My question has to do with the definitions (as are popularly understood or employed) of authority, leadership, and decision-making. You stated in your example that \u201csomeone who is an expert has more authority in the area he has gained expertise.\u201d Then you state that the theologian presumably has more knowledge and that should \u201ccarry weight,\u201d but you backed off from authority. The congregation, you say, should make the decisions. But certain people have \u201cspiritual leadership.\u201d I\u2019m probably pretty much on board with your ideas, but I think a little more definitive explanation should accompany words like authority, leadership, and decision-making if we are using them to distinguish activity or degree of control. Okay, I guess I have not yet formed a question. My question is how do you definitively distinguish between authority and leadership in the above areas. More precisely, what does it mean for a pastor, for example, to have responsibility of spiritual leadership, but not of a decision-making form? (especially in view of some verses that mention obeying your leaders.) Expound, if you will.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
As I said in my initial response, this is an excellent question. It gets at the heart of church life and government.<\/p>\n
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The word \u2018authority\u2019 has differing uses. When we speak of the authority of knowledge, expertise, or experience, we are speaking of the kind of value someone\u2019s opinion carries in his area of expertise. It is true that there can be competing authorities of this kind, where equally experienced or educated individuals may subscribe to differing schools of thought. If they both happen to be involved in a decision making process, conflict can ensue and their differences tend to weaken the weight of each other\u2019s comments. Those responding have to make judgements about differing opinions by weighing the contrasting opinions or by consulting a \u201ctie-breaker\u201d \u2013 another expert.<\/p>\n
When we come, however, to church governance, Baptists believe in the responsibility of local congregational governance in keeping with the Scriptural patterns and under the theory that a regenerate church membership consists of Spirit-led people. In making church decisions, then, each member of the church may have differing opinions and differing levels of competence\/expertise, but decisions have to be made on the basis of a congregational vote. After an issue has been discussed, experts and non-experts weighing in, a vote is taken and the church moves forward.<\/p>\n
The Bible also brings pastors and deacons into the mix. Pastors, in particular, are called overseers by the Bible. There are at least two ways in which this oversight is exercised.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Spiritual oversight<\/li>\n
- Administrative oversight<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Spiritual oversight<\/strong> is the pastoral responsibility given as a minister of the Word of God. It carries the authority of God to the extent that the pastor admonishes, corrects, rebukes, etc., from the Word of God and consistently with the Word of God. It is not an authority limited simply to the extent of explicit Biblical statements, but does include authoritative application of Biblical revelation. Study the Timothys and Titus for Paul\u2019s direction to these ministers about their ministry. You can see several instances where it seems Paul urges them to speak up against errors of faith or practice. Paul uses somewhat general terms which can be expanded upon, it seems to me. For example, Titus 1.9, where the pastor is to \u2018refute those who contradict\u2019, or Titus 2.6 where the pastor is to exhort the young men to be sensible. There are numbers of admonitions like this.<\/p>\n
In general, this spiritual authority is God-given by virtue of the office held, but is limited to the context of Scriptural admonition and oversight as described above.<\/p>\n
Administrative oversight<\/strong> is the pastoral responsibility designated by the office held and by congregational assent. Certain administrative aspects of the ministry are taught in the Bible. Certain administrative aspects are not explicitly taught in the Bible but are given into the hands of the pastor by congregational decision. (This is not unbiblical, but may not be explicitly biblical either.) I am thinking of such things as administering the budget for building maintenance, for social events, for Sunday school or other aspects of a modern church budget. The whole church shouldn\u2019t have to vote every time you need paper towels for the kitchen, or every time you need to order Sunday school material.<\/p>\n
In general, congregational decision making is focused on annual or quarterly business meetings which direct and delegate administrative authority.<\/p>\n
Between these two areas of authority there is likely some overlap. When decisions have to be made about which Sunday school material the church will use, the pastor has spiritual oversight authority as well as administrative oversight authority. Both of these may be delegated to others with final oversight in the hands of the pastor.<\/p>\n
In the day-to-day life of the church, the pastor may be making a lot of the decisions, but he ought to be conscious of what his people are saying and thinking along the way.<\/p>\n
Pastor\/People and Who is the Expert?<\/h5>\n
Turning from the authority structure of a church to the matter of expertise and experience, it is true that the more well-studied, skilled, and experienced a pastor is, the more people will listen to what he says. When I was a young pastor, I said a lot of the same things I say now, but they seem to carry more weight now that I have been at it a while. Perhaps I have learned better ways to communicate (undoubtedly true), and certainly I have seen a few shipwrecks I can point to and say, \u201cI told them so.\u201d And I have simply spent more time in the Word. It all adds up. It does seem that people listen to me somewhat better than they used to.<\/p>\n
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