Questions from Calvary Pandan Annual Church Camp 2014 – Part 2

"Church Leadership"

1. Why is the distribution of undesignated offerings decided by the BOE? Should it be more biblical for the deacons to decide, perhaps in consultation with the BOE?

The BOE is the highest spiritual body in the Bible-Presbyterian Church to care for the overall spiritual well-being of the church. The biblical usage of the tithes and offerings of the church is a spiritual exercise. Deacons are leaders to assist the BOE in all matters administrative, including the execution of spiritual matters when the need arises. The general guidelines are stated above. However, if the BOE feels that a spiritual matter could best be discussed at Session level for practical purposes, that matter can be brought to the Session. The Session is made up of both the elders and deacons.

2. If an Elder or Deacon commits a sin and repents, can he be assigned to "non-important" roles such as a "bookroom" assistant?

First and foremost, to serve as a bookroom assistant should not be seen as a "non-important" position. All positions of service are important to God, for we are all parts of the same body with Christ as the head. There are altogether five levels of church discipline. They are: admonishment, rebuke, suspension, deposition and excommunication. Based upon the question, the nature of the sin is presumably a serious transgression and thereby deposition was effected. The purpose of chastisement is one of restoration. It does not disqualify a person from ever serving God again. Yes, he can serve in a diminished capacity. When the transgression is very serious, he has brought shame to the office he held. To allow him to return to the same office after his serious transgression would be to lower the high standard that God has set for the offices of deacons and elders. For example, if a pastor commits adultery while in office and he repents of his sin and his wife and the church forgive him, it does not mean that there are no consequences for his transgression. His transgression is a very serious one. It is not as if the pastor failed to keep his Quiet Time regularly! If he is allowed to serve as the pastor again, then the highest office of the church that God has set to care for the spiritual well-being of His flock redeemed by Christ's precious blood would be tarnished and lowered. This means that the next pastor or elder who sins the same or similar sin would also be allowed back into office. This must never be the case. To lower the qualifications of the positions of elders and deacons that God has set to oversee His flock would surely result in lowering the standard of holiness of the church and members will also fall into the same sin. The people will be like the shepherd, good or bad!

3. An elder is for life. But he committed adultery and was removed from office. He repented sincerely and truthfully. Is he still an elder?

When a person is made an elder based upon the qualifications stipulated by Christ in 1Timothy 3:1-7 please note that it is not just a description of an office but the person's spiritual state in relation to God. If a deacon has been a faithful deacon for at least two terms (i.e. six years in office), the elders will evaluate him to see if he has all the qualities of an elder as stated by God in 1Timothy 3:1-7. His spiritual state must be consistent till he is called home to glory by God. However, these 17 qualifications must be adhered to strictly before a person is ordained as an elder or pastor. Churches that disregarded these stringent qualifications have paid a very heavy price, including divisions, waywardness of members, goats coming to church and the sheep leaving, and spiritual death where God's glory has departed from these churches. They are only churches in name but not in spirit. Sinners who enter into these churches remain as sinners. They are made to think that they are believers going to heaven when in reality they are going to hell. These churches are a dime a dozen today.

It is paramount that these qualifications are adhered to rigidly to protect the faith of the believers and the honour of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Therefore, when an elder commits adultery while in office, he desecrates the highest office that God has given. If he does not repent, he can be defrocked, i.e. stripped of his ordination. If he repents of his transgression by a genuine and sincere repentance and confession of his sin, and he has fulfilled all the requirements for spiritual healing with his wife and the people of God as prescribed in Holy Scriptures, then the title of an elder remains with him. But he will no longer be allowed to do the work of an elder; he will not be put up for election and will not be part of the BOE ever again. He has brought shame to the highest office that God has given to take care of His people. His service will be diminished.

4. When a pastor/elder commits adultery, what are some biblical references that support why he can no longer continue serving in the same office, even though he has truly repented before God and man?

The key passage is 1 Timothy 3:1-7 (KJV), "This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil." [emphasis added] When the pastor or elder commits adultery while in office, he has ceased to be blameless and he has a sexual problem.

The word "blameless" in 1 Tim 3:2, (Greek, "anepileptos"), refers to a person who is "not apprehended, that cannot be laid hold of; hence that cannot be reprehended, not open to censure, irreproachable." [Joseph Henry Thayer, page 44]. Adam Clarke rightly comments that he is "a person against whom no evil can be proved; one who is everywhere invulnerable; for the word is a metaphor, taken from the case of an expert and skillful pugilist, who so defends every part of his body that it is impossible for his antagonist to give one hit. So this Christian bishop is one that has so conducted himself, as to put it out of the reach of any person to prove that he is either unsound in a single article of the Christian faith, or deficient in the fulfillment of any duty incumbent on a Christian. He must be irreprehensible; for how can he reprove that in others which they can reprove in him?" [Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible, Swordsearcher, 6.2]

