Oak Crest Baptist Church
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Children's Ministry
    • VBS
  • Contact Us
  • Give
  • Resources
    • Family Worship Guides >
      • Weeks 1-13 >
        • Week 1
        • Week 2
        • Week 3
        • Week 4
        • Week 5
        • Week 6
        • Week 7
        • Week 8
        • Week 9
        • Week 10
        • Week 11
        • Week 12
        • Week 13
      • Weeks 14-26 >
        • Week 14
        • Week 15
        • Week 16
        • Week 17
        • Week 18
        • Week 19
        • Week 20
        • Week 21
        • Week 22
        • Week 23
        • Week 24
        • Week 25
        • Week 26
      • Weeks 27-39 >
        • Week 27
        • Week 28
        • Week 29
        • Week 30
        • Week 31
        • Week 32
        • Week 33
        • Week 34
        • Week 35
        • Week 36
        • Week 37
        • Week 38
        • Week 39
      • Weeks 40-52 >
        • Week 40
        • Week 41
        • Week 42
        • Week 43
        • Week 44
        • Week 45
        • Week 46
        • Week 47
        • Week 48
        • Week 49
        • Week 50
        • Week 51
        • Week 52

From the Heart of the Pastor

6/22/2016

0 Comments

 
          Thank you Oak Crest for your participation in our latest round of elder nominations.  As we have said on numerous occasions, the healthiest church is one that is Christ-Ruled, Elder-Led, Deacon-Served, Committee-Operated, and Congregationally-Affirmed.  We are now in the process of examining those nominations.  Over the next week and a half we will have further conversations with the top nominees to confirm both their interest and their qualifications.  We will publically announce the nominees at the second quarter members’ meeting on July 3rd.  Thank you again for your patient prayer and support of this important task.
          This is a good opportunity to remind ourselves of the role and purpose of the elder.  An elder is a pastor or an overseer.  The Bible uses these terms interchangeably.  He is one who teaches and preaches the Word of God.  He is a biblical gatekeeper for the church.  He equips the saints for the work of ministry.  He is not a dictator, he is a servant-leader that instills a love for the Word of God in the hearts of the people he has been entrusted to serve.  As I have stated on several occasions, the elder does not have an inherent authority, rather he has a derived authority on the basis of his faithfulness to teach the Scripture.  What this means is that his leadership is in the teaching of the truths of Scripture, not in the administrative minutia of the church.  That responsibility lies, to some extent because of his administrative responsibilities, with the senior pastor as a first among equals among the elders, but to a greater degree with the committees of lay people who exercise their giftedness to operate the church.
          According to Scripture, the final authority lies with the congregation itself.  We are Congregationalists.  This is a different model than we see in Presbyterianism.  I am convinced that the biblical role of the congregation is extremely important.  The congregation affirms elders and deacons.  The congregation affirms direction and budget.  The congregation is the final point of church discipline.  All of this is the case because we are all, each and every believer, indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  Therefore we strive for unity in the Spirit, in the bond of peace.  For more information on this topic, I would refer you to “A Display of God’s Glory: Basics of Church Structure” as a good introductory primer on the subject.  May God continue to bless Oak Crest as we strive to follow the biblical model of church polity and governance to God’s glory.
 
In Christ,
Blain Craig
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Dr. Blain Craig
    Pastor

    Picture

    Archives

    November 2024
    December 2022
    May 2020
    March 2020
    July 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed


​Oak Crest Baptist Church, ​1701 S. 5th St, Midlothian, TX, 76065

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Children's Ministry
    • VBS
  • Contact Us
  • Give
  • Resources
    • Family Worship Guides >
      • Weeks 1-13 >
        • Week 1
        • Week 2
        • Week 3
        • Week 4
        • Week 5
        • Week 6
        • Week 7
        • Week 8
        • Week 9
        • Week 10
        • Week 11
        • Week 12
        • Week 13
      • Weeks 14-26 >
        • Week 14
        • Week 15
        • Week 16
        • Week 17
        • Week 18
        • Week 19
        • Week 20
        • Week 21
        • Week 22
        • Week 23
        • Week 24
        • Week 25
        • Week 26
      • Weeks 27-39 >
        • Week 27
        • Week 28
        • Week 29
        • Week 30
        • Week 31
        • Week 32
        • Week 33
        • Week 34
        • Week 35
        • Week 36
        • Week 37
        • Week 38
        • Week 39
      • Weeks 40-52 >
        • Week 40
        • Week 41
        • Week 42
        • Week 43
        • Week 44
        • Week 45
        • Week 46
        • Week 47
        • Week 48
        • Week 49
        • Week 50
        • Week 51
        • Week 52