Neale Pryor - Article in Man of God "Working with an Eldership

I noticed Neale Pryor does not have an email address so if you would not mind passing this note along to him. Thank you...

 

Neale Pryor:

 

Reference your chapter "Working with an Eldership" in Shawn Mathis' book Man of God.

 

First I will introduce myself. I am retired from The Mead Corporation, Dayton, OH and IBM, Atlanta, GA. My wife and I live in Gatlinburg, TN and we are members of the church with Great Smoky Mountains Church of Christ in Pigeon Forge, TN. 

 

In your article you address the preacher-elder relationship and quote Harold Taylor, "No one can defeat a church where the elders and the preacher stand together."  

 

Paul told the church in Ephesus evangelists were among those God placed in the "called out" to edify and to help the "called out" to mature. Today the preacher is hired likely because the elders do not want to preach to the saved and the preacher does not want to "go into all the world" even if that world is a just city or a suburb or a neighborhood. There are divine qualifications for elders and deacons but I am unaware of any for the preacher. How can the preacher possibly be on the same level as elders? I am not anti-preacher I  see the way we use preachers today as a non-biblical position and we can do whatever we like, similar to hiring an office manager or youth minister.

 

I respectfully but strongly reject Charles Hodge's analogy likening the relationship of preachers and elders and the three branches of the government of the United States. Within the past twelve months, a preacher from a congregation "stepped down" from being the pulpit preacher to being just one of the members. He said it was like a University President stepping down to be a member of the faculty. By that comparison we know those elders are a board of directors.

 

I have long suggested the following:

• Preachers will stop running the local congregation and being the main source for congregational news, and go off and preach the Gospel to those who are without hope. They can take some of the congregation with them to learn how;
• Elders will pastor the individuals and do what they must be apt to do and that is to teach and guard;
• Deacons, since they have similar qualifications as the Elders, will assist the Elders in all of their responsibilities under the direct guidance of said Elders;
• The congregants (everyone, elder, deacon, preacher, evangelist, and maintenance workers) will take care of the physical property, budget, study, attend, follow the leadership and encourage each other to love and good works and do the work they have been encouraged to perform.

It seems to me the "Great Commission" was given to individuals and not to groups so each of have a role and the preacher does not have time to carryout his role and the role of elders.  

 

If I am mistaken in my thoughts I will appreciate your comments. I enjoyed your article as I did the book.

 

 

John Jenkins

425 Patterson Lane

Gatlinburg, TN 37738

 

Home: 865-430-4427

Mobile: 865-803-8179

 

Email: jrjenki@yahoo.com

 

 

 

Regards,
John Jenkins

865-803-8179 cell

Gatlinburg, TN
Email: jrjenki@yahoo.com 

Website: http://www.greenbriersolutions.com 
Blog: http://littlepigeon.blogspot.com/

Fibonacci: It's as easy as 1,2,3.