Deacons, Pastors, and Church Leadership: A College Level Course Outline

NOTE: ©2008, Francis Trascritti. Permission granted for use in a Christian church training setting. All other uses require prior consent. For more information or to request consent for use, please contact author: info@deacontraining.com

An Examination of Current Trends

The traditional church model is the most common today. In a traditional theory structure, a church maintains a necessary stability and continuity between short pastor tenures, common in the SBC (Malcolm Yarnell, “Nature and Role of the Churches”, 9). Communication is conducted through a small group of people, mostly during the monthly business meetings and at the end of the worship services. Decisions are made at a slow and deliberate pace in order to maintain stability in the church. Multiple committee meetings usually precede decisions made by the church at its monthly business meetings.

As mentioned earlier, the flaws to this model are clear. First, since decisions are made slowly and deliberately, the use of this structure allows for little flexibility in reacting to outside forces and changes. Second, the hierarchal structure allows for little input from new members that join the church and wish to be involved. Third, most of the members of the committees generally wear more than one “hat,” that is, they serve on several committees and take up a great deal of their time to be in meetings rather than to be out with the unchurched. Last, pastors often find this model to be the most frustrating and least responsive to the evangelistic efforts that many pastors wish to employ.

The emergence of the Purpose Driven Church model has some pastors seeking to pursue a pastor dominated structure, as modeled by Rick Warren at Saddleback Community Church. This structure is influenced by business principles the operation of the church, with a CEO type pastor, support administrators, and decision making that rests on a small core group. Churches in this model have had notoriously short business meetings, often to vote (and not debate) over a major direction shifting issue that affects an overwhelming majority.

The Purpose Driven model allows for quicker decisions and responses to ministry. Communication is primarily from pastor to congregation, and deacons are included in the decision making process only on special occasions. Deacons and committees (or more appropriately, ministry teams) are chosen by the pastor, and decisions made are often given a rubber stamp approval by the congregation at large at annual business meetings. Plans and visions on ministry comes mostly from the pastor, and so tasks often rest on the pastor’s abilities or lack of abilities in people skills, administration, vision, and his fidelity to a God-centered ministry.

Though it has worked at Saddleback, this model can result in a great deal of conflict for a church is misapplied. Pastors risk burn out as they attempt to balance preaching, leading, ministering, and handling conflict. A pastor lacking gifts or having a combative style of leadership can cycle through gains and losses of members. Deacons typically cease to contribute highly to the church ministry. Last, church members can feel left out of the decision making process and frustrated.

Certainly, Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven model for ministry has many advantages, including being able to respond to community needs, but it is given that there can be a better way to be both biblically faithful and meet needs within and outside of the church. Two questions arise as one seeks to adjust the model itself: What would allow for a flexible, yet accountable system, provide for maximum effectiveness of ministry, allow more people to be involved in ministry, and yet be faithful to a biblical pattern? Is there new competencies needed for a new, God centered model of ministry for the church?

The rest of this work will examine these areas. First, the role of pastors and deacons will be explored within the context of a new God centered model. Second, the competencies of a pastor/leader will be discussed for this model. Last, a curriculum will be suggested in order to apply this theory to immediate application in the way of training and education. To begin, a short survey and biblical critique of the officers themselves is necessary.

The Two Officers

Scripture gives guidance into the two officers of the church, the pastors and the deacons. The Greek word for pastor or shepherd, poimen, can be found in its usage only once in the entire New Testament. This use, which is found in Ephesians 4:11, states “and He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.” In this particular usage, the word for pastor is mentioned together with the word for teacher didaskalos. This combination of the two words is significant, since through divine inspiration and direction the Apostle Paul obviously intended for the pastors to also possess the gift of teaching, something that is brought out more directly in 1 Timothy 3:2 (Thomas Schreiner 2002).

Scriptural references on the position of pastor are also found elsewhere, as in the book of Acts, where the connection between the words pastor, elder, and overseer can be reconciled. In Acts 20:17 Paul is found calling “to him the elders of the church” and while giving the group instructions on dealing with the church, told them to “be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd (pastor) the church (Acts 20:28, emphasis added).” Though the use of the word shepherd in this case is not used as a title but as a duty, nonetheless the idea was that these men, called also the overseers or elders, were to shepherd or pastor the church. The link between the three words cannot be overlooked and should have everyday practical implications within the Church.

