Governance
(Review committee report here)
-What shall be the structure of governance at FOHC?
-What shall be the church’s instructions to those appointed to serve the body in governance?
Acts 15:3-4 “And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. “
Acts 15:22 “Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose …”
Per elder minutes from February 10, 2008: “…a church vote took place in 1998 or 1999 to move to being an Elder lead church body. We as the Elders remember the vote took place on a Sunday night, but a specific date could not be recalled.” In this context, “servant leaders” is appropriate for elders. Note, the minutes of February 10, 2008 stated recollection of a move to elder “lead” not elder “ruled”.
Did the FOHC church body “in 1998 or 1999” surrender its voice and bind the body to such in perpetuity? Did the church body knowingly accept that elder led would lead to elder ruled? A fundamental tenet of governance is that free people who bestow power on governors retain the prerogative to require accountability from their servants and adherence to their commission. Although FOHC has operated under the elder-deacon model of governance since its founding as Believers Fellowship Baptist Church forty years ago, there is a need to periodically reassess how to achieve the best shepherding and service to the body.
Issues to be evaluated may include:
- What should be the priorities and what should be the structure?
- Who should direct the structural ministries of the church?
- How are elders and deacons selected?
- How long do elders and deacons serve? Do they rotate?
- Can elders and deacons be recalled or removed? Who decides such and what are the criteria?
- What written guidelines shall direct the elders and deacons in their designated service?
- Are minutes of meetings of church servants maintained, published, and available to the FOHC body? Are meetings open to worshipers?
- How are differences addressed?
- What are the methods of appeal for offenses by designated servants?
Carefully deliberated, defined, adopted, and written procedures bind those who may stray in their offices. Such governance issues and the evaluation thereof are proper for the assembly.
One may reasonably ask: What can we glean from scripture about proper functioning of the governed and the governors of the church?
There are no positive, New Testament examples of church officials wrestling with consequential issues, in closed meetings, from which the assembly is excluded and the assembly’s input precluded. The examples of closed meetings are those in which the chief priest, scribes, and/or elders of the Pharisees met in secrecy, conspiring to carry out their nefarious activities aimed at silencing Jesus Christ.
The positive New Testament example of elders wrestling with tough questions is depicted in the so called “Jerusalem Council” (Acts 15), a portion of which is provided below. As you read, note
- The sending of Paul and Barnabas was “by the church”
- The receiving of Paul and Barnabas in Jerusalem was “by the church”
- The contending was in the presence of “all the multitude”
- The decision was by “the apostles and elders, with the whole church”
- The letter communicating the decision was from “The apostles, the elders, and the brethren”
Acts 15:
1 And certain [men] came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
2 Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.
3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren.
4 And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.
5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command [them] to keep the law of Moses.”
6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.
7 And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up [and] said to them: “Men [and] brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
8 “So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as [He did] to us,
9 “and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10 “Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11 “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”
12 Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles.
13 And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, “Men [and] brethren, listen to me:
14 “Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.
15 “And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
16 ‘After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up;
17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the LORD who does all these things.’
18 “Known to God from eternity are all His works.
19 “Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God,
20 “but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, [from] sexual immorality, [from] things strangled, and [from] blood.
21 “For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in
the synagogues every Sabbath.”
22 Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, [namely,] Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren.
23 They wrote this [letter] by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.”
