The Duties of the Office

The Duties of an Elder: The General Duties1

Concerning the office of elder, the biblical language of “overseer” summarizes the general duty of the elder to be the overseeing of the spiritual well-being of the flock. In overseeing the spiritual well-being of the flock, the elders are to engage in faithful prayer both for the flock and with the flock (Acts 6:4; Eph. 6:19; 2 Thess. 3:1–2; Jas. 5:14). In addition, the elders are to “shepherd”2 all the spiritual aspects of the congregational life (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2). This shepherding must include proactive ministerial nurturing as well as reactive pastoral action and is limited to the spiritual life of the congregation and its members.

The Duties of an Elder: The Goals of the Duties

As the elders shepherd the flock, their primary goals are the purity of doctrine and holiness of life of the congregation. There is a vital connection between these two goals, as purity of doctrine must result in holiness of life, and holiness of life is impossible without purity of doctrine. Therefore, through instruction, examples, encouragement, admonitions, and discipline, the elders of a flock strive to foster and maintain purity of doctrine and holiness of life.

The Duties of an Elder: The Tasks within the Duties

To achieve purity of doctrine and holiness of life, the elders are to engage in numerous tasks.

In the first place, this duty includes the task of the oversight of fellow office bearers (Acts 20:28). Flowing from the plurality and equality of officers, there is a mutual duty of overseeing one another’s personal purity of doctrine and holiness of life as well as the faithful execution of their office’s duties.

In the second place, this duty includes the task of maintaining the purity of the Word and the sacraments. “An important task of every elder is to stand guard over the pulpit and to insist on the pure preaching of the Word of God.”3 In addition, the elders are responsible for the fencing of the table, that is, barring unrepentant sinners and unworthy partakers from participating in communion, ensuring covenant children receive baptism properly, as well as examining spiritual maturity in connection with profession of faith and adult baptism.

In the third place, this duty includes the task of assisting in catechizing the covenant youth (1 Tim. 3:2). While the instruction of the congregation falls primarily upon the teaching elder or minister, the task of catechizing is often broader than the minister’s ability, and therefore it falls upon the elders to assist in this labor. This task, along with the guarding of the pulpit’s purity, will demand the elder be a man of theological knowledge and biblical wisdom.

In the fourth place, this duty includes the task of promoting God-centered schooling (Eph. 6:4). Within the realm of the covenant and under the demands of the covenant, the elders must ensure that the children of the covenant receive training and instruction in the fear of the Lord.

In the fifth place, this duty includes the task of congregational visiting (Jas. 5:14). Upon the reception of a call from the member, the elders are to counsel biblically and pastorally those who are dying, sick, or distressed by perplexing providences.

In the sixth place, this duty includes the task of family visiting (Acts 20:20). In addition to visiting the sick, the elders are to imitate the apostolic example in frequently visiting families of the congregation for spiritual check-ups and appropriate encouragement or admonition.

In the seventh place, this duty includes the task of the exercise of Christian discipline (Gal. 6:1). If need be, in reaction to an impurity of doctrine or ungodliness of life, the elders of the congregation are to exercise the authority of Christ in Christian discipline for the purpose of restoring the erring one, protecting the congregation, and bringing glory to God.

In the eighth place, this duty includes the task of encouraging evangelism (Matt. 28:19–20). Heeding Christ’s command, the elders are to encourage and direct the congregation in the engagement of personal evangelism as individuals and as a corporate body.

In summary, the elders are to insure all is done in good order (1 Cor. 14:40). While they do not do everything, often making proper use of delegation, they oversee the general affairs and conduct of the congregation ensuring biblical, godly orderliness. It is by faithfully engaging in these duties that the elders prayerfully seek to preserve a purity of doctrine and holiness of life within the congregation.

The Duties of a Deacon: The General Duties

Similar to the elders, a primary duty of the diaconate is that of prayer. To fulfill this duty, the deacons are to engage faithfully in prayer in their meetings as a body and in their visits with the physically distressed. In addition, their specific duty is to engage in overseeing and guiding the Christian work of mercy. They are the hands of the body of Christ, filled with compassion and reaching out to those poor and distressed who are in material need.

The Duties of a Deacon: The Tasks in the Duties

As the hands of compassion of the body of Christ, the deacons are to engage in a number of tasks.

In the first place, this duty includes the task of knowing congregational needs. While those in need have every right to approach the deaconry, the deacons have the duty to visit the widowed, sick, unemployed, accident stricken, large families, orphaned, disabled, and others to investigate gently whether there is material need. These visits are not informal social visits but official visits of ministration and ought to be conducted accordingly.

In the second place, this duty includes the task of encouraging the congregation to show mercy. Generally, this encouragement may take the form of confidentially making needs known to the congregation, thereby encouraging the display of Christian compassion on the part of the body of Christ. Specifically, this encouragement may come through exhortations from Scripture through the avenue of appeals to the congregation, wealthy individuals, or a neighboring diaconate.

In the third place, this duty includes the task of gathering and distributing funds among the congregation. Benevolent funds are to be gathered exclusively through collections and counted and deposited with the safeguard of a plurality of officers.

In the distribution of the funds, the diaconate must investigate the reasons and severity of need in order to respond appropriately. P. Y. De Jong makes a helpful distinction between “primary poverty,” where there is a lack of sufficient income to maintain the normal-size family in a state of physical efficiency although resources are economically and frugally administered, and “secondary poverty,” which is the result of inappropriate spending.4 Likewise, William Heyns distinguishes between “personal faults” and “special adversities.”5 Both need diaconate assistance but of a differing nature.

