In the fall of 1986 I witnessed with great pain and emotional duress a group of deacons in a large congregation challenge an unpopular pastor. Among a number of issues the following question was raised: “Pastor, who is in charge of the local assembly?” The appropriate (and biblical) response to the combative question posed should have been something along the lines of, “Men, since you asked, the ultimate authority in the local church belongs to elders not to deacons.”
But the pastor was intimidated. He wanted to keep his “job”. Alas, for many today the ministry is no longer a divine calling but a career opportunity. So the pastor cowered and said in essence, “Why dear deacons, you are in charge. Of course!” Actually, he was silent but his silence spoke volumes. The meeting went on.
In a similar but more audacious meeting in July of 2003, another congregation comprised of three deacons did not even bother to ask for discussion about the biblical nature of church leadership and how to handle concerns with pastoral leadership. One summer night they simply declared with great emotional force, “We are now in charge.”
What those individuals did in a moment of time was to overstep their boundaries and thus invite the judgment of God upon themselves while doing much harm to the people of God.
From a human perspective, a revolt against reason and divinely ordained leadership is understandable within a given context. Those who are rebelling sincerely believe they have the best interest of others in their heart as they move against the leadership they once embraced and whom God raised up. Certainly this was the mindset of the deacons. It was the mindset of Miriam and Aaron when they moved against Moses to wrestle authority from him and take charge of the congregation. The story is told in Numbers 12. “And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it. 3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.).”
What a heartbreaking scene that was. Moses had done something Aaron and Miriam did not like. Gathering emotional support in secret from others in the assembly of Israel they became bold enough to challenge openly the leadership of Moses but they did so in spiritual sounding language.
It is always a tactic of the defiant to appear to be spiritual - or at least as spiritual as the leader they are angry with and want to replace. So it was with Aaron and Miriam who asked a rhetorical question, “Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath He not spoken also by us?” They asked this question to intimidate Moses. They asked this question to justify their hostile take over. They asked this question in order to vindicate their objective to replace Moses and to promote themselves in his place. No doubt, they sincerely believed that God would honor what they were doing. In their view a desperate situation demanded desperate action. But would God honor them? The biblical answer is, “No.” We read in Numbers 12:9, “And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.”
Aaron and Miriam would soon learn the anger of the Lord was against themselves, not Moses. Whatever Moses had done to displease the people would never justify them openly moving against him. It is this concept that is hard for many people, some deacons in particular, to comprehend. Whatever congregational concerns may arise even with leadership, it is not right to address them by a hostile takeover of a place of authority God never intended for certain individuals to have.
In countless local churches there is a constant state of agitation between pastors and people as to who will lead the congregation. Some will try to intimidate the pastoral leadership by asking questions in the same vein as Aaron and Miriam. Christians, beware of those who come and pose rhetorical questions to you. They are up to no good.
Others will move in boldness to say, “We are in charge” and in that moment such individuals will cross an invisible but real boundary that brings forth the anger of God. Often they get away with this social madness because they control the money supply and ministers do not want to lose their “job”. (The person who believes he or she can take food from the children of the pastor because they “pay his salary” does have a certain advantage over him—unless the man believes that God is His supplier and not humans).
Nevertheless, the Lord has a right to organize His church the way He sees fit. The Lord has a right to raise up pastoral leadership He deems best. The people have a responsibility to submit to divinely ordained leadership. Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
To be specific God never ordained for any deacon at any time in any congregation to declare, “I am now in charge” or “We are now in charge” for it is the will of the Lord that His pastors or elders are the ultimate authority in the church. Jeremiah 3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. In the New Testament expression of the church the highest form of congregational oversight are the elders (also called pastors, or bishops). Titus 1:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
In contrast deacons are to assist the elders. Deacons are servants of the church, not masters. Whatever leadership roles they may temporarily assume, they are first to be servant-leaders as their very name indicates. Because of this lowly status, is it any wonder the position requires the most humble of individuals lest they decide, like Aaron and Miriam to take matters into their own hands?
When individuals rebel against divinely constituted authority God hears what the rebels say and He is angry.
What should individuals do who, like Aaron and Miriam, have moved against divinely ordained authority? What should individuals do who have overreached their position, however well meaning and self justified their actions seemed at the time? What should people do who have brought discord to the body of Christ because of their own wounded pride and secret agendas?
The biblical answer is to repent. To repent means to change one’s mind. To repent means to stand in judgment upon self. This will not be hard to do if the Scriptures are returned to and allowed to stand in judgment upon all attitude and actions.
Whatever concerns congregations may have with their pastoral leaders, and in some cases the congregational concerns are legitimate, the best solution is still to do God’s work God’s way for this much is certain: smite the shepherds God has appointed “and the sheep will be scattered” (Zechariah 13:7).
The apostle Paul wept when he left the church of Ephesus because he was aware of strong willed individuals who wanted to be in charge, first in secret and then openly all the while feigning spirituality. Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them (Acts 20:28).
Those who take it upon themselves to declare they are “now in charge” in order to remove pastoral leadership do not spare the local assembly. They are more than willing to destroy it for their own power and self interest. And they do. Time and time again. And the sheep are scattered.
The only hope for local assemblies in times of congregational concerns is for God’s people to return to a biblical practice and not overthrow the biblical pattern.
Congregations, choose carefully whom you will follow but then follow those pastors whom God has chosen for you. And deacons, remember Aaron and Miriam. The anger of the Lord is against you when you act like them. The Lord will have mercy and will forgive you, but you must change. You must repent. In pointing out the faults of others, do not forget your own souls.
