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What is a Bishop?

January 17, 2013 in Leadership, Pastoral Ministry with 16 Comments

What is a bishop?

This is a often asked question I get. It’s a new question about an old term.

The word “bishop” is biblical. Different churches and denominations have used it to refer to church leadership and government throughout church history. Yet I often get questions about this term, as it has invaded Baptist ranks. Local churches within self-governing Baptist congregations have become consecrated bishops.

As far as I can tell, this trend began with the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship – a loose denomination of Charismatic Baptists. At least, this is when I caught wind of it. It wasn’t long before other upstart groups began making bishops. Then many pastors started naming themselves bishops. Baptist bishops are now everywhere. (For the record, I do not know of one White Baptist pastor who calls himself a bishop. Apparently this is a trend primarily among African-American Baptists.)

I recently saw an interview where several bishops were asked their take on the rise of “illegitimate” bishops. For all that was said, the interview did not seriously address the biggest question about bishops (or any subject): What does the bible say?

So what does the Bible say about bishops? What is a bishop? How does the New Testament understand the office of the bishop?

Answer: A bishop is a pastor is an elder is an overseer.

These terms are different ways of describing the same office: the pastor-teacher. The term “elders” (Acts 11:30; 14:23; 15:6) emphasizes the leader’s personal character. Pastors are to be mature, godly men. The term “bishop” (Phil. 1:1) or “overseer” (Acts 20:28) emphasizes the leader’s ministry task. He is to oversee the congregation of saints he is appointed to lead. And the term “pastor” (Eph. 4:11) emphasizes the leader’s ministry philosophy.  He is to lead, feed, protect, and care for the congregation as a faithful shepherd. The New Testament uses these terms interchangeably to describe spiritual leadership in the church.

For instance, Paul exhorts the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:17):

”Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” – Acts 20:28

Paul instructs the elders to watch over and care for (shepherd, pastor) the flock of God in which the Holy Spirit has made them overseers.

Paul writes to Titus:

“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you… For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach.” – Titus 1:5, 7

Likewise, 1 Peter 5:1-2 says:

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight…”

Did you get that? Peter exhorts the elders to shepherd (pastor) the flock by practicing oversight.

The bottom line is that the Bible does not teach a leadership hierarchy in which bishops are over overseers who are over elders who are over pastors. There are only two biblical offices in the church: elders and deacons. Elders serve by leading. Deacons lead by serving. In the New Testament, deacons are called deacons. But elders are called pastors, overseers, and bishops. Different terms. Same office.

There are two mistakes we make in regard to the biblical terminology for pastoral leadership. First, we ignore the biblical terminology. Likewise, we misuse the biblical terminology. And this misuse of biblical terminology has led to the development of artificial congregational and denominational hierarchies. But our terminology should be a faithful representation of our doctrinal convictions.

I do not make these points to attack any person or group. I have friends who have been consecrated as bishops. I respect them. But I disagree with them on this point. More importantly, scripture disagrees with them. Isn’t that what matters the most?

We should strive to be biblically regulated Christians and churches. This requires that we refuse to embrace practices that are not biblically justifiable or contradictory to scripture. And we must be on guard against a fleshly preoccupation with titles. Our goal as pastors should not be to get “elevated” to the office of a bishop. May we be content to simply be faithful servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Feel free to offer your comments on this post and please share it with friends who may find it helpful. 

Is It Really Worth It?

August 30, 2012 in Leadership, Pastoral Ministry with 0 Comments

I am not a confrontational person. I loathe conflict. I prefer peace and quiet. Yet I accept the fact that some conflict is inevitable. Some conflict is necessary.

A pastor should not look for fights. Men of God must not be quarrelsome (2 Tim. 2:24). At the same time, we must not run from the fights we must fight. We must show up for the battles that matter. We must not stoop at standing time.

Tough decisions, difficult conversations, loving confrontations go along with the territory. It’s called leadership.

But a servant-leader must know when to push an issue and when to let it alone.

