The administration of the church and the ministry of the word, week 9, chapter 12, Tuesday

THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CHURCH
AND THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

CHAPTER TWELVE:
THE WORD SERVES TO SUPPLY,
AND THE ADMINISTRATION SERVES TO BUILD

WEEK 9 – TUESDAY
Bible Reading: Eph. 4

Read and pray: “Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13)

THE CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
IS MAINLY FOR BUILDING

In the administration of the church, there is an aspect that has been neglected by all the churches. According to our understanding, church administration involves administrative and financial affairs. Some may even think that administration is about leading or managing people. While this is not entirely incorrect, it is not the real meaning of church administration. The primary goal of church administration is to build up the believers corporately, not individually. The main aim of church administration is to build several individuals together as one. Where there is no administration, there is no building. But where there is administration, there must also be the building of people together, joined as one Body.

How can we carry out administration in such a way that there is building?

The twelve elders of the church in Taipei can organize twenty-eight brothers to be responsible for group meetings. To a certain extent, this organization is centered on building, especially if there are brothers who love the Lord and seek spirituality but do not coordinate with one another. In order to have practical coordination, there must be church administration.

However, the elders should not stop at appointing brothers to be responsible for home meetings. This administration clearly has the nature of building, but they must go further.

The elders may observe that a certain brother appointed as a group leader has problems that must be resolved; otherwise, he won’t be able to bear responsibility in the future. The elders must spend time considering him, praying for him, and fellowshipping with him. They must continue to pray and fellowship until they can speak with him about his problems. If he accepts the fellowship, the problems will be removed, and there will be no obstacle to his coordination with others in the group meetings. This is building.

This is like building with stones. For one stone to rest on another, the one beneath must have a flat surface. Any protrusions on the stone must be continually worked on until another stone can be safely laid on it. This shows that building is not merely placing one stone on another, but also removing the protrusions from a stone so that it can be built upon another. This is the meaning of administration. When those administering the church discover that a brother capable of bearing responsibility has a shortage, they must supply him accordingly.

This can also be likened to selecting stones for building a house. A suitable stone may have a protrusion that must be worked on so it can be built securely on top of others. It may also be that a responsible brother cannot speak well and is not fit to minister the word, yet his administration in the meeting still bears the mark of building. He observes the brothers and knows when they are ready to bear responsibility or need training. Eventually, the saints in his meeting will be able to take up responsibilities. This is building, and this also is administration.

Thus, the elders must devote one-quarter of their meeting time to administrative and financial affairs, and three-quarters to the spiritual condition of the brothers. They should not gossip about the saints’ strengths and weaknesses, but examine them to see whether they are carrying out their duties or have problems. A brother may seem very useful and yet have a problem. Likewise, another brother may be able to preach the word, but is not yet mature enough to be a deacon. Therefore, the elders must consider how best to help them.

One of the elders may be assigned to spend six months with them so they can be perfected and continue to serve in the ministry of the word. This kind of church administration is valuable and important. Administration is not only about administrative and accounting matters, but it serves to build the believers.

Unfortunately, our church administration still falls short. When a saint has a problem, the elders must study his case and deal with it with a view to building. If the problem is not dealt with properly, other saints will also have problems, and the building will be hindered.

When I was serving as an elder in a church in northern China, we did a lot in terms of church administration. The material offerings were also under the responsibility of the church administration. We didn’t give offerings indiscriminately. The offering was done under the guidance of the church administration, ensuring that the one receiving help would truly benefit. The way to help a brother in need is part of administration. This is what the elders must do.

Elders are shepherds, teachers, and administrators. These three functions are interconnected and should not be separated. Some are good at handling administrative and financial matters, others at perfecting the saints. However, the elders should not work in isolation but act in coordination, together as one person, to examine every aspect of each situation.

When most of the time and energy in the elders’ meetings—which are for church administration—is devoted to administrative affairs, the church suffers loss because the spiritual needs of the saints are not addressed. When church administration does not touch the spirit of the saints, the church suffers loss.

Three-quarters of the time and energy in the elders’ meetings should be spent on the spiritual condition of the saints. We cannot do without the organizational aspect of church administration, but we must practice better regarding how much time is given to it. Administering the spiritual needs of the saints requires much more effort and time than simply managing administrative and financial matters. It demands our patience, wisdom, willingness, and energy to do everything in love and not according to natural affection.

This can be compared to the relationship between a doctor and a patient. The doctor prescribes what the patient needs in love. If the patient needs medicine, he prescribes it; if he needs surgery, he operates. In the same way, in church administration, the elders must learn to be gentle, firm, quick, or slow. They must act with balance in every situation. They must not treat all situations the same. One may require strictness, another gentleness. All these situations require learning.

Bringing people to salvation doesn’t require much learning. Likewise, instructing them doesn’t require much learning. But if we want to administer the church and teach the word to build up the children of God for the manifestation of God’s dwelling and the functioning of the Body of Christ, we must learn many lessons. Without learning, we may save sinners and perfect saints but be unable to build them up to become the Body of Christ, God’s habitation.

We ourselves may not even be built up. If that is the case, we may serve as elders or in the ministry of the word, but our church administration and ministry of the word will only lead the saints to love the Lord zealously and to be individually spiritual. We will not be able to build them up together to be filled with God’s presence inwardly and His authority outwardly, becoming His habitation, the Body of Christ, His divine desire. If we apply ourselves to properly administer the church, the power and effectiveness of our gospel will increase, as well as the effectiveness of our teaching among the saints.

Enjoy more: Hymn 382