It is a common thing for an organization to have a statement issued by its leaders articulating the purpose or mission of that organization. From this statement and the exercise of thought, planning, objective setting, and strategizing behind it flow the priorities and activities of that organization. These documents answer questions such as, “Why am I in this organization? What are we supposed to do? How am I supposed to accomplish the work?” As far as the church is concerned, this task is considerably more straightforward with, perhaps, the greatest challenge being how best to condense the information down to a few pages. Because the philosophy of ministry for Mission Road Bible Church, and for any church for that matter, must come from the mandates of Scripture, our task is more straightforward. In the area of Christian ministry, there are no great varieties upon which to draw from. There is just one. That one comes from the Scriptures and applies to all churches and to their leaders.

The ministry of Mission Road Bible Church is in existence for the purpose of fulfilling the purpose of the church as that purpose is detailed in the Scriptures. As Paul said to Timothy, “These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:14-15).

Mission Road Bible Church exists for “the equipping of the saints for the work of service to the building up of the Body of Christ; until we attain to the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:12-13). To assist in reaching that goal, a biblical philosophy of ministry has been developed as a means for providing clear boundaries and objectives for all aspects of ministry at Mission Road Bible Church. This ensures that the church understands what should drive a particular ministry, how an effective ministry must be developed, and how to keep the ministry as whole grounded upon a biblical foundation. To that end, the Mission Road Bible Church Philosophy of Ministry consists of the following five elements.

We maintain, teach, and proclaim a correct, biblical view of God

We cannot have too high a view of God. Matthew 6:9 says, “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed by Thy name.” The most fundamental fact of our faith is God, and the most fundamental fact about God is that He is holy. Everything else rests upon this fundamental fact. How we see God regulates how we see everything else. Therefore, a biblically high view of God is everything. Without a biblical, high view of God we have nothing. When we put God into the right perspective, everything else is brought into focus. Psalm 9:10 says, “Those who know Your name will put their trust in You…”

The ministry at Mission Road Bible Church is no greater than our view of God. Without a biblical teaching on God, there is no conviction of sin and no real reason to be compelled to reach our generation for Christ. A low view of God leaves us cold, complacent and compromising. A low view of God will lead to a faulty relationship with Him, which will ultimately lead to faulty living. However, a biblical, high view of God will lead us to a growing, loving relationship with Him which will ultimately lead to holy living.

We recognize and accept the total authority of God’s Word

The Scriptures are God’s revelation to man and were given to us through the Holy Spirit. As such, the Bible constitutes the plenary (inspired equally in all parts) word of God, is without error in the original manuscripts and is completely trustworthy in all respects. The Bible is absolutely true and, because of that, it is essential that we know the Bible and apply it to every aspect of life and ministry. Concerning the church, the Scriptures are the only foundation upon which the church is built and contains the doctrine that it proclaims and instructs the church as to how it must function as the body of Christ. Though there are many worldly and man-centered standards by which a ministry may be measured, for a church to be pleasing to God, it must submit all decisions, plans, programs, and activities to the authority of the Scriptures.

We have a biblical view of the nature and condition of man

Scripture is clear with regard to man’s condition apart from salvation. All of mankind has an inherent characteristic: we are all sinners at birth by desire and deed. Man’s propensity is to move away from God in favor of himself and his own choices. Mission Road Bible Church believes that all of mankind is indeed totally depraved. This is not to say that every single person is as bad as they can possibly be; only that every person is as bad off as they can be, in that they are totally unable to submit themselves to God, and do not have a desire to submit to God. In a real, spiritual sense, mankind is dead at birth and thus completely unresponsive to the things of God apart from the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. Man can’t make a positive move towards God, any more than Lazarus could raise himself from the dead. The consequence of man’s condition should rebirth not occur is eternal damnation, separation from God in hell forever.

Because MRBC recognizes the clear teaching of Scripture regarding man’s condition, this emboldens us all the more to preach God’s word apart from our own craftiness. Should we believe that man, in and of himself, could reach out and choose God, this may cause us to manipulate the message and craft it in such a way as to coerce the unbeliever into the kingdom. We understand that salvation is a supernatural work of God; therefore, we are committed to preaching and teaching the Scriptures as clearly as we know how, so that the Spirit of God is free to do His work.

