1. ELDER’S TRAINING SEMINAR
Based on the Elder’s Handbook
Ministerial Association of the General Conference

2. The Church and Its Organization
Chapter 1

3. Church organization The Church is God’s Idea God created the church.
Everywhere God is at work there is organization.
People who want to be part of God’s plan, but not part of an organization, do not understand how God works.
Since God is the originator and He is in the work
of saving sinners, He put together an organization to
help in acomplishing that task.

4. Church organization Organizational Structure From the Beginning
FAMILY - Patriarchal system
NATION - God’s people
CHURCH - Community of Christians

5. What is the church?
The Bible uses many images to represent the church:
A church is a group of Christian people.
2. A church is a group of Christian people called out from the world, learning to love God and each other.
The CHURCH is not a museum, but a living workshop.

6. What is the church?
The Bible uses many images to represent the church:
3. A church is a group of Christian reaching out to the world, inviting others in.
4. A church is a place for healing the hurts of life.
Every church member, in receiving the Holy Spirit,
receives a spiritual gift to be used in soul winning ministry.

7. What is the church?
A MISSION: a group of disciples sent to reach out to the world inviting others in.
A HOSPITAL: a place for healing the hurts of life.
THE HOUSE OF GOD: God is the Father and people are His children.

8. Organization of The Church
BIBLE MODELS
The Israel Model: theocratic nation
Paul Model: body
Jesus Model: eklesia

9. How to meet the challenge?
Revelation 14:6 - “nation, tribe, language, people”
Mark 16: 15 - “all creation”
Global
Multicultural
Multinational

10. How to meet the challenge?
The challenge can only be met by:
Good organization of resources
Delegation of authority
Flexibility, evaluation and control

11. God’s resons for organization
Ellen G. White:
To support the gospel ministry.
To carry on the work of preaching in new fields.
To protect both churches and the ministry from unworthy members’ action.
For holding church property.
To publish the truth via the printing press.

12. Forms of Church Government
Papal: The Pope has supreme authority.
Episcopal: The final authority rests with church bishops.
Congregational: Full authority within its domain rests with the local congregation.
Representative: Authority rests with church members. Planning and coordination is delegated to other administrative levels, reviewed at periodic “sessions.”

13. Levels of SDA church organization
Local Congregations. This includes the organized church and organized company.
2. Local Field. Conference/Mission.
3. Union. Conference/Mission.
4. General Conference. The world field with 13 Divisions (Regional Representatives).

14. In the King James Version, the term ELDER is used 194 times.
Delegation
The Old Testament Delegation Process:
God.
Moses. Counsel from Jethro (Exodus 18)
70 Men. Qualification of the 70 (Numbers 11)
In the King James Version, the term ELDER is used 194 times.

15. Early Church officers The New Testament Leadership: Apostles: ordained
They cared for the overall teaching, planning, administration, and evangelism of the church.
They were generally itinerant workers.

16. Early Church officers The New Testament Leadership:
2. Elders: ordained
They were lay persons.
They exercised their spiritual gifts in the local congregation.
They provided a ministry that gave strength and direction to the local church.

17. Early Church officers The New Testament Leadership:
3. Deacon: ordained
They were responsible for visiting sick members
They took care of the needs of the congregation
They were witnesses

18. Local officers/how important !
Church Manual
“In the work and organization of the church, if a pastor has not been provided by the conference or mission, the office of elder ranks as the highest and most important.”

19. The Importance of Local officers
Church depends upon elders:
There are approximately 25,000 ministers available to serve more than 15 million Seventh-day Adventist members in 130,000 congregations.
Only through the faithful ministry of local church leaders can churches thrive.