In my church we elect elders and deacons. They hire our pastor who is apart of staff at the church.
The highest position in my church is elder. Then it goes to pastor then to deacon then the congregation. The following is instructions the bible gives each.
Elders
( Cecil Peterman, Ed Neds, Ron Smith and Alex Myers)
We currently have 4 elected elders in my church. The following verse gives the first two instructions for elders….
2 Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. 3 Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. 1 Peter 5:2-3
- They must shepherd the flock. (1 Peter 5:2) The elders in my church are always willing to lend some advice and give guidance.
- They watch out for their congregation. A rule also shown in the verse 1 Peter 5:2. The elders in my church show this by how much they look out for us and take care of us by doing things that may seem pointless at the time. Such as trying to keep the peace when there is a dispute.
- They must live as examples. (1 Peter 5:3) I know very well that the elders in my church are perfect role models and lead by example.
14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. James 5:14
- Anoint and pray over the sick. (James 5:14) They might not anoint people but I do know that elders in my church have visited and prayed for sick members of the congregation.
17 Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well,[a] especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. 1 Tim. 5:17
- They are supposed to teach. (1 Tim. 5:17) The elders in my church sometimes speak before communion or offering. Or preach a sermon if the pastor cannot make it.
2 Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question. Acts 15:2
- They must act as judges. (Acts 15:2) Just in the example given in Acts the elders in my church are burdened by having to make very big decisions. They should be highly respected. I’m sure its not easy I mean you can’t please everyone
Pastors
(Terry Rhoads)
We have one pastor at my church. My pastor is an amazing man. Though a little old fashioned in my point of view he’s a truly amazing leader.
5 I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you. 6 An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife,[a] and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. 7 An elder[b]is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker,[c] violent, or dishonest with money. 8 Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. 9 He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong. Titus 1:5-9
Basically to me I see pastors as just being another kind of elder. At least that’s how it is in my church. In my church the preacher is like a part of the staff of the church but he is also an elder. He is only slightly below the elders because they have the power to hire and fire him.
Deacons
(Unknown)
In my church we have at least 6 deacons. They are voted in by the congregation just like the elders.
8 In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money. 9 They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience. 10 Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons. 11 In the same way, their wives[a] must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do. 12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well. 13 Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus. 1 Tim. 3:8-13
Deacons have just about the same rules as elders but there job is different. Deacons are put over the different jobs that elders don’t do. Some examples may be… ministry, building, finances and budget, outreach and some others that have escaped my mind right now. The word deacon actually comes from the word servant. But in my church I am sure that nothing would work right without the deacons.
Congregation
Then of course you have the congregation cause lets face it you can’t have a church without a congregation.
Conclusion
This is how my church structure works it goes from elders to the pastor to the deacons to the congregation. To illustrate I have a diagram.
If you have any comments please feel free to leave them below.