The office of pastor is to be made up of men that are to “shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness” (1 Peter 5:2). This oversight includes “caring, leading, guiding, and protecting – all duties and responsibilities a shepherd has for his flock” (John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, 855). Most SBC Churches use the word “pastor” for this office, often receiving widespread acceptance with the least amount of confusion within contemporary church culture.

Many SBC churches have operated in a traditional system of congregational polity, along with the view that the church officers consist of a single pastor and a small group of deacons to assist and administer the church. Deacons have been reliable in the latter part of the twentieth century, yet have evolved for practical reasons from being “administrators and budget managers in the '50s and '60s to various and increasing degrees of servant leadership in the '70s, '80s and '90s” (Edward H. Hammett, Emerging Models of Deacon Ministry, Emerging.html). Yet pastors in some SBC churches have become subservient to the deacon body, with conflicts occurring and even pastors losing their employment in a church at the hands of the deacon board.

This is contrary to the Biblical concept of deacon. The meaning of the Greek word used for deacon literally means to serve. An example of a proper biblical role of deacons can mostly be found in the early predecessors of deacons in Acts 6, when the murmuring of the Greek-speaking congregation against the Aramaic speaking members was due to the neglect of the Diakonia, or ministry service of the Apostles. As a result, the apostles directed the congregation to "set apart seven men of good reputation " (Acts 6:3) to carry out the daily serving of tables. This allowed the Apostles to devote more time for the ministry of the Word and to prayer. If then, the seven chosen are precursors to the future deacon ministries, one can then conclude that the ministry of tables or more appropriately, the ministry of people, are to be a focus of deacon ministry.

It is true that a deacon’s service is a massive task. Deacons are to perform the acts of “physical service” (Mark Dever, A Display of God’s Glory, 6) by taking care of the daily benevolent needs of the poor, such as the widows of the church. Deacons are to also preserve the unity of the spirit (Acts 6:5), through these acts of service. Charles Deweese points out that in the early church, “deacons were the real agents of the charity provided through the church, providing for widows and orphans” (Charles W. Deweese, The Emerging Role of Deacons, 12). He further explained that the deacons were the ones that attended to the sick visited members that fell away from the church.

One more subject to explore in the discussion on pastors and deacons is the need for congregational polity. Scripture makes it clear that the church is always the authority as the body of Christ, and not a “board” of pastors, deacons, or any other body. Matthew 18:17 states that when there is a dispute involving sin that it is ultimately to be resolved within the entire church, and not any other subgroup. The church is the final authority to call pastors and deacons, yet paradoxically should gleefully submit to their leadership and care. Ultimately, however, even the leadership submits to the church’s authority. This means that the church should study the Scriptures as they discern the will of the Lord in important congregational matters.

A Call to a God Centered Model

After discussing the two models common in churches today, it is apparent that there are weaknesses in each, and that there is a need for a more balanced and biblical approach to ministry. The chart shown presents a balance of decision making and power in the form of an equilateral triangle. This triangle represents a hybrid of both the human relations and the systems theories and so relies heavily on communication and godliness of members within each of its parts. In this model, the church, or the Bride of Christ, is placed at the center of all church life. All members of the congregation are expected to fall into one of the three parts on the triangle, depending on their individual call and giftedness –either they are members of one of the many ministry teams, they are one of the deacons, or in some occasions, they are a pastor. The deacons, pastor (or pastors), and the various ministry teams are interconnected with each other and with the congregation. The parts at each end of the triangle are separate, coordinated efforts toward achieving the same goal: to love God and to love people.

In this God centered model, the roles of all parts are clearly defined. The pastor is a leader, a teacher, and an equipper. The pastor is to be a servant of the Word, studying and teaching the Scriptures in order to help the church to become mature in Christ. The pastor is the main communicator, the lead teacher, and the example for the church to follow in Christian conduct. Open communication, along with a true love for one another in Christ, allows a church to be open to the pastor’s leadership as he leads and teaches according to the Word of God.

