I spent my teenage years at a church in St. Mary’s GA. My dad was the Pastor of that church. There was a board of Deacons consisting of 12 men. I remember several occasions where my dad and the Deacons would butt heads with one another over various issues. There came a time when the board of Deacons asked my dad to leave over “health issues”.
It was later revealed that the Deacon board of this particular church had a reputation for running Pastors off. They saw themselves as “in charge” which is not what the Bible teaches.
That episode stuck with me. It bothered me for I knew what my dad and mom were going through. As the years went by, I was always perplexed with how church leadership is supposed to function. Who is in charge? Is it the Deacons (or Elders)? Is it the Pastor? Is it the congregation? Is it the denomination with which a church is affiliated? Or is it a combination of all of the above?
The best place to find the right answer is the Bible. What does the Bible have to say about church leadership? The answer is found in the Pastoral Epistles of 1, 2 Timothy and Titus. In those letters Paul tells two Pastors (Timothy and Titus) how a church is to function and who is in charge.
To the question of who is in charge in the local church? The answer is the Pastor. He and he alone is the final authority in the local assembly. He is to have a board of Deacons (or Elders) who, using their spiritual gift, counsel the Pastor on the daily decisions of the church body.
But ultimately God will hold the Pastor responsible for the local church.
Does the Pastor seek wise counsel of his board? Absolutely. Does the Pastor submit to the expertise of others? Absolutely. But the spiritual leadership of the local body is squarely on the shoulders of the Pastor.
Is the church run by committee (the congregation)? Absolutely not. Is the church run like a business? Absolutely not. The bottom line is the congregation either trusts the Pastor and his board or they do not. I think sometimes people forget the God factor.
What is the God factor? If the Pastor or his board are doing disreputable things God knows all about it. He will not allow such things to continue. He will step in and discipline the Pastor or board members. He may use people to bring things to light or He may just take the Pastor or a board member out of the game.
For an example of the God factor consider Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. Both of them lied to the Holy Spirit about money donated to the church and literally dropped dead.
Galatians 6.7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”
The authority of the local church is summed up in 1 Timothy 3.14-16:
- The authority of the Word of God, vs. 14.
14 “I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long;”
The word of God is the first and foremost authority in the church. It is the written word of God from which is revealed the will of God. “I am writing these things” refers to Scripture. Paul and all the writers of the Bible under inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote the word.
- The authority of the PT to accurately teach the word, vs. 15.
15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”
Paul is telling Timothy, the Pastor of the church in Ephesus how to conduct himself in the household of God which is the local assembly. Both 1, 2 Timothy clearly state Timothy is in charge. The primary number one responsibility of Timothy is to study and teach the word of God.
- The authority of the Living Word, Jesus Christ, vs. 16.
16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:
He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory.”
The foundation on which the written word is built is the living Word Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 2.16 tells us the Bible is the mind of Christ. So the Pastor is to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit to accurately teach the Word of God which points to the Living Word, Jesus Christ.
Most scholars believe the portion of this verse beginning with “He who was revealed” and following is part of a hymn in the early church. Note how Jesus Christ and His work is the central theme.
The Pastor and his board who keep their eyes on Christ will be in the will of God. And the congregation who led by such men will be blessed. Not because of the men themselves but because those men are following the will of God as revealed in Scripture.