"CHURCH LEADERSHIP SELECTION"
By Dr. Hoyt W. Allen, Jr.
Acts
14:23 states that
the apostles
appointed elders in
every congregation.
There have been
various ideas
concerning this.
Some have been:
a) Episcopal form of
church government,
such as the Roman
Catholic Church,
contends that this
refers to the laying
on of hands in an
ordination service.
This is the official
setting apart a
person for a task.
b) Presbyterian form
of church government
contends that it
meant to select or
set apart men who
may have been
previously elected
by the members.
c) Congregation form
of church government
contends that it
implies a selection
of leaders by the
members, of which
selection was under
the oversight of the
apostles.
There
are fifteen
different Greek
words in the Bible
for “appoint”, but
the word used here
in the King James
Version (Greek
CHEIROTONEO),
literally means,
“stretch out the
hand”. It is from
this that the
teaching has
surfaced that one is
selected to the
office of leadership
by the showing of
hands or voting for
a specific person to
serve as a leader
within a
congregation. It is
translated as
“ordain” in most
newer translations.
It is used in only
one other place in
the New Testament,
that being II
Corinthians 8:19,
where it is
translated in
several ways;
chosen, selected,
appointed, etc.
The New
Testament does not
elaborate upon
methods by which
leaders are to be
selected. Titus 1:5
states that elders
were to be appointed
by evangelists. In
Acts 6:1-7 the
selection of
servants (deacons)
were ordained or
appointed by the
apostles, but the
congregation was
instructed to select
them. Thus, based
upon this precedent,
whatever method is
selected the learned
congregation must
have some input.
This allows for
local church
government and not a
hierarchy presiding
over a
congregation..
Keeping
the above in mind.
May the following be
considered as a good
potential plan for a
church to select
leaders for a
specified period of
time. Several months
prior to a scheduled
congregational
meeting the
following could be
announced:
1) The Evangelist
(Pulpit Minister)
will preach/teach a
series on Bible
qualifications
concerning church
leadership.
2) Two months prior
to the
congregational
meeting, nominations
for various offices
are made to a
Nominating
Committee, which is
comprised of the
Evangelist and the
Elders not up for
re-election. These
nominees are
screened, approved,
and then presented
to the congregation
for their final
approval by a vote.
An official
ordination service
should follow.
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