Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons (Anyabwile)

It has been an honour over the past year to serve as an elder at Philpott Memorial Church.  The call to "shepherd the church of God" (Acts 20:28) has been one I've done with joy.  As we prepare to go to Africa, one of my latest tasks has been involved on the Nominating Committee doing exactly what the title of this book says... "Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons".  Thabiti Anyabwile was previously the Associate Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC with Mark Dever, and now he is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Grand Cayman.  

This book was very helpful for me and I pray it will be for you.  

"A church without godly leaders is an endangered church.  And a church that does not train leaders is an unfaithful church." (pg 11)

"If a man is not given to discipling others, it's unlikely that he is called to the pastoral office." (pg 11)

Deacons

"In the last decade or two, more and more churches have adopted the biblical model of eldership, which means the deacon role has either been redefined or neglected.  But deacons are an indispensable part of serving the body of Christ and of multiplying the church's ministry" (pg 20)

"The loftiness of the office is seen in:
(a) the character of the individuals required to fill it ("full of the Spirit and of wisdom" v3),
(b) the fact that it facilitates the ministry of the Word and prayer, and 
(c) the unifying and strengthening effect it has on the whole church.
The deaconate is important!" (pg 21)

"Are there widows in our churches who are not cared for?  Perhaps we need to consider our work with deacons." (pg 21)

1 Timothy 3:9 - They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

"Since deacons care for the practical needs of the body, perhaps even being assigned a specific area of service, we may run the risk of thinking of deacons as technocrats with specialized skills but little or no theological acumen.  We may think of deacons as doers but not as thinkers.  But to "hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience" requires a steel grip on the gospel of Jesus Christ." (pg 36)

Elders

"While deacons serve the practical or physical needs of the church, elders serve the overall spiritual needs of the church." (pg 49)

"As Pastor Mark Lauderbach puts it, 'An elder with no Bible is an elder with no authority'". (pg 49)

"Faithful pastors will regularly encourage young men (including twenty-somethings) to include in their personal aspirations the goal of becoming an elder.  After all, every characteristic that Paul lists for elders in 1 Timothy 3, except for the quality of being "able to teach" (v2) should mark every Christian man. (pg 51)

"Choosing pastors/elders is the most important decision a congregation makes, since the pastors will shape the congregation through their teaching and their model." (pg 56)

1 Timothy 3:2 - Therefore an overseer must be... hospitable.

"Hospitality enables evangelism.  Perhaps our failure to be hospitable explains why so many Christians have few non-Christian friends and find themselves far removed from evangelistic opportunities.  We cannot share the gospel with a person we fail to greet, or speak to a person with whom we refuse to spend time." (pg 72)

"Hospitality enables discipleship and fellowship." (pg 72)

"It does pay to take note of the men who hang around after church services end, who arrive early, who greet visitors and saints alike." (pg 73)

"Does he use his lunch hour to build relationships with non-Christian coworkers with the hope of gospel opportunity?  Does he meet regularly with other men in the church to build fellowship and accountability and to disciple?" (pg 74)

"At the last church evening service before Jim and his family were relocated from Washington, DC, the pastor asked everyone who had been guests in their home for lunch or dinner to stand.  In the service that night were probably 350-400 people.  Literally 90% stood and gave God praise for the hospitality of Jim's family.  Their home and their lives had become a very real extension of the church's ministry and pastoral care.  They bore immeasurable fruit simply by having people join their normal Sunday dinner, week after week.  If that sounds like a burden, I should also mention that Jim and his wife have 6 children as well as their adopted nephew and niece, and they lived 45 minutes from the church.  He was not Superman, but he way he and his family modeled hospitality sometimes made it seem like he was.  His example challenges me to forsake ease and to cross more boundaries with the love of Christ.  May Jim's tribe increase!" (pg 75)

1 Timothy 3:2 - Therefore an overseer must be ... able to teach.

"Teaching is the primary task of the elder.  Other things are necessary in a church, such as administration, mutual care, and so forth.  But the one thing that necessarily sets an elder apart is his ability to teach." (pg 78)

"Does the prospective elder help others grow in Christ in more private settings such as small groups or 1-on-1 discipleship?" (pg 80)

1 Timothy 3:6 - He must not be a recent convert.

"Paul does not give us an age requirement or length of time that automatically signals maturity.  We all know Christians who have been Christians for decades but lack the spiritual maturity requisite for eldership.  And conversely, we have probably met a number of people who spiritually were born old and evidence remarkable maturity for their Christian age." (pg 100)

1 Timothy 3:7 - He must be well thought of by outsiders

"If a man is well regarded inside the church but poorly regarded by non-Christians, he does not qualify as a suitable candidate for Christian ministry." (pg 106)

Overall it was a great book. I've only touched on a few points here.