It seems to be the pattern that New Testament congregations had elders/overseers
I would argue that a congregation should have it from the beginning if possible and the reason the congregations Titus went to did not originally have them was that they were made up of recent converts which would disqualify them for the role
1 Timothy 3:6
As for quantity it seems that there were plural elders so a minimum of two is required
And as for a maximum I do not see a Biblical restriction
Requirements (Titus 1:5-9, 1 Timothy 3:1-7)
He must NOT be
Arrogant
Quick-tempered
A drunkard
Violent
Greedy for gain
A lover of money
Quarrelsome
A recent convert
He must be
Above reproach
The husband of one wife
Gentle
Hospitable
A lover of good
Self-controlled
Upright
Holy
Disciplined
Sober-minded
Respectable
Manage his own household well
Keep his children submissive
His children must be believers who are not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination (I would think that if the children are young they must at least be submissive but I don't think that only having young children disqualifies a person for the same reason that if an elder has another child then they would immediately be disqualified since their new baby isn't yet saved)
Hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught
Able to teach
Be well thought of by outsiders (this would require the opinions of unbelievers to be factored in, basically secular reference checks)
Duties
Lay hands on people
Oversee the members of the congregation
Offer assistance/advice
Teach them
Be involved in correction if it can't be dealt with by one or two others privately
Manage the group as a whole
Live by example
Teach/preach
Appointment
Titus was not part of the congregations he was setting up so I wouldn't say that it is restrictive who can appoint an elder
The restrictions seem to be the tough criteria an elder must meet and it would make sense to me to have everyone agree upon it for the simple reason that one person may not know of a reason for disqualification while another would
In other words the appointment of an elder is based on people being in agreement that all criteria are met
And if it is found that they do not meet a criteria they should be prevented at least until the criteria is met
If everyone agrees that the man in question meets all of these criteria then they should appoint him as an elder
Once an elder
He must follow the duties of an elder
If he persists in a sin attested by at least two witnesses he should be publicly rebuked before the whole congregation
He must keep the requirements that qualified him in the first place
The role would last as long as the Biblical requirements and duties are kept
So if they fell into unrepentant sin for instance or left the congregation and thus no longer kept the responsibilities of eldership for that congregation then they would no longer be that congregation's elder
Associations (2 Corinthians 6:14)
We cannot avoid a certain level of association with the world such as buying food for a secular store but the closer we are connected to the world the more I think we are in the wrong
For this reason I would recommend not even registering as a non-profit religious organization
Doing so doesn't seem to have any major benefit
The biggest benefit seems to be getting tax receipts
By avoiding a building and staff nearly all the money given will go to its intended purpose so I would say that even without tax benefits it will be better than a traditional church
Individuals can still give to external groups that are registered non-profits
Getting money back should not be a requirement for cheerful givers and I have a hard time believing that the early church would have registered with Caesar in order to get money incentives
Perhaps even getting repaid on earth robs us of eternal rewards (Luke 6:35)
Denominations
Christ is the head of the church
Ephesians 1:20-23
Ephesians 5:23
Colossians 1:18
The Bible has many examples of elders helping lead local congregations but nowhere does there seem to be an in-between organization between Christ and a local congregation
Paul would be the closest individual to this in the Bible because he wrote letters to many congregations
1 Corinthians 1:11-13
Paul did not seem to have groups who were officially under him or called by his name
Instead as someone who loved God's people he would often write to them to encourage and correct and stay in contact with them
Goals
Rather than "church leadership" setting directions and goals I would recommend each person find or join in whatever they believe God has for them
So rather than one church focusing on missions while another focuses on outreach to Barrhead, the elders would come alongside each member helping them to do whatever God has called them to do
So if a group of people want to feed homeless the elders and deacons would encourage, mobilize, give advice, and even help those people accomplish God's task for them
See section on money for more details
This also limits the corrupting influence of power in leaders by removing some of the control over what everyone else does
And if another group feels lead to provide for some missionaries they would help that group accomplish their task
