Thursday, October 7, 2021

An Elder and a Minister


Within the tradition of the Church of God, and by TEACHINGS of our church faith, the difference between an elder and a minister is that the elder is an ordained man who serves a local church or local area of churches.

An elder would be stationed in one area to oversee his group, whereas a minister oftentimes oversees various groups in several areas.

An elder may pastor a church group in one area in the morning on the holy Sabbath, and then later in the afternoon serve another church group in a different area.

A minister is like an evangelist – who may need to travel long distances to preach the gospel message. Yet, a minister also could be like an elder, stationary, pastoring only one area church group. He may serve as a pastor for a time in one area, and then later travel to another area to serve.

Various churches of this world have their traditions and ideas on this matter, but this is the tradition and the teachings concerning this matter in the Church that I serve.

Thus, this is why I firmly stand, without wavering, in this Church of God teaching.

Now, ministers are, traditionally, known to build up churches, to ordain elders, to oversee the churches, and then move on to another area to repeat this process.

Truly, there is very little difference between an elder and a minister.

They are both servants of Jesus Christ – with the very same ministerial (or servitude) instructions.

Now, in God’s living word – the Holy Bible – an elder is typically the pastor or ordained spiritual leader of the congregation.

The apostle Peter, himself, was a fellow elder.

The apostle John writes as an elder.

The apostle Paul told Titus to appoint elders in each town.

John the Baptist, indeed, was a minister. However, he didn’t have one set group to oversee.

Paul was more of a traveling evangelist – or a traveling minister.

A minister is known in many locations for serving in the churches.

An elder and a minister have authority over the church group that they oversee. They make sure that the church group is in the correct order. Both are teachers and preachers – speakers – of the glorious gospel message.

To be ordained as a “minister” means that the man may travel more than would the “elder” in teaching and preaching the gospel.

Ministers may also oversee various church groups in various areas. As was the case with the minister Paul the apostle.

Now, an ORDAINED “minister” has the potential of having more responsibility because he generally serves more of a diversified group – because he may travel to various areas more than an elder.

Truly, to break down in simplest terms – “minister,” “preacher,” “elder,” “evangelist,” “pastor,” and “bishop” – basically all means the same.

So, even a deacon is to be of the same quality. A deacon is a next step to being an elder. However, a deacon serves only his own church group as a helper to the elder or minister and the flock.

As is the case with a deaconess. She also may serve in helping her own church group. 

However, NO WOMAN is allowed to preach. Yet, they certainly may council other women within the church group.

a deacon

Becoming a deacon is a test to see if the man qualifies to become an elder.

If he is helpful to the elder/minister and shows himself humble in his servile duties, then the minister may ordain him as an elder to help build the church group.

Now, if a deacon lacks in his duties given by the minister and shows himself unworthy by doing things which a deacon should not do – then he needs to be relieved from his duties.

When a deacon does such things – like not being on time for church services (which truly is one of the WORST things he can do, as it shows disrespect for Almighty God), or not being helpful at church or he becomes prideful – believing that he can somehow undermine the minister and take over, as many deacons have been known to do - he disqualifies himself from being a deacon.

He shows himself not qualified for service in the church.

In some cases, a minister may just simply have to walk away from a church group. And, this has happened many times throughout the Church of God history among many of the churches around the world.

I, personally, knew a Pentecostal preacher that had to walk away from his church group because he discovered something in God’s living word which didn’t go along with the church organization's teachings. And, the exact same thing happened with a Church of Christ preacher I knew.

There was a minister who left the Seventh-day Adventist conference in the early ‘30s. He had been their pastor for several years, and he just simply had to walk away from them because they were a “stiff-necked people.” He would go on to have church with his family each Sabbath and later did a radio program until he could build a more united group.

He would become one of the most successful and influential ministers of the 20th century!

In fact, his son also had to walk away from pastoring a church group which he had started – because of a rebellious spirit towards him. He found himself being undermined by his own church group which he had founded. Thus he, like his father before him, had to WALK AWAY and start another church group elsewhere.

Now, one of my own spiritual mentors was exceedingly frustrated with his own church group who began to disrespect his position as minister. The disrespect became so bad, he just simply had to walk away and start an independent church.

Another spiritual mentor walked away after having his fill of political garbage being brought into the church group week after week! He was unable to preach and teach enough against it to get through to the hard-headed people. So, he threw his arms up into the air – and walked away.

Also, another one of my spiritual mentors – a true minister of God – was railroaded by a church group (led by a super jealous yahoo, a deacon nonetheless) that greedily desired to be in the position of minister. So, he started a coup d'état against the minister of God.

This man of God was viciously attacked by nasty assaults upon his reputation – of ugly LIES brought about by this deacon, servant of Satan the devil!

This man of God taught me valuable lessons on just what a true servant of God is to do when gravely attacked by servants of Satan the devil. He maintained his cool, and just simply WALKED AWAY and went on to preach elsewhere.

Another one of my spiritual mentors was also railroaded because he preached more JESUS and less Moses! It was truly more than that Old Testament/Old Covenant following church organization could take!

Friends, these are but just a few cases where ministers were forced to WALK AWAY from their own church group and start over elsewhere.

Sadly, I myself WALKED AWAY from a church group that I had started.

Lessons learned.

When you truly have the HOLY SPIRIT leading you, then you can see through the muck of a bad spirit trying to disguise itself as a righteous spirit. □


Additional things to think about...

A Roman "Mark"!?Back in Rome, in the times before our Lord Jesus Christ, the Roman government MARKED people by branding them on their hands and on their foreheads – like a tattoo. [...]
A Message of Only Doom!?Is the Message that our Lord Jesus brought a Message of only doom!? [...]
Idol WorshipA great many of our people are grasping hold of their idols! Politics can be an idol. [...]

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