We are committed to following the biblical purpose for the church

The church is comprised of all who have repented of their sin and placed their faith in Christ and is a living organism made up of true believers. Christ loved the church and died for her so that He might sanctify her and present her to Himself in all her glory, blameless and without spot or blemish. Christ both nourishes and cherishes the church, and exists as head over His bride. The church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets and functions as the pillar and support of the truth.

Through the church, believers are equipped to mature into the likeness of Christ and unbelievers are presented the Good News of the Gospel. A failure to correctly understand the purpose of the church leads to a superficial and counterfeit ministry, resulting in disunity, and program success is glorified rather than God. People become passive spectators rather than active participants. Leadership is forced to spin all the plates to keep the programs functioning. As a result, the church becomes an organization, run by men and programs, rather than an organism of committed believers empowered by the Spirit of God.

We recognize and accept the priority for biblical church leadership

The New Testament clearly teaches that a team of elders should be responsible for overseeing and shepherding the church of Jesus Christ. Elders are mentioned a number of times in the early history of the church as recorded in the book of Acts. There are three Greek words that the New Testament uses to refer to the leaders of the church. Presbuteros translated “elder” refers to the spiritual maturity of the individual. Episkopos translated “overseer” indicates the managing position of the leader. Poimen translated “shepherd” describes the work of the leader. The three words are all used when referring to the leaders of the church (Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Peter 5:1, 2). These words reveal the kind of leadership God intends for His church. God intends that His church be led by spiritually mature men who will oversee and shepherd His people. This oversight and shepherding should have an emphasis on teaching and prayer.

Additional Information

We maintain, teach, and proclaim a correct, biblical view of God

We cannot have too high a view of God. Matthew 6: 9 says, “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.” The most fundamental fact of our faith is God, and the most fundamental fact about God is that He is holy. Everything else rests upon this fundamental fact. How we see God regulates how we see everything else. Therefore, a biblical high view of God is everything. Without a biblical high view of God we have nothing. When we put God into the right perspective everything else is brought into focus. Psalm 9:10 says, “Those who know Your name will put their trust in You…” That is why it is so important to preach and teach a biblical high view of God in every ministry at Mission Road Bible Church. It is an absolute non-negotioiable!

Charles H. Spurgeon said, “Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, continued investigation of the great subject of the Deity.” When considering a biblical, high view of God, there are two passages from the Old Testament that come to mind -Exodus 3:13-15 and Isaiah 6:1-8.

The most common and most important name for God is Yahweh. Exodus 3:13-15 gives us an understanding of how awesome He really is. God says to Moses, I AM WHO I AM.” Why is a biblical high view of God so important? There are at least seven reasons from this passage alone.

• God exists. This seems to be very obvious and basic. However, most people live as if God doesn’t exist or don’t really care if He does. Just considering this truth can help us stop pursuing our selfish, private pleasures and strive to pursue a life that glorifies Him.
• God’s personality and power are a result of Himself. Nobody and no power brought Him into existence or shaped His personality. He had no beginning and He has no ending. There is no reality outside Himself that did not come from Him. There is no force or influence upon His character and power except what comes from Him and is controlled by Him. He is totally absolute.
• God does not change. Malachi 3:6 says, “I Yahweh do not change; therefore you are not consumed.” He is not determined by any forces outside Himself, so He is not subject to changes. Nothing in all of His creation takes Him off guard or backs Him into a corner where He might have to act out of character or compromise His integrity. James 1:17 says, “With Him there is no variation or shadow due to change.” He is who He is, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. His name is the unmovable solid foundation of our confidence in His on-going faithfulness.
• God is a never-ending source of energy. Isaiah 40:28 says, “Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary.” He is an unending river of life and the source of our strength every morning-and will be for all eternity.
• God is not a subjective god. What we feel or want God to be does not make Him what He is. God puts an end to the notion that everybody’s view of Himself is as good as everybody else’s. He is who He is and nobody’s opinion of Him makes any difference. Our calling as His creatures is to learn to know Him for who He is, not for who we would like Him to be.
• God does not conform to us. We must conform to Him. As His creatures, we must know that God is who He is and not what we make Him out to be. Therefore, we must conform to Him.
• God, an infinite, absolute, self-determining God, has drawn near to us in Jesus Christ. In John 8:56-58 Jesus says, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” After the Jew responded Jesus said, “Truly, truly! I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Jesus took up all the majestic truth of the name of God, wrapped it in humility and became a servant, offered Himself to atone for all our rebellion and made a way for us to see the glory of God without fear. In Jesus Christ, we as believers have the privilege of knowing Yahweh as our Father-I AM WHO I AM.