The role of the deacon is that of a servant leader. The deacons are to be servants of the church, caring for the individual family concerns, ministering to benevolence and bereavement needs, and sharing needs and spiritual concerns of people within the church with the pastor. Relationships with the deacons and the church drive this part of the model, and any lack of in-reach by the deacons will mean that this model will likely function less effectively.

Ministry teams are also a key part of the model. The many ministry teams in a church function reach both inside and outside of the church. Each ministry leader is responsible to guide the teams to fulfill goals through healthy team dynamics, including open communication, clear planning, and fidelity to the Scriptures. With the shepherding leadership of the pastor and the servant leadership of the deacons, ministry teams can successfully respond to ministry needs and thus help to fulfill the vision of the church.

The God centered model of a church organizational structure has many practical advantages. First, the greatest participant is the congregation at large. A culture of “every member a minister” such as that advocated by those in the purpose driven churches would fit very well in this model. Second, a lack of giftedness by any one individual in any of the parts of the organization is balanced by others fulfilling the same task. Third, there is a great deal of accountability within each part of the organization to others and ultimately, to the congregation as a whole. Any breakdown in any one part can result in the other parts working to restore functionality rather quickly.

This model is stands out to the other models in its ability to withstand biblical critique. The concept of “equal value, different tasks” falls in line with 1 Cor 12. The pastor and deacon offices are retained and utilized in accordance with scriptural guidance. The emphasis on the use of the congregation and the ministry teams helps each member to realize his or her place in the Kingdom work. Last, the principles of loving accountability matches well with the principles of unselfish love as found in Phil 2:4, Gal 5:22-25, and Gal 6:2. The model presents a refreshing return to God centeredness, as opposed to the business-centered models in use in many churches.

However, there are some potential weaknesses to this model because of the sin nature of humans. Granted, these same weaknesses have the potential to be exposed in any model but should be discussed nevertheless. For example, there is always the danger of one element of the model (pastors, deacons, or ministry teams) to dominate over the others due to ungodly and carnal behavior by one side or the other. A lack of communication among the various elements can also be a threat to the success of the model. Yet a third concern may be a lack of giftedness among one or more of the parts of the model. It is important to address these concerns for a few moments.

The risk of a person or persons in one of the three elements of the model to dominate over the others is a legitimate concern. The sin nature of every person creates a tendency to place self over others, resulting in pride, ego, and other consequences of sin. To overcome this, the congregation must be fully committed to the biblical integrity model and be willing to deal with difficult issues, including church discipline if necessary. By instituting discipline and embracing a God centered model of ministry, unselfish actions will be held in check.

The second objection is that a lack of communication can destroy any organization. Since every church setting is different in terms of a favored means of communication, the best solution for a lack of communication is to utilize multiple means of communication to achieve greatest impact. Some ministry settings may use email effectively, yet other cultural settings may necessitate the use of telephone, snail mail, or even face to face contacts. Either way, the key is this: open, participatory, and multiple discussions should be the rule rather than the exception by all parties.

A third potential danger to a church using this new model is the lack of giftedness by any element (or participant) of the model. If, for example, a pastor is not well trained in leading ministry teams, the organization as a whole may suffer. One means of resolving these sort of issues involves utilizing multiple persons in the each elements, including the position of pastor. Having a plurality of pastors helps to round out the collective giftedness and possibly provides internal accountability. A second way to solve this issue is through the training of competencies, dealt with in the material to come.

This model is one that is both practical and biblical. The many benefits of this God centered model include being able to use the many gifts found in the congregation, having more of a partnership with one another in ministry, and elevating the Bride of Christ in its proper setting as the primary conduit for God’s work. The weaknesses, though few, are just as likely to happen in other models, and in fact does happen in some cases. With open communication and a willingness to persevere to a biblical integrity model, a church can work through the potential dangers. Now the attention must turn to the leader himself as he adapts to this new model.

