunday, the Lead Doctor read
out their report that they would be submitting to the National assembly. They rejected the
cessationist view of John Calvin who taught that the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including the
gifts of tongues had ceased after New Testament times. They gave their blessing to the
exercise of spiritual gifts, including speaking in tongues because it was biblical & they had
met people who they believed were genuinely exercising spiritual gifts.
I will never forget that Sunday, because the elderly Doctor who had been a Army chaplain
in both World Wars had a whole row of medals across the breast of his Geneva Gown. He
said that their recommendations made him sadder than any funeral he had officiated over
during the war. He said that sometimes when a body is sick, it can be cured by medicine.
But sometimes, the body is so ill that surgery is the only cure. Therefore, the Doctors of the
Church were recommending that due to the schismatic spirit of many members and in the
interest of church peace, the Pastor had to be dismissed from this church. I admit that I
was impressed with their wisdom and tact. They were able to assist with a severe problem
when the local church didn’t have the resources to solve it.
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16. Since the 60’s there has been a rising tide of anti-clericalism, resulting in a popular
opinion among North American Christians that there is only ONE class of Presbyter
or elder and therefore only TWO offices: that of Elder and Deacon. At the same
time more and more demands are being put on the teaching elders to master new
technology, keep abreast of an avalanche of new theological speculations as we
move into a post modern world. Furthermore, they are being expected to be vision-
casting Chief Executive officers of Churches. This has resulted in an unprecedented
increase in clergy burnout and moral failure.
Dr. Robert S. Rayburn a noted scholar of the Presbyterian Church in America and
pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church, Tacoma, WA believes that there is a special
calling of God to be a minister of God’s Word, and this is call is diminished when a
Pastor is merely considered a ruling elder with the additional responsibility of
teaching. He has called for a renewed examination of the role of elders. He believes
that Pastors should concentrate on exclusive devotion to prayer and study of the
Word of God and its public and private proclamation.
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17. What does the Dictionary Say?
[prez-bi-ter]
1. (in the early Christian church) an office bearer who exercised teaching, priestly,
and administrative functions.
2. (in hierarchical churches: i.e. Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican) -- a priest.
3. in a Presbyterian church -- an ELDER. (And in most Evangelical churches)
Dictionary.com
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18. What does the Bible Say?
In practice elders lead the overall direction of the church
17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor,
especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.
--1 Timothy 5:17.
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19. Elders lead through preaching and teaching and an exemplary life
Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-
controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach --1 Timothy 3:2
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20. praying for the sick
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing
songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church
to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. --James 5:13-
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21. [dee-kuhn]
The word deacon is derived from the Greek word diakonos (διάκονος), which is a
standard ancient Greek word meaning "servant", "waiter," "minister" or
"messenger."
1. (in hierarchical churches) a member of the clerical order next below that of a
priest.
2. (in other churches) an appointed or elected officer having variously defined
duties.
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22. The office of deacon has different meanings among different Presbyterian
churches. In some churches, deacons exercise responsibility for practical matters of
finance and fabric, either separately or together with the elders. In some cases
deacons administer the welfare matters of the congregation, while a separate
board of management or trustees administers the other material business of the
congregation, such as its endowments, salaries and buildings.
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23. Deacons are greeted by St. Paul as church leaders who work closely with the elders
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at
Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons (Philippians 1:1).
Calvin and the Genevan reformers believed that the session of elders had the duty
of overseeing.
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24. Women served as deacons (or deaconesses)
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you
to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she
may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.
Romans 16:1-2
Some have interpreted the Greek "diakonos" to relate Phoebe as a deaconess, the
most literal interpretation of the word is as a servant which is what all deacons or
deaconesses should be.
The Greek of Romans 16:2 uses the term prostatis (for benefactor) which may
indicate that she was Paul's patroness.
Some scholars believe Phoebe was responsible for delivering Paul's epistle to the
Church in Rome.
She is commemorated with Lydia of Thyatira and Dorcas in the Calendar of Saints
of the Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran Churches.
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25. 1 Tim. 3:8-12
8 In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in
much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain.
9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.
10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them
serve as deacons.
11 In the same way, the women [deacons or deacon's wives] are to be worthy of
respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything
12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his
household well.
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26. So why was the position of deacon created in the Early Church?
To enable the disciples and elders to focus on prayer and ministry of the word
amongst many other tasks.
So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for
us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers
and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the
Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our
attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” - Acts 6:2-4
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27. Ruling a church is not like running a service club or governing a school district.
Elders must have spiritual maturity and a good knowledge of not only scripture, but
also theology: they must be life time learners.
