ken castor

Generational Transference in the Bible: Implications for Today's North American Church (Part 5)

(Continued from previous post...)

            Fourth, the central task of local church leadership is discipleship and equipping.  God raises leaders in order to equip others for the work of his ministry.  “While pastors do many things,” Snyder expresses, “the overriding task that gives pattern and focus to everything else is the equipping of the whole community for effective mission.”^[1]  Everything a leader does in the context of community should be filtered through the lens of the purpose of Ephesians 4:11-12.  Such a focus demolishes the model many churches have inherited which creates segmentation between clergy and laity. 1 Peter and Revelations endorse the priesthood of all believers as foundational to the interconnectedness of individuals towards the pursuit of mission. [2]  1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”  The biblical concept is that everyone is called to minister and serve in the missional identity of the church according to the way God has gifted them.  The role of pastors, for instance, is to enable individuals within the context of community to accomplish the task God has specifically given them.  Embedded in the framework of every-member ministry is a functional-mindset of ministry leadership over that of a positional-mindset.  While terms like pastor, elder, prophet, bishop, etc, can be viewed as titles representing ecclesial offices, Ephesians 4 encourages the view that these are descriptive terms expressing how certain people are to function within the body of the Christ’s church.  The role of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers in Ephesians 4:11-12, is “to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”  As Frank Viola has suggested, the New Testament roles of the church give the notion of leadership as resting upon functionality more than positional understandings.^[3]

            R. Paul Stevens and Phil Collins have stated “that the stagnation of the laity is caused mainly be the frustrating power of church system that keeps the laity marginalized and prevents the pastor from doing the most important work” of equipping the laity for the work of ministry.^[4]  Equipping others becomes grounded in relationship, spiritual character and mission, just as Jesus modeled, rather than upon programmatic ministry traditions.^[5]

            Ephesians 4:11-12 establishes the functionality of church leaders in terms of “preparing” or “equipping” others for the sake of the missional identity of the church. 
“Equipping” as a word is derived from Paul’s use katartismon, which means to “make fully ready.”^[6]  So according to Paul, the role of church leadership is to make the people of the church fully ready for the praxis of serving God and others so that the church will fully function according to its identity and mission. 

            Wilkes describes the koine derivation of katartismon as being from two different contexts: 1) the medical practice and 2) the fishing industry.^[7]  In the medical field, the koine definition of katartismon implied the setting of a broken bone in order “to prepare it for healing.”  In the context of fishing, the koine definition referred to the process of fisherman who worked to “equip” their nets at the end of their casting sessions so that the nets would be prepared for service during the next phase of fishing.  Both of these contexts, according to Wilkes, “provide leaders with images of their job.  To equip the church is to prepare its members to perform their part of the mission.  If the church were a net, the leader’s job would be to prepare that net” in order to enable the church to “fish for men.”^[8]  And with the metaphor of the church as a body, the leader’s responsibility is to “set the fractured parts of the body so they can heal and eventually function” alongside the other parts of the body as a whole.^[9]

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^[1] Snyder, 91

[2] 1 Peter 2:5, 9; Revelations 1:6; 5:10; 20:6

^[3] Viola, Frank, Reimagining Church: Pursuing the Dream of Organic Christianity (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook Publishers, 2008), 154

^[4] Stevens, xiii

^[5] Stevens, 37

^[6] Zodhiates, Spiros, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: 1992), 843

^[7] Wilkes, 186

^[8] Matthew 4:19

^[9] Wilkes, 186

Generational Transference in the Bible: Implications for Today's North American Church (Part 3)

(Continued from previous post...)

            Second, a local church should structure itself adaptively.  The church’s life, both in concept and in action, should be based on organic and missional metaphors.  Snyder notes that Scripture transforms even the static “building” and “temple” images of the church into organic ones: “living stones,” a growing building, and even a temple alive in the Spirit.^[1]  When the identity of the church is viewed as Christ’s body^[2] or as his bride,[3] then the life of the church naturally involves movement as well as issues of health and growth and reproduction.  According to Stevens and Collins, this biblical approach to structuring leadership and ministry means that the “most productive direction will be to work with the culture and systemic organization of the church” and reinforce the mutuality and interdependence of a congregation.^[4] 

            In an adaptive structure, an organization resists possessive leadership, resists institutionalization, and releases creativity to address paradigmatic challenges.  Stevens and Collins point out that a flexible network structure discourages goals that elevate leaders to the detriment of the rest of the body.^[5]  In other words, possessive leadership and rigid establishment cannot be bedfellows of the bride of Christ.

            In this way, generational transference principles will tend to reflect the adaptive practices of organic and missional communities within the contexts of life rather than static traditions, buildings or programs.^[6]  Transference principles will perpetuate beyond the construct of tools and resources, echoing the ongoing life breathed into the church by the Spirit.  Furthermore, because the church is alive acts as a living family, transference principles will tend to echo cooperative and partnership themes.

