At this time of the year the election and installation of elders and deacons is again at hand. The responsibilities associated with these offices in the church are far greater than many may think. This article is the fourth in a series, For Elders and Deacons, by Rev. Harry G. Arnold, pastor of the First Christian Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois.

Sometime ago I met a young man whom I hadn’t seen for quite awhile. Since he had been attending school when last we met, I naturally inquired as to how far he had advanced and whether he was still working for a degree. He answered me rather strangely by saying that he was now in O.J.T. Upon further inquiry, he explained that O.J.T. meant On the Job Training. Hc was working in a hospital and learning his duties while working.

That’s not a bad way to learn some things. And I venture to say that many elders and deacons have learned most of what they know about their official duties by way of O.J.T. In former years our well-attended Men’s Societies were invaluable schools for preparatory training for offices in the church. Since these have declined greatly, and in some churches have ceased to exist, it is likely that most of our office-bearers receive their training after being installed in office.

Some people must wonder what really goes on in the separate meetings of elders and deacons. Many years ago one of our ministers told the story of a man who had been an arch critic of all consistory members. Then, in the providence of God, he himself was elected to office. After attending several meetings of the consistory he shocked his fellow officebearers by begging their forgiveness of all the criticisms he had made against them in previous years. He finally summed up his feelings by saying: I always thought you fellows just sat around and talked and drank coffee. Now I know that being a consistory member is hard work and often calls for the making of hard decisions. Please forgive me for my past injustices to you. Needless to say, he was freely forgiven and his apology gratefully received.

   

Let us now take a look at the separate meetings of elders and deacons and what goes on in them. But before we do, it should be pointed out that our Church Order does not require such separate meetings. It rather allows for them and makes provision for them in Article 35b, which reads:

Where the number of elders is at least four, a distinction may be made between the general consistory, to which all office-bearers belong, and the restricted consistory, in which the deacons do not participate.

The purpose of this provision in the Church Order as to allow for a more efficient functioning of the respective offices in our larger churches. Nevertheless, each consistory must judge for itself when such a time is ripe for this division of labor. It is not imposed by the structure of our Church Order.

The Elders’ Meeting – The nature and function of an office basically determines the items on the agenda of its meetings. The nature of the elder‘s office is to be an overseer of the Rock of God. The function of the elder’s office is to teach, admonish, reprove, encourage, exhort and, in general, take the oversight in the church (Acts 20:28). Our Church Order puts it this way in Article 24:

The elders, with the minister(s), shall have supervision over the congregation and their fellow office-bearers, exercising admonition and discipline and seeing to it that everything is done decently and in order. They shall, with the minister(s), exercise pastoral care over the congregation, and engage in and promote the work of evangelism.

It is in keeping with the nature of the elder’s office to be an overseer in the church of God that our Church Order stipulates that, when separate meetings of elders and deacons are held, “the supervision and discipline of the congregation shall be vested in the restricted consistory” (Article 35, c). Thus, the agenda for the elders’ meeting is determined by the work assigned them in harmony with the nature of their office.

What are these matters which fall under “the supervision and discipline of the congregation” and to which the elders must give attention in their meeting? Naturally, not every detail is spelled out in the Church Order. Besides, there is room for some variance according to local situations.

Nevertheless, it can be said that, in general, the business of the elders‘ meeting is the pastoral care of the church of God. Therefore, such matters as pertain to the worship services and the administration of sacraments ought to be considered here. And all matters that pertain to the doctrinal soundness of those who teach in the catechism classes, the Sunday School, the various societies of the church, and the programs of evangelistic outreach should be considered at the elders’ meeting.

In addition, whatever materials are approved for use in the teaching program should be done here. Further, the elders should be the ones to examine the youth of the church for public profession of faith. They are also the ones who should receive members into the church and approve dismissals from the church to other congregations.

Without question, one of the more important functions of the elders’ meeting is to hear reports on the families visited. It is essential that this work be done not only, but also that the body of elders be sensitive to the spiritual level of the people to whom they minister. For this reason proper attention ought to‘ be given to the reports on family visitation.

Moreover, the matter of discipline must always occupy a prominent place on the agenda of an elders‘ meeting. Those who are wayward must be admonished. Those who are irregular in church attendance must be observed. Where one is under discipline, the elders must continue to visit and counsel as well as admonish and exhort. The reports of the visits must be made at the meeting of the elders. In short, what ever pertains to the good order of the church in a pastoral way must be considered the proper concern of the elders in their regular meetings.

The Deacons’ Meeting – It is true for the deacons ..Iso that the nature and function of their office determines the business on their agenda. It is of the nature of the office of deacon to represent Christ‘s love to the needy. Therefore, he must function in keeping with that representation of Christ‘s love.

Our Church Order specifically assigns the ministry of mercy to the deacons. There can be no doubt that this view of the diaconate is governed by Acts 6, where the church—under the leadership of the apostles—chose seven men to minister to the needy (cf. Form for Ordination of Elders and Deacons). Article 25 of the Church Order spells out the work of the deacons.

a. The task of the deacons is to administer Christian mercy toward those who are in need, first of all toward those of the household of faith, but also toward the needy in general. In executing this task they shall diligently collect, administer, and distribute monies and other gifts, and shall serve the distressed with counsel and assistance.

h. They shall enable the needy under their care to make use of Christian institutions of mercy.

c. They shall confer and cooperate with diaconates of neighboring churches when this is desirable for the proper performance of their task.

d. They may also seek mutual understandings with other agencies in their community which are caring for the needy, so that the gifts may be distributed properly.

The deacons are the ministers of mercy. Therefore, when there is a division of labor within a consistory, the Church Order requires that “the work of Christian mercy shall be the task of the deacons, who shall render account of their work to the general consistory” (Article 35, c).

In light of the above comments, an agenda for the deacons’ meeting ought to include such items as: 1) a report on visits made to those who are receiving help; 2) a report on visits made to those who have recently become widow or widower; 3) a review of the congregation to consider if there are any who may have special need and who ought to be visited; 4) a review of benevolent receipts to see if they are adequate to meet the needs of the congregation and other commitments; 5) a consideration of the needs of any who are under the care of Christian institutions to determine what help may need to be given; 6) a consideration of the needs of other churches and/or agencies of our churches—such as the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee—to determine what assistance may need to be given. These and such related matters are properly the concern of the deacons’ meeting. In short, whatever pertains to the ministry of mercy belongs at the deacons’ meeting.

Where the task is too large for a local diaconate to handle, the Church Order allows for and encourages cooperation with other agencies. There is room for far greater expansion of the deacons’ activities within the framework of our Church Order, but our deacons must enlarge their vision and our people must be willing to give generously. Our Form for Ordination of Elders and Deacons charges our congregations so beautifully: “Provide the deacons generously with the necessary gifts for the needy, remembering that in so much as you do it unto the least of His children, you do it unto Him.”

May our churches be blessed with faithful officebearers so that the separate meetings of elders and deacons will serve the manifesting of Christ‘s glory in the church. “May God give us to see in the ministry, of the elders the supremacy of Christ, and in the ministry of the deacons the care and love of the Savior.”