A.W. Tozer said, “The greatest need of the moment is that lighthearted, superficial religionists be struck down with a vision of God high and lifted up, with His train filling the temple.” Mission Road Bible Church must always hold to a biblical high view of God. He must be high and lifted up because only He is truly worthy to be worshiped and adored. Isaiah 6:1-8 shows us the glory of a sovereign, holy, wrathful, loving and good God.

• God’s Sovereignty. God is seated on His throne, high and exalted, elevated above all of creation. The train of His robe filled the temple showing His infinite greatness cannot be measured or contained. The King is in control.
• God’s Holiness. The angelic choir chants the threefold repetitive anthem, “Holy, Holy, Holy” testifying that God is the absolute holiest being in the universe, set apart and the Sovereign on His throne.
• God’s Wrath. God’s unchanging judgment is on all sin. His fierce wrath and inflexible judgment is against all who violate His holiness.
• God’s Love. Through Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice, God’s purifying work in cleansing us from sin is seen in the hot coal taken from the fire. Jesus has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:26).
• God’s Goodness. God’s goodness is on display. His mercy is clearly seen in restoring His prophet to the service to which he had already given himself. God is a God of second chance, a God who sends us back to His work when we confess our sins.

A.W. Tozer said, “No religion has been greater than its idea of God.” We must preach and teach a biblical high view of God at Mission Road Bible Church. The ministry at Mission Road Bible Church is no greater than our view of God. It is a ministry priority! It is a ministry non-negotiable! Without it there is no conviction of sin and no real reason to be compelled to reach our generation for Christ. A low view of God leaves us cold, complacent and compromising. A low view of God will lead to a faulty relationship with Him, which will ultimately lead to faulty living. However, a biblical, high view of God will lead us to a growing, loving relationship with Him, which will ultimately lead to holy living.

We recognize and accept the total authority of God’s Word

The Scriptures are God’s revelation to man and were given to us through the Holy Spirit. As such, the Bible constitutes the plenary (inspired equally in all parts) word of God, is without error in the original manuscripts and is completely trustworthy in all respects. The Bible is absolutely true and, because of that, it is essential that we study and teach the Bible so that God’s word may rule in our hearts and minds in regard to every aspect of life and ministry. Though there are many worldly and man-centered standards by which a ministry may be measured, for a church to be pleasing to God, it must submit all decisions, plans, programs, and activities to the authority of the Scriptures.

The Scriptures are inspired. This means that the Scriptures were verbally inspired, in every word, in the original text. Therefore, the Scriptures are not man’s wisdom, but God’s wisdom.

1 Corinthians 2:13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

2 Peter 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

The Scriptures were verbally inspired by God and, as a natural consequence, are profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. For direction and answers to all questions of life and ministry, one must turn to the inspired, infallible word of God. The Scriptures were given so that the man of God may be complete, and thoroughly equipped for every good work. The Christian finds his direction for godly living only in the Scriptures and by the sound teaching of the Scriptures. The entire Bible came from God in order to show us how to live.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Scritpures are error-free. There are no errors in the original documents; the Scriptures are infallible. The actual writing of the Scriptures was carried out by God conveying truth to divinely chosen human writers. The Holy Spirit directed the writers who, nevertheless, played their own active roles in writing the Scriptures. Though men were involved in the act of writing them down, the will of the human authors did not direct the writing of the Bible. Man’s will, including his will to make mistakes, did not bring the Scriptures; rather, the Holy Spirit, who cannot err, brought us the Scriptures.

The Scriptures are authoritative. Because the Scriptures contain the very word of God and were recorded without error through the perfect guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, the Bible has perfect and complete authority for all aspects of ministry. The Scriptures provide us the boundaries within which we are to live as individuals and the boundaries for every aspect of ministry. That said, all aspects of the ministry must be oriented around bringing the Scriptures to bear on the lives of believers. This also means that the church has no business and no need to draw from contemporary culture for its priorities, message or methods. The ministry takes its direction from the principles contained in the Scritpures.