In the act of distribution itself, the deacons should give gifts in a sufficient, regular, and confidential manner with biblical encouragement and prayer. Various circumstances will determine whether a simple onetime gift or regular monetary gifts are given or if the deacons become more creative with paying of bills, buying food or clothing, or meeting other material needs.

In the fourth place, this duty includes encouraging and comforting the needy with God’s Word. This aspect especially distinguishes the work of the diaconate from that of other social forms of assistance. With scriptural guidance and instruction, the deacons must encourage the prevention of poverty as well as remedy poverty if possible. However, they also have to assist with the understanding of poverty through the biblical perspective on special adversities of providence.

In the fifth place, this duty includes showing mercy to those outside the congregation if possible (Gal. 6:10). While their main field of service is the local congregation of God’s people, deacons should also have an open eye for opportunities to show the compassion of Christ among the community as occasion allows.

     

The Duties of the Council

While each respective office has its respective duties, there are also general responsibilities that fall upon the officers to fulfill as a council including both the elders and the deacons. These duties include the issuing of calls to office, formulating and operating an annual budget, and overseeing the functioning of various committees that may be organized to deal with the practical, day-to-day items of congregational life.

The Guidelines for the Office

A Necessary Knowledge

To fulfill the tasks and duties of their office faithfully, the office bearers must have a necessary knowledge of the Scriptures, the confessions, and the Church Order.

Since the Scriptures are the basic tool used in functioning in the offices of both elder and deacon, the office bearers must have a good grasp of the passages and teachings of Scripture (Titus 1:9; 1 Tim. 3:9).

In addition, since the confessions summarize the teachings of Scripture and serve a unifying, preserving, and instructing purpose, the office bearers must have a solid understanding of the confessions. This is especially critical for the office of elder whose tasks include maintaining the purity of Word and sacraments, assisting in catechizing the youth, and exercising discipline. However, it is also necessary for the deacons to encourage and comfort the needy with God’s truth times of perplexing difficulty.

Finally, since the Church Order summarizes “that spiritual polity which our Lord has taught us”6 or the way Christ would have the churches governed (“decently and in order,” 1 Cor. 14:40), the office bearers must have a good grasp of the Church Order.

A Necessary Cooperation

Within the execution of these offices, there must be a necessary attitude of humble servitude recognizing the plurality of officers. Each officer must remember that he does not serve himself but Christ and that each other officer is also humbly seeking to serve Christ. With this attitude, there must be the recognition that each office bearer has distinctive gifts and responsibilities and must engage in a necessary participation within the work of the office. Since the whole body is seeking, or should be seeking, to serve Christ, there will be frequent times when an individual office bearer must exercise a necessary submission to the majority mind of the body. The work of the consistory, diaconate, and council is the work of a body rather than that of individuals and therefore should demonstrate a necessary unity. Divided and divisive consistories or councils are a disaster waiting to happen.

The Wife of the Office Bearer

The Character of the Office Bearer’s Wife

While Scripture lists numerous criteria for the spiritual qualification of the office bearer, it also says something concerning the necessary character of an office bearer’s wife. First Timothy 3:11 states an office bearer’s wife is to demonstrate a godly attitude of reverential, spiritual maturity that displays itself predominately in godly speech by consistently refraining from malicious gossip or backbiting. This is essential because while the office bearer will seek to keep important matters confidential, the wife of an office bearer will not be ignorant to the realities of special meetings, visits, or phone calls.

Furthermore, the wife of an office bearer is to display a character of godly self-control or being temperate in relationship to her desire of material goods. This is especially critical for the wife of a deacon, who could frequently accompany her husband to minister to those in financial straits. Finally, the wife of an office bearer must display godly faithfulness. As she assists her husband, the wife must be faithful in her duties by enabling and encouraging him to be faithful in his.

The Duties of the Office Bearer’s Wife

We must stress that the wife of an office bearer does not have a set of vast duties within the life and labor of the church. She is not to be the default person for every committee and assignment. Nor should she feel extraordinary pressure to assume numerous responsibilities. Rather, her duty is to fulfill her God-given design and role by being a supportive assistant to her husband as he fulfills his God-given calling of office bearing.

Conclusion

While the future of the church is guaranteed based upon the person and work of Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:18), the well-being of the churches is dependent upon the wisdom, godliness, and diligence of its office bearers. May we as members of those churches be in prayer for current office bearers as well as future office bearers so that the kingdom of God might increase and peace rule within the house of the Lord.

1. The divisions of this section (duties, goals, and tasks) follow the Church Order of the United Reformed Churches in North America, Articles 14 and 15, along with Michael G. Brown, ed., Called to Serve: Essays for Elders and Deacons (Grandville, MI: Reformed Fellowship, 2007), chap. 2.

2. The word shepherd has a broad idea including protect, rule, govern, foster, lead, or guide.

4. P. Y. DeJong, The Ministry of Mercy for Today (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2003), 137.

5. William Heyns, Handbook for Elders and Deacons (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1928), 325–26.

6. Belgic Confession, Article 30.

Greg Lubbers is currently serving as Minister of the Word and Sacraments at Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Pella, IA.