Training Leaders in the Congregation
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Church Leadership
Church Leadership
Any time there is a group of people working towards a goal, that group needs leadership to be successful.
This is true for the church—the church needs leadership
Jesus has provided the pattern for leadership in His church
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
We do not need to invent leadership structures—we simply need to follow Jesus’ pattern.
We continue to be led by the Apostles and prophets through the writings of the New Testament.
Evangelists, Shepherds (or elders), and teachers remain a part of church leadership.
Each of these roles is important to the leadership and success of the church.
Men in every congregation need to be maturing and developing so that they can fill these roles in the church.
The Church Needs ALL the roles of Leadership…
The Church Needs ALL the roles of Leadership…
Jesus’ plan is for congregations to have elders, evangelists, and teachers.
All of these roles are similar in some ways
All of them are involved in teaching!
But these roles are also different.
Teachers equip the congregation by teaching God’s Word
Evangelists teach the congregation, share the gospel with the lost, and develop local leadership
Elders teach the congregation and also oversee the congregation
When one or more of these roles is lacking, then the work of the local congregation will not be as effective as it could be.
There may be reasons that one role or another is not filled for a time. But our goal should be to develop and fill each of these roles!
This means we shouldn’t neglect any of these roles
This also means we shouldn’t try to condense these roles into one
It is not right or wise for one man to shoulder all the leadership of a congregation. This is not good for the man or the congregation when this happens.
Jesus appointed 12 apostles
Eph. 4:11 lists multiple roles of leadership
The New Testament refers to a plurality of elders at each congregation—never just a single pastor
When one man seeks to fulfill all the roles, work cannot be done appropriately or effectively
An evangelist may be influential and respected, but he is not an elder. It is not his role oversee the congregation.
An elder is to be a shepherd and overseer of a congregation. This will be difficult or impossible for him to do if he is away for extensive periods evangelizing new areas.
If we are teachers, we need to focus on growing and developing as teachers.
If we are evangelists, we need to be fulfilling our work as evangelists.
If we are elders, we need to be faithfully shepherding and overseeing our congregation.
Leadership Roles Must be Trained and Developed
Leadership Roles Must be Trained and Developed
Leaders do not just appear—they must be developed!
Developing and training leaders is an ongoing process—one that we should never feel is simply “completed.”
First, even as leaders, we should always be growing and developing
Second, growing into leadership should be the natural course for many Christian men as they mature in their faith.
Third, it’s important that new leadership be trained so that the church is not left without leadership when changes happen:
Leaders may move away
Leaders may be unable to fulfill their work in older age
Leaders die
When these things happen, it’s important that there are other men who can step up and do the work. Even better—it’s great when there are other men who are already doing the work!
Evangelists Play an Important Role in Training Church Leaders
Evangelists Play an Important Role in Training Church Leaders
An important part of being a Christian is teaching others to follow Christ
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
MAKE DISCIPLES
Go
Baptize
Teach
All Christians can help in this. As we mature in our faith, we should grow in the ability to be good examples and good teachers to other, newer Christians
Older and the younger:
2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.
Evangelists are specifically charged with training leaders
Paul appointed elders at congregations he established
23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Even though Paul was an apostle, He didn’t seek to simply rule congregations. He appointed elders and often sent evangelists to help congregations. By training, appointing, and sending others, Paul helped ensure congregations could be led appropriately, which allowed Him to continue proclaiming the gospel in new places!
Titus was left on Crete to appoint elders
5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—
It is possible for a congregation to exist without elders—but something is lacking while that’s the case!
Congregations should be working towards eldership, and evangelists should be helping this process.
Titus was not instructed to simply rule over these congregations. He was supposed to serve them by developing and appointing qualified men in every congregation.
Timothy was instructed to train others
2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.
Like Titus, Timothy wasn’t just instructed to rule a congregation. He was commanded to train others.
Not only was Timothy supposed to train others; he was supposed to train them to train yet more!
This passage reminds us that the process of teaching others and training leaders continues generation after generation.
Just in this passage we have 4 generations of disciples! (Paul, Timothy, faithful men, others)
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Paul’s instruction to Timothy to train others is how the church has continued generation after generation, century after century, for nearly 2,000 years!
The Lord’s church grows when we fulfill the Lord’s command to go, convert, and teach others how to follow Jesus.
We teach others, who teach others, who teach others.
As local congregations teach others what it means to follow Christ, and teach them to teach others, leaders will develop!
From those who learn to teach others will come teachers. From teachers will come evangelists and also elders!
And so we continue to teach, we continue to develop, and we continue to grow.