This means that the congregation isn't given a mission to accomplish by leadership but rather that leadership comes alongside the congregation to encourage, help, and advise each member as they each hear from God and follow His will for their life
I take this view from the general pattern of Scripture that each believer is to do as God directs them and I do not see examples of elders setting agendas for a congregation
The church/Ekklesia is Biblically defined as a gathering of God's people rather than a building or the gathering of just anyone
In light of this it seems that a congregation should primarily focus on God and other believers rather than the lost when they gather
This is the universal pattern seen in the Bible
The Bible does not tell us that all the believers should invite unbelievers to come to a service so the pastor can teach them about God
Rather all believers are to go out into the world and share the Gospel and once they are saved disciple them and bring the new converts to join the congregation
This allows the teaching to focus on deepening and growing the believers rather than staying shallow to accommodate unbelievers
1 Corinthians 14:24 assumes that unbelievers are allowed to show up but nowhere is this encouraged or pushed for or focused on in the New Testament
Throughout the Bible believers are encouraged to pursue meat (advanced/deep things) not milk (shallow beginner things) Hebrews 5:12-14 and that should be the focus when gathered together
Practically the benefit is that the believers will be maximally fed and grow and learn and they will be better equipped to share the Gospel mid-week and disciple the saved
On the other hand if "church gathering" becomes focused on saving the lost then the believers will remain shallow and will be tempted to delegate the sharing of the Gospel and discipleship to a couple of leaders
Money
Acts 4:34-35 suggests that at the beginning people would bring money to the disciples who would immediately distribute the money for internal needs of the congregation
In Acts 11:29-30 again people gather money but for an immediate purpose
I don't find a New Testament example of giving money to a congregation to store in a central bank account
Based on this I think it would be best to give money as needs and opportunities arise
This comes with some pros and cons such as:
Pros:
People and particularly leadership can be corrupted by power, money, and sex and this takes the control of money away from leadership (power is also reduced greatly in the roles of an elder relative to a traditional pastor)
People will feel more a part of the giving by doing it personally themselves for a specific cause rather than delegating the use of funds to a third party
People will have complete control to give as they see fit so there won't be complaints about how others spent the funds for them
Cons:
When there are periods of time with no financial needs people may spend the money themselves since it is still in their bank account
Discipling and teaching discipline or even recommending setting aside money in a separate account or cash envelope may all help with this problem
If God directs to give to people or groups outside the scope of the local congregation people should do so
Size
It seems difficult to follow the Biblical guidelines if the congregation gets too big
Members can slip through the cracks unnoticed
Members can become uninvolved, only showing up, listening, and walking out the door
Deep relationships and vulnerability decrease with size of group
A large congregation will need more money spent on gathering together such as a sound system and a larger building
It also seems bad to have too small a group
Not enough accountability or iron sharpening iron
A plurality of elders and multiple giftings and strengths and weaknesses is important
I would propose we set a minimum requirement of 15 people and a maximum of 50 (or as large as the home/building practically holds) (these number are just a suggestion)
If we cannot get 15 people together it could be argued that there shouldn't be one at all since it will be deficient at the beginning
A counter case could be made that New Testament congregations were started without elders and only later got elders as soon as members qualified (Titus 1:5). And therefore it is worth it to start deficiently rather than not start at all
If we get to max capacity (say 50 or whatever the house holds) we would split, sending some of our best elders, and a sampling of people with spiritual gifts to form a new congregation
This will be difficult just as children leaving parents can be hard, but it is necessary to multiply and spread the family of God
However we could all gather together from time to time particularly outdoors in summer at no cost or even scheduled mass gatherings every so many weeks
When they leave they would have the freedom to not do everything or even think everything just like the group they came from
Instead the relationship should be the same as Paul had with the congregations he set up
He advised, encouraged, corrected, and visited them but He was not in charge of them and could not control them, but that did not keep him from trying to influence them
