There can be no question but that the work of visitation is an integral part of the Christian Church. At the Last Judgment our Lord will commend his people with these words, “I was sick and ye visited me, I was in prison and ye came to me” (Matt. 25:36). The only definition of religion found in the New Testament is coined in these terms, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). Also, in the work of evangelism as well as in this endorsement of the ministry of mercy we find encouragement to visitation in the Scriptures. “Go ye therefore into the highways,” the king tens his servants in our Lord’s parable, “and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage” (Matt. ·22:9). Also in Luke 15 the Pharisees, carping at out Lord for “receiving sinners and eating with them,” are answered in three parables in which the shepherd and the woman who each search for that which they have lost until they find it are contrasted with the complacent older son who neglects to search for his prodigal brother, even complaining at the joy which greets his home-coming.
It is sad that today so much visitation work is considered to be the duty of the pastor alone. Members consider themselves neglected if they are visited by deacons or elders and not by the minister, and how little evangelistic visitation is done by the church members. The whole church must be mobilized in this work if Christians are to be used most effectively in the growth and strengthening of the local assembly. The minister must continue to resist pressures to detract him from his calling to study, write, preach and pray, visiting those with special needs. This latter work, though, must be shared and delegated in the economy of grace and gifts within the church. Sunday school teachers will visit members of their class absent for two consecutive Sundays without reason. Other branches of the church like the women’s and young people’s meetings will similarly make arrangements to visit their sick and careless members. Yet in these articles I simply want to draw the attention of the church to certain organized and official expressions of its responsibility as the body of Christ in the work of visitation, namely, Elders’ Visitation, Diaconal Visitation and Evangelistic Visitation.
1 Elders’ Visitation
This work is especially emphasized by the Reformed Churches of Holland and North America and it has been one of the strengths of these associated denominations. Family visitation on a yearly basis is a responsibility of the elders. They are asked annually if they “faithfully visit the members of the congregation in regular family visitation?” This tradition is very old: Augustine is said to have lamented that he did not spend more time in specifically pastoral relationships with members of the church, and during the Dark Ages of medieval Romanism the confessional box became the regulative method of pastoral control and involvement. At the Reformation this was all changed in Protestant Churches. In Calvin’s Geneva the members of the church were visited by the elders before each quarterly celebration of the Lord’s Supper.
Today one finds echoes of this practice, for example, in an announcement in the Canadian religious journal Church and Nation, “The consistory of the First Christian Reformed Church in Edmonton, Alta., decided that family visiting will be carried out four times a year. Catechism classes will be suspended and all societies will be asked to suspend their meetings during the weeks preceding the celebrations of the Lord’s Supper so that nothing will interfere with carrying out the visiting of approximately one-fourth of the congregation during each of the four weeks. In this way the family visiting will be carried out systematically.” (May 1967)
The value of such an announcement is the recognition it gives to this work as a definite and important part of the ministry of the elders. In this way all the members are made aware that this work is under way and are encouraged also to pray for its success. “To simply assign certain families to a team of elders with the vague directive that they should be visited some time within the year is hardly living up to the mandate that all things should be done decently and in order.” (What’s an Elder to do? by Jay Wesseling, TORCH AND TRUMPET, October 1968)
For a definition of this family visitation of the elders one can hardly better Wesseling’s in the same article, “Family Visitation is the exercise of the pastoral office of the elders carried on systematically in such a way as to encourage the members in sanctified living, to strengthen weaknesses in their lives, to admonish members regarding shortcomings in their Christian walk, and to seek to strengthen the church by these means.”
It is Christ who in the office of the elder feeds the flock and guides the sheep: it is pastoral activity and so it is also pastoral supervision. In the elder (to change the Biblical metaphors) God as husbandman looks over the branches of the vine in search of the fruits of faith. Home visitation means too that God in this way uses his pruning knife to “purge” the branches that they may bring forth more fruit. All members need such disciplinary activity, elders and ministers included. Church discipline is not only needed for delinquent members.
The Approach to Family Visitation
In his book Guidelines for Elders the Rev. R. Heynen discusses various approaches to home visitation, but some of his conclusions are questionable. He finds that (1) warning and advising is often ineffective, that (2) intellectual reasoning and arguing are to be discouraged since it is more important “how people feel about a thing than how they think about it,” and that (3) the authoritarum approach is wrong too, for it implies that the counsellor assumes the “father role” and decides for the members of the church. What then should characterize family visitation? The author advocates counselling as the right method. Now it must be pointed out that Mr. Heynen is a chaplain in a Christian hospital and so dealing largely with disturbed persons. Also that he is an American living in an ecclesiastical atmosphere where a mystique still surrounds the word “counselling.” Reemkes Kooistm is one of several who have pointed out the weakness of this approach. He writes, “I admit that the first three methods are prone to certain dangers which should be avoided. I also submit, however, that ‘counseling’ is not such a magic concept as to solve all problems. As a matter of fact I believe that in specific counselling of the elders and home visitations there is room for ‘warning’ (‘warn them that are unruly,’ I Thess. 5:14), for ‘reasoning’ (even the Lord says, ‘Come now and let us reason together,’ Isaiah 1:18), and for an approach with ‘authority’ (Paul writes to Timothy, ‘I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things,’ I Tim. 5:21).” (Church and Nation, p. 96, September 1966.)