BUT!!! Ruling elders also need to have a good grasp of what is going on in the
culture around them: the unique needs of their community.
What makes serving on a church board so unique is that the board members try to
create a ministry or service that will also minister to them.
This makes objective thinking difficult.
People get very emotionally attached to their church and everyone thinks they
know best how a church should be run.
When I was a school trustee, I didn’t have to sit in a class with a teacher who was
part of my organization.
I had the privilege of learning good governance skills from experienced and wise
people.
So along with their knowledge of the Bible, I believe that church elders always be
seeking to improve their skills in:
1. Communication
2. Ethical business practises
3. Collaborative problem solving
4. Conflict resolution
5. Accountability systems
6. Fiscal responsibility
7. Compliance with Federal law and regulations for Charitable organizations
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28. I can’t imagine enjoying a worship service led by a Worship team who never
bothered to learn the rudiments of music. They must stay in rhythm with each
other and in harmony. Musicians know they can’t just get up and make a joyful
noise without any training or practice. Many musicians who serve the lord have
learned their technical skills from teachers who had no interest in Christianity. But
they have learned to play skillfully as unto the Lord in the same rhythm and
harmony.
In exactly the same way church boards must seek knowledge and skill in the art of
governance as well as depend upon the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to show
them how to rule God’s People. They must play in harmony with each other and
stay in rhythm too.
There are plenty of resources to assist Church elders or Board members to increase
their skills:
Their denominational Headquarters is the first place to look but also
--the Canadian Council of Christian Charities
--Building Church Leaders.com
--The Alban Institute,
Many non-religious organizations have excellent “professional development”
training in their local community that church leaders would greatly benefit from.
--Service Clubs
--United Way,
--Community Services,
--Volunteer bureau,
--Restorative Justice Associations, etc.
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29. Here is the traditional schematic of how churches used to operate.
The Church leadership, headed by the Pastor, or teaching elder comes up with a
vision that they hope will inspire the people in the church.
Next, the people plan activities and work that fits into that vision, and as they carry
it out, they assume that the wider community and other individuals will have a
“blessing” experience.
This is obviously a very hierarchical system with the Pastor in a powerful position at
the top.: followed by the elders, then the deacons and at the bottom, the common
folk. But whenever we yield to the temptation to establish rank and esteemed
privilege within the Body of Christ, we promote disunity and envy of place.
Korea is perhaps the most “presbyterian” country in the world—even more than
Scotland. But the church there is having terrible problems according to Jung-Sook
Lee academic dean and church history professor at Torch Trinity Graduate School of
Theology, Seoul, Korea.
Frequently, when serious problems arise in the Korean Presbyterian church, the
relationship between pastors and elders is the problem . In such cases, pastors tend
to capitalize on the pulpit to deliver self-serving messages. Elders in a fury take the
case to the secular courts instead of church presbyteries because they believe that
presbyteries are biased toward pastors. When things get worse, some churches do
not mind using forceful intervention of the local police even during the worship
service. Obviously, Paul's advice to the Corinthians (1 Cor 6:1-6) is ignored in such
cases.
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30. Here is a different model of Church leadership, perhaps best described by Sue
Mallory, Pastor of Lay Ministries at Brentwood Presbyterian Church in California.
Notice there is a two way feedback between the people and the leadership. It is not
a traditional top down pyramid, but in the shape of a diamond. This represents
what Jesus said to the sons of Zebedee:
Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever
wants to be first must be slave of all. Mark 10: 43-44
In Mallory’s book, “The Equipping Church” she describes how a slow process of
applying the principle of the priesthood of all believers caused the church to
steadily grow in the midst of megachurches like Rick Warren’s Saddle Back
Community Church and the troubled congregations at the Crystal Cathedral, and
Calvary Chapel.
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31. Ministry is a calling of all believers, not just ministers of the Word.
--Ephesians 4:11-13
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and
teachers, to
EQUIP HIS PEOPLE FOR WORKS OF SERVICE,
so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith
and in the knowledge of the Son of God and
BECOME MATURE, ATTAINING TO THE WHOLE MEASURE OF THE FULLNESS OF
CHRIST.
We are all to be headed on the road to the heavenly kingdom. This is the way that
the people of God mature, and become like Christ.
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32. Priesthood is the calling of all believers, not just ministers of the Word.
But you are a chosen people,
A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD,
a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him
who called you out of darkness into
HIS WONDERFUL LIGHT.
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not
received mercy, but now you have received mercy. --1 Peter 2:8-10
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33. So if all the people of God are to be ministers and priests, what is the function of
the leadership? Where do they lead?