It was basically a discipleship model between congregations
Future modifications
The Bible is our ultimate authority and as we continue to study and learn God's will and instruction within it we will find that we have not always done things correctly
In that event we should be willing to change, the goal is not to keep a good thing going, it is to conform to God's standard
Where there is a clear command in the Bible it should be followed immediately and without question
Having a statement of faith (basically a creed) may help make it clear what essential things are demonstrably Biblical although it should not be so detailed as to include non-essential opinions
Where there are repeated examples that seem positive of how things were done in the Bible I recommend doing them, particularly New Covenant examples, but learning from the Old as well
Where there are one off examples given in Scripture they should be carefully thought out and if they seem wise they too should be tried
Questions like was this a onetime thing based on a particular situation should be discussed
Not all things are equally clear and so there should be an understanding that not everything is black and white but that the ambiguous grey areas need to be assessed in light of what is clearly outlined in Scripture
Discipleship
Matthew 28:19-20 contains the "Great Commission" which we should all follow and that includes discipling believers
Discipling someone takes time and is an ongoing process
The best example of this is of Jesus discipling 12 men
I would not recommend anyone discipling more than 12 at a time since quality is more important than quantity
He spent time with them
He didn't just check in for 10 minutes every week
The more time the better but disciplers should not neglect other important things such as personal growth
Jesus left the disciples to go pray
He taught them
This teaching was often about God
But it also included how to think about taxes and to work hard and how to react to others
He showed them how to act
He taught them how to pray and what to do when someone asked for a coat
He didn't do discipleship only in a room as some teachers might, but rather taught them about the situations they found themselves in (more like a coach where the actions are practical rather than theoretical)
He lead by example
He was not pleased with other leaders who gave correct instruction but did not live accordingly themselves
He told them to disciple others
This did not happen on day 1 but it did happen before long
Church discipline (Matthew 18:15-17)
The goal as expressed in vs 15 is to keep a brother's sin as private at possible but because of the seriousness of sin if it is ignored then more people need to get involved in the following stages
Privately confront brother 1 on 1
Bring one or two others with you to confront him
Bring the matter before the congregation
If the brother still does not repent then they are to be treated as a "Gentile and a tax collector"
How should believers treat Gentiles and tax collectors?
It does not mean that they are banned from showing up at a gathering of believers because 1 Corinthians 14:23-24 assumes that it can happen
But it does mean telling them that they need to get right with God more than anything else
It would also mean that they wouldn't be discipled since believers disciple believers rather than unbelievers
Membership
Rather than the normal "church membership" I propose only a distinction between believers in right relationship with God and unbelievers
This way "church discipline" can still be done as well as verses like 1 Corinthians 5:12 be applied
Verses that have been used in support of more traditional forms of membership include:
Acts 2:41, 47
I see no reason to assume a formal membership list rather than just people being saved
Acts 6:3
Again, just because a group of people are meeting does not mean they got a membership
Hebrews 13:17
Again we submit to leaders who are overseeing the congregation we attend but again that does not indicate or at all require formal membership
In conclusion I see no major benefit or necessity to have official membership
Building
This will depend on the maximum size as discussed above
If the maximum size is quite low then congregation member's homes would be adequate
If the maximum (at least in winter) is larger than a building should be utilized for the church to gather to meet in
This building could be anything between an insulated shop that a member owns to a gym or building that the congregation rents to a home living room
The advantage to a not renting is it would be free assuming the member is willing to share it with the congregation to facilitate in their gathering regularly together
I would recommend sharing the cost of heating and such by members who are able to take advantage of the space if it is not their home
If that is not an option then renting should be considered with the ongoing financial burden and association (see above) considered
Appendix A (Congregational activities)
Worship?
I don't believe the Bible defines worship as singing
In fact it should happen all the time
Romans 12:1-2
So in my opinion to say we worship on Sundays is the equivalent of saying I do good on Sundays
Singing?
