Elders and Deacons

HEADER FOR Expressions

(Click picture to go back to Table of Contents)

Welcome

Enjoy... But remember
"Don't give in to winning the argument
and losing one of your eternal crowns..."

God bless you...

Elders and Deacons

Forum: Theological Expressions
Re:

The clergy/laity distinction: a help or a hindrance to the body of Christ? (RTC)
Date: 2001, Jul 30
From: K

A basis for the offices of Elder and Deacon in the church may be found in the New Testament, primarily in Paul's first epistle to Timothy. I believe that in most Protestant traditions, what is called the "clergy" is simply a reference to these two special offices ordained by God in Scripture, while the "laity" is, well, just a term for "non-clergy"...
While these terms originated in Roman Catholic doctrines, what I have written appears to be the common interpretation of these terms among Protestants today. However, this should not in any way negate the clear doctrine of the priesthood of all believers; the "clergy" is not an intermediary between God and the "laity" at all, but merely a group of individuals who have answered the call to give of themselves full time in serving the Church through administration, teaching and pastoral care -- and it is perhaps only just that other members of the Church recognise the tremendous sacrifices made by these brothers and sisters through the respectful term "clergy"; moreover, the apostles did not shy away from being called "apostles" either.
I believe most members of the clergy in Protestant traditions fully understand that their calling is one of servanthood and not rulership. I myself attend a Methodist church here in Singapore, and just recently one of our pastors took time to re-iterate clearly during his sermon that pastors were but fellow believers in the body of Christ, and that while being given the responsibility of leading the Church is a privilege, it is certainly not a "position of power". On the contrary, it can be one of the most demanding, painful and unappreciated professions one can take up!
As such, I believe much of the misunderstanding about this clergy/laity "distinction" actually originates from those of us in the majority group designated as the "laity", as we unfortunately all too often succumb to the temptation to pass on all the work of the Church to the clergy instead of realising that we too have an equal duty to use our spiritual gifts for the good of the Church -- and thus we cultivate the popular perception of the clergy as a "mystical", "ultra-spiritual" elite that can do things far better than any lay member, when in fact they are our own brothers and sisters in Christ who are silently suffering under the many heavy burdens placed on them. Just this morning, one of my pastors pointed out in his sermon that actually there are many ministry tasks where a "lay member" is in fact likely to be more effective than a "clergyman", eg. in personal evangelism, as people in society at large are far more likely to give more credibility to the testimony of an "average" person rather than a "paid professional religious minister"!
This is not saying, of course, that all churches today maintain this proper, Biblical perspective of the clergy... like all other doctrines and truths, this has been corrupted by man throughout the history of the Church. Yet this is no reason to abandon a system that is intended for good.
In His Service,
K