Broadman Church Manual

Howard B. Foshee

• Publisher: B&H Books
• Year: 1973
• ISBN:
  9781433675348
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Ministry

A comprehensive guide to the nature and work of the church, including pastor, staff members, and planning the total church program.

1. CHURCH

Nature, Functions, Membership

Nature

The nature of the church is one of divine origin, divine leadership, and divine purpose.

1. Divine Origin

Christ instituted the church as a vital part of God's divine plan for man. The origin of the church was in and through Christ.

God has revealed himself in many ways and many times throughout the centuries. God revealed himself through Abraham. The nation Israel was an instrument of God's revelation. God sent Christ, his Son, to proclaim the gospel of salvation. Christ came proclaiming “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

Christ established his church to carry forward his message of salvation after his early ministry was completed. Paul wrote of Christ: “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all” (Eph. 1:22–23).

Christ entrusted his church to redeemed persons to forward God's plan on earth.“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). Christians today must bear the awesome responsibility for faithful service to the church.

The foundation of the church is Christ. He is its chief cornerstone. His church is not an institution made by the hands of man. As a spiritual organism, the church is a living body that received its life from God, the divine source of all life. Members of the church are redeemed persons who are new persons in Christ.“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).

The word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia, which means “the called out.” As “called out” persons, redeemed in Christ, Christians gather as the church in fellowship and worship. They then go out into the world to proclaim the gospel message to the world.

Most of the times when ekklesia appears in the New Testament, the word refers to a local congregation. There is adequate reference to the total body of Christians, however, to assure that ekklesia also refers to all redeemed persons in Christ.

2. Divine Leadership

As head of the church, Christ provides continuing leadership. The church is his body.

Christ said that he purchased the church with his own blood. He will not let it be overcome.“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” (Acts 20:28).

Forces of evil bombard the church, but Christ, the divine leader, cannot be subdued. Evil may sometimes prevail for a season in the world. Satan may win an occasional battle. But the war against evil will be won by Christians who witness alongside fellow believers.

Christ, as leader of the church, has all power (authority).“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18). Christians should rejoice in the knowledge that the church is led by Christ, the possessor of all power.

3. Divine Purpose

Christ established the church to carry out his divine purpose. The purpose of Christ and the purpose of his church are identical.

Christians, as baptized believers, are to gather as the church for spiritual fellowship, encouragement, training, and worship of God. Christians are then to go out as the living body of Christ, the church, to dwell in the world as proclaimers of Christ's message of redemption.

Christians have their marching orders. Christ, their leader, commanded: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:19–20).

Members of the church are to carry out their purpose in a spirit of love. God is love and his work must be permeated with love. He gave his followers a commandment regarding their way of life.“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another.… By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34–35).

Church Functions

A church is a spiritual organism. As a living organism the church has basic spiritual functions to perform that are essential to its life. As the human body cannot continue to live if basic bodily functions cease, neither can the body of Christ (church) continue if its basic functions cease.

What are these basic functions that are so essential to the life and work of a church? They are: to worship, to proclaim, to educate, and to minister.

1. To Worship

To worship is to become aware of the holy presence of God and to follow God's leadership in love. Baptists believe in a personal God who loves and desires fellowship with man. Worship is man's adoration and confession to God and God's communion with man. Worship is man's link with God in his search for truth.“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23–24).

Man responds to God through worship and dedicates himself to serve God. Worship is not complete until man serves God as a result of their two-way communication. The desire of the Christian is that of the psalmist: “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker” (Ps. 95:6).

2. To Proclaim

To proclaim is to provide a witness for the gospel message of Jesus Christ who came to provide salvation for man. The church must place high priority on its proclamation function. A church that does not proclaim God's message of salvation has lost its heart. Christ commanded: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:19–20).

The gospel must be proclaimed to both believers and unbelievers. The message of salvation provides spiritual nourishment to the Christian. To the unbeliever the gospel opens up a new life in Christ when accepted in faith.

Churches should use a variety of methods in proclaiming God's message. The gospel can be proclaimed through such means as preaching, personal witness, music, and Bible teaching.

