The Eddyville church of Christ, in our efforts to simply be the one church of the Bible, strive to organize our leadership according to the pattern found in the New Testament.
First, we have men designated to serve as elders (also called overseers or pastors / shepherds). In the Bible, elders were appointed for each local congregation (Acts 13:23, Tit. 1:5). These men have been offered and have accepted the responsibility of spiritual leadership and oversight in the Eddyville congregation. They have been determined by the church to fit the desired description of an overseer as given by Paul in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. As set forth in those passages, these necessary characteristics include matters of personal conduct and reputation, marriage to one wife with faithful children, proven ability in spiritual teaching and leadership, experience and maturity as a Christian, and soundness in Biblical doctrine. Their responsibilities involve general oversight of the congregation’s affairs (1 Pet. 5:1-3), defense against false doctrine (Acts 20:28-31), and spiritual shepherding of the church (Acts 20:28), which includes watching over the souls of each member (Heb. 13:17). The Bible teaches that they should be encouraged and respected, for they will give account to God for their service as elders (Heb. 13:17).
Second, we also have men designated to serve as deacons, which literally means “servants.” As seen for example in 1 Timothy 3:8-13, Paul expected the church to assign the special serving responsibility of a deacon to men of certain characteristics. These characteristics include matters of Christian conduct, faithfulness to the gospel, proven ability as servants, marriage to one wife (who must also exhibit certain qualities of Christian conduct), and good managing of their children. Although the seven men of Acts chapter 6 are not specifically called “deacons,” it is our understanding that this is an example of the type of service done by deacons. They are not overseers of the church, but are given various responsibilities of Christian service in the affairs of the congregation. The Bible says that those who serve well as deacons obtain a high standing and great confidence in the faith (1 Tim. 3:13).
Third, we also have men assigned to the role of preachers, also called evangelists or ministers of the gospel. In some sense, all Christians are to be teachers of the gospel (Acts 8:4, 1 Pet. 3:15), but the Bible witnesses to the fact that the church has always had certain men assigned to the specific task of preaching. In the Bible, these men are seen teaching publicly and privately (Acts 20:20), both to Christians and non-Christians. Further, they are encouraged to accurately handle the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15), as their role centers around the correct teaching of God’s word. Preachers may be fully supported financially by the congregation (1 Cor. 9:14), though some choose to support themselves as well (Acts 18:3). Biblically, preachers are not “pastors” as considered by many today (see “elder” above), but rather must be respectful of and subject to the oversight of the elders in the local congregation.
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