TEACHING

Don Atkin

REDEFINING SHEPHERDING ROLES

The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:

Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;

nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;

and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. - I Peter 5:1-4.

This is from a general epistle, written by Peter and addressed to the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, those within his apostolic sphere. Although this letter was written to all who were numbered among the elect, Peter singles out the elders in the above verses, charging them with shepherding responsibilities.

Paul writes,

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,

for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. - Ephesians 4:7, 11-12

In this passage, Paul delineates five specific gifts that Jesus has given to equip the church in five specific areas of ministry. One gift is the pastor (shepherd).

Peter focuses upon a responsibility of elders to shepherd as part of oversight; Paul focuses upon spiritual gifts that are capable of reproducing after kind by impartation.

It is my purpose to redefine the role of shepherds in light of these distinctions. There are ruling elders; there are shepherding ministers. Both serve God’s heritage in different ways; some people are graced to do both. But, not all good shepherds are called to government; and not all good elders are graced to impart shepherding skills.

THE FIRST CENTURY CHURCH

Looking back at the church of the first century, we discover that:

While an individual elder may have provided oversight of an individual fellowship within a city, he did so in relationship with and submission to the larger body of elders in that city. There were no mutually independent fellowships of the larger church.

The church in each place was constituted and functioned as one body with many expressions. When it failed to do so, correction was brought (I Corinthians 3:3-17).

THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY CHURCH

Looking at the present-day church, we discover that:

While many pastors are truly called by God as genuine undershepherds and overseers, the contemporary religious systems and traditions minimize their effectiveness - particularly when it comes to fulfilling the purpose of God to bring His government and glory to the earth realm.

(Elders bring government; ministers bring glory.)

Many who are called pastors are not truly pastors in the context of Christ’s gifts to the church (Ephesians 4:7-13). Some are prophets, some are teachers, some are evangelists, who have gathered people around their gifting (or charismatic personality). Some are apostles, whose fruit demonstrates only a microcosm of what they would produce on a citywide scale, if tradition hadn’t confused church government and ministry.

CLARIFYING GOVERNMENT AND MINISTRY

In simplicity and brevity, the government of God has been extended to His holy apostles, who then lay hands upon those who are being appointed elders in every city.

Apostles and elders constitute the government of God,

as they function under His headship, by His Spirit.

Ministry gifts are given by Christ to equip the church for the work of ministry.

These include: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. While apostles are governmental by virtue of their gifting and positioning, the other gifts may or may not be elders. Therefore, they may or may not be governmental in functioning.

"After kind" reproduction comes by the impartation of ministry gifts. Elders are not reproduced after kind. There is no spiritual impartation inherent in the functioning of elders. Spiritual government is imparted by apostles. (This is why elders are appointed with the laying on of hands by apostles.) It is the ministry of apostles to equip the church by imparting governmental order and the revelation of the knowledge of the mystery of Christ.

Prophets equip the church to be prophetic, teachers equip the church that they may teach others also, evangelists equip the church for the work of evangelism, and pastors equip the church to shepherd others.

Equipping happens by impartation through the anointing.

Equipping is a ministerial function, not a governmental function. Ministers are graced as gifts with anointing. Elders are appointed based upon their desire to oversee (bishop souls), by their proven character, and by the directives of the Holy Spirit given to apostles.

Governmental men have no ability within themselves to reproduce after kind, unless they are among those who are also graced as ministers. When they are so graced, they reproduce their ministry, not their governmental abilities. Apostles beget apostles, prophets beget prophets, evangelists beget evangelists, pastors (shepherds) beget shepherds, and teachers beget teachers. Men and women who are graced for ministry will impart and reproduce after kind, according to their gifting. Their benefactors may receive a greater or lesser measure, in accord with their destiny in Christ.

THE NEED FOR EQUIPPING SHEPHERDS

Many local fellowships of the body of Christ suffer from lack of authentic shepherding. Their "pastors" are truly orators, preachers, who have little or no relationship with individual members. Pastor is their title, but not their function!

They may be prophets, teachers or evangelists. Prophets reproduce prophetic churches/ministries; Teachers reproduce teachers and teaching centers; Evangelists reproduce evangelistic results. But, it takes a shepherd to produce a shepherded and shepherding people! Apostles are master builders who bring all of the grace gifts together and produce fully-orbed, citywide expressions of the body of Christ.

People who are graced to equip others to shepherd need to be functioning.

Jesus is still weeping as He looks upon His holy nation, and sees so many sheep who have no shepherd. They may have preachers, prophets and teachers, but many have no true shepherds. A true shepherd:

THE PLACE FOR TRANSLOCAL SHEPHERDS

While elders are appointed within certain geographical jurisdictions, God graces ministries that may reach beyond their local fellowships. Elders are appointed in every city; shepherds (as well as apostles, prophets, teachers and evangelists) may function beyond these borders, as God directs.

God gives influence by spheres that may be expanded through faithful service. For example, some apostles are given for a particular city, some for regions, some are national in influence, while others have international spheres.

Similarly, shepherds (pastors) may increase their spheres as they grow in influence. Shepherds may function as parts of apostolic teams, equipping the saints in an apostolic sphere by imparting and training people within those church expressions to do the work of shepherding.

More and more local church expressions are transitioning from a CEO mentality into a more Biblically-based form of government and ministry. Some are realizing the need to raise up members into shepherding and administrative roles. Apostolic teams are being expanded to include men and women who are graced to shepherd, and to equip others to shepherd, to meet these needs.

Multitudes of house church expressions are showing up on the radar screen. Some of them are looking for legitimate government and anointed ministry, that they may be equipped to fit in functionally as part of the one church in their city. Fivefold ministries need to be coordinated to fill these needs as doors open.

These can be among the most glorious days in church history if we stay tuned to the Spirit of God, and we respond in faith.

We are moving away from the performer/audience way of doing church. We are moving toward the intention of God to have a church representing His kingdom in every city - a church of participators who are being equipped for the work of the ministry.

Failure to see and honor the differences between government and ministry contribute to the performer/audience style of passive church life. Discipling the saints, plus the imparting of anointing for special works of service, is the anecdote to religious futility. Governmental elders and gift ministers must labor together to adequately shepherd the flock of God unto maturity.

We are still knowing and prophesying in part. We are still seeing in a glass darkly. But, the message is becoming clearer, and the vision is increasing. God will continue to reveal more to us as we take steps of faith to align ourselves more perfectly with His will.

May this process of transition continue until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . . until all of the earth is filled with His divine government and glory!