The Bible is to be interpreted in regard to its historical and grammatical context. Since the Scriptures are verbally inspired, in every word, in the original text; it is our belief that we must seek to interpret the Bible objectively ruling out personal biases and prejudices. It is our desire to know the authorial intent of a passage of Scripture and that the rules of grammar, the context, and the historical setting are to speak for themselves. In light of this we encourage the study of the Scriptures including the original languages to find the historical meaning of the words in their cultural usage. We believe it is possible to know what God said and meant through careful study of His Word. The results of the grammatical-historical interpretation of the text have produced propositional truths which became the foundation of true Christianity.

We believe in the unity of God and in the veracity of God therefore, we believe the word of God reflects and reveals His person and character. The objective of Scripture is to reveal God and His redemptive plan to us. Since God is one and God is true; there is but one single meaning to the Bible. The old adage put it this way, ‘there is one meaning, but many applications.’ We believe that careful and diligence adherence to the principle of a grammatical-historical hermeneutic will lead to a single meaning.

John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

The best method of presenting the authoritative and inerrant Word of God is by means of expository preaching. In order to be faithful to the inerrant word of God, it is only logical that we deliver the message of the Bible in such a way that the meaning of the passage is presented completely and entirely as it was intended by God. Expository preaching is the proclamation of the truth as presented by a preacher.

What would be the point of an inerrant message if we do not present the Scriptures accurately and entirely? The Word of God is to be presented in its entirety. This mandate to declare all things is clearly defined by Christ Himself in the Great Commission. The directive to the church is specified in that we are to be going, making disciples, baptizing and teaching, Teaching is further defined so that we indoctrinate the new believers in ‘all things that I have commanded you.”

Matt 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Paul carried out this commission in his own ministry as he explained his method of ministry to the elders of Ephesus and encouraged Timothy to do the same.

We have a biblical view of the nature and condition of man

Scripture is clear with regard to man’s condition apart from salvation. All of mankind has an inherent characteristic: they are sinners at birth by desire and deed. Man’s propensity is to move away from God and in favor of himself and his own choices. MRBC believes that all of mankind is indeed totally depraved. This is not to say that every single person is as bad as they can possibly be; only that every person is as bad off as they can be, in that they are totally unable to submit themselves to God, nor do they even have a desire to do so. In a real, spiritual sense, mankind is dead at birth and thus completely unresponsive to the things of God apart from the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. Man can’t make a positive move towards God, any more than Lazarus could raise himself from the dead. The consequence of man’s condition should rebirth not occur is eternal damnation, separation from God in hell forever.

As to the condition of unregenerated man, Scripture is replete with definitive statements. Among them:

Genesis 6:5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Genesis 8:21 And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.

Psalm 14:1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.

Jeremiah 17:9 ”The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

These verses are unambiguous. Man is not born neutral to God; he has an evil heart that is either actively or passively fighting against the very God who created him. If God is moving in one direction, mankind is moving in the exact opposite direction. Man is both unwilling and incapable of seeking God in and of himself.

How man views himself in relationship to God is vital in the salvation transaction. Some are of the opinion that while man is indeed sinful, he is not so much so that he can’t reach out to God. This is contrary to the explicit teaching of Scripture (emphasis ours on all verses):

Psalm 14:1-3 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.

Isaiah 64:7 And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities.

Ephesians 2:1-3 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,  in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

Ephesians 2:5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

Man doesn’t seek God, because man is literally dead to the things of God. The depravity of man is absolute, and renders him impotent to reach out to God. A failure to understand this is to negate God’s prerogative to draw and save those whom He wishes (emphasis ours on all verses):

John 5:21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.

John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

Romans 9:16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).

Titus 3:3-5 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

James 1:18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

If one were to believe that man is sinful, yet not to the extent that he’s rendered incapable of properly examining himself and seeking after God, he’s misconstrued the salvation transaction. The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). Inherent in the knowledge that leads to salvation is the recognition that mankind is dead to the things of God, and is in need of someone else to take control.