I love the way Proverbs 26:4-5 states this tension. Verse 4 says, “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.” Verse 5 adds, “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.”

Huh? Which is it? Do you answer a fool according to his folly or not?

This is what it means to be wise. Knowing when to answer and when not to answer. Knowing when to take a stand and when to keep your seat. Knowing when to die on a hill and will to stay in the valley.

When I am facing potential conflict, I often remember two questions a professor talk me to ask.

How sure am I that I am right?

Do not wade into a conflict if you are not confident that your position is right. This is easier to decide if it is a matter of biblical truth. But most potentially controversial issues have nothing to do with black-and-white scriptural issues. They are about secondary issues that have nothing to do with doctrine.

Godly leaders do not let small issues to become big issues without a strong conviction that their position is right. Don’t be mystical about this. I am not talking about “the-Lord-told-me” kind of certainty. I am talking about covering the bases of wise decision-making.

Have you thought this out? Have you done your homework on the subject? Have you prayed about it? Have you received godly counsel? Have you given yourself time to be sure?

Don’t go forward until you are convinced you are doing the right thing the right way at the right time.

How much does it matter?

You may be absolutely sure that you are right about this matter. But you must still consider what difference this issue makes. Vance Havner used to say that a dog can whip a skunk any day, but it may not be worth the stink. Are you fighting a skunk? Are you shooting flies with canons? Are you making a mountain out of a molehill?

Humility is required to respond properly when you are wrong. But much more humility is needed when we are right! So is patience. And love and gentleness and discernment.

Bottom-Line: Some things are not worth the trouble.

The decision may be easy. But it can make your life and work unnecessarily hard.

Don’t waste leadership equity on trivial things. Invest in the things that matter the most.

Considering these two big questions – How sure am I that I am right? And how much does it matter? – Is the potential conflict you are facing really worth it?

Don’t Try To Put Out Every Brush Fire!

July 25, 2012 in Leadership, Pastoral Ministry, Uncategorized with 6 Comments

My secretary stopped me in the hallway. She was obviously upset.

I asked what was wrong. She began to weep.

This was one of the most godly women I knew. And I couldn’t handle it when she cried. She often wept for others, rarely for herself.

I pressed her to talk, only to discover she was weeping for me.

The rumor about me she shared was really bad, heartbreaking, and absolutely not true.

Another church employee supposedly witnessed to my wrongdoings. He knew me since I was a boy! I couldn’t understand why he would make up such story. But I was determined to find out.

Before I could question him, someone arrived at the office to talk to me. He had family in the church, though he was not a member. His family had become caught up in this foolishness. I was devastated. I was trying to reach this guy for Christ. He was now turned off by church rumors.

As a young preacher and rookie pastor, I was getting my first taste of slander.

I drove to my pastor’s office for advice… kind of. On the way there, I determined what I would do. I was going to directly address it from the pulpit Sunday morning. I just needed my pastor to co-sign my great idea.

He did not.

Pastor’s counsel was clear, repeated, and emphatic. Do not say a word!

In my mind, this was the worst advice in the history of civilization.

Even crazier, I was moved for some reason to follow his advice!

It still ranks as one of the hardest weekends of my more than twenty years of pastoral experience. I don’t know if I have ever dreaded a Sunday more.

I just knew I would be confronted with questions the moment I got out of my car.

I just knew there was an emergency deacons meeting in my immediate future.

I just knew the congregation would sit with their fingers in their ears as I preached.

Nope.

I never heard this lie again.

The employee cited had nothing to do with it and made that clear.

Yes, something was being said. But, apparently, no one believed it. So things remained business as usual.

You can’t imagine how glad I am that I followed my pastor’s advice and did not take this rumor to the pulpit to defend myself.

This experience taught me an early lesson that has served me well over the years, even recently.

Don’t try to put out every brush fire that sparks up. Some things will put themselves out, if you just leave it alone.

Of course, this is not always the course that should be taken. There are 2 Corinthians moments in ministry, when you are compelled to defend your authenticity and credibility. Wisdom is knowing when to speak and when to hold your peace, when to move and when to keep still.

