Early Church Leadership

From Theologica

The following time line was provided by Dr. Gene Getz at the 2007 //Iron Sharpens Iron// men's conference

+ Time Line Regarding Local Church Leadership ||~ Date||~ Book of Acts and the Epistles||~ Events|| || A.D. 33 || Acts 2 || Birth of the church || || A.D. 45 || Acts 11:30 || Elders in Judea. This is the first mention of leadership in the church || || A.D. 45-47 || James 5:13-16 || Elders's prayer and healing ministry: Outline of prayer responsibility of elders || || A.D. 47 || Acts 14:21-23 || Paul and Barnabas appointing elders (1st missionary journey) || || A.D. 48-49 || Galatians 6:6 || Material support for spiritual leaders || || A.D. 49 || Acts 15:1-32 || Apostles and elders in Jerusalem || || A.D. 49-50 || Acts 16:4 || Delivering the letter composed by the apostles and elders (2nd missionary journey): meets Timothy who was chosen by reputation. This is important because reputation is important in selection of leadership || || A.D. 51 || 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 || Respecting and honoring overseers || || A.D. 58 || Acts 20:17-38 || Paul's directives to the Ephesian elders and overseers (3rd missionary journey) || || A.D. 58 || Acts 21:17-26 || Paul met with James and the elders in Jerusalem || || A.D. 61 || Philippians 1:1 || Paul greets the overseers and deacons in Philippi: local church leaders. First use of the word Deacon as a role || || A.D. 63 || 1 Timothy 3:1-13 || Qualifications for elders and deacons || || A.D. 63 || 1 Timothy 4:13-14 || Paul, the body of elders, and Timothy's gift (2 Timothy 1:6) || || A.D. 63 || 1 Timothy 5:17-18 || Material support for some elders || || A.D. 63 || 1 Timothy 5:19-20 || Both protecting and disciplining elders || || A.D. 63 || 1 Peter 5:1-4 || Peter's directives to elders and overseers || || A.D. 65 || Titus 1:5-16 || Qualifications for elders and overseers || || A.D. 64-68 || Hebrews 13:7, 17, 24 || Directives to imitate spiritual leaders ||

+ Scriptural Observations:

  1. The Term "Elders": In the early years of Christianity, spiritual leaders in local churches were consistently identified as "elders" (//presbuteroi//). [Jewish Culture]
  2. The Term "Overseers": As Paul and his fellow missionaries expanded their church-planting ministry into areas that were heavily populated with Gentiles, spiritual leaders were eventually also identified as "overseers" or "bishops" (//episkopoi//). [Gentile Culture]
  3. Managing: One of the basic terms New Testament writers used to describe the overarching function of elders/overseers was "to manage" (//proistemi//).
  4. Shepherding: The second term New Testament writers used to describe the overarching function of elders/overseers was "to shepherd or tend [//poimaino//] the flock of God."
  5. A Noble Task: When Paul outlined these overarching functions for elders/overseers, he made this opportunity available to any man who desired this "noble task" and who was qualified spiritually (1 Timothy 3:1).
  6. Specific Functions: In order for elders/overseers to carry out the overarching responsibility of "managing" the church effectively and "shepherding" God's flock as faithful and sensitive leaders, New Testament writers described and prescribed at least six specific and essential functions.
  7. Qualifications: The New Testament outlines very specific qualifications for serving as local church leaders, but they were not revealed in writing until Paul wrote letters to Timothy and Titus following his first imprisonment in Rome (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9).
  8. Human Responsibility: As the biblical story unfolds, we see more emphasis on human responsibility in selecting and appointing "qualified leaders."
  9. Apostolic Representatives: Though Timothy and Titus assisted Paul as apostolic representatives in selecting and appointing leaders in Ephesus and on the island of Crete, we're not told how other churches in the new Testament world carried out this process.
  10. A Unified Team: As the biblical story unfolds in the New Testament, it becomes increasingly clear that each local church was to be managed and shepherded by a unified team of godly men.
  11. A Primary Leader: The New Testament definitely teaches and illustrates that when there is a plurality of leadership, someone needs to function as the primary leader of the team.
  12. Accountability: In the early years of the church, there was accountability for elders/overseers among themselves and also beyond their local ministry.
  13. Delegation: The New Testament teaches that elders/overseers must maintain their priorities by delegating responsibilities to other qualified men and women who can assist them in managing and shepherding the church.
  14. Function and Form: The biblical story on local church leadership does not describe specific "forms" - only "functions" and "directives".

+ Supracultural Principles and Practical Application

  1. First Official Appointments: When local churches are established, the first official appointments should be spiritual leaders who are able to give overall direction to the church; however, they should not be appointed until they are qualified.
  2. A Unified Team: The goal of every local church should be to eventually appoint qualified leaders who serve together as a unified team.
  3. Qualifications: All spiritual leaders should be appointed based on the maturity profile outlined by Paul in the Pastoral Epistles
  4. Basic Ethics and Morality: When looking for qualified leaders to serve the church, consider first those men and their families who've grown up in an environment where their values have been shaped by Judeo-Christian ethics and morality.
  5. An Initial Leader: If there are no candidates in the church who are qualified to serve as official spiritual leaders, another qualified leader needs to serve in either a temporary or permanent role until others in the church are sufficiently equipped to serve in this role.
  6. A Primary Leader: Every group of spiritual leaders needs a primary leader who both leads and serves, and who is accountable to his fellow spiritual leaders.
  7. Titles: When determining "titles" for spiritual leaders in the local church, how they function is far more important that what the local body calls them.
  8. Multiple Fathers: Spiritual leaders should manage and shepherd the church just as fathers are to care for their families and shepherds are to tend their sheep.
  9. Important Priorities: All spiritual leaders should make sure they manage and shepherd the church well by maintaining six important priorities: 
# Teaching the Word of God
# Modeling Christlike behavior
# Maintaining doctrinal purity
# Disciplining unruly believers
# Overseeing the material needs of the church
# Praying for the sick
  1. Mutual Accountability: Spiritual leaders in the church should hold each other accountable for their spiritual lives as well as the way they carry out their ministries.
  2. Expanded Accountability: To follow the model that unfolds in the New Testament story, every body of local church leaders should have some kind of accountability system that extends beyond themselves - particularly involving the primary leader.
  3. Qualified Assistants: In order to maintain their priorities, spiritual leaders should appoint qualified assistants who can help them meet the needs of all believers in the church.
  4. Financial Support: Spiritual leaders are to make sure that those who devote significant amounts of time to the ministry, particularly in teaching the Word of God, should be cared for financially.
  5. Adequate Forms: Spiritual leaders are responsible to make sure that adequate forms are developed to carry out the functions inherent in the above biblical principles.
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