Jesus had a marvelous interaction with a man born blind in John chapter 9. The man was healed and then he presented himself to many witnesses. This created quite a stir, particularly among the Pharisees. At the end of His display, Jesus made this statement:

³⁹ And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

The Pharisees heard this statement, and responded in their ignorance and arrogance:

⁴⁰ Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”

Jesus’ response is striking, and speaks volumes to the requisite understanding of those who would be saved:

⁴¹ Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

In short, we have to recognize our blindness (not merely impaired sight) in order to be saved from our sin. A failure to understand and embrace the fact that all of mankind is completely undone and unable to reach out to God, is to be unprepared to receive God’s grace and forgiveness that only He alone can dispense.

A secondary complication arising from the misunderstanding of man’s condition is the assurance of salvation (or lack thereof) one would have should they believe that they reached out to God, rather than God reaching out to them. If man is the instigator of the salvation transaction, than theoretically he can choose to reject that same salvation at a later date. This also flies in the face of clear teaching:

John 10:28-29 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

John 6:39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

Romans 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

2 Corinthians 1:21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,

2 Corinthians 1:22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Because MRBC recognizes the clear teaching of Scripture regarding man’s condition, this emboldens us all the more to preach God’s word apart from our own craftiness. Should we believe that man, in and of himself, could reach out and choose God, this may cause us to manipulate the message and craft it in such a way as to coerce the unbeliever into the kingdom. We understand that salvation is a supernatural work of God; therefore, we are committed to preaching and teaching the Scriptures as clearly as we know how, so that the Spirit of God is free to do His work.

May it never be said of us that we distorted the message for the express purpose of appealing to mankind’s sensibilities.

We are committed to following the biblical purpose for the church

The Church is a group called out of the world which belongs to the Lord. Scripture offers two distinct images of the Church: one when it gathers and two, when it is scattered in the world. The purpose of the Church when gathered as a body of believers is to minister to each other by instruction, fellowship, and ministry as well as to corporately worship God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When scattered, it is ministers the gospel as the means whereby the riches of God’s grace may be known throughout the world. It is important to keep the purposes distinct since the Church ministers to both believers and unbelievers.

When ministering to the body, the Church does many things that are beneficial to believers. It meets for the teaching and preaching of the Word so that believers may be brought into maturity. It sings hymns of praise together in worship. It offers prayers of praise, thanksgiving, and supplication to God. It is the place where the Lord’s Supper is offered and baptism is practiced. The teaching and preaching is accomplished by the reading and proclaiming of God’s truth through His inspired word. There are many opportunities for fellowship in the body: prayer, praise, suffering, encouragement and persecution, the sharing of material means to spread the gospel and as a central platform for ministry in the world. The body gathers to give offerings and serves to produce love, submission, and unity of true believers. The Church rebukes error and false teaching. Believers in the Church grow and remain pure by admonishing one another. Through the church, the benefits of redemption are communicated to His people.

The purpose of the Church in the life of a believer.

• Meeting together. Acts 20:7 Now on the first [day] of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.
• Worshiping together in song. Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Also Ephesians 5:19)
• Gathering to give offerings. 1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first [day] of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
• The Church fellowships by sharing material means to spread the gospel. Romans 15:26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. (Also 2 Cor 9:13; Phil 1:5)
• The Church gives a proper focus on life away from simply gathering the riches of this world and toward the riches of the Kingdom to come. 1 Timothy 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
• Fellowship of believers. Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
• The Church fellowships in prayer. Acts 12:5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. (Also Acts 4:24-31; Acts 12:12; Phil 1:3-4)
• The Church has a responsibility to guard the truth. 1 Timothy 1:3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia — remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
• Believers build one another up in the Church. Romans 14:19 Therefore let us pursue the things [which make] for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
• Believers in the Church grow and remain pure by admonishing one another. Romans 15:14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
• The Church fellowships in sharing, suffering and rejection through Christ. Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
• The Church produces love among believers. 1 Timothy 1:5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, [from] a good conscience, and [from] sincere faith
• The Church teaches submission to believers. 1 Timothy 6:2 And those who have believing masters, let them not despise [them] because they are brethren, but rather serve [them] because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things. (Also 1 Tim 5:17, Eph 5:22-24)
• The Church is the means of giving spiritual nourishment to believers. 1 Timothy 4:6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.
• The Church provides a platform for teaching believers. Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Also Acts 18:11; 20:20; 28:30-31)
• The Church teaches the word in order to bring maturity to believers. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (Also 1 Tim 4:13; 2 Tim 3:15-17; Acts 4:24-26)
• The Church is the place where baptism is practiced and the Lord’s Supper is observed. The Lord’s Supper: Matt 26:26-29; 1 Cor 11:23-32, Baptism: Matt 28:18-20, Acts 2:41.
• Believers go into the world to make disciples, baptize, and bring new believers into fellowship with other believers. Matt 28:18-20. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, [even] to the end of the age.” Amen.