Ephesians 5:19-20
Seems to be in a group setting
Colossians 3:16-17
Seems to be in a group setting
James 5:13
Seems to be a personal matter
While not mandated for every gathering it is at least sometimes what believers did when they gathered together
Communion?
1 Corinthians 11:20
At least the Corinthian congregation had communion when they got together
Acts 2:42
I am not sure this is a valid reference to communion since breaking of bread sometimes refers to communion such as in 1 Corinthians 10:16 and other times doesn't seem to like in Acts 27:35-36
Offering?
1 Corinthians 16:2-3
This was for a specific need and may not have continued after the need was met
Scripture reading?
Colossians 4:16
The letters (now known as part of Scripture) were read by the people (not clearly when they were all together but perhaps)
Teaching?
Acts 2:42
Acts 20:7
Prayer?
1 Corinthians 14:15-16
The context seems to be a gathering of believers
Acts 2:42
Gifts of the spirit?
As with all these things they are not confined to a gathering of believers but they are mentioned in a group context as well
1 Corinthians 14:26 (hymns, teachings, and gifts of the Spirit are all mentioned in this verse)
In this verse it seems that different people lead each hymn potentially as well as different people doing different gifts of the Spirit as well as different people sharing a teaching
Visiting with each other (Fellowship)?
Acts 2:42
1 Thessalonians 5:11
When other believers gather it seems to me to be a prime opportunity to love one another
Saturday/Sabbath?
Have you ever looked for the ten commandments in the new testament?
Christ's law affirms 9 of them (Matthew 19:18-19, Romans 13:9, 1 John 5:21, Matthew 12:36) and gives murder and adultery, for instance, a much stricter application to inward attitude as well as outward action (Matthew 5:21-22, 5:28)
The 'skipped' commandment is Sabbath
Furthermore there are a few reasons for thinking that gathering on the Sabbath (Saturday) is not a requirement for believers and especially gentiles
Gentiles were never asked to observe the Sabbath
Romans 14:5-6
This seems like it could apply to the Sabbath and holy days very easily
Colossians 2:16
Here Sabbath observance is specifically a matter of conscience rather than requirement as it was under the law of Moses
Hebrews 4:9-11
The Sabbath that we follow under Christ is a rest from works as we trust in His works and not our own
There are multiple references we have already read about Sunday (first day of the week) being the special day rather than Saturday
I think this was fine because the Sabbath that came through Moses was no longer binding and they were free to pick any day to gather and chose Sunday to commemorate the resurrection
So in conclusion I think that the day of the week and time of day the people of God gather is not Biblically mandated and as such may as well be to accommodate the gatherers best
But these are just my thoughts on a tricky topic
Appendix B (Tithing)
God only wants what people want to give (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Tithing is never commanded in the new covenant
If people believe it is a part of the New Testament I think they should be consistent about what the Old Testament says about tithing
Blessing
Malachi 3:10
Curse
Malachi 3:9
But if it is an exclusively old covenant rule should we not give money?