3. To Educate

“To educate is to lead persons to the knowledge and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, to teach and train the church's constituency to perform the functions of their church, and to help them develop toward full Christian maturity” (from A Church Organized and Functioning by W. L. Howse and W. O. Thomason).

A church should be a fellowship of learners. Christ set the example.“Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52). Learning opportunities are essential because persons need to be able to increase their knowledge and understanding of spiritual matters. Each Christian should seek out learning opportunities that are provided in order to become more like Christ. Skills in Christian living should be taught to equip members for daily living. A growing Christian is a learner who exercises the personal discipline required to grow in knowledge and Christlikeness.

Christ is the source of spiritual wisdom and Christians need to learn of him “that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:2–3).

4. To Minister

To minister is to respond to man's needs in love so that Christ Jesus can be magnified.

A ministering church seeks to serve man in Christ's name. Ministering to the needs of man was taught by Christ. During his early ministry Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, and comforted the brokenhearted. Christ was concerned for the total needs of man as he reached out with God's message of salvation.“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God” (1 John 4:7).

Ministering in Christ's name is done without thought of personal return. A Christian offers himself and his resources because God's love fills him. He reaches out in love to Christian and non-Christian.

Ministering is a vital function of a church that grows out of God's love for man. The Christian should demonstrate his love. Jesus taught: “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34–35).

Church Membership

The church was established by Christ as a part of God's divine plan. As church members, Christians have gathered through the centuries for corporate worship, fellowship, nurture, and service. Churches serve as spiritual oases for the weary pilgrim who seeks fellowship with God and fellow believers. Churches serve as mighty mission stations as well as dedicated mission forces that go forth as Christian soldiers to spread the gospel.

Church membership provides redeemed persons an opportunity for binding together with fellow Christians to worship and glorify God. As members of Christ's body, Christians find spiritual strength and direction through fellowship with other believers.

As a member of a church, an individual must discipline himself to live a life in Christ. He must participate in both remedial and preventive discipline to protect the spiritual nature of the church. He must also participate constructively in making congregational decisions that influence the life and work of the church.

1. Qualifications

A church member must be a redeemed person who has confessed his sins and has accepted Christ as Savior and Lord of his life. He must be one who has opened his life for examination and has publicly declared that he desires to invest his life in covenant relationship with other Christians. He has been baptized as a symbol of his death and burial to sin and of his resurrection to a new life in Christ.

2. Methods of Accepting Members

There are three methods of accepting members: profession of faith, transfer of church membership, and statement of baptism.

(1) Profession of faith (by baptism).—A person may unite with a Baptist church by profession of faith in Christ as Savior and Lord, followed by baptism. A profession of faith is usually made by an individual at the conclusion of a church worship service. By presenting himself for membership in a church, a person affirms that he desires to become a participant in the fellowship of believers in Christ.

(2) Transfer of church membership (by letter).—An individual may join a Baptist church by transfer of church membership from another Baptist church. This method of membership transfer is popularly called “by letter.” As a person presents himself to a new church “by letter,” he requests that he be received upon the later receipt of a letter acknowledging his membership in another Baptist church. When his letter of recommendation is finally received, stating that he is a baptized believer in good standing in his church, he is then recognized as a member of his new church.

In effect, a church affirms its appreciation of a person when he publicly requests membership in a new church. He does not become an actual member until proof of his membership has been received.

(3) Statement of baptism.—If for some reason an individual's church record has been lost, his church has been disbanded, or he may have joined a church of another denomination, a person may request that he be received into the fellowship of a church by stating that he has previously accepted Christ as Lord and Savior and has been baptized. If the church votes to receive the person upon his statement, the church usually does not require baptism in view of his earlier baptism in a Baptist church.

3. Types of Church Membership

Resident membership indicates that a person lives within a geographical territory that allows him to attend his church. The member may not attend, but the distance from his residence to his church does not prevent his attendance.

Nonresident membership acknowledges that a member lives outside the geographical location of his church and is therefore unable to attend regularly. Churches should encourage their members who have moved away to join a Baptist church in thejr community.

Watchcare represents a short-term relationship one may have with a church. Students or military persons who will be able...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Dedication
• Copyright
• Contents
• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11
• Chapter 12
• Chapter 13
• Chapter 14