We recognize and accept the priority for biblical church leadership

The New Testament clearly teaches that a team of elders should be responsible for overseeing and shepherding the church of Jesus Christ. The New Testament church was under the leadership of a group of elders from its inception or at least from a point shortly after its birth. Elders are mentioned a number of times in the early history of the church recorded in the book of Acts. The elders of the church are first mentioned in Acts 11:30 as the recipients of a gift that the church at Antioch sent to the church in Judea. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in the churches in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch (Acts 14:21-23). The elders in Jerusalem worked jointly with the apostles in determining how to respond to the questions raised by the Jews concerning circumcision (Acts 15). It is noteworthy that in this passage the apostles aren’t portrayed as having more authority than the elders and that James, whose judgment was finally sent back to the church in Antioch, was not an apostle. It isn’t explicitly stated but it would appear that James was likely an elder in the Jerusalem church (see also Acts 21:18). The apostles and prophets had responsibility to lay the foundation for the church but the elders were given the responsibility of leading the church (see Ephesians 2:20).

There are three Greek words that the New Testament uses to refer to the leaders of the church. Presbuteros translated “elder” refers to the spiritual maturity of the individual. Episkopos translated “overseer” indicates the managing position of the leader. Poimen translated “shepherd” describes the work of the leader. The three words are all used when referring to the leaders of the church (Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Peter 5:1, 2). These words reveal the kind of leadership God intends for His church. God intends that His church be led by spiritually mature men who will oversee and shepherd His people.

The New Testament also teaches that there should be a plurality of elders in the church. Every mention of the elders of the church is plural. The church at Antioch sent their gift to the care of a group of elders (Acts 11:30). Paul and Barnabas appointed multiple elders in each church (Acts 14:23). There was a group of elders involved in the discussions in Acts 15. In Acts 20 Paul sent for the elders from the Ephesian church. Paul includes the overseers in his greeting to the church of Philippi (Philippians 1:1). Paul tells Timothy not to neglect the gift given to him when the elders laid hands upon him (1 Timothy 4:14-16). 1 Timothy 5 indicates that there are multiple elders because there is a comparison of duties among elders. Paul instructs Titus to appoint elders in every town (Titus 1:5). James instructs those who are sick to call the elders of the church to pray with them (James 5:14). All of these passages clearly point to a plurality in the eldership.

There are numerous advantages of the biblical model of plurality. Each team of elders is comprised of a group of fallen, imperfect men. Plurality provides a means for each man’s weaknesses to be counterbalanced by other men’s strengths. Plurality of elders provides accountability among the leaders of the church. Anyone can be prone to a doctrinal imbalance or some sort of extreme idea; however, when surrounded by other godly men this can be noticed and corrected. This model also allows for a lighter load for each man than would be possible if one man were allowed or expected to be responsible for all of the teaching and shepherding of the flock.

Within the body of elders not all men will be equal in giftedness or experience. Jesus, Himself spent extra time with certain apostles and some of the apostles were more eminent than others. There will likely be one or more men that stand out among the others because of their giftedness or their exemplary ministry skills. There are without question those who stand out among the twelve apostles but all twelve were still necessary and had important ministries.

We have also been given clear instruction regarding the qualifications of elders. There are comprehensive lists of the qualifications for an elder in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. We see these as qualifications that are just as applicable today as they were when these epistles were originally written. The qualified elder must be above reproach, able to manage, grounded in sound doctrine and able to teach.

It is also worth noting that church leadership must be male. One qualification of an elder is to be a “one woman man”. This indicates that elders must be men. It is clear that women are not to teach men or exercise authority over men (1 Corinthians 14:34-35;1 Timothy 2:11-14; see also 1 Corinthians 11:3ff). This is consistent with the roles God has given men and women within the home (Ephesians 5:22-24, 33; Colossians 3:18; 1 Peter 3:1, 5-6).

