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Listen "Episode 4: What Does Church Leadership Look Like?"
Episode Synopsis
On today's episode of the Connect Q&A Show, we’re tackling some questions you submitted that all fall under one big umbrella:
What is an elder and what is their role in the church?
What is a deacon or deaconess and their role in the church?
What is a staff member and their role in the church?
What does the Bible say about these roles?
We’re going to answer these questions as part of one broader discussion: What does the church and its leadership look like based on the model Jesus set for us?
We’ll be exploring these roles through the lens of our church tradition, which is part of the Restoration Movement within independent Christian churches. We don’t operate within a denominational structure—there are no bishops or similar hierarchical roles here. Instead, we strive to follow what we see laid out in Scripture about how the church should function.
In a future episode, we’ll dive deeper into what it means to be part of the Restoration Movement and why our church embraces this approach. For now, it’s important to know that this tradition influences how we interpret and live out Scripture in our church practices, including our leadership structure.
Here’s a sneak peek at what we’ll cover:
Elders – The spiritual overseers and shepherds of the church. We’ll look at passages like 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and Acts 20, and discuss how elders serve by leading, teaching, protecting, and shepherding the congregation under Christ’s authority.
Deacons and Deaconesses – Servants who meet the church’s practical needs, inspired by the New Testament term diakonos. We’ll highlight examples like the Seven in Acts 6, Phoebe in Romans 16, and the qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3.
Church Staff – The hands and feet of the church’s ministry, executing the vision under the elders’ spiritual oversight. We’ll explain how staff members, both men and women, support the congregation through their specific roles and areas of focus.
We’ll also touch on topics like the plurality of leadership, the relationships between these roles, and how our church practices reflect biblical teachings.
Make sure to listen in as we discuss how God designed His church to function, with every part working together to serve one Master, Jesus Christ.
As always, we love hearing from you! If you have additional questions, send them our way—we might feature them in a future episode.
Until next time, remember: You are sent. Have a great day!
What is an elder and what is their role in the church?
What is a deacon or deaconess and their role in the church?
What is a staff member and their role in the church?
What does the Bible say about these roles?
We’re going to answer these questions as part of one broader discussion: What does the church and its leadership look like based on the model Jesus set for us?
We’ll be exploring these roles through the lens of our church tradition, which is part of the Restoration Movement within independent Christian churches. We don’t operate within a denominational structure—there are no bishops or similar hierarchical roles here. Instead, we strive to follow what we see laid out in Scripture about how the church should function.
In a future episode, we’ll dive deeper into what it means to be part of the Restoration Movement and why our church embraces this approach. For now, it’s important to know that this tradition influences how we interpret and live out Scripture in our church practices, including our leadership structure.
Here’s a sneak peek at what we’ll cover:
Elders – The spiritual overseers and shepherds of the church. We’ll look at passages like 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and Acts 20, and discuss how elders serve by leading, teaching, protecting, and shepherding the congregation under Christ’s authority.
Deacons and Deaconesses – Servants who meet the church’s practical needs, inspired by the New Testament term diakonos. We’ll highlight examples like the Seven in Acts 6, Phoebe in Romans 16, and the qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3.
Church Staff – The hands and feet of the church’s ministry, executing the vision under the elders’ spiritual oversight. We’ll explain how staff members, both men and women, support the congregation through their specific roles and areas of focus.
We’ll also touch on topics like the plurality of leadership, the relationships between these roles, and how our church practices reflect biblical teachings.
Make sure to listen in as we discuss how God designed His church to function, with every part working together to serve one Master, Jesus Christ.
As always, we love hearing from you! If you have additional questions, send them our way—we might feature them in a future episode.
Until next time, remember: You are sent. Have a great day!
In God we trust