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Billy
Graham was once asked what would be his plan of action should he
become the pastor of a large church. His reply was to the effect
that he would train ten or twelve men in the congregation so that
they also in time would become ministers in the church.
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The
evangelist is taking his cue right out of the New Covenant
scriptures, for the great apostle charged the young evangelist:
“What you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to
faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Tim.
2:2)
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Graham’s
reply is supported by the principle of shared ministry, which is
manifest in scripture. 1 Cor. 14:5 finds the apostle saying: “I
want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy,”
and the main ingredient in prophecy was instruction. And so he says
in the next verse:
so
that the church may he edified.
He
had already said in verse 3: “He who prophesies speaks to men
for their unbuilding and encouragement and consolation,” and
in verse 4: “He who prophesies edifies the church.” The
order is clear: (1) He wants
all
(we
may conclude all who are capable) to prophesy; (2) for prophecy
(teaching) builds up the church.
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Paul
goes on in that chapter to take advantage of the spirit of rivalry
that prevailed in the church: “Since you are eager for
manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the
church” (verse 12). This shows that ministering to the Body
was a lot of people’s business. They were to compete with each
other in edifying the church. In verse 26 he spells out what he has
in mind: “When you come together, each one has a hymn, a
lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things
be done for edification.” Here is the principle of mutual
ministry, which Graham was alluding to. Each one has a lesson, each
one has something to contribute. This is what Paul is teaching.
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The
apostolic order, therefore, is not that the assembly of saints be a
gathering of spectators. Cut it as we will, there is no norm in the
scriptures for the church to assemble week after week merely to
break bread and hear a sermon delivered by the one person who is
hired to carry out that particular function. Paul did not say that
they were all to gather so as to listen to a lesson, but that “When
you assemble
each
one has a lesson.”
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We
are indebted to our religious neighbors for the clerical system that
now obtains among us. We have borrowed from the Methodists and
Presbyterians more than we have been influenced by the Ancient
Order. We have consequently painted ourselves into a corner, and the
way out may not be all that easy. Men who have been nurtured on a
system, and who suppose that their living depends upon it (though
this does not necessarily follow), are fearful of any change. But
most of the blame is to be laid at the feet of the church itself,
for the truth is that many of our people are content to be mere
spectators.
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But
we must believe that the scriptural order in the end will be more
attractive to those who really want to be spiritual. If one wants to
be built up in the Lord, she must trust that the apostolic way to
achieve this is better than our own assumptions. It would be well
for us all if Paul could say of our churches what he said of one
church: “I myself am satisfied about you, my brethren, that
you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and
able to instruct one another” (Rom. 15:14).
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Our
own Church of Christ here in Denton, where Ouida and I are part of
the Body, illustrates how a people can be extricated from the system
that makes us all mere spectators rather than functioning members of
the Body. We recently came down out of the upper room where we were
meeting, into a larger facility. It was a gala occasion and I was
pleased to be home that weekend. Our attendance was larger than
usual. In most all similar situations among Churches of Christ it
would have been the time for “the minister” to do his
thing. But in our case we were beautifully encouraged by the three
men who serve as our elders, “faithful men who are able to
teach others.” This was followed by further Body ministry,
with several expressing gratitude to God for providing us with a
better meeting place. There were prayers and spontaneous singing.
Different ones, including the sisters, spoke up in reference to
their needs or the needs of others. Visitors are very much impressed
with the way we love each other and minister one to another, and
they are surprised to learn that we do have a “minister”
who is supported by the congregation. He was seated there with his
family along with the rest of us. He is not threatened by a
congregation that is able to minister to itself in love. He in fact
encourages it, as all our preachers should, for it liberates them as
well as the church.
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The
following Sunday I was asked to “have a lesson,” and the
next Lord’s Day it was a young political science professor at
NTSU that really turned us on. On another occasion we were edified
by two of our people, one a young sister, who can really stage a
professional-level puppet show—they can really “do’”
Noah—and it is evident that the old enjoy it as much or more
than the kids.
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Architecture
is not against us. Once these folk made their flight from “spectator
pews,” they were resolved never to get entangled in that yoke
of bondage again, where they had to sit and look each other in the
back. In our new facility, which is still rented, the sisters
arrange the chairs in a large circle, with the Lord’s table in
the center. People usually speak from their seats, often while
seated, especially the sisters. I see all this for what it is, Body
ministry, and our break from debilitating traditions (some
traditions are good) enable us to be motivated by the Ancient Order
rather than the clerical order.
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But
we have but begun in penetrating the riches of Body ministry. The
primitive saints had exciting assemblies, where they meaningfully
prayed
Maranatha!
Come. Lord Jesus!,
because
they enjoyed a family-like fellowship in their homes. As we come to
know each other as brothers and sisters, sharing our joys and
sorrows on an intimate, daily basis, our assemblies will become a
public witness as to what it means to be the Body of Christ.
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That
we need a well-trained leadership in each church is without
question, and this has been our problem. But this does not mean that
such leadership must be imported. Billy Graham explained that if he
were pastor of a church, he himself would train the leadership—ten
or twelve people in particular—from within that church. The
system we have foisted upon ourselves calls for the importation of a
one-man ministry for the most part. He does
all
the
preaching or virtually all of it. It is typical in a Church of
Christ to import a guest minister in the event “the minister”
can’t be in the pulpit. It is “the preacher” who
is expected to do the calling, and if there is an emergency or a
problem, he is the doctor “on call,” and usually there
is no other.
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When
Graham says he would have twelve ministers from among the laymen to
serve his church, he is referring to what
the
scriptures
describe as the function of elders, which is basic to the Ancient
Order. They are to be “apt to teach” and they are to
“feed the flock,” and they are described as
under-shepherds who are to give an account to the chief Shepherd for
the souls under their care. Eph. 4:11 shows that apostles, prophets,
evangelists, and teaching pastors are given to the church “for
the equipment of the saints.” Once the saints are equipped,
they carryon with “the work of ministry, for the building up
the body of Christ.”
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There
is hardly a place here for the one-man minister plan, not as the end
in view at least. Graham’s provocative statement indicates
that should he become a pastor, he might out of necessity be the
one-man ministry—until he could get people trained to help
him. The evangelist, therefore, and afterwards the elders (once
developed) are to carry on a continuing program of equipping the
saints. If elders would be busy doing this kind of work, there would
not be all these questions about their authority. Their authority is
in
their
work, and if they are busy providing for Body ministry there will be
no place for an arbitrary imposition of authority. —the
Editor