There are New Testament examples of giving money
Jesus didn't speak badly of it when watching the widow give
Extreme generosity is taught in the New Testament
Luke 3:10-11
Romans 15:26-28
1 Corinthians 9:6-12
It seems right for a congregation to pay an elder (particularly one who teaches/preaches) for the amount of work they do
However it is also the right of the payee to decline or take a low wage for the sake of their witness to the gospel
2 Corinthians 9:1-15
This money collected was not for their local assembly
The same goes for 1 Corinthians 16:1-3
The only internal giving was to those in need not for operational costs
I would theorize that this was because "church buildings" and "church staff" were not established in the NT
Once you have buildings and staff there are a lot of expenses that a house-community or park-community do not have such as property taxes and utility bills
This modern way of doing things requires a large amount of monthly costs that take away from the NT focus on giving money to help the needy
In Canada due to the climate being outdoors is not very practical or convenient but I would think that everyone could meet in a member's insulated shop at no additional expense to the congregation except for perhaps a few onetime costs such as a stove/furnace and chairs
But these are only my opinions and perhaps go beyond scripture in their specificity
Appendix C (Elders and deacons)
Acts 20:17
Ephesus had elders (plural)
Later in vs 28 we see that the elders were overseers of the Ephesus local congregation
Philippians 1:1
This letter is addressed to the members of the congregation including the overseers and deacons
The overseers in Ephesus were also called elders so the terms may be synonymous or at least on encompasses the other
So now we have two special offices in a local congregation: elders/overseers and deacons
Elder/overseer requirements:
1 Timothy 3:1-7
Titus 1:4-9
Note that every local congregation needed elders and it seems like the number of elders what as many as were eligible
1 Peter 5:1-5
Here elders seem to be contrasted with the younger
Does that mean that elders are the oldest people in a congregation?
No because some of the old may not meet the requirements so elder cannot simply refer to an age but generally speaking elders would probably be older and more mature
Deacon requirements:
1 Timothy 3:8-13
The Greek word is only translated as deacon here and in Philippians 1:1 but does occur elsewhere in Greek
Servant/attendant:
Matthew 20:26
Matthew 22:13
John 2:5
John 2:9
Romans 13:4
1 Corinthians 3:5
Paul was also a deacon/servant
Does this mean that since Paul was an elder and a deacon that they are the same?
I don't think so since they are separated in places like Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3
Romans 16:1
Here the deacon is a woman
From reading 1 Timothy 3:8-13 it seems that deacons are men but Phoebe is a woman and is commended by Paul
One theory (although I don't know if it is correct) is that the official office of deacon is only for men but women can also serve in a similar fashion and function similarly or even alongside their husband as his helper as established in Genesis
And the same would go with all the other qualifications:
Unmarried people can serve
Children can serve
New converts can serve
But under this theory they cannot become official servants/deacons
Another theory is that there are rare exceptions to men being deacons
There is a third word that we should look at: shepherd
The word pastor is not found in the Bible but is derived from Latin and means shepherd
Ephesians 4:11
Is a shepherd another type of local congregation office or the same as either an elder or a deacon?
1 Peter 5:1-4
So it seems that the word shepherd is a description of what an elder does just as servant is a description of what a deacon does
Most other references of shepherds are referring to Christ in the new testament
What do deacons do?
They serve other believers (probably primarily believers who are a part of or in close proximity to their local congregation
The Bible does not explicitly describe their role so I can only go off the meaning of the word with is to serve or attend to the needs of others
There are many verses that talk about serving others so those guidelines could be applied to deacons especially
For instance, 1 Timothy 5:16 would indicate that needs should be prioritized and that people with needs with no one else to help should be prioritized above people with needs who have others who can and hopefully are helping
What do elders do
Acts 11:29-30
The elders were given money from the disciples to distribute among the believers in that area
Acts 14:23
Paul and Barnabas set up elders in every congregation
Note that we keep stumbling upon the word elders being plural rather than singular
In other words, a local congregation needs a group of coequal respectable, godly, mature believers overseeing the congregation rather than one man running everything by himself
Acts 15:5-6
The elders (and apostles) got together to consider a theological matter
1 Timothy 4:14
The elders (as a group) laid hands on people
1 Timothy 5:17-18
Elders who do well at their role should be honored extra and even paid for their labors
That being said, the elders are each within their right to not accept payment as Paul did
1 Corinthians 9:9-19
The extra honor is especially for elders who preach and teach which tells me that not all elders preach and teach but that it is good if they do it at least occasionally
1 Timothy 5:19-20
Accusations against elders should not be trusted unless there are at least 2 or three witnesses to confirm the accusation
However if they are found to be in sin they should be publicly rebuked as an example to other believers
James 5:14
Elders are on call for visiting the sick in person and praying for healing and anointing them with oil