The Offices of the Local Church

The three main offices of the church, as observed in Scripture, include pastors, deacons, and members. There can be more staff roles for the sake of modern organization such as secretaries, trustees, or treasurers, as well as roles beyond the local level such as missionaries, evangelists, and teachers. In terms of Scriptural roles specifically however, everything falls under one of these three biblical offices. It is worth noting that these three offices are not unequal in their importance or contribution to the church, but there is a functional hierarchy for the sake of organized leadership and vision. Ultimately Christ is the head of His Church regardless, and all who are of it submit first and foremost to Him and His Holy Word.

Jonathan Leeman provides a well-rounded view of why membership ought to be considered a biblical office, as well as the role of that office within the local church body. He clarifies that membership is the church’s affirmation that someone indeed belongs to Christ’s kingdom, and that lay members also have a calling to the work, mission, and responsibilities of the church.[1] All believers have the divine instruction from Scripture to not forsake the local gathering of believers, and to live out the role of being good representatives of the heavenly kingdom they claim citizenship to.[2] This call is obeyed by those in the office of membership via submission to the church leadership that God in His providence has installed for their care and for the purpose of aiding members in their progression in sanctification.[3] Again, Leemans precision is helpful in his emphasis that one of Scriptures most prominent themes is Christ as King of His Kingdom, and that the way in which believers publicly lay claim to their citizenship and assume that office is by church membership.[4] God preserves the ministry of the church through the steadfast care and faithful action of its members. This work is summarized by Leeman as, “to know the gospel, to only support teachers who teach the gospel, to live by the gospel in word and deed, to help other church members do the same, and to call non-Christian neighbors to the obedience of repentance and faith in Christ the Savior-King”.[5]

The office of a deacon is described in Scripture as a supporting role in the ministry of the church. This office, as well as the office of member, is open to men and women alike. Phoebe is mentioned as a deaconess explicitly[6], and although she is the only mentioned once, there are not exceptions to Gods rule. Therefore, she serves as a biblical precedent rather than an exception, to this office being available to all members of the church who are called towards it. Although this is not the case, with the role of a pastor, there are several modern pastoral roles that fit under the biblical category of a deacon such as youth and children’s ministry, as well as music ministry. These are all supporting roles within the church that contribute to its leadership and ministerial work.

Edmund Clowney traces the establishment of the office of deacon to Acts 6, where the growth of the Church led to the growth of administrative difficulties, specifically in terms of balancing works of mercy towards believers in need such as widows, with the ministry of the Word.[7] In this passage seven individuals are picked to tend to the service of the believing saints in need. Egalitarian scholars often like to point out that Acts 6 never actually refers to the seven individuals as deacons, in an attempt to instead equate the office of a deacon to that of a Pastor. Their aim is that in establishing deacons as pastors, Phoebe would then become a Scriptural example of a pastor. However, “deacon” is not used in the same way as other words are to describe a Pastor such as “bishop”, “elder”, “shepherd”, and “overseer”, which are used synonymously and interchangeably in the New Testament.[8] Nonetheless, the critique is a valid one. But just because the title of the office isn’t explicitly given, doesn’t take away from the possibility that the delegated role and function of this office within the church is first observed here. And when compared with the depictions of the office’s function given elsewhere in the New Testament where the explicit designation is present, one observes exactly what Clowney describes.

There is also something particularly beautiful about acknowledging Acts 6 as the establishment of the office of deacon. Clowney points it out but needs small correction. By pointing out the use of the word diakonos in Acts 6, and its use in situations pertaining to works of mercy, he makes the statement, “The use of diakonia terminology points to the conclusion that the deacon serves not the Bishop or the Elder, but the saints”.[9] What Clowney fails to recognize is that by the Pastor having the ability to delegate such responsibilities, he is freed up to serve all the more severely and tend to the designated responsibilities of his role. It does a tremendous service to the Pastor when deacons are available and steadfast. And like the members, they also have the responsibility to submit to the loving leadership of the Pastor. So, the beautiful thing about Acts 6, is that it clarifies that deacons serve both the Pastor, as well as the congregation.

Finally, the role of a Pastor is highlighted in the New Testament by means of various aforementioned descriptors such as “bishop”, “overseer”, “elder”, and “shepherd”. They are used interchangeably and synonymously because they describe the same office, but each title speaks to a different functional aspect of its role. Bishop/overseer brings the connotation of the administrative responsibility of leading a local church. The term “elder” carries more so the need to be experienced in ministry work and discern wisely. This title also brings to the forefront the Pastors responsibility to rightly teach the Word, and makes his decisions based upon on Scripture, rather than the “wisdom” of the world. Finally, the term “shepherd” is more illustrative as it depicts two of the pastors’ main responsibilities; to nurture the flock, and to guard them from wolves.

The qualifications for the offices of pastors and deacons are the same. Generally speaking, they are to be above reproach and striving for holiness, but Scripture expounds on these things in greater detail.[10] These two roles are more leadership oriented, but are to consist of no less serving than the office of a member. All of these offices exist for the sake of organization so that God is worshipped in the manner He wills and deserves to be worshipped by His Church, so that all of the members of that Church are steadily progressing in their sanctification, and for the advancement of the gospel into the world, so that those outside of the Church may enter the fold.

Citations:

[1]  Jonathan Leeman, Baptist Foundations: Church Government for an Anti-Institutional Age (Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group, 2015), 15-16.

[2]  See Titus 3

[3]  Explicit in Hebrews 13:17, and indicated in 1 Timothy 5:17.

[4]  Leeman, 15.

[5]  Leeman 16.

[6]  See Romans 16:1

[7]  Edmund P. Clowney, The Church: Contours of Christian Theology (Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1995), 212.

[8]  See Ephesians 4:11, 1 Peter 2:25, 5:1-5, Acts 20:17-28, 11:30, 14:23, 15:2-23, 16:4, 21:18, Philippians 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 5:17-19, Titus 1:5-7, and James 5:14,

[9]  Clowney, 213.

[10]  See 1 Timothy 3:1-13 as well as Titus 1