The leaders must keep the final goal in mind. Not only to facilitate the formation of
the Kingdom of Heaven in each believer's heart, but also to remember the final
destination of all history:
The Glorious Second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as King of Kings and
Lord of Lords.
Revelation 21
1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first
earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the
new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride
beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne
saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell
with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their
God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or
mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
THAT IS OUR DESTINATION!
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34. What does it mean to “Equip”? Here is an example of Search and rescue officers.
They have had intensive training and have been issued specialized equipment in
order to seek and find lost persons.
What a perfect analogy of our task as Christians. They need leadership, strategy,
and above all teamwork to do an extremely difficult job.
In the words of the old Hymn: are we not called to “Rescue the Perishing?”
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35. Here is a Fireman who has been trained and equipped with fireproof clothing and
tools to save lives and go into dangerous places at all hours of the day and night.
There is a massive infrastructure of support system behind him. An untrained
fireman with no equipment would be helpless and perish in a fire like this.
Yet we as Christians are All commanded to:
22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire;
to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by
corrupted flesh.
Jude 1:22-23
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36. Here is a surgical team in an operating suite with thousands of dollars of
equipment.
The surgical suite is in a hospital built with taxpayers money and private funds.
We expect that a surgeon has had years of training from a skilled professor who has
many years of experience.
We also expect that he has considerable practice before we submit our bodies to
his scalpel.
Anyone who has witnessed an operation is amazed at the careful coordination and
teamwork involved.
We as Christians need to be equipped to heal not only bodies, but souls.
After he had taught them, Jesus commanded his disciples that
8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the
sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
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37. Here is a carpenter with specialized precision tools and safety equipment. To build
a proper house, he has to know all the building codes, follow the blueprint and
coordinate his tasks with other trades.
--Hebrews 3:3-4
3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a
house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by
someone, but God is the builder of everything.
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38. This shack in a garbage dump in Eastern Africa plagued with AIDS. Whoever built it
was poorly equipped and didn’t know much about building a house.
--Matthew 7:26
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into
practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that
house, and it fell with a great crash.”
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39. Equipping for Pastoral Care
Here is a church Secretary in what is obviously the communication center of a
church.
Note the equipment necessary to do the ministry of the Gospel.
Note her elaborate filing system, a library of manuals and hymn books,
Gifts of love, boxes of Birthday and Get Well cards, a certificate of appreciation,
chairs suitable for little folk.
These are not the tools of the professional paid Pastor or “teaching elder.”
These represent the equipment that all church members need access to if they
aspire to become ministers of the Gospel. Only a very small percentage of willing
volunteers can succeed without specific training and clear direction.
Sadly, many churches offer neither.
Colossians 2:18 the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and
sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
Noe one should fall through the cracks in the Church’s ministry. The leaders must
make sure there are SINEWS that connect the various facets of life in the Body of
Christ, so no one’s needs are overlooked.
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40. Eugene Peterson expresses Ephesians 4:11-13 beautifully when he describes the
church moving rythmically and easily.
Christ himself handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher
to train Christ's followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ's body, the
church, until we're all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and
graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and
without, fully alive like Christ.
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41. I was raised to believe that dancing was sin, but I never cease to me amazed at the
grace and beauty of Ballroom dancing.
It is a perfect example of human beings acting as one.
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42. Jürgen Moltmann the German Reformed theologian noted for his “Theology of
Hope” has some stimulating thoughts about the meaning of equipping Christians to
do Kingdom Work. He turns things around and says:
"What the church must learn is that the church does not have a mission, but the
very reverse:
that the mission of Christ creates its own church."
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43. As you finalize your plans to call a new pastor, may I make a suggestion?
I am sure you already have a job description that he has looked at.
But would you please go one step farther?
Make a list of things you DON’T expect him to do.
For example, I am sure you don’t expect him to set up the stage and set out chairs
Sunday morning.
But what about:
Counseling? Marriage preparation? Parenting classes? Addictions? Visitation?
Ministering to the Poor?
Free him up to concentrate on
--Prayer,
--Studying God’s Word,
--preparing sermons, and
--equipping ALL MEMBERS OF THE CONGREGATION to be the ministers.
That will be an interesting exercise.
You will discover how many things need doing. Then as congregation decide how
YOU will start doing those things -- BEFORE he arrives.
The equippers, the equipped and the yet to be equipped are all around you.
Some are hidden, some are misused, some are tired and some are abused.
Identify leaders -- materials and training necessary to equip your volunteers to
undertake God’s mission in Agassiz and the world.
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