Barnes adds correctly, "The word here used does not mean that, as a necessary qualification for office, a bishop should be perfect; but that he should be a man against whom no charge of immorality, or of holding false doctrine, is alleged. His conduct should be irreprehensible or irreproachable. Undoubtedly it means that if any charge could be brought against him implying moral obliquity, he is not fit for the office, he should be a man of irreproachable character for truth, honesty, chastity, and general uprightness." [Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, Swordsearcher, 6.2]

Thus we can see that the spiritual demands on the office of the bishop or elder are far more stringent than those for a deacon. The pastor/elder is one whom his adversary will not be able to find any fault with even when his life is scrutinized from inside out. He must be aboveboard in all areas of his life, as a believer. Before his conversion, he may have been a persecutor of believers or committed sins like fornication and adultery. This is not to say that these sins do not matter. These are heinous sins and ought to be openly highlighted as wrong. The context here is on the qualifications of an elder. He and other leaders in the local church should have already met these qualifications before they were considered or nominated. These sins do not disqualify anyone from becoming a Christian as these are the sins that caused Christ to die on the cross. But these sins committed by a believer do disqualify him from serving as a bishop in God's church. And when these sins are committed while he is serving as a bishop, he will be disqualified permanently because he has brought great shame to the highest office that God has given to His local churches. It is not about forgiveness. Yes, he will be forgiven by all parties concerned, including his wife and family and fellow elders and even the church as a whole, after confession and going through counselling and help. But we must not just forgive and neglect to protect the integrity and dignity of the high office of a bishop as set forth by God in His holy Word. As long as a person says that he is a believer, he will be judged as a believer. His conduct will be measured against the standard of God's Word. This is not a denominational distinctive of the Bible-Presbyterian Church; but the church must obey the standards and requirements of God, not man’s or any church institution. God’s requirements are not negotiable. When the Bible says that the bishop must be blameless, it means exactly that.

The word "blameless" covers the entire list of qualifications mentioned from verses 2 to 7. This list is spiritual in nature. The phrase "husband of one wife" is not a reference to his marital status. Being married is not a spiritual qualification! The phrase literally means "a one woman man." It means that he must not have a sexual problem. The elder or pastor who commits adultery has a sexual problem.

5. What kinds of sins will disqualify a pastor from his office such that he should not be allowed to return? What are the underlying reasons for this categorisation?

The underlying reason has been stated under the previous question - when he ceases to be blameless. The transgressions are adultery and all sexual sins including bisexuality and homosexuality, paedophilia, robbery or stealing money from the church, criminal acts that lead to imprisonment. He must not bring shame to the name of Jesus Christ by what he does.

6. In your opinion, do you think church leaders have been or are beholden to intellectual and wealthy individuals in church? If so, can you cite examples? If not, how should the leaders/session try to avert, or have they ever averted, such temptations? Can you cite any practical examples? Also, what is the biggest spiritual problem we, the congregation in Calvary Pandan, face today?

It is a sad reality that there are church leaders such as pastors who have been beholden to intellectual and wealthy individuals in the church. These are leaders who are carnal and ought to be removed from office. There is a "pastor" who told the congregation that he would not preach hard doctrines; otherwise, his "rice bowl" will crack. He will only preach nice and "loving" doctrines so that he can remain in the church and the people of God will like him and vote for him. At the next election, this pastor was re-elected into office. There is a small church where a rich doctor's offering amounts to more than half of the entire church's monthly offering. The pastor pleases him all the time for fear of offending him. If he leaves the church, the pastor's "salary" will be cut in half! There are many more of such sad examples.

The only way to avert such tragedies is to ensure that the pastor and elders are elected according to the Bible's strict guidelines. They must be able men as defined in God’s Word. Exodus 18:21-22 (KJV), "Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: 22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee." [Emphasis added] The reason is that all the judgements they make are God's judgements. Deuteronomy 1:17 (KJV), "Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it." They must be students of God's Word all their lives.

A pastor who does not keep studying the Bible will become carnal. He will then become useless to God's people and to God. He will ruin and hurt the church by playing politics and carnality will become the hallmark of his character. His concerns will be property, luxury goods; money will become his god and he will measure himself and others by the things he possesses. What Jesus warns in Luke 12:15 (KJV) is alien to him, "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." Pastors who are supposed to be serving fulltime should not be involved in buying shares and stocks or take on other jobs just to make more money even when the church is able to take care of his material needs. There is a "pastor" who was staying in the parsonage (F.O.C.), yet rents out his HDB flat, has part ownership in an office building and also works part-time on Saturday. He hardly studies the Bible, repeats his messages on Sunday and does not conduct any Bible Study during the week.

These pastors are hirelings who have been fleecing the flock. They see the pastor’s role as an avenue to make money and to take advantage of God’s people who are usually very trusting and naïve, as sheep that trust their shepherd. When God’s people are not taught the Word of God by these thieves and robbers, they will remain in ignorance. The sure protection for God's people is to know God's Word. I feel that the biggest problem in Calvary Pandan is that many are not studying God’s Word. We all need to study and know God's Word. When we know God's Word, we will know God because we will have the mind of God. We will live lives that are godly. We will be able to evaluate people and circumstances with the mind of God and make right decisions that glorify God.