Forgive me for being frank. As you know, I am not often that way, but for now I must be, for the issues of spiritual leadership within the body of Christ are extraordinary and must be set upon with resolve by anyone called to serve in church ministry. At stake is nothing less than the living example of Jesus Christ, His love, presence, and power among His people – through you.

Overseeing

First, an elder is an overseer, as is a deacon, and in their commissioned capacity, a servant of Christ’s body. An overseer oversees and a servant serves people. He has spiritual gifts and power from Jesus Christ Himself that even the apostle Paul “longed to impart” to the flocks he oversaw, even from great distances. If an overseer is not present when the body is present, there is no oversight, no tender loving care from Christ, and thus the people are not served from the Hand of God. If regular church attendance is an issue to an overseer, then he should pray and ask if he is truly called to such an area of service. A Sunday morning only appearance sets no notable example to the people of this fellowship, of leadership, faithfulness, the absolute priority of the teaching of God’s Word, the command to meet together, or of service and commitment to the saints. There is not much in regular Sunday morning attendance to distinguish the leadership from the flock by way of example and dedication to their calling. I have personally found it awkward (if not embarrassing) to see faithful people at the other church services week after week for years learning the Scriptures and worshipping the Lord, asking where the other leaders were. The pastor must never have to make excuses for the absence of his elders or deacons. If the leadership cannot find the time or unction to be present with the flock, how can the flock know they are being loved? Some may say, “The pastor is there – that’s his job.” The man with such an attitude lacks understanding of ministry to God’s flock. An overseer loves God’s flock as God loves His flock. He longs to be with them and fellowship with them, to impart some good gift to them, and to lead them by Godly example.

Secondly, the elders and deacons must all “be on the same page” as to their doctrine and ministry to the flock. If they do not regularly attend Bible studies the pastor is teaching, they will not know nor be able to vouch for the doctrine taught at this church. The leaders are required to know where the pastor stands concerning Biblical doctrine and the everyday life-issues affected by it. What message is being sent to a Body member when he asks and elder or deacon about the pastor’s position concerning a certain subject or controversy, and the leader can only guess? At this point one may ask, “Shouldn’t the pastor’s meeting with his leadership involve teaching them these things?” I must reply with another question: should the pastor set aside additional to repeat a study that the leadership could have already attended? The teaching is already in place and readily available. If the leaders do not attend, they will not be growing in doctrine and grace as they otherwise might, and there will be little like-mindedness, a condition that Satan will happily exploit.

But there is third issue here. The pastor also needs assistance during the evening services, which, when the leaders are absent, leave the flock wondering where all the help is. The people eventually step in and serve, but the message they receive is confusing: the service for which they have set aside their valuable time is not significant enough for the leaders of the church to attend. Is it any wonder that some services tend to be so small?

For all of the above reasons, therefore, titled leaders of this church should attend at least one evening service. Remember: an overseer oversees and a servant serves – people.

Serving

Elders and deacons are servants of the Lord. The pastor is also a servant who needs faithful men to hold up his arms as the battle for souls rages on. When the pastor asks an elder or deacon to do a certain thing or be present at a particular event, your service and presence is needed. Receive the task with joy for the privilege of serving Jesus. As a leader, if the pastor asks of you, “no” is not an acceptable answer. If you know you cannot do the thing requested of you due to timing, health, or other significant considerations, the more appropriate response is “I cannot, but I will find the right person who can…” Service comes with a cost to personal schedules, interests, hobbies, evenings and some weekends at home. Jesus told His disciples to count the cost before building the tower, lest you cannot complete the task and are humiliated – but He also reminds us that His rewards for faithful service far exceed the sacrifice.

Elders and deacons must be men of initiative, “self-starters” and ready at all times to fill in for the pastor, teach Bible studies (even at a moment’s notice), and acting with immediacy to address serious emergencies. They must be men of love and kindness, full of joy and compassion, and not complainers. Elders and deacons pull the bigger oar in the lower decks of the galley, thus, they frequently deal with complaints, problem sheep, and the like. In my observation, it is common for church leaders to unnecessarily reserve these issues for discussion at subsequent meetings. Jesus Christ is the victor and He has already won the war. Therefore, all elders and deacons have the spiritual authority to address problems, issues and complaints as soon as they arise. Use it and do not fear the roaring lion.

