The following is a summary of a presentation given at the Joint Board Meeting (Elders, Deacons, Deaconesses) as part of their leadership training curriculum. The structure of the summary is the same as the syllabus that was handed out so that those who missed the presentation can read this and take notes. Underlined words are “fill in the blank” words in the syllabus.
Unbiblical and Biblical Responses to
Church Organization
The early church fathers used 2 words to describe the overall design of the church, organism and organization. These 2 words described opposite dimensions of the church, yet both working together to achieve a healthy reality.
In summary, organism refers to something that is alive. And so, the word describes the vibrant life of the church expressed in experiences such as prayer, singing, worship, small groups, etc. Scripture itself has organic images to describe such vibrancy such as body, people, branches, fruit of the Spirit, etc. No believer would resist such a design for the church.
In contrast (and just as legitimate) is the organization of the church. This refers to the structure of the church as God designed it. This is expressed in governmental structures such as elders, deacons and deaconesses. Scripture itself is clear that such organization is indeed part of God’s design. But surprisingly, there are believers today who resist such a design for the church.
Today’s unbiblical responses to church “organization” [in the ecclesiological sense of the word]: 3 responses
1. Resisting organization
Let me tell you a true story of an encounter I had. Several years ago, I was thinking about remodeling my home, and so I invited a designer who was highly recommended. During the visit it became clear through the conversation that he was a believer. In fact, he was quite obvious in his efforts to share the faith with me. No sooner did I realize this that I quickly told me that I was also a Christian…that in fact, I was a pastor! By saying this, I was expecting the usual reaction from a believer which is quite enthusiastic. But to my surprise, his demeanor completely changed. He told me the story of how he left the church because it was too organized and too political and that started a fellowship at his home where people can just pray and sing and fellowship…..with the corruption of church government. To make a long story short, this person kindly told me that was too busy and unavailable to help me. This I interpreted as a refusal of service upon discovery that I was a pastor.
This is a story of someone who is against the organization of the church. He is not alone. In fact, there are many believers today who resist it. Some resist it because they:
a. over-emphasize the organism
Fellowship, prayer, singing, and sharing the faith are seen as all that matters. Formal leadership, governmental structures, ordained leadership….these things are seen as unnecessary and even a hindrance.
b. general dislike for organization
There are many who just plain hate politics and government in general. And so, they transfer such feelings to the church.
c. bad experiences with organizations
And then there is the very common situation where a believer has a bad experience with church organization. Some see themselves as victims of corrupt church governmental procedures. And so, just the thought of church government
turns them off.
These are all unbiblical responses, though there might be a bit of truth sprinkled in their responses. Without discounting all the bad experiences and feelings, there is another way to respond. Read on….
2. Promoting the other “O”
This is a very common response to church organization. This response is different from the one above in that it is not  as aggressive. The one above is an aggressive opposition to organization. This one is more of a passive indifference. These are believers who just prefer the organic life of the church. They emphasize fellowship, prayer and sharing the faith. Again, it’s not that they stand against organization, they are just simply not interested. And so, their’s is a church where organization is non-existent or not very strong.
In fact, believers who view the church this way often see no value in local church membership. Because such commitment is also part of the overall structure of the church that is not important to them. These believers move from church to church with the thought that every church is their church.
These are all unbiblical responses, though there might be a bit of truth sprinkled in their responses. Without discounting all of their experiences and feelings, there is another way to respond. Read on….
3. Over-emphasizing organization
This is the opposite of the two responses mentioned above, but this one is just as problematic. For this one over-emphasizes the organization.  They build the church in such a way that organization is a top priority and often at the expense of the organic life of the church. Presbyterians have a tendency to be like this…having little vibrancy but a whole lot of organization. And many are turned off by this.
This is an unbiblical response to organization, though there might be a bit of truth sprinkled in there. There is another way to respond. Read on….
Reasons for the unbiblical responses
The main reason for the unbiblical responses is the lack of proper teaching from the leadership. Sermons can be lopsided and only focus on the organic life of the church. Bible studies in small groups can be left wanting as the material primarily focuses on the vibrant life of the believer. And years will go by and the result will be a complete lack of understanding of the organization of the church as God designed it. I consider this to be one of the greatest problems in the church today.
The goal is a balance
To some it will be clear by now that the goal is a balance. We need both the organism and the organization. Problems are inevitable when one is emphasized at the expense of the  other. The goal is a balance.
In fact, the goal is a balance in which a synergistic relationship is established between the two. In other words, each dimension of the church’s design is work together is a distinct way. For example. The organization is to ensure the organism. That is, it is a means of a vibrant Christian walk. Once the organization is in place, the church can then go about creating a vibrant organic ministry. Consider the example of a playground. A good and safe playground is one that is organized with clear structure. And within that structure of sandboxes, strong frames to hold the swings and fences surrounding it, the children can play. Without such structure, the play area would be very dangerous.
In fact, we must note the simple truth that God wants both dimensions in the church. We know this simply by the fact that both exist in Scripture with clear commands on how to go about them. And if God created it, we are obligated to be faithful to them.
The name: Joint Board Meeting
This is the name given to the combined meeting where elders, deacons, and deaconesses meet. The name suggests a level of unity, coordination, and organization. We should note that this is simply because God has designed it to be this way. And so, it is worth the time for the church to study and learn how to coordinate these 3 ordained offices.
Final thought: Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water
There are many who quickly throw away something simply  because they had a bad experience. We must remember our bad experience does not nullify the validity of it. In this case, we cannot throw away church organization because we don’t like it. God has ordained it to be this way, and we must discover God’s plan on how to faithfully apply this organization.
By Tae Shin
Pastor of Leadership Development
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