Expert: Hoyt Roberson - 8/17/2008

Question
Part I. Who leads the congregation in decision making when there are no elders and deacons......only the preacher and "leading brethren"......I really would like an unbiased answer to these questions, my reason for reaching out to you. Part II. How can a preacher set the church in order if the leading brethren wont co-operate...the preacher is told he has no authority. Please submit scriptures with answers.

Answer
Hi, Jenna.

This will be difficult since there are precious few verses that deal with congregational organization, even with elders.

Usually, Paul's charge to his messengers is used to support preachers ordaining elders. The reasoning being that being that Paul's messengers were evangelists and therefore all evangelists are given the same charge. The problem with this argument is that the perceived pattern isn't really the point of Paul's urging. Rather, it is more important in the context that congregations be equipped with Godly people to lead them. The emphasis is not on who does the ordaining, but rather that the ordaining be done.

It is important to realize that Paul's messengers were to make sure the "congregations" were equipped; apparently Titus and Timothy weren't "located preachers" in the sense that we now have preachers. No, they had a more broad commission from Paul.

Given that, there is no verse that requires either 1) a congregation have a preacher, and 2) that it must be the preacher who most appropriately ordains elders. The assumption that it is the preacher who has a Biblical mandate to set things in order is questionable.

By extension then, there is no Biblical directive of how any congregation should reach conclusions and make decisions. We are given in Acts an indication of how the Jerusalem congregation's elders and apostles met, prayed, and made some decisions, as well as including the entire congregation in at least some aspect of that decision and reporting process.

It does seem that Scripture pictures a local congregation as a community of believers that come together because they are believers. By being together, there arise some items that need some consensus. Some of these might be whether they should have a preacher at all, how many and what kinds of classes they might want to offer, their meeting times, how the collective will care for the poor in its midst and in their larger community, who can teach and what they might be allowed to teach, etc.

Paul tells the Ephesian elders to care for both their congregation(s) and themselves. Elders, if they exist, are responsible for the well being and maturing of the congregations of which they are a part. Preachers are tools whereby elders can make certain spiritual material available to the congregation, if they so choose. Today's preachers are not emissaries of Paul, as Timothy and Titus were, and they cannot claim the same imperatives as Paul gave to them.

In the absence of formal elders, there will likely be more mature members who can lead a congregation, and how that community elects to conduct its affairs is a matter for that congregation to determine.

Because preachers are not inherently part of the community (not that they cannot be, but simply that they normally aren't), it is questionable that they should enjoy greater deference than the natural leaders of the congregation. The preacher may well know more Bible than some of the members, but he likely does not know the people or their culture overly well. These things are necessary to effectively make decisions within a congregation.

Since the preacher does not enjoy a Scriptural mandate to set things in order, and he is usually from outside the congregation, he has little legal or Biblical authority to impose his desires (as correct as they might be) on the congregation.

It would be best if the leaders of the congregation and the preacher could approach topics together, and reach consensus within Christian community and hospitality. However, the preacher will lose any fight that drags on too long - most preachers won't stick around if they're not getting paid (which in itself sets them apart from Paul and Paul's messengers).

So, let's see...
1. Who leads the congregation? The answer is simply whoever the congregation decides to listen to. It would be best if whoever those are, actually understand the faith and our God. If there are older members who by their lives and conduct have demonstrated the grace and hospitality of God, they would most likely be the best to guide the decision making process of the congregation.

2. He can't. He can though, work in humility with the congregation's leaders and persuade them to modify their positions. This is not done over night, and many good people simply give up in attempting to do the work required.

Bottom line: there are no Scriptural imperatives concerning how any particular congregation must make decisions, especially in the absence of elders. A preacher does not enjoy any special fiat simply because he's a preacher. He must work within the congregation where he finds himself, or find another place willing to pay him.

Scripture references:
Paul's charge to the Ephesian elders: Acts 20
Paul's admonition to his messengers: Titus 1.5, Timothy 5
The congregation at Jerusalem: Acts 15

I doubt that this answer provides you the answer you were seeking, but since you wanted Scriptural references, the answer must be limited. God places a lot of trust in His people, and how they live with one another is more important than how they structure their decision making processes.

Let me know if I can further explain anything I've said here.

Thanks,

Hoyt