The New Testament has also given us clear direction on what the roles of an elder should be. The elders have the pastoral function over the church. Elders are to act as shepherds, leading, governing, directing, managing and caring for the flock of God (1 Tim 5:17; Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 5:1,2). The elders, like the apostles, should be devoted to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4; James 5:14). They are accountable to watch over the flock that has been entrusted to them (Hebrews 13:17). The elders should shepherd and oversee in humility and with joy (1 Peter 5:1-3). They should provide an example that is worth following (1 Peter 5:3; Hebrews 13:7). They should also be able to provide counsel and resolve conflict (Titus 1:9-14). They establish church policy (Acts 15).

Teaching should be an emphasis in the elder’s ministry. Paul gave Timothy the solemn charge to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:1-2). The apostles’ primary focus was on prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). The ministry was organized to make sure that happened. Timothy’s focus was to be: the public reading of Scripture, exhortation, and teaching (1 Timothy 4:13). Scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training. It also equips us for the good works God has prepared for us to do (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). All aspects of the elders ministry should spring forth from the study of the Scriptures, including programs, priorities, vision, and strategy. The teaching of Scripture is the source of spiritual benefit for those who teach and those whom they are teaching. (1 Timothy 4:15, 16).

Related to the teaching emphasis is the need to protect the church from false teachers. False teachers are not just outside the church. They are within the church (Acts 20:29-30; 2 Peter 2:1). In his first letter to Timothy Paul warns Timothy that some will fall away from the faith and pay attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. They will advocate legalistic practices and live lives of hypocrisy. He admonishes Timothy to point out these things to the brethren while being constantly nourished on the words of faith and sound doctrine (1 Timothy 4:1-6; cf. Titus 1:10-16). Paul later warns Timothy that evil men and imposters will grow from bad to worse and encourages him to continue in his use of the Word which is profitable for teaching, reproof and correction (2 Timothy 3:13-17).

There are also two other offices described in the New Testament. The Greek word diakonos is used in two NT books as a formal title for the office of a deacon (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1, 8). Its relationship to episkopos is seen in these passages as well. The specialized use of the word diakonos is an official title that describes the role of the office, which is one of service.

The fact that deacons must meet certain requirements and be examined argues for the fact that they are more than mere servants in a church (1 Timothy 3:8-13). The office of deacon is neither a teaching office nor is it a ruling office and is subordinate to the office of overseers. Deacons are meant to complement the overseers in that the overseers give pastoral oversight and the deacons give practical service. Deacons, according to post-biblical literature, have played a significant role in the church throughout her history.

Paul also refers to deaconesses in 1 Timothy 3:11. It is unlikely that this passage is referring to deacon’s wives for several reasons:

• There is no pronoun used in the Greek text referring back to the deacons (i.e. their wives).
• There are no qualifications given for elder’s wives. It seems that if there were qualifications for deacon’s wives there would also be qualifications for elder’s wives since this is a more visible and more defined office.
• The use of the word “likewise” seems to refer back to the office of elder and deacon.
• There wasn’t a Greek word for “deaconess” that could have been used so it makes sense that it was worded this way.

Deaconesses can be responsible for women’s ministries but would not be in charge of ministries that involve men (1 Timothy 2:12).

The relationship between elders and deacons is a complementary role rather than a check and balance. Elders can perform all the roles of a deacon, but deacons cannot perform all the roles of elders. The elders oversee the whole ministry of the church while deacons are typically responsible for one specific area of ministry. Deacons are the “doers” and get things done and so there are tremendous advantages to having prescribed and limited responsibilities.

Many forms of church leadership have been advocated over the ages. However, we believe that the Bible clearly teaches that God intends for His church to be led by a group of spiritually mature, qualified men who will oversee and shepherd His people. This oversight and shepherding should have an emphasis on teaching and prayer. This should be complemented by those who are gifted to serve in various capacities within the body of believers. It is our prayer that we, as the elders of Mission Road Bible Church, will be faithful to carry out the responsibilities we have been entrusted with.

The discussion on the advantages of plurality are adapted from Irv Busenitz, “The Biblical Case for Elder Rule”, The Shepherds Conference 2004.