Leadership Selection in the New Testament
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November 20, 2009
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Acts 1:15-26
There are several truths in the New Testament regarding leadership appointment:- Church leadership was never determined by democracy. Leaders were chosen by other leaders and approved by the communities they were part of, but never voted on.
- Local church communities were sometimes invited to be part of the process of choosing leaders, but leaders oversaw the process.
- Leaders were given time to emerge organically before they were appointed.
- Leaders are anointed by God and appointed by people.
There is no example in the New Testament of local church elders or trans-local apostles, prophets or evangelists being chosen by election. God worked primarily through the principle of existing leaders appointing other leaders. For example, Paul sent Titus to appoint leaders in the churches in Crete (Titus 1:5). At the Jerusalem council (Acts 15), it was the apostles and elders who came together to judge the dispute between the churches. And it was a senior amongst them, James the apostle, who led this very important gathering.
What qualifies leaders to appoint other leaders? It is a person’s spiritual gift, their trust relationship with the church or movement, their maturity, and their experience in doing the work of ministry that qualified them to recognize and appoint other leaders.
Leaders tend to appoint leaders who carry the same spiritual “DNA”, i.e., the same values. This is important because it allows the vision and passion of a leader to be imparted to others (see Romans 15:15-21 – Paul did not want to “build on another man’s foundation”). It might seem contradictory to believe that it is the New Testament pattern for leaders to appoint leaders and at the same time advocate organic church planting movements, but I believe that this pattern of leaders appointing leaders is a recognition of the truth that God wants there be a DNA transfer from church to church by those who are evangelizing and pioneering among the churches. The type of leadership we are speaking of is not positional or hierarchical leadership, but organic apostolic leadership. People who take initiative to start new churches by leading people to Christ are quite naturally accepted by others are their leaders. Those who are fathers and mothers in the Lord, who create family and who have spiritual sons and daughters they have led to faith in Christ, are naturally leading the way.
The practice of leaders of appointing leaders also creates accountability between churches through proven men and women who exercise one of the leadership “equipping” gifts described by Paul in Ephesians 4. As apostles and teachers and shepherds and prophets and evangelists move between church communities they are able to provide needed wisdom so the churches don’t become isolated or subject to false doctrine. In other words, there is a need from outside a local church community for help in discerning who qualifies to serve as elders inside the local church community, especially in the beginning stages of the life of a new church. It is those with one of the five gifts of equipping leadership that are able to discern others with the same gifts as themselves.
Scripture passages that reinforce the Biblical truth of leaders appointing leaders:
- The apostles chose another apostle – Acts 1:26
- When there was a need for some admin help in the early church, the apostles oversaw the process of selection and appointment of these leaders – Acts 6:1-6
- Jesus modeled the truth of leaders appointing leaders: He chose apostles from among his disciples to be leaders among them – Luke 6:12
- The elders oversaw the distribution of goods to the poor among them – Acts 11:30
- When their was a dispute, it was the apostles and elders that functioned as representatives of the people that judged the matter, and an apostle among them, James, who chaired the gathering – Acts 15:4, 16:4
- At the end of his life, Paul called for the elders of a church to come together – Acts 20:17ff
- When there were problems in the church in Crete, Paul sent Titus to set things in order and to appoint elders – Titus 1:5
8 Comments
Floyd,
A very concise and comprehensive presentation for the Sciptural basis for appointing leaders.
In the pastoral side of ministry for 25 years, my experience supports what you are pointing out from Scripture. This organic process even within a local ministry provides evidence for your conclusions:
1. passing on of the DNA (vision and values)of the ministry
2. practices accountability, may I also add,
3. provides clear understanding of the Holy Spirit's leading for followers within the organization, which "...makes every effort..." to keep the unity of the Spirit (Eph. 4:3-6).
Thank you for the article.
David: new to ANC Omaha, NE under Lincoln Murdoch.
Hi floyd. What a great lesson. But do leaders even need to be in a church and appointed by church. Don't people just lead In life and pass on their DNA to others. Doesn't god craft and architect the behaviours of those that love him to his glory so that his manifold wisdom can be displayed before all the heveanly hosts? Sorry floyd been meaning to connect with you for some time! :) Thanks for taking my stepdad and I out shooting when in Kansas. :)
I totally agree on what you say how a church should operate and that you need to have servarnt leaders. But that is the easy part as we can get it in the word. With other words it is what i call a Jesus culture. The big challenge for me is how to change people from a African culture to a Jesus culture even after they have been saved.
Hi,
What I notice with myself, is that I still find it hard to get rid of the 'old thinking' of elders/apostles as leading but instead as you say it: It might seem contradictory to believe that it is the New Testament pattern for leaders to appoint leaders and at the same time advocate organic church planting movements, but I believe that this pattern of leaders appointing leaders is a recognition of the truth that God wants there be a DNA transfer from church to church by those who are evangelizing and pioneering among the churches. The type of leadership we are speaking of is not positional or hierarchical leadership, but organic apostolic leadership.
I still haven't got a clue about how that must look like in real life!
Therefor i'm not very succesful in grasping what you are trying to explain, much to my regret.
God bless,
Esther
Greetings Brethren,
A friend just emailed me your website, and I am delighted to see the powerful work that you are doing in South Africa.
I am from Barbados in the Caribbean, but I am presently staying in New York in the USA, at my mother, undergoing some more preparation and training by the Lord.
For the past year in Barbados, God led me to a house church fellowship, where I was taught with similar teachings that you shared. It is very simple church, but with sound biblical truths. It is more like the place where we are equipped and then encouraged to lead house church or even block church or anywhere church in our communities.
I have been serving the Lord for 10 years and I love the Lord dearly. I have a passion for evangelism and World Missions. In fact, I am a missionary. I have done much evangelism in my home land and I went on a mission to Guyana in 2007, and here in the US as well.
I have a great desire to do work for the Lord in Africa as well.
Please keep me up to date.
Blessings,Peace and Love,
Elizabeth.
Floyd - I agree...99%. Below is the greek word used in Act 14:26 and it seems to leave room for elections, i.e., "lifting of the hands." Perhaps it was the Apostles who did the "lifting of hands" (voting)and not the congregations? Probably so, in which case I'd agree with you 100%. All of the other greek words used in the appointing of elders/leaders passages certainly seem to line up with leaders selecting leaders, vs. congregations voting.
Great article Floyd. Thanks.
Linc
χειροτονέω
cheirotonéō; contracted cheirotonṓ, fut. cheirotonḗsō, from cheirotónos (n.f.), stretching out the hands. To elect to an office by lifting up the hand; to choose, vote (2Co_8:19); to appoint to an office (Act_14:23).
In the appointment of the elders in Act_14:23 cheirotonéō is used which in later days often meant "to ordain." However, it does not necessarily imply the actual laying on of hands. It means to elect through a show of hands by an assembly, as in 2Co_8:19, or to appoint, as by God (Act_10:41) or man (Act_14:23).
Deriv.: procheirontonéō (G4401), to choose beforehand.
Syn.: tássō (G5021), to assign; horízō (G3724), to mark out, specify, ordain; apostéllō (G649), to set apart; eklégomai (G1586), to chose.
Ant.: anairéō (G337), to abolish; katargéō (G2673), to put down, cancel out; anathematízō (G332), to curse; paraitéomai (G3868), to depreciate, reject; aporríptō (G641), to hurl off, reject.
New website design is very nice! =D
Very valuable and Biblical truths. Thanks Floyd!