After my talk on Sunday about Eldership, I thought it would be helpful to post a few helpful quotes from Terry Virgo’s excellent book ‘The Spirit-Filled Church’. Thanks to Ray Choi pulling these quotes out from the book:
Modern churches are built on all sorts of foundations. Some are built on tradition, some on institution, and some on democracy or sentimentality… The unwieldy “majority church vote” can successfully keep such a church rooted in a bygone century…
Appointments without gifting will soon turn the church into a cold institution. If a man is not called or gifted but holds office, he is simply an appointment, and we begin to drift away from biblical norms to religious externality.
Those appointed by God into positions of leadership in the church have a high calling. They not only teach the word and lead the people, they also set the tone of the church. They create its atmosphere and style and establish its philosophy of ministry. Their own sense of calling and destiny provides security, motivation and direction to the church…
We should not be surprised to note a great contrast between churches led by genuine, anointed leaders who are loved, valued, respected and given freedom to lead, and churches where democracy rules. Boards and committees, elections and voting are unknown in Scripture. There must come a rediscovery of biblical norms where the Holy Spirit calls and equips leadership and where that leadership is given room to operate. [Virgo, p.128]
Where tradition is the entrenched norm, and democratic power is held by a majority who treasure the past, we should not be surprised to note little freedom of movement or spiritual progress. When the Holy Spirit says, “Behold, I do a new things,” sadly the democratic vote will often reply, “Not here, you won’t.” [Virgo, p.129]
Spiritual authority must leave room to breathe and must never dominate people’s lives. Once leaders have offered their counsel, they must give people space–the chance to find out for themselves what God is saying. [Virgo, p.134]
Modern churches have often resorted to electing their leaders, but those elected into office can similarly be voted out of office, so the temptation to be a man-pleaser is considerable. Appointed by the congregation, such leaders are accountable to the congregation. When there is no anointing, democracy is probably the safest form of church government. But when God begins to give anointed leadership, democracy must make room for Him to have His way.
In the New Testament the whole matter was far more charismatic in the word’s truest sense. The Spirit-led appointment of elders was an important part of the apostles’ foundation-laying ministry. Without the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we resort to man-made structures with varying degrees of success, even leading to manifest disaster. [Virgo, p.150]