Elders in their visitation are expected to give counsel, encouragement and admonition where needed. Also they will be receptive to any matters the members wish to bring to their attention. Some of this will be received simply for information and discussed at the next elders’ meeting, with the conclusion communicated to the family. It may also be that problems of larger dimensions arise, when elders will consider returning to give further time to this specific matter.
Preparation and the Actual Visit
Preparation for the visit starts at home and with prayer. This is an essential part of an elder’s responsibility in this matter. He will know the family to be visited and will have discussed the visit at the elders’ meeting beforehand. This enables the men to share their counsels and to know something of the strength and weakness of the individual families. This preparatory work will make the elder’s own praying more detailed and pointed before his visit. Also he will study the Word of God, especially that portion of Scripture to be read and commented upon in the household.
It is good to select certain times for the visits and for these to be on display that the whole church may know that this work is being continued and taken seriously by the elders.
When the elders arrive at the ho~e it is best to begin their visit with a Scripture reading. This will bring the family directly to the point, for the Word of God is the ultimate standard for Christian doctrine and life. A few words of application and interpretation concerning this passage is also helpful and frequently a common subject is chosen and announced for the annual visitation. Then following these remarks, discussion should begin, arising from the Scriptures. If the children of the home are present, which is desirable, it may be wise to begin speaking with them. Then, when such words of exhortation, instruction and encouragement have been given, the time should close with prayer, commending the family to God’s care. This automatically terminates the visit and enables the men to be on time for their next call.
Family visitation in its very nature should not encourage pride or an authoritarian approach. It should rather be characterized by the humility at all times. The elders do not come in their own name or with any claim to perfection, but in obedience to their Saviour and Lord of the Church to manifest His concern for His people. This work has an honourable history and it promises blessing for the present and future. The re-emphasis on the place of the eldership in Britain today in all denominations is an encouraging development. We trust that with this emphasis will be found a place for family visitation, that in some churches the new office will not be “old deacon dressed up with a new name” with all its accompanying frustrations, but that a principal channel of the work of elder will be directed in a pastoral way, expressing itself in household visitation. (to be continued)
Reprinted from THE BANNER OF TRUTH.
It is sad that today so much visitation work is considered to be the duty of the pastor alone. Members consider themselves neglected if they are visited by deacons or elders and not by the minister, and how little evangelistic visitation is done by the church members. The whole church must be mobilized in this work if Christians are to be used most effectively in the growth and strengthening of the local assembly. The minister must continue to resist pressures to detract him from his calling to study, write, preach and pray, visiting those with special needs. This latter work, though, must be shared and delegated in the economy of grace and gifts within the church. Sunday school teachers will visit members of their class absent for two consecutive Sundays without reason. Other branches of the church like the women’s and young people’s meetings will similarly make arrangements to visit their sick and careless members. Yet in these articles I simply want to draw the attention of the church to certain organized and official expressions of its responsibility as the body of Christ in the work of visitation, namely, Elders’ Visitation, Diaconal Visitation and Evangelistic Visitation.
1 Elders’ Visitation
This work is especially emphasized by the Reformed Churches of Holland and North America and it has been one of the strengths of these associated denominations. Family visitation on a yearly basis is a responsibility of the elders. They are asked annually if they “faithfully visit the members of the congregation in regular family visitation?” This tradition is very old: Augustine is said to have lamented that he did not spend more time in specifically pastoral relationships with members of the church, and during the Dark Ages of medieval Romanism the confessional box became the regulative method of pastoral control and involvement. At the Reformation this was all changed in Protestant Churches. In Calvin’s Geneva the members of the church were visited by the elders before each quarterly celebration of the Lord’s Supper.
