Our Leadership
Christ is the Head of the universal Church (all believers throughout the world) (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23; Colossians 1:18). Because the Lord Jesus is Head of the universal Church, He is also the Supreme authority of local churches (believers in local assemblies) Thus, individual congregations exercise human authority under Christ. This is called congregational polity, or congregationalism. We find numerous cases of congregational government in the New Testament. For instance, we discern spiritually-edifying interaction between the leaders of a congregation and the congregation in carrying out activities such as:
- deacon selection (Acts 6:5)
- determining the will of God (Acts 13:1-3)
- doctrinal disputes (Acts 15:22, 30)
- disciplinary issues (1 Corinthians 5:5, 13; 2 Thessalonians 3:13-15)
These examples provide compelling Biblical evidence for us to practice a congregational form of government (as opposed to Episcopalianism or Presbyterianism).
We also discover in the New Testament that God has structured leadership in churches. We find two offices in the New Testament: pastors and deacons (Philippians 1:1).
- Pastors (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). The Bible uses three words interchangeably for the same office: elder, pastor and overseer. These words highlight different functions but not different persons (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-5). Pastors lead the congregation by bringing the body to a spiritually minded consensus, not by domineering (1 Peter 5:3).
- Deacons (1 Timothy 3:8-13). The deacons, according to the New Testament, are not viewed as a governing body but as servant-leaders. They typically care for the physical needs of the congregation so that pastors can concentrate on spiritual needs (Acts 6:1-6).
It is ideal to have a group of biblically qualified men to function in these offices, though it may not always be possible. Nevertheless, we affirm the value and prudence of a leadership team. Paul instructed Titus to appoint elders (plural) in every town (Titus 1:5). God has providentially brought together qualified men to be a part of our church who can serve in these offices. Therefore, our church has a plurality of pastors and deacons.