Answers for Pastors
Should elders and deacons be trained? If so, how?
9MarksIs it appropriate to conduct member meeting activities inside the worship service?
9MarksThe New Testament gives the local congregation final authority in matters of discipline (Matt. 18:17; 2 Cor. 2:6) and doctrine (Gal. 1). This means that there are times when the church as a whole should welcome in new members, remove members who move away, carry out church discipline, elect elders and deacons, and decide on other serious matters.
There are a couple reasons why this business should not be done in the context of a regular worship service.
What should the elders do when they gather?
9MarksDoes the New Testament pattern of a plurality of elders in every church preclude the position of senior pastor?
9MarksIn the New Testament, the normal pattern is for churches to have a plurality of elders (Acts 14:23; Phil. 1:1; Jas. 5:14). Does this mean that no single man among them should be called the “senior pastor” and possess a larger measure of relational and institutional authority?
Is there ever a right time to give announcements during a worship service?
9MarksWhenever you do them, announcements feel awkward. They interrupt the flow of worship. They inject mundane matters like church potlucks into the middle of praising God for his holiness and grace.
So where do you put them? This is certainly a judgment call—there’s no biblical teaching on this. And every place has certain advantages and disadvantages. That said, placing announcements at the very beginning of the service, even before the call to worship, seems to least disrupt the service.
What is the difference between church elders and church staff?
9MarksMany modern churches have tended to confuse elders with the church staff.
How do elders relate to “the pastor”?
9MarksBiblically speaking, all elders are pastors. Peter tells the elders among his readers to “shepherd” [Greek: pastor] the flock of God that is among you” (1 Pet. 5:2). Paul told the Ephesian elders to “care for” [Greek: pastor] the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). And the only time the noun “pastor” is used in the New Testament there is no indication that it is a different office from elder (Eph. 4:11).
Should churches that don’t baptize infants have “infant dedications”?
9MarksWe would discourage it. Infant dedications have no Scriptural warrant. God nowhere commands Christians to have a public ceremony in which they dedicate their infants to him, nor is there any hint of such a practice in the New Testament.
Plus, there’s the danger that young Christians will interpret the event almost mystically, as if the child receives some type of special “coverage” or “force field” upon dedication.
How do elders relate to the authority of the congregation?
9MarksHow can a church meaningfully integrate the ordinance of baptism into church gatherings?
9MarksHow do elders relate to deacons?
9MarksSince deacons function like elders in many churches, the relationship between them can get confused. But we can see how they should relate to one another by again considering their distinct biblical responsibilities:
Is it important to use the titles “elder” and “deacon”?
9MarksWhile the titles “elder” and “deacon” are not essential to the church’s ministry, there are several good reasons why churches should use these biblical titles:
Does the whole idea of church “services” contradict the fact that the church is “a people,” not an event?
9MarksWe don’t think so…
What are the qualifications for a deacon?
9MarksIn 1 Timothy 3:8-12 Paul lays out the qualifications for a deacon:
What are the biblical responsibilities of a deacon?
9MarksAccording to the New Testament, deacons are to provide material and logistical support to the church.
