Church Leadership
God set up various roles of leadership and service in the Bible and 1412 Church encourages the implementation of this structure within its member churches.
Jesus set the example and taught what godly leadership within the body of Christ really is. In Matthew 20:25-28 says,
“Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
God provides servant leadership within the church to build up the body for the work of ministry until each member is doing his/her share. The strong and mature in Christ use their strength and wisdom not to lord over others, but to serve the needs of their fellow brethren, to esteem their interests greater than themselves, and to encourage them in their relationship with God. Ephesians 4:8, 11-16 says,
“When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men… And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
Jesus gave gifts to men in the form of believers to fill roles within the body for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry. What are the basic functions found in each of these roles? He gave some to be:
Apostles:
Ones who are sent forth by God to preach the gospel, especially in new geographical areas, to raise up new churches, to go from city to city, teaching the word of God. We see this most vividly in the example of Jesus 12 disciples and the apostle Paul.
Prophets:
Those who speak the word and will of God. Prophets receive the word of Lord, and gifts from the Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to declare to people the blessings, help, encouragement, correction, chastening, and warnings of God. We see this vividly in Elijah and Elisha.
Evangelist:
A bringer of good news. Evangelists are sharers of the gospel of Jesus, calling on people to turn from the world and receive the salvation of Jesus Christ. This is done in the local area where they preach the word with all long suffering and teaching, to convince, rebuke, and exhort with all long suffering and teaching, despite rejection and afflictions. A vivid example of this is Timothy.
Shepherd/Pastor:
One who shepherds — feeds and cares for — the flock of God. Pastors/Shepherds are responsible for creating a church culture and environment for the growth and development of the flock individually and as whole, providing love, encouragement, comfort, instruction, and correction as needed. A vivid example of this is Jesus with his 12 disciples as well as Psalm 23.
Teacher:
One who teaches the things of God. A Teacher is one who has studied the word of God and has been given understanding and wisdom to skillfully share that truth with others. Teachers have a passion sharing the character and word of God with others, directing them to know God’s word and doctrine as opposed to man’s. A vivid example of this is Philip who explained Isaiah to the Ethiopian.