Selected to Serve, Updated Second Edition

A Guide for Church Leaders

Earl S. Johnson

• Publisher: Geneva Press
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN:
  9780664266745
• eBook ISBN:
  9781646982073
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Denominations

Updated 2022 EditionThis useful guide for church leaders covers all aspects of officer training: call, duties, ethics, the Presbyterian Constitution, and much more. Congregations will find this resource indispensable for the recruitment and training of effective church leaders. Earl S. Johnson, Jr. has revised this best-selling book to include the new standards from the new Form of Government in the Book of Order

Chapter 1

Being a Church Leader

The Call to Serve

The call of God is to all believers (Rom. 1:6–7; Gal. 1:6; 1 Thess. 2:12; 1 Pet. 2:9–10; Jude 1). God calls us individually and as members of the church, and Christians know that when it comes to believing and serving we are not so much the choosers as we are the chosen (John 15:16). Even though we will to believe, there is a surprising and almost inexplicable aspect of Christian vocation which causes us to acknowledge an invisible power of the Spirit that works in our lives long before we make our own conscious decisions (Gal. 1:15; Jer. 1:5; Isa. 49:1; 1 Sam. 1:22, 28).

In addition to the general call to all believers, God also gives unique gifts to individual people to enable them to serve the church in special ways. In the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) we recognize some of these gifts by ordaining members as ministers of the Word and Sacrament, ruling elders, and deacons. As the Book of Order puts it (G-2.0104a), “To those called to exercise special functions in the church—deacons, ruling elders, and ministers of the Word and Sacrament—God gives suitable gifts for their various duties. In addition to possessing the necessary gifts and abilities, those who undertake particular ministries should be persons of strong faith, dedicated discipleship, and love of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.”

The history of God’s revelation in the Bible indicates that women and men of faith have long been given a special intuition or feeling that leads and sometimes compels them to want to serve. Thus Abraham and Sarah leave a comfortable lifestyle and location to serve God in new ways and in a new place (Gen. 12:1–3; 17:15–16; Heb. 11:8); Moses is directed to set his people free without knowing exactly who sends him (Exod. 3); Ruth feels the divine pull to the God of her mother-in-law (Ruth 1:16); young Samuel hears God’s voice in the night (1 Sam. 3:2–14); Jeremiah and Isaiah sense that they are compelled to speak God’s word (Jer. 1:9; Isa. 6). Mary readily accepts the Spirit’s call (Luke 1:46–56).

In the New Testament the Greek verb kaleō is often used to describe the way believers are called to serve. Paul repeatedly indicates that he is an apostle and qualified to write to churches only because God has summoned him to do so (Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:1, 15). In Mark 3:13–15 when Jesus called the twelve disciples, “those whom he desired,” he gave them three special assignments: to preach the gospel, to heal the sick, and to be with him.

The call of Jesus is particularly important for Christians committed to serving God in the twenty-first century. The church is entering into an unprecedented era of unpredictable change. Church leaders will need to be extremely flexible if churches are going to grow and meet the needs of modern men, women, and children. When we look at Jesus’ call, we notice that two of the assignments he gave to his disciples are task oriented. They had to do things: proclaim the good news (evangelize) and serve those who are ill (alleviate suffering, love the poor, and stand up against oppression and prejudice). Yet the third role of those who follow Jesus is one we too often overlook: it calls us simply to be with Jesus and stay close to him. “And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him” (Mark 3:14).

In the coming years all three assignments will be difficult, but the final one may be the most dangerous and exciting. Being with Jesus means that we have to be so close to him that we know where he is going. Being with Jesus means that we must anticipate where he will be next and meet him there. Being with Jesus means that we must be willing to take great risks when we know that it is Jesus, and no one else, who is calling us to a particular place and time.

In the Presbyterian Church the call of God is a twofold communication. The first part comes from God through Jesus Christ; the second is issued by a nominating committee of the church and validated by a congregation and/or presbytery (G-2.0102; 2.0103; 2.0104b; 2.0401; 2.0701). In our denomination both elements of the call are necessary for it to be considered genuine. The call to Presbyterian ministry is not a mystical experience amenable only to private review. People cannot claim that God spoke to them in a dream, in the wind, or even in prayer and expect to be ordained solely on that basis.

As Presbyterians we believe that if a call to ordination cannot be perceived and endorsed by the whole body of Christ, it does not exist. Those who serve on the session when members are thinking of becoming inquirers (G-2.06), or on a presbytery “Preparation for Ministry Committee” (or whatever committee is assigned the examination process), should not be afraid to give their honest opinions when men and women indicate an interest in becoming church leaders.

