Church Structure

Church structure has leadership and ministers. There are biblical instructions for how to organize followers of Jesus in a group in the sections that follow.

Leadership

Leaders/elders in a church are there to equip the church, build it up & provide guidance on how the church is to follow Jesus. Leaders should lead by example and by instruction. There are a couple categories to help determine leadership: gifting and holy living & reputation. The Holy Spirit determines leadership within a local church. Based on the early church, there should be at least 3 people in leadership. The leaders should give overall direction and guidance for the church. (Acts 20:28, Ephesians 4:11-16, Romans 12:3-8, Galatians 2:9). 

Gifting: apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists are described as qualifications for church leadership. It would be suggested that those with the gift of leadership, wisdom or discernment would also benefit a leadership team (Romans 12:3-8, Ephesians 4:11-16, Acts 6:3). 

Holy living & Reputation: The following are characteristics & attributes of those who could be considered for leadership in a Church:

  • Full of the Holy Spirit and have His character (Acts 6:3 11:24, Matthew 3:8, Galatians 5:22-23)

  • Well thought of by outsiders (1 Timothy 3:7 )

  • Have a well functioning family (if married) (1 Timothy 3:4-5, Titus 1:6)

  • Hospitable (Titus 1:8, 1 Timothy 3:2)

  • Mature in the faith (1 Timothy 3:6)

  • Have life in order (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9)

Ministers/Deacons

Ministers are people who directly serve and help the members of the church individually or in groups. For ministers any spiritual gift qualifies them to be in that position in addition to the holy living and reputation qualifications.  

Functioning as a Body

The Church is to function as a body, which means it functions best when everyone is doing their part. People should be using their gifts for the benefit of others and to bring the kingdom to those around them. A healthy local church should have a good portion of the spiritual gifts being operated in by those who are a part of it. Missing any gifts from a mature church or lacking a body that is willing to serve could mean that it has more potential to make an impact. All parts of the body are of equal value, and should be treated as such (1 Thessalonians 5:14, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4).   

Tip: It is suggested to organize the leadership into 2 groups: IN group & OUT group. The OUT group will focus on reaching out to those who are not following Jesus. The IN group can focus on discipling followers. This allows for a “grow and go” operation (Galatians 2).