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^[1] Snyder, 90; See 1 Peter 2:4-6; Ephesians 2:19-22

^[2] E.g. Romans 12:5

[3] John 3:29; Revelation 19:7

^[4] Stevens, R. Paul and Phil Collins.  The Equipping Pastor: A Systems Approach to Congregational Leadership (Alban Institute, 1993), xviii-xix

^[5] Stevens, 7

^[6] “Mission is therefore not a program or project some people in the church do from time to time; the church’s very nature is to be God’s missionary people.” Roxburgh and Romanuk, The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2006), xv

Generational Transference in the Bible: The Early Church (Part 3)

 

         In the Early Church, generational transference was not shaped by program or certain methodologies, but on a simple truth of discipleship to Christ.  To the Corinthians, Paul wrote, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”^[1]  To the Philippians, Paul wrote, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me- put it into practice.”^[2]  There is inherent within Paul’s practice and training of leadership an understanding of modeling discipleship.  Paul expects a leader to serve as an example of appropriate pursuit of Jesus.  The expectation is a significant calling of leadership, a high standard of excellence in heart and behavior.  To the Ephesians Paul wrote, “Live a life worthy of your calling.”[3]  A lack of biblical leadership qualification creates an environment ripe for strife within a local church. “Too many churches suffer,” Wilkes suggests, because those recruited to lead “are not biblically qualified.”^[4]

         The biblical pattern involves the selection of mature people to the process of generational transference of ministry leadership who will then share the mission of the church with others.  The onus of leadership in the church is equipping the next generation for ministry who will in turn raise up others to continuously pass the message of Jesus from one person or community to another through all ages.  The strategy of generational transference is summarized by Paul as “what you have heard me say, entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”^[5] 

         The early church instructed those selected as recognized leaders within a congregation to exhibit deep personal character founded in a heart for the Lord.  Both Paul and Peter instructed that the “elder” leaders or “overseeing” leaders, were expected to be “above reproach” in their lifestyle.  According to Paul, this recognition includes being a husband to one wife, temperate in attitude, self-controlled in behavior, respected by others, hospitable to others, able to teach, mature with alcohol and money, with a track-record of success in the home and an ability to promote faith in Jesus.  High-impact leadership responsibility is entrusted to those who have exhibited a deepening faithfulness to the Lord over time and have earned a good reputation in the context of the wider community outside the church. 

         Regarding “deacon” leaders or “serving” leaders, Paul suggests a similar high standard of qualifications.  They must be worthy of respect, sincere, responsible with alcohol, humbly honest, firm in spiritual faith, and unashamed in their lifestyle, and responsible with their family.  Paul encourages Timothy to “test” these individuals according to these character and behavioral measurements so they will have the opportunity to prove themselves worthy of the high level opportunities.^[6]  None of these qualifications involves talent or gifting except for the call for some capacity of teaching skills.   

         As the early church progressed, ministries all across the Roman Empire became shaped and steered by successive waves of reliable people who had been entrusted with the task of spreading the Gospel and creating community.  The simple environment of interdependence of leadership in the early church evidences the manner by which God intends to perpetuate leadership in the church.  For instance, Epaphroditus is raised up as a leader among the church in Philippi and then commissioned to serve alongside Paul. 

            The last chapter of the book of Romans stands for all time as a testament to the interdependent ministry network that became integral to the transference of faith in the first century.  The list of names reads like a who’s who of the early church: Phoebe, a “serving leader” or “deacon” in Crenchea was a great help to many people, including Paul.^[7]  Priscilla and Aquila dramatically impacted numerous churches by preparing and releasing leaders like Apollos.^[8]  Young and old, Greek and Jew, male and female; the church has always exhibited the facet of integration in the make up of its leadership.  And others like Andronicus and Junias, Urbanus, Apelles, Tryphena and Tryphosa, Erastus, Gaius, Lucius, Jason, Sosipater, and Tertius, just to name a few, were considered by Paul as proven and emerging leaders in the early church.^[9]

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^[1] 1 Corinthians 11:1

^[2] Philippians 4:9

[3] Ephesians 4:1-2

^[4] Wilkes, 192

^[5] 2 Timothy 2:2

^[6] 1 Timothy 3:1-13.Titus 1:6-9; 1 Peter 5:1-11

^[7] Romans 16:1-2

^[8] Romans 16:3-5; Acts 18:2-3; 18-28

^[9] Romans 16:1-27

the pressure to be unholy

(graphic from DeadyViper)

All around me in this world is the pressure to be unholy.  And sometimes I simply forget... or ignore... or zone out.  Sometimes I let my guard down and don't spend time loving and being with God like I should.  I don't always live a "holy" life at home or work.  I don't always live a "holy" life as a father, as a husband, as a pastor, as a friend, as a brother, as a son.  If I did, those around me would be more free to flourish in their relationship with God.  Or, I suppose, if I were really doing it right, I'd be more curious to those around me for not fitting into the pattern of this world.

1 Peter 2:9-10 says: "You are a chosen people.  You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession.  This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.  One you were not a people; now you are the people of God.  Once you received none of God's mercy; now you have received his mercy.  Dear brothers and sisters, you are foreigners and aliens here.  So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls."

Ask anyone close to me and they'll tell you that my brain is not always wired with unlimited passion for righteousness.