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ELDERS TRAINING SEMINAR

Ministerial Association of the General Conference

www.ministerialassociation.com

Based on the Elders Handbook

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The Church and

Its OrganizationChapter 1

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Churchorganization

The Church is Gods Idea

God created the church.

Everywhere God is at work there is organization.

People who want to be part ofGods plan, but notpart of an organization, do not understand how God

works.

Since God is the originator and He is in the work

of saving sinners, He put together an organization to

help in acomplishing that task.

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Organizational Structure From the Beginning

FAMILY - Patriarchal system

NATION - Gods people

CHURCH - Community of Christians

Churchorganization

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What is the church?

The Bible uses many images to represent the church:

1. A church is a group of Christian people.

2. A church is a group of Christian people called out

from the world, learning to love God and each other.

The CHURCH is not a museum, but a living workshop.

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What is the church?

The Bible uses many images to represent the church:

3. A church is a group of Christian reaching out to theworld, inviting others in.

4. A church is a place for healing the hurts of life.

Every church member, in receiving the Holy Spirit,

receives a spiritual gift to be used in soul winning ministry.

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A MISSION: a group of disciples sent to reach out tothe world inviting others in.

A HOSPITAL: a place for healing the hurts of life.

THE HOUSE OF GOD: God is the Father and people

are His children.

What is the church?

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Organization of The Church

BIBLE MODELS

The Israel Model: theocratic nation

Paul Model: body

Jesus Model: eklesia

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Revelation 14:6 - nation, tribe, language, people

Mark 16: 15- all creation

1. Global

2. Multicultural

3. Multinational

How to meet the challenge?

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The challenge can only be met by:

1. Good organization of resources

2. Delegation of authority

3. Flexibility, evaluation and control

How to meet the challenge?

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Ellen G. White:

1. To support the gospel ministry.

2. To carry on the work of preaching in new fields.

3. To protect both churches and the ministry from unworthy

members action.

4. For holding church property.

5. To publish the truth via the printing press.

Gods resons for organization

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Forms of Church Government

1. Papal:The Pope has supreme authority.

2. Episcopal:The final authority rests with churchbishops.

3. Congregational:Full authority within its domain

rests with the local congregation.

4. Representative:Authority rests with church

members. Planning and coordination is delegated to

other administrative levels, reviewed at periodic

sessions.

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1. Local Congregations. This includes the organizedchurch and organized company.

2. Local Field.Conference/Mission.

3. Union.Conference/Mission.

4. General Conference.The world field with 13Divisions (Regional Representatives).

Levels of SDA church organization

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The Old Testament Delegation Process:

1. God.

2. Moses. Counsel from J ethro (Exodus 18)

3. 70 Men. Qualification of the 70 (Numbers 11)

In the King James Version, the term ELDER

is used 194 times.

Delegation

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Early Church officers

The New Testament Leadership:

1. Apostles: ordained

They cared for the overall teaching, planning,

administration, and evangelism of the church.

They were generally itinerant workers.

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The New Testament Leadership:

2. Elders: ordained

They were lay persons.

They exercised their spiritual gifts in the local

congregation.

They provided a ministry that gave strength and

direction to the local church.

Early Church officers

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The New Testament Leadership:

3. Deacon: ordained

They were responsible for visiting sick members

They took care of the needs of the congregation

They were witnesses

Early Church officers

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Local officers/how important !

Church Manual

In the work and organization of the church, if a

pastor has not been provided by the conference or

mission, the office of elder ranks as the highest and

most important.

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Church depends upon elders:

There are approximately 25,000 ministers available

to serve more than 15 million Seventh-day

Adventist members in 130,000 congregations.

Only through the faithful ministry of local church

leaders can churches thrive.

The Importance of Local officers