Leaders are proactive as well as reactive. Elders and deacons are to be men of hospitality. This includes calling and visiting people in the body just to say “hi” and see how they are doing. The pastor is also expected to do these things, but he is only one man. The weight of the ministry is carried by many, and the church leadership must bear the greater weight or it will not be borne at all. A shepherd of the body of Christ loves the flock and loves to be with them.

All titled church leadership is expected to minister with the attitude, “If I see something that needs doing, I do it.” If you see a light bulb that needs changing or trash along the street in front of the church, or cigarette butts in the parking lot; if you notice a toilet in need of service, or a doorframe that is smudged, or a window that is dirty – whatever might cross your path – you are to initiate the fix. If it is something you are not qualified or physically able to do, it is your duty to find a servant who will help you get it done with all haste. We are servants of the King and we are to love and spoil the King’s kids to the best of our abilities. We do not wait around for the pastor to assign the task or hold off for the custodians or ushers to get to it, as they in all likelihood won’t (most problems will not be noticed until it becomes a major issue or even an embarrassment to one or all). If you see something that needs to be done, you just do it.

Follow through is non-negotiable. Elders and deacons, any church leaders, are automatically expected to be men of their word. If you say you will be at a certain place at a certain time or that you will commit to a certain thing, if you take on the responsibility of headship of a particular ministry, you have given your word and you must follow through. The damage that is done by Christian leaders who do not follow through on their commitments is seen by those looking to their ministry as (at least) a lack of love, and at worst, a false example of the nature of Jesus. An elder or deacon is not a man who lives for himself or considers his service to the Lord do-able when convenient. That is not “ministry”, but it is self-serving, generally un-Christian (because the world can do at least as well in their commitment to perishing causes), and it in no way reflects Jesus Christ.

Character

All men of God are men of good character. All those in church leadership are required by God in the Scriptures to men of holiness and righteousness. People of God are watching your life to see what it is a REAL Christian does, and how far they can go into Christ, or into carnality. They WILL follow you, and you must be constantly aware of this fact. If you are following Jesus wholeheartedly, you will find no fear in this, and you can confidently say as Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Jesus.” If you are not dedicated to holiness and righteousness even in the small, hidden corners of your life, you will lead people into those places, or forfeit the ability to be heard by them. We are examples. If there is a chink in our armor, be assured the devil will find it and use it horribly.

Stern? Sound tough? It is. And it must be. The people we minister to are God’s children: dare we treat them as ordinary in any way? The enemy is powerful, devastating and evil, and will stop at nothing to destroy God’s sheep. The master you serve is full of grace and mercy, but He told us clearly that He WILL hold teachers in stricter judgment. If you are leading, you are teaching with your very life. If you are serving Jesus’ flock, His Bride, you are putting your hand to the plow and you are not to look back.

Therefore, these are the minimum expectations of any titled leader in this fellowship of believers:

• Joyful, peaceful attitude
• Attending at least two of three weekly services taught by Pastor Jay
• Willing and prepared to fill the pulpit at a moment’s notice
• Willing and prepared to substitute at evening studies when the pastor is unavailable, including consecutive weekly services
• Willing to go the extra mile in all manner of service to the Lord and His people
• A non-complainer
• A man of his word
• A man in the Word
• A man of kind words and full of encouragement
• A man of prayer and present at all prayer meetings where the pastor is present
• A man dedicated to and in love with God’s flock
• A servant in every sense of the word
• A man of faith and full of the Holy Spirit
• A man of good character
• A man in full pursuit of Jesus Christ and holiness
• A man of initiative
• A man who is on call 24/7
• A man who is constantly present with the flock
• A man whose life and demeanor is characterized by love, peace, joy, and righteousness
• A man who is flexible
• A man whose family is in order
• A man who as a leader is relational, not dictatorial; a footwasher.
• A man whose authority is given and granted not demanded.

Ultimately, it is all a work of the Holy Spirit in and through us; as the Apostle Paul reminded the Galatians, we cannot finish in the flesh that which was begun in the Spirit...

Serving with you,

Pastor Jay