When people are truly called to serve God and the body recognizes it, a moment for celebration has been reached. But candidates who are really not qualified to serve because they are spiritually immature, theologically ill fitted, emotionally or psychologically unsuitable, or ill prepared educationally, should be told so plainly by those called by the church to weigh such things, in order to save them pain, the illusion of false expectations, and the expense of pursuing a vocation or position they are not qualified to hold in the first place. The Presbytery committee that examines inquirers has to work prayerfully, sensitively, and confidentially with sessions when those requesting the status of an inquirer are not qualified to take this step.

Ruling elders have a similar responsibility when the congregational nominating committee is ready to invite members to become ruling elders or deacons (or trustees). According to our constitution, “When persons have been elected to the ordered ministry of ruling elder or deacon, the session shall provide a period of study and preparation, after which the session shall examine them as to their personal faith; knowledge of the doctrine, government, and discipline contained in the Constitution of the church, and the duties of ministry” (G-2.0402). While a call must always be open to all members (it cannot be denied on the basis of sex, racial, or ethnic background, or economic status), the session does have the right to examine those whom the nominating committee selects. This duty is an important and solemn one. As Joan S. Gray and Joyce C. Tucker indicate, it is the responsibility of the session to determine if each person elected to office has the essential knowledge to serve in a Presbyterian Church, and to inquire about her or his personal faith and understanding of the office. If the session does not approve the nomination of such candidates, it will report its findings to the nominating committee.¹ In such a sensitive situation, those who have not been allowed to proceed to ordination will need the pastoral care and love of the pastor and the members of the church to avoid ongoing hurt feelings and disappointment.

A call to ministry is always one that must be considered carefully and be taken seriously. Those who are thinking about the possibility of becoming pastors often ask how they will know for certain that God really wants them to make such a vocational change. Many times the radical choice to enter full-time pastoral ministry will make a big difference in their lives: they may have to leave a lucrative job, apply for loans to attend theological seminary, disrupt family life by giving up a comfortable income, or force spouses and children to move to a new area. Following God’s call may mean real sacrifice for everyone involved. Yet there is at least one answer to the question “How do I know I am called?” It is this: “When you can no longer do anything else, then you will know that God has definitely called you.”

Sometimes God’s choice is easy to see and skills and gifts obviously fit people to serve the church. On other occasions the voice of God through the church is a surprise. Members and pastors frequently wonder why a nominating committee has recommended an individual for a position of responsibility, only to learn later that this person has just the talents needed in a difficult or sensitive situation that could never have been anticipated. In one church where I served, I was not entirely pleased when the nominating committee selected four businesspeople to fill all the vacancies on the session. It did not seem to me that the selection was broad enough to represent the whole congregation. Nevertheless, after they were elected and ordained we discovered why God called them to serve. During the next year the nation suffered through a severe economic downturn, and when we had to make drastic adjustments to church spending, the four business leaders were not in the least concerned. “You do not need to worry,” they said, almost in one voice. “We know how to take care of it.” And they did.

Questions for Study

1. What are some of the similarities and some of the differences of the biblical call stories? (See Gen. 12:1–3; 17:15–16; Ruth 1:16; 1 Sam. 3:2–14; Jer. 1:1–10; Isa. 6; Mark 3:13–19; Acts 9:1–20; 22:6–16; 26:9–18.)

2. Do you think God calls men and women in similar ways today?

3. How do people “hear” the call today? How do they know it is more than mere wish fulfillment?

4. How important is it to have a call validated by the church in order to enter into ministry?

Elders

The position of elder is the oldest active office still being used in the Christian church today. Although the apostleship no doubt precedes it in prestige, power, and antiquity, it did not remain a permanent office since it was limited to those who had a direct commission from the risen Jesus himself and had unique gifts from the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:1–26; 1 Cor. 12:1–11, 29). Paul indicates that he became an apostle sometime after the original apostles were commissioned and hints that he may have been the last person in the church to hold that title (...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• 1. Being a Church Leader
• 2. Questions Church Leaders Often Ask
• 3. The Principles behind the Book of Order and the Form of Government
• 4. In the Spirit: The Directory for Worship
• 5. Dealing with Conflict in the Church: The Rules of Discipline
• 6. The Book of Confessions: A Thumbnail Sketch
• 7. The Ordination Vows
• 8. Ethical and Professional Standards for Persons in Ordered Ministries
• 9. Growing Your Church
• Notes
• Suggested Reading for Church Leaders
• Index of Scripture References
• Index of Book of Order References
• General Index