Eddie B Posted August 1, 2007 Group: Junior Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 6 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 119 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 2 Days Won: 0 Joined: 07/17/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/03/1951 Author Share Posted August 1, 2007 A ? for all who can give a biblacal anwser from N.T. on should Churches today have only one pastor or more than one pastor ruling in congragations of 25 or more? The Bible teaches a plurality of elders and it is definitely not silent on this. If you read thru Acts and the church dealings, they never address letters to a pastor and the deacons, but to the elders of a church. I believe it is clear Scripturally that there are to be several men in leadership. THANK YOU FOR YOUR BIBLICALLY CORRECT ANWSER. I AGREE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted August 1, 2007 Group: Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 0 Topics Per Day: 0 Content Count: 58 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 07/27/2007 Status: Offline Share Posted August 1, 2007 A ? for all who can give a biblacal anwser from N.T. on should Churches today have only one pastor or more than one pastor ruling in congragations of 25 or more? Ruling the congregation? I just don't understand this. Where is the authority to decide this issue? Who is to say whether you have 1 pastor or 5? Is this why there are over 25,000 protestant denominations? Welcome to Worthy! I agree, there should not be one pastor but 2-5 at least, per congregation. One pastor leading everyone gives an open door to several consuming sins for him to battle with, it's for his own good AND the congregation. What 'none' says here may be generally true, but it does not allow for the possibility that God's will may be involved in whether there should be only one pastor or several for a particular assembly. Prayer on such an issue is always appropriate and where there is no specific commandment as to our course of action prayer is even more necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricH Posted August 1, 2007 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 366 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,933 Content Per Day: 1.57 Reputation: 212 Days Won: 1 Joined: 04/21/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted August 1, 2007 MOved from Apologetics to Doctrinal Forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chad1 Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 I agree that there should be a group of elders leading a church. But the fact is in a small church of 25...there may not be a group of men who meet the eldership requirements of the New Testament. I think you have to take what you can get...but ideally there should be a group of people providing leadership and not one person...one person leadership can lead to trouble as the group grows and other leaders are not added on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie B Posted August 1, 2007 Group: Junior Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 6 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 119 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 2 Days Won: 0 Joined: 07/17/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/03/1951 Author Share Posted August 1, 2007 A ? for all who can give a biblical anwser from N.T. on should Churches today have only one pastor or more than one pastor ruling in congregations of 25 or more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsth Posted August 1, 2007 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 297 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 5,586 Content Per Day: 0.69 Reputation: 193 Days Won: 1 Joined: 04/09/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted August 1, 2007 A ? for all who can give a biblacal anwser from N.T. on should Churches today have only one pastor or more than one pastor ruling in congragations of 25 or more? Ruling the congregation? I just don't understand this. Where is the authority to decide this issue? Who is to say whether you have 1 pastor or 5? Is this why there are over 25,000 protestant denominations? Welcome to Worthy! I agree, there should not be one pastor but 2-5 at least, per congregation. One pastor leading everyone gives an open door to several consuming sins for him to battle with, it's for his own good AND the congregation. This teaching was first revealed to Moses. And I believe is also carried into the NT church in Acts 6: Exodus 18:14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?" 15 Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws." 17 Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. 21 But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Acts 6:3 Brothers, 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 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." 1 Cor. 6:1 If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! 1 Pet. 5:1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. I DO NOT believe however, that today's church is set up properly, mainly due to the highlighted portion above. I do not believe that even in the churches that DO have appointed elders, that those churches have followed the PROPER instructions about who is eligible to be an elder. Titus 1:6 An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 1 Tim. 3:12 A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. Instead we have done much the same as the Israelites: 1Ki 12:31 - Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. 1Ki 13:33 Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places. 2Ki 17:32 They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. In His Love, Suzanne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie B Posted August 1, 2007 Group: Junior Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 6 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 119 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 2 Days Won: 0 Joined: 07/17/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/03/1951 Author Share Posted August 1, 2007 I agree that there should be a group of elders leading a church. But the fact is in a small church of 25...there may not be a group of men who meet the eldership requirements of the New Testament. I think you have to take what you can get...but ideally there should be a group of people providing leadership and not one person...one person leadership can lead to trouble as the group grows and other leaders are not added on. MAYBE A LOCAL NT CHURCH THAT HAS THIS PROBLEM CAN TRUST GOD TO MEET THE NEED OF PROVIDING MORE ELDERS WHO DO MEET GODS REQUIREMENTS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickilynn Posted August 1, 2007 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 138 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 3,997 Content Per Day: 0.64 Reputation: 19 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/13/2007 Status: Offline Share Posted August 1, 2007 I DO NOT believe however, that today's church is set up properly, mainly due to the highlighted portion above. I do not believe that even in the churches that DO have appointed elders, that those churches have followed the PROPER instructions about who is eligible to be an elder. Shalom Suzanne, That's a big honkin' negative and inaccurate generality. I hate generalities. You obviously haven't been in my church, which DOES do it Biblically. And we defy the generalities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OopsMartin Posted August 1, 2007 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 4 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 829 Content Per Day: 0.13 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 12/25/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/26/1943 Share Posted August 1, 2007 A ? for all who can give a biblacal anwser from N.T. on should Churches today have only one pastor or more than one pastor ruling in congragations of 25 or more? Ruling the congregation? I just don't understand this. Where is the authority to decide this issue? Who is to say whether you have 1 pastor or 5? Is this why there are over 25,000 protestant denominations? Welcome to Worthy! I agree, there should not be one pastor but 2-5 at least, per congregation. One pastor leading everyone gives an open door to several consuming sins for him to battle with, it's for his own good AND the congregation. What 'none' says here may be generally true, but it does not allow for the possibility that God's will may be involved in whether there should be only one pastor or several for a particular assembly. Prayer on such an issue is always appropriate and where there is no specific commandment as to our course of action prayer is even more necessary. today we have to acknowledge that pastors "salaries" are so high, many are higher or as high as corporate VIP's, that most churches can barely afford one, let alone two or more. There are some of the bigger churches that certainly can afford more than one and should have. My problem comes with the idea of a senior pastor and assistant pastors. that concept is not in Scripture. It is my belief that all the leaders of a church should be equally partnering and work in Christian charitable agreement. If each person works in their area of gifting and partners with those in the same gifting, all would be benefited. And those in leadership would better learn humility, charity, and to seek God for more direction instead of being corporate bosses as some fall prey to. Biblically as someone else pointed out, most of the mention of elders is in the plural. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsth Posted August 1, 2007 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 297 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 5,586 Content Per Day: 0.69 Reputation: 193 Days Won: 1 Joined: 04/09/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted August 1, 2007 I DO NOT believe however, that today's church is set up properly, mainly due to the highlighted portion above. I do not believe that even in the churches that DO have appointed elders, that those churches have followed the PROPER instructions about who is eligible to be an elder. Shalom Suzanne, That's a big honkin' negative and inaccurate generality. I hate generalities. You obviously haven't been in my church, which DOES do it Biblically. And we defy the generalities. Well, then I guess you have nothin to worry about, do you? I would like to ask, in regard to the church in this nation as a whole, would you say, is it changing the world, OR is the world changing the church? Yes, that was a generality. And even God addresses the condition of the WHOLE lump. To do otherwise is to bury our heads in the sand. In His Love, Suzanne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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