Biblical Church leadership structure is the Godly leadership structure of the Church. Church leadership must be set strictly Biblically.
God has systems and structures for His church.
His spirit in a congregations moves to the head (leaders), then from the head to the congregation.
A congregation without leadership structure aligning itself to God’s structure does not experience the movement of the Holy Spirit.
The Old Testament provides us with a lot of information on Biblical church leadership structure with the first ‘church’; the children of Israel.
There was the high priest, prophets, priests and the Leviticus, and Jesus came to exemplify and magnify this to us in the new covenant.
How then is the church leadership structure supposed to be as revealed in the Bible?
The Church: – The body of Christ
Jesus was one whole body; the body of Christ (the church). In His years of ministry, the church was in Him, growing in Him, the way a baby grows in the womb of a mother.
He gave birth to the church on the cross when his body was pierced producing blood and water (what comes out when a child is born).
In His ascension, He gave people gifts according to His will, each person a gift for the ministry.
Eph 4:7-8: But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Therefore it is said, ‘’When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.’’
Therefore, for the church to be the body of Christ, we must unify all gifts thus all parts of Jesus Christ’s body to form one body: the body of Christ.
1 Cor 12:20: as it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
A body without it’s most essential parts, will it be alive and called a body? No! It will be a dead body.
The five-fold ministry: – Top church leadership structure
For a church to be called a God’s church (heavenly church), its leadership must be aligned to God church leadership structure.
A church must have the most essential parts of the body of Christ; the five offices (five-fold ministry). The five fold are called or chosen, empowered and fully filled with the ascension gifts of Jesus Christ.
The five offices are; –
(Eph 4:11 and he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers).
- Apostle: – governs, establishes government, which provides a foundation to build on.
- Prophet:- guides, points way; brings vision of what God wants to build on that foundation
- Teacher:- grounds, or establishes the people in the word, raising Godly ministers
- Evangelist:- gathers-outreach
- Pastor:- guides or cares/nurturing for the sheep
A congregation without an apostle is self-willed, blind without a prophet, ingrown without an evangelist, numb without a teacher, and spoiled with only the pastor. Is this the church you go or serve?
A church without the five-fold ministry does not qualify to be called a God’s church. The spirit of God (Holy Spirit) does not move wholly in the congregation without these servants and this church does not equip the saints for the work of ministry and build the body of Christ.
Eph 4:11-12: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
But a church is not an island; churches must share God’s chosen servants.
After these offices, the church should have other offices for its well-being and growth. Ministers, overseers, elders, bishops, administrators, deacons and all others are very important in the body of Christ; they are all parts of the body of Christ.
Without this God’s church leadership, since God’s spirit flows through a structure within a congregation, the spirit and grace of God departs from the church, and a church finds herself struggling.
Consequences of lacking Godly church leadership structure
Why are today Christians tossed to and fro, and carried by every wind of doctrine?
Because they lack the perfection of one, two or any more of the five-fold ascension gifts.
Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.
The five-fold ministry are chosen (called) by God into the ministry not people who get the ministry through learning, experience, inheritance etc.
Today earthly churches are not allowing God chosen servants to carry out their given ministry. Authority and leadership in these earthly churches is passed to people chosen by people not those God has chosen.
It is God who chooses and people recognize by ordination.
With these churches not aligned with God’s structure of the church, God has given them out to their lusts of hearts and minds.
Work of God not one man’s show
The work of God is not a one man’s show.
Many so-called men of God have killed the body of Christ by not allowing God’s chosen servants and saints take their positions in the church.
They are clicking on to these positions, without the required God’s gift to serve because of greed, fame and money, doing work for God not the work of God and the spirit of God has dried up, and I wonder which God they are serving?
Jesus Christ has given all His children gifts of the Holy Spirit for the ministry.
All saints are part and parcel of the ministry, each personally having a gift of the Holy Spirit and they should all be active participants in the ministry. They should all be given space to play their part.
If the church you attend does not have these five offices, the five fold ministry, it is a one person show, does not allow or give saints space to participate, its leadership is not aligned with God’s church leadership and it does not invite the missing part of the five fold ministry to minister to the congregation, Run Away!
God bless
