Template:Congregation of Ministers
Congregation of Ministers
While each local religious congregation or CORE is independent and self-governing this is true only because those congregations are merely Free Assemblies of families seeking the kingdom... Each family must govern themselves according to the Spirit of Christ loving one another so that they may remain free. That love includes sacrifice.
The minister is believed to be elected by God and the witness of this is by the testimony of the people who individually elect to recognize these ministers and charge them with a sacrifice to Christ given to that Minister in sacred trust. Each minister has a CORE he serves but he is not a member of that CORE. Each elder lays his sacrifice in the hands and upon the shoulders of their chosen Minister with a votive offering, not for their own benefit but for the benefit of others. The offering is an investment in Hope through Charity.
The kingdom factor comes into play because the minister of a CORE is not a member of that CORE he serves. As a part of the Church—whether ordained or ex officio—he is a participant in his own congregation and a member in a Congregation of Ministers which he is bound to by his commitment to serve Christ and the whole of His Church. It is in that official capacity as minister or as a member of a recognized Congregation of Ministers [COM] where he will find and fulfill his duties of Religion to God and His fellowman.
- "Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days." Ecclesiastes 11:1
A minister's first duty is, of course, to Christ/God. His second is to his Congregation of Ministers (COM) because it is through them and their minister he will serve the whole kingdom of God. His personal congregation or CORE is not the elders he serves, but consists of those ministers who are also elders by nature with whom he congregates by the recognition of a common ordained minister and Overseer of his Congregation of Ministers (COM).
Even if a minister is in a CORE of Elders when he becomes a minister he should seek to gather with other Elders who are Ministers like themselves. At first or because of geography or other practical reasons Elders and Ministers may choose the same Minister of Ministers.
But all ministers of ministers should be both Overseers and Bishop and meet the qualifications of a Bishop. Such ministers may be called Bishops and Overseers but in the Bible these are the same word.[1]
The Modern view
Our modern view of a minister is the result of abandoning the Gospel of the Kingdom. We have perverted the role of minister of the Church to some sort of spiritual guide[2]. This is not the role of a minister of the Church any more than it is the role of every elder who loves his neighbor. Certainly we should teach one another what we have learned and know. And Ministers and Bishops should be "apt to teach" which is a phrase that appears twice[3] in the Bible translated from the Greek adjective didaktikos.[4]
The word didaktikos is from the Greek adjective didaktos[5] Which appears three times in the Bible where it refers to people being taught of God and the Holy Spirit.[6]
The minister should not be like the minister of the Jew in apostasy who was an "instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes".[7] Is not the minister of the faithful the Holy Spirit?[8]
An Overseer or Bishop is neither keeper or shepherd of the soul of the Elders in the congregation he serves.[9] His duty is to manage that which is charged to him as the elect of Christ. Both Elder should gather with other elders to choose a Minister who does the work of a Deacon who is a minister of Tens and every Deacon who is a Minister should choose a Minister who the Elders and Ministers believe meet the qualification and perform the duties of an Overseer/Bishop.
While it is the job of every man to love his neighbor as himself and every man who follows Christ to love one another as Christ loved us, the primary duty of the office of minister is the Pure Religious duties of the Kingdom of God he is called to serve.
Without that understanding of the religious duty there is no kingdom and the pattern of your gatherings is not sacred nor separate.
In fact, a great danger arises if he does not attend to his fellow ministers first. It is undesirable for the CORE he oversees to morph into his personal church rather than maintain its status as "His Church", meaning Christ's Church. His congregation may isolate itself with the cares of the world and start looking to each other only and let go of the broader kingdom thinking. Each congregation becomes an altar of clay that he stands upon for support and serves in hope that they will mutually support him. His service becomes for his own purposes instead of Christ's.
While a Minister's work is supported by the Elders of the congregation that chooses him as their Kingdom minister, he is to use that support to serve Christ. He serves Christ by serving all Elders within the whole Network of the kingdom of God. This is why every Congregation gives daily a tithing of love because throughout the Kingdom of God—like any community—there is often need. It is the spirit of God and Christ that is always sacrificing in love of others and not only for those who love us.
A Living Network of people who are actually coming together is a unique and, unfortunately, very different structure and driven by a different spirit than the methods and patterns commonly practiced by Modern Christians of the world. In every aspect the Network should freely manifest the spirit of Christ and not its antitheses of sloth, avarice, selfishness and covetousness.
When the minister is retired or ill or seeks emotional or personal financial support, or requires aid for something great that is beyond the capacity of his own family, it is his fellow ministers in his COM that he will depend upon. Those ministers and many more in a network of ministers shall and should become his support and assurance.
The early Church had a great deal of resources, including land and buildings as well as funds to provide for the Daily ministration.
We know this is why the Diocletianic Persecution confiscated the property of the Church's ministers in hope of destroying it. They owned that property in common and reclaimed it from Rome eventually. The Christian system of social welfare or what could be called Private welfare functioned much better than the Public religion which exercised authority. Many nations had become dependent upon those systems of welfare which weakened the people and made them more dependent upon governments. This dependence of the people empowers governments and weakens the people which leads to despotism. The whole Christian conflict with Rome was centered in the distinction between these forms of welfare and they echoed the jealousy and envy within society.
- Matthew 20:23 "And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but [it shall be given to them] for whom it is prepared of my Father. 24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. 25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."
- ↑ 1985 ~ἐπίσκοπος~ episkopos \@ep-is’-kop-os\@ from 1909 and 4649 (in the sense of 1983); n m AV-bishop 6, overseer 1; 7
- 1) an overseer
- 1a) a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done
- 1b) the superintendent, elder, pastor, or overseer of a
- 1) an overseer
- ↑ Guru, spiritual teacher, teacher, tutor, sage, mentor, spiritual leader, leader,
- ↑ 1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
- 2 Timothy 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
- ↑ 1317 ~διδακτικός~ didaktikos \@did-ak-tik-os’\@ from 1318; adj AV-apt to teach 2; 2 1) apt and skilful in teaching
- ↑ 1318 ~διδακτός~ didaktos \@did-ak-tos’\@ from 1321; adj AV-which (one) teacheth 2, taught 1; 3
- 1) that can be taught
- 2) taught, instructed by one
- 3) teachings, precepts
- ↑ John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught <1318> of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth <1318>, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth <1318>; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
- ↑ Romans 2:20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
- ↑ Luke 12:12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
- John 14:26 But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
- 1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
- 1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
- ↑ 1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.