The Competencies Needed for a Leader

In this new biblical model, new competencies should be attained by the various leaders within the church. The Bible is replete with examples, which will be explored further. First, however, the Scriptures teach that a leader, above all, is to have godly character among the church and among those outside of the church. The basic qualifications for a leader, according to 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and other passages are that a leader must be above reproach. In order to manage a church well, a leader should have a high regard among the brethren and a good reputation in the world. A failure to maintain a Christ-like character would negate any work that a leader might do in the development of his competencies. A character above reproach is the single most important factor for any leader.

Skills for Ministry

Beyond having a godly character, several skills can be developed in the leading of a ministry. One skill is the development of the ability to communicate with both love and truth. Ephesians 4:15 says, “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up into all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.” Later Paul writes, “therefore laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another” (Eph 4:25, NASB). Jesus’ commandment for each one to “love one another” (Jn 15:12, 17), repeated numerous times in other parts of Scripture, mandates that a leader is to not only be able to communicate to his fellow members of the Body, but also to communicate in love and truth. This begins with the leader’s heart, yet there is also the responsibility for a leader to grow in his interpersonal skills to convey to others the love and truth that he feels in his heart.

Another competency that a leader should develop is in the area of conflict management. To keep the Body of Christ in a spirit of peace, a leader should be able to set a tone and correct any issues that may arise within the church. The writer of Hebrews gave this charge:

The leader is responsible to pursue peace and to prevent the root of bitterness from springing up in the church. This responsibility requires training and wisdom in order to handle conflicts properly.

A third area of development for a leader is in the art of delegation. As ministries grow and ministry teams develop, a leader must pass on responsibilities to others. One example of delegation is the one given to Moses by Jethro, his father in law. Moses was advised to “select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens” (Ex 18:21, NASB). Another example is the direction given by Paul to Titus, to “appoint elders in every city” (Titus 1:5, NASB). A leader would avoid burn out and minister more effectively if he were to delegate his tasks to a trusted group of people.

The ability to encourage and to motivate others is a fourth skill a leader should develop. Discouragement can come quickly in the midst of ministry challenges, and a leader must be able to respond to a challenge. Nehemiah was one such example, and when distractions and discouragement came, he rose up and called the people back to the Lord and His work: “remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses" (Neh 4:14, NASB). A leader must be focused, on task, and able to convey his enthusiasm and passion to others.

Suggested Curriculum

Below is a suggestion of some training ideas in a formal setting. It is thought that a college or even a seminary level course could be designed to assist the leader with achieving these competencies. This course might also be redesigned for use in a chruch setting as two seven week courses. Here is a suggested layout of such a course:

Course Name: God-Centered Leadership

Books assigned:

Required Reading:

Dever, Mark E. 2001. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Washington, D.C.: Center for Church Reform.

Sanders, Oswald. 1980. Spiritual Leadership. Chicago: Moody Press.

Rosenau, Jeff. 2003. Building Bridges, Not Walls: Learning to Dialogue in the Spirit of Christ (workbook). Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress.

Optional Reading:

Baxter, Richard. Watch you walk: ministering from a heart of integrity. James Houston, ed. Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Publishing.

Warren, Rick. 1995. The Purpose-Driven Church. Zondervan.

Possible Course Schedule and Content Overview:

Week 1- Syllabus, intro to course

• Leadership in the Bible survey
• Assignment: lesson 1 in Rosenau book, each week new lesson.

Week 2- The God-Centered Model

• Discussion on Rosenau assignment from last week
• A survey of business models in use in churches today (purpose driven, traditional)
• Biblical models for pastors, deacons, ministry teams

Week 3- The Role of the Shepherd

• Discussion on Rosenau assignment from last week
• Lecture on a Shepherd’s role and character
• Assignment- three page paper on three biblical characters, critiquing their leadership skills, due next week

Week 4- The Need for Deacons

• Discussion on Rosenau assignment from last week
• Lecture on Deacons
• Case study assignment and discussion

Week 5- The Role of the Church

• Discussion on Rosenau assignment from last week
• Lecture: Church polity, Church politics, and Church power
• Discussion: how a leader works in a group dynamic

Week 6- Communication

• Discussion on Rosenau assignment from last week
• Lecture: Interpersonal Communications
• Ken Sande Peacemaker video: part one (25 minutes)