But these hills to die on are few and far between.

In most instances, my pastor’s “bad” advice is the best practice.

When you are lied on…

When your name is being slandered…

When you are falsely accused…

When your motives are questioned…

When you good is evil spoken of…

Don’t say a word.

Don’t start playing defense.

Don’t be afraid.

Don’t respond impetuously.

Don’t take matters into your own hands.

Don’t create a real issue by how you react to a non-issue.

Don’t try to put out every brush fire. 

What do you think? Please comment.

Let Rev. Thorn Minister To You

July 3, 2012 in Leadership, Pastoral Ministry with 6 Comments

I was ready to quit. For real, this time.

I know I was serious, because I went to tell my pastor. I did not (do not) make major life decisions without talking to my pastor about it. How about you?

I sat down in Pas’ office. And I broke the news to him. I was resigning. I was too young and had too much ahead of me to waste any more time in this extended church conflict, or so I thought.

Pas began to warn me about how difficult it is to organize a church from scratch.

This warning was unnecessary. I had absolutely no intentions of starting a church. I would become a TV talk-show host before I did that.

When nothing he said seemed to work with me, pastor mentioned that there was a sermon he had recently heard that I should listen to. He buzzed his assistant and asked her to bring him a copy of the particular sermon.

I told him that wouldn’t be necessary. I had heard it before. It was my sermon! I had preached it at his church several months ago. It was on steadfast endurance during difficult seasons.

Pas acted shocked. “No. That couldn’t have been you! That had to be someone else!”

Nope. It was me.

Gently, pastor told he me he understood what I was going through. I was tired of fighting. And I would give anything just for a week a peace… just to stand up on Sunday morning and preach in peace.

He was dead-on.

Then he assured me that running is not the answer. “If you want peace,” he admonished, “Wherever you go next, no mentioned the name Jesus. Don’t preach about him. Don’t let the choir sing about him. Don’t do anything in his name. Because if you lift up the name of Jesus, Satan is going to come looking for you!”

My pastor then concluded this counseling session with the strangest advice I had ever received. “Son, you need to just be still and let Rev. Thorn minister to you.”

I knew a lot of preachers. But I did not know a Rev. Thorn. “Who is that?” I asked, impatiently.

Pastor handed me his Bible and told me to turn to 2 Corinthians 12.

There was no need. I knew the passage.

“Son, your problem is that you want to minister to others,” he continued. “But you won’t let Rev. Thorn minister to you. But sometimes, God will make you sit down and let Rev. Thorn minister to you. And you won’t be able to move on until you let him minister to you.”

Then he prayed.

Let me insert a quick testimony here. My ministry would have been aborted at its early stages, if it were not for the wise counsel of seasoned pastors who had been through what I was yet to face.

I didn’t like what I heard that day. I was hoping for a job offer, not advice to be still and let suffering runs is course in my life. But, ultimately, he was right.

Pay close attention to the next two sentences: You cannot minister to others for the Lord’s sake, without experiencing seasons of pain. And there will come a time when you will have to take what you minister to others and minister it to yourself.

Here’s the good news.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9a

Have you allowed Rev. Thorn minister to you lately?

The Neglected Blessing of a Loving Congregation

June 8, 2012 in Leadership, Pastoral Ministry, personal stuff with 4 Comments

I was in the middle of a spectacular church fight. It was my first pastorate. I was barely 21. And I had reached my “Popeye” moment. “That’s all I can stand, and I can’t stands no more!”

There were several out-of-town speaking engagements before me. I determined I would resign when I returned him home. I wanted to do something else. I wanted to get married. I wanted out of this foolish conflict with church people.

I did not know what I would do next. When asked, I would say that I planned to become a talk show host. But I didn’t really know. Or care. I just wanted out of this.

During one of the preaching trips, I spilled my guts to an older pastor over dinner. I shared a horror story. He responded my sharing one of his own with me. I told another horror story. He gave me another one of his.

