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Any church can choose to be structured in accordance with the guidelines and principles presented in the New Testament model of the church. The local church is comprised of those persons who make up the redeemed community (through faith in Christ) in a given place. This “body” of converted baptized believers functions as the representative of Christ in that particular locality. They covenant together to be a church with Christ always acknowledged as the Head of His body, which is the local church. (See Eph 1:22-23; 4:12-13,15; 5:23; 1 Cor 12:27; Col 1:18).
In creating the New Testament Church, God appointed certain men (“apostles and prophets” Eph 2:19-20) to lay the foundation under the leadership of Christ and to establish the structure by which each church should function. As the number of churches increased and the gospel spread, God appointed certain men of known proper character to serve as “elders” or “overseers” of the body of Christ. The governance of the local assembly progressed to a structure where the authority was vested in an identified group of men who were called, ordained, and charged with the responsibility of leading and overseeing the local body of Christ. This is the inspired model and it is binding on each local assembly to follow this pattern. (See Acts 14:20-23, 15:1-4, 6, 22-23; Acts 16:4; 20:13-38; 21:17-26; 1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Jam 5:14; 1 Pet 5:1-4).
The Bible refers to the men who serve in this office as “elders.” The model of elder leadership as presented in the Bible is one of servant leadership (Mat 20:26; 1 Pet 5:1-4). In discharging their duties, the elders serve Christ first and the church body next. The church body acknowledges the authority of the elders and supports the elders in the function of the church̓s ministry (1 Thess 5:12-13; 1 Tim 5:17-20; Heb 13:7,17). Nowhere does the New Testament teach or even hint at a structure of church government based on either majority rule (majoritism) or single (one-person) rule. The New Testament also prohibits women from serving in roles where they would teach or exercise authority over adult males in the local church setting (1 Tim 2:11-15). The clear teaching of the New Testament is that Christ is the Head of His body (the church) and leads these local assemblies through the submissive servant-leadership of a group of godly men called and appointed to serve Christ and His church as elders. In the Bible, both elders who primarily rule and others that labor in teaching to exhaustion are always in one group together in a particular church. There is not even one example of a local church with only one elder (Acts 14:23; 15:4, 6, 23; 20:17, 28; Phil 1:1; 1 Tim. 5:17 [note the term “especially”]; Titus 1:5; James 5:14).
The New Testament model of the function of the local church also includes the role of the “deacon”. Deacons are a group within the church body who are distinct from both the other believers and the elders within the church (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1-13). They are an ordained group of men that serve in this second church office. Their role and function in the church body is solely one of servanthood (Greek “diakonos” or servant). Deacons are a recognized group of godly men called out from the church body at large, ordained and charged with the responsibility of meeting the physical and care needs of the church body (Acts 6:1-6). While there are always administrative duties within the ministries of the church that require leadership, it is understood that the deacon is recognized as (and only as) a servant. Thus, their tasks will change according to the needs in the body. With this understanding, it is appropriate for women to serve in the non-ordained position of “deaconess” in the local assembly involving ministry to women or children (Romans 16:1; 1 Timothy 3:11). This position is not an office but is an auxiliary position to help the deacons meet the physical needs of female members in settings where it would be inappropriate for a man to be involved.
In creating the New Testament Church, God appointed certain men (“apostles and prophets” Eph 2:19-20) to lay the foundation under the leadership of Christ and to establish the structure by which each church should function. As the number of churches increased and the gospel spread, God appointed certain men of known proper character to serve as “elders” or “overseers” of the body of Christ. The governance of the local assembly progressed to a structure where the authority was vested in an identified group of men who were called, ordained, and charged with the responsibility of leading and overseeing the local body of Christ. This is the inspired model and it is binding on each local assembly to follow this pattern. (See Acts 14:20-23, 15:1-4, 6, 22-23; Acts 16:4; 20:13-38; 21:17-26; 1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Jam 5:14; 1 Pet 5:1-4).
The Bible refers to the men who serve in this office as “elders.” The model of elder leadership as presented in the Bible is one of servant leadership (Mat 20:26; 1 Pet 5:1-4). In discharging their duties, the elders serve Christ first and the church body next. The church body acknowledges the authority of the elders and supports the elders in the function of the church̓s ministry (1 Thess 5:12-13; 1 Tim 5:17-20; Heb 13:7,17). Nowhere does the New Testament teach or even hint at a structure of church government based on either majority rule (majoritism) or single (one-person) rule. The New Testament also prohibits women from serving in roles where they would teach or exercise authority over adult males in the local church setting (1 Tim 2:11-15). The clear teaching of the New Testament is that Christ is the Head of His body (the church) and leads these local assemblies through the submissive servant-leadership of a group of godly men called and appointed to serve Christ and His church as elders. In the Bible, both elders who primarily rule and others that labor in teaching to exhaustion are always in one group together in a particular church. There is not even one example of a local church with only one elder (Acts 14:23; 15:4, 6, 23; 20:17, 28; Phil 1:1; 1 Tim. 5:17 [note the term “especially”]; Titus 1:5; James 5:14).
The New Testament model of the function of the local church also includes the role of the “deacon”. Deacons are a group within the church body who are distinct from both the other believers and the elders within the church (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1-13). They are an ordained group of men that serve in this second church office. Their role and function in the church body is solely one of servanthood (Greek “diakonos” or servant). Deacons are a recognized group of godly men called out from the church body at large, ordained and charged with the responsibility of meeting the physical and care needs of the church body (Acts 6:1-6). While there are always administrative duties within the ministries of the church that require leadership, it is understood that the deacon is recognized as (and only as) a servant. Thus, their tasks will change according to the needs in the body. With this understanding, it is appropriate for women to serve in the non-ordained position of “deaconess” in the local assembly involving ministry to women or children (Romans 16:1; 1 Timothy 3:11). This position is not an office but is an auxiliary position to help the deacons meet the physical needs of female members in settings where it would be inappropriate for a man to be involved.
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