Week 7- Conflict Resolution

• Discussion on Rosenau assignment from last week
• Handling conflict lecture
• Ken Sande Peacemaker video: part two (25 minutes)

Week 8- Mid Term Exam (biblical aspects, communication)

• Discussion on Rosenau assignment from last week
• Ken Sande Peacemaker video: part three 25 minutes

Week 9- Conflict Resolution, part two

• Discussion on Rosenau assignment from last week
• Discussion on conflict resolution: case studies
• Ken Sande Peacemaker video: part four 25 minutes
• Discussion on video series

Week 10- The Art of Delegation

• Discussion on Rosenau assignment from last week
• Team Ministry Dynamics and delegation lecture
• Assignment: team project
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    •  
      • Teams to do a ministry together
      • Member to evaluate team dynamics
      • Allow for planning in class
      • Present project and results in two weeks

Week 11- Team Alignment

• Discussion on Rosenau assignment from last week
• Lecture on having launching a successful team ministry
• Team project planning

Week 12- Team Projects

• Discussion on Rosenau assignment from last week
• Teams to present projects to class
• Discussion on team dynamics

Week 13- Overcoming Discouragement

• Discussion on Rosenau assignment from last week
• Assignment due: Spiritual Leadership Book Review (6 pages)
• Video: Facing the Giants (111 minutes)- students to note ways discouragement was overcome by leader

Week 14- Overcoming Discouragement

• Continue discussion on movie, identifying important points of learning
• Lecture on overcoming discouragement and team alignment

Week 15- Wrap up

• Discussion on Rosenau assignments, learning experiences from study
• Lecture on God Centered Leadership, sum up points from semester
• Final Exam review and discussion

Week 16- Final Exam- peacemaking, team alignment, overcoming discouragement, general questions on reading.

• Reading completed statements turned in
• Rosenau book completion statement turned in

Conclusion

The God Centered church model is one that is both biblical and useful for churches in the 21^st century. A shepherd would do well to guide his church to this paradigm while at the same time work on his own skills to lead the church with excellence. Deacons and ministry teams would be essential in this model and can respond with eagerness to the God centered church model. With a heart for God, a character in Christ, and a guidance by the Spirit, a church leader will see the Great Commission realized, the Great Commandments practiced, and a great future in store for God’s glory to shine.

Reynolds, J. L. Church polity [on-line]. Accessed 6 December 2002. Available from http://www.founders.org/ library/polity/reynolds.htm; Internet.

Richards, Larry and Gary Bredfeldt. 1998. Creative Bible teaching. Chicago, IL: Moody Press.

Rosenau, Jeff. 2003. Building bridges, not walls: Learning to dialogue in the Spirit of Christ (workbook). Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress.

Sanders, Oswald. 1980. Spiritual leadership. Chicago: Moody Press.

Schreiner, Thomas. 2002. “Plurality of pastors discussion.” Classroom lecture, 40080–Ministry of Leadership, 14 November 2002. Audio recording by student.

Sproul, R.C. 2000. The holiness of God. Tyndale House Publishing.

Spurgeon, Charles H. 2004. The treasury of David. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.

Trascritti, Fran. 2007. 1 Tim 3:1-15 - Three traits of a healthy church [audio sermon]. Accessed Jan 28, 2007. Available from: http://www.fbchurlock.org/userFiles/239/ audio239_qqjgoy.mp3.

Walvoord John and Roy B. Zuck. 1983. The Bible knowledge commentary. Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor.

Warren, Rick. 1995. The purpose-driven church. Zondervan.

Wills, Greg. 2002. The church: baptists and their churches in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries [on-line]. Accessed 16 December 2006. Available from http://www.founders.org/ library/polity/wills.htm; Internet.

Yarnell, Malcolm. 2003. From Christological ecclesiology to functional ecclesiasticism: developments in Southern Baptist understandings of the nature and role of the churches ecclesiology [on-line]. Accessed 15 Feb 2007. Available from http://www.swbts.edu/ faculty/myarnell/documents/SouthernBaptistEcclesiology.pdf; Internet.

Yount, William R. 1996. Created to learn. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Zuck, Roy B. 1984. The Holy Spirit in your teaching. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.