Politely, I told him that my situation was much worse than his. It was. Really. But he argued that I was in the better situation.  I wanted to know how in the world that could be the case. He told me the difference was that my people loved me.

I was stopped dead in my tracks.

He was right. I had a small group of people fighting my work. It seemed more severe because they were in strategic positions of leadership in the church. But my congregation was fully behind me. Every negative thing my opposition did was followed by a show of support by the congregation. I was most definitely not “a prophet without honor.” My people loved me.

My recognition of the neglected gift of a loving congregation was a key means by which I found strength to endure the conflict. It also helped me face other challenges in the years to come.

When I left Los Angeles, I left behind a loving congregation. And I was convinced that I would not enjoy that blessing again for a long time, if ever.

Boy, was I wrong!

The moment my boots hit the ground in Jacksonville, my new congregation received me with open arms. My ministry has been well received by a supportive congregation. Of course, my work here has not been without its challenges. But in the words of Paul Jones, “All my good days have outweighed my bad days.”

I am the grateful beneficiary of a loving congregation. No, not every person in my congregation supports my leadership. But the detracting voices are muted by the support of so many. This is a great blessing of the Lord that should not be taken for granted. I have much to thank God for, as I am privileged to serve a people who love me.

Do you serve a loving congregation?

Think about that question. I did not ask if you pastor a large or wealthy or “successful” congregation. I asked whether your congregation loves, follows, and supports your spiritual leadership.

If this is your testimony, you are blessed. Don’t take it for granted.

Sheep Want Good Food!!!

February 3, 2012 in Leadership, Pastoral Ministry, Quotations with 0 Comments

The people of God will follow the pastor who feeds them the Wordof God. That isn’t to say that they won’t balk once in a while. They can makethe pastor’s life a living hell. But week in and week out, year in and yearout, Christians will not cut themselves off from the one who sets theirspiritual table. Even the delinquent son has an uncanny sense of when dinner’son, and he knows he will not be refused.
While the people of God want desperately to flock to thespiritual food of the Word of God, pastors flock to seminars on how to runchurch boards, administrate programs and raise up volunteers. They come homewith straw to feed their people. Then they wonder why their parishioners arenot energized by their new social-scientifically correct leadership methods formanipulating them. Cows don’t like being herded into vaccination chutes. Peopledon’t either.
David Hansen, The Artof Pastoring: Ministry Without All The Answers (IVP), pp. 153-54

A Personal Application from 2 Corinthians 5:10

August 18, 2008 in Accountability, Leadership with 7 Comments

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” – 2 Corinthians 5:10 (ESV)

I was intimately introduced to this verse as I was reading church history some years ago. I do not remember the specific source, unfortunately. But I distinctively remember the reference to this passage and the story related to it.

Jonathan Edwards was sharply criticized during the Great Awakening. But in spite of the unfair and unwarranted attacks, Edwards never responded. He never tried to defend himself. And he never attacked his critics in return. His only statement was a reference to 2 Corinthians 5:10. Rather than continuing or escalating the controversy, he simply concluded, “I know in my heart what is true. And I will wait for the judgment seat of Christ to bear me out.”

2 Corinthians 5:10 has been one of my “life verses” every since I read that story (Yes, from the source I can’t remember). And it has been on my mind and heart quite a bit over the past week.

There are times when we want to explain ourselves, defend our actions, or justify our decisions. Sometimes, this is absolutely the right thing to do. After all, 2 Corinthians, the most personal of Paul’s New Testament letters, is a defense of his spiritual authenticity and ministerial credibility in response to would-be leaders in the church at Corinth who were trying to undermine his influence. So there is a place for defending ourselves. And we should explain ourselves to those we are accountable to. But there are other times when we must quietly do what is right before God and let the judgment seat of Christ bear us out.

Now, we should never use this principle to side-step appropriate accountability. But we should allow 2 Corinthians 5:10 to remind us that our final and ultimate “job review” will be performed by the Lord, not by people – neither those who shoot us down nor those who cheer us on.

May our consuming passion and priority always be to hear the Lord say, “Well done, God and faithful servant…”