Today one finds echoes of this practice, for example, in an announcement in the Canadian religious journal Church and Nation, “The consistory of the First Christian Reformed Church in Edmonton, Alta., decided that family visiting will be carried out four times a year. Catechism classes will be suspended and all societies will be asked to suspend their meetings during the weeks preceding the celebrations of the Lord’s Supper so that nothing will interfere with carrying out the visiting of approximately one-fourth of the congregation during each of the four weeks. In this way the family visiting will be carried out systematically.” (May 1967)
The value of such an announcement is the recognition it gives to this work as a definite and important part of the ministry of the elders. In this way all the members are made aware that this work is under way and are encouraged also to pray for its success. “To simply assign certain families to a team of elders with the vague directive that they should be visited some time within the year is hardly living up to the mandate that all things should be done decently and in order.” (What’s an Elder to do? by Jay Wesseling, TORCH AND TRUMPET, October 1968)
For a definition of this family visitation of the elders one can hardly better Wesseling’s in the same article, “Family Visitation is the exercise of the pastoral office of the elders carried on systematically in such a way as to encourage the members in sanctified living, to strengthen weaknesses in their lives, to admonish members regarding shortcomings in their Christian walk, and to seek to strengthen the church by these means.”
It is Christ who in the office of the elder feeds the flock and guides the sheep: it is pastoral activity and so it is also pastoral supervision. In the elder (to change the Biblical metaphors) God as husbandman looks over the branches of the vine in search of the fruits of faith. Home visitation means too that God in this way uses his pruning knife to “purge” the branches that they may bring forth more fruit. All members need such disciplinary activity, elders and ministers included. Church discipline is not only needed for delinquent members.
The Approach to Family Visitation
In his book Guidelines for Elders the Rev. R. Heynen discusses various approaches to home visitation, but some of his conclusions are questionable. He finds that (1) warning and advising is often ineffective, that (2) intellectual reasoning and arguing are to be discouraged since it is more important “how people feel about a thing than how they think about it,” and that (3) the authoritarum approach is wrong too, for it implies that the counsellor assumes the “father role” and decides for the members of the church. What then should characterize family visitation? The author advocates counselling as the right method. Now it must be pointed out that Mr. Heynen is a chaplain in a Christian hospital and so dealing largely with disturbed persons. Also that he is an American living in an ecclesiastical atmosphere where a mystique still surrounds the word “counselling.” Reemkes Kooistm is one of several who have pointed out the weakness of this approach. He writes, “I admit that the first three methods are prone to certain dangers which should be avoided. I also submit, however, that ‘counseling’ is not such a magic concept as to solve all problems. As a matter of fact I believe that in specific counselling of the elders and home visitations there is room for ‘warning’ (‘warn them that are unruly,’ I Thess. 5:14), for ‘reasoning’ (even the Lord says, ‘Come now and let us reason together,’ Isaiah 1:18), and for an approach with ‘authority’ (Paul writes to Timothy, ‘I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things,’ I Tim. 5:21).” (Church and Nation, p. 96, September 1966.)
Elders in their visitation are expected to give counsel, encouragement and admonition where needed. Also they will be receptive to any matters the members wish to bring to their attention. Some of this will be received simply for information and discussed at the next elders’ meeting, with the conclusion communicated to the family. It may also be that problems of larger dimensions arise, when elders will consider returning to give further time to this specific matter.
Preparation and the Actual Visit
Preparation for the visit starts at home and with prayer. This is an essential part of an elder’s responsibility in this matter. He will know the family to be visited and will have discussed the visit at the elders’ meeting beforehand. This enables the men to share their counsels and to know something of the strength and weakness of the individual families. This preparatory work will make the elder’s own praying more detailed and pointed before his visit. Also he will study the Word of God, especially that portion of Scripture to be read and commented upon in the household.
It is good to select certain times for the visits and for these to be on display that the whole church may know that this work is being continued and taken seriously by the elders.
When the elders arrive at the ho~e it is best to begin their visit with a Scripture reading. This will bring the family directly to the point, for the Word of God is the ultimate standard for Christian doctrine and life. A few words of application and interpretation concerning this passage is also helpful and frequently a common subject is chosen and announced for the annual visitation. Then following these remarks, discussion should begin, arising from the Scriptures. If the children of the home are present, which is desirable, it may be wise to begin speaking with them. Then, when such words of exhortation, instruction and encouragement have been given, the time should close with prayer, commending the family to God’s care. This automatically terminates the visit and enables the men to be on time for their next call.
Family visitation in its very nature should not encourage pride or an authoritarian approach. It should rather be characterized by the humility at all times. The elders do not come in their own name or with any claim to perfection, but in obedience to their Saviour and Lord of the Church to manifest His concern for His people. This work has an honourable history and it promises blessing for the present and future. The re-emphasis on the place of the eldership in Britain today in all denominations is an encouraging development. We trust that with this emphasis will be found a place for family visitation, that in some churches the new office will not be “old deacon dressed up with a new name” with all its accompanying frustrations, but that a principal channel of the work of elder will be directed in a pastoral way, expressing itself in household visitation. (to be continued)
Reprinted from THE BANNER OF TRUTH.