Baptists/deacons and communion

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Expert: - 8/5/2009


Question
I just read your answer concerning deacons assisting the pastor with communion but what if the pastor is absent?  Our small church has one ordained deacon, my husband, and our pastor has been hospitalized.  Should my husband go ahead and serve communion or wait possibly a month for the pastor to return?

Answer
    Tana, great question. The Pastor should be the one consecreating Holy Communion, but there are always circumstances where this is not possible. Certainly, your situation is one of them. Your Pastor should have had this covered already in his absence.
    Here is what I suggest you do. 1) You can wait til your Pastor is better and allowed to come back to function as the Spiritual Leader of your small church, then do the Lord's Supper, 2). your husband can lead the Lord's Supper due to your circumstance, 3) you could ask the Director of Your Local Baptist Association and he will find another minister to fill as an intermittent minister, til your pastor is well, and finally 4) since your husband is a godly man and if he feels called, I would suggest that your church ordain him to the ministry, and he can officially be the Assistant Pastor.
    I would highly suggest you do number 3, and then later do number 4. There is no reason for your church not to ordain your husband to the ministry, but he must first seek God's will in prayer and supplication, feel lead and called to the ministry, and then he can approach the Pastor and congregation about being the Assistant Pastor. Ministers are called and set apart by God and will be also judged by God accordingly. It is a tough job, but we do not seek to please man, but God only.
    Whatever, you do continue to love the Lord Jesus Christ, continue to serve Him, and continue doing the ordinances of the Church which is the Lord's Supper and Baptism.

   My prayers are with you and for your Pastor to fully recover.

   May God Richly Bless You, Your Pastor, Your husband, and Your Congregation today.

   Dr Don Howe, RN, PhD, ThD  

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Dr Don Howe

Expertise

I welcome questions that deal with theological issues, relationship issues, church history, world religions, current events from a Christian worldview, "gray areas" that are present today, church growth movements, false prophets, spiritual abuse issues, end time events, prophecy, medical ethical issues, hermeneutical questions, and how Israel fits into God's economy today. I will answer all questions in a grammatical/historical normative interpretation of God's Word. If I can not answer a question, I will do the research and find the answer if available. If you are looking for a liberal theological answer or agrument, do not ask. I am not an expert on church planting or evangelism.

Experience

I have over 27 years of experience doing ministry as a bivocational minster/professional nurse. I do ministry as a volunteer with ministries that are nonprofit and not able to pay for ministers. I have experience working with youth, children, elderly in different placement settings, mentally ill and mentally challenged in different settings, felons in state prison and county jails, hospital chaplancy, choir ministry, and deacon ministry. I am an ordained SBC minister. I am a Professional Chaplain. I am currently doing hospital minstry, ministry to shut-ins, and a chaplain with Victim Relief Ministry working with victims of diasters and domestic violence. I work as psychiatric nurse in large county jail system.

Organizations
American Association of Christian Counselors, Baptist Nursing Fellowship, Nurses Christian Fellowship, Therpon Institute, Victim Chaplain & Counselor Association of America, International Board of Christian Counselors, American Society of Christian Therapists.

Publications
N/A

Education/Credentials
PhD, Therapon University, USVI, 12/07 in Biblical Counseling, DCC, Southwest Bible College & Seminary, Jenning, LA 04/05 in Christian Psychology and Counseling. ThD, Slidell Baptist Seminary, Slidell, LA 02/04 D.D., Slidell Baptist Seminary, Slidell, LA 07/03 Tyndale Seminary, Fort Worth, TX 2001-2003 BSN, Univ. of Texas in Arlington, Tx 05/93 ADN, Midwestern State Univ., Wichitia Falls, TX 5/77 Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock, Externship 08/04-12/05, 4 units of CPE earned.

Awards and Honors
Board Certified Christian Counselor by International Board of Christian Counselors. Issued 01/24/06.

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