B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #167

B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #167

I Cor.. 16:9 ‘For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.’

April 29, 2010

Prayers

Pray for Lewis(who has declared himself with the CLC) the former treasurer of the LCEA-Tanzania, who refused to give the deed of the seminary property in Tanzania to the LCEA officials, who want to sell. Lewis faces court proceedings. Pray for Pastor Makundi and the Himo congregation who declared themselves with the CLC and use the seminary property for worship services(even a wedding there this week). Pray for others also who know the truth that they stand for it and not financial gain. Thank the Lord that Machame congregation has also stated they are with the CLC.

Denis Mulumba in South Africa spent two weeks in the hospital after his car accident. Pray that he is able to get back to work. Suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope and hope does not disappoint us because the love of God has been poured into our hearts. Romans 5:3-5

Pastor Kham of the CLCM, Myanmar reports that strong winds swept through Chin State. Three pastors (each serving seven villages) report that 38 homes were damaged. Pray that our brothers are able to help one another, as Pastor Kham is encouraging them. Remember them in your prayers. Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit are what counts above the material things. These cannot be swept away because they are in the heart. Rom. 14:17

In the Chengleput Dist. of the BELC, India, Pastor Dayalaraj has gone to be with the Lord. It seemed as if he might recover with his heart trouble, when he came home from the hospital, but it was not God’s will. His son has replaced him in our monthly pastoral studies.Elijah’s mantle is passed to Elisha. May God comfort the family such that they anticipate with joy being in that great white host.

Another Soldier of the Lord Goes Home
In the Renigunta Dist . of the BELC in India Pastor J. Kristofer went to be with the Lord due to TB complications. He attended the last pastors’ study, though he was in a very weak and frail conditon. He has one son who is a pastor in the district. We rejoice in this victory and pray his wife will be comforted with the precious Gospel that her husband preached.

Rev.2:10 Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The Pastor’s Job – PART 1

submitted by Pastor Nathanael Mayhew

The purpose of this study is to review what the Bible tells us the pastor’s work is, and to see how it should be actively applied in our congregations. This study will be divided into two main sections: The Scriptural qualifications for pastors; and what the Bible says a pastor’s responsibilities are and how we should apply this in our ministries.

Part I – Pastoral Qualifications

What should a pastor do? The Holy Spirit inspired and preserved much direction on this subject, most of which is found in the three “Pastoral Epistles” of Paul, upon which our study will focus. These letters were named the “Pastoral Epistles” because they were written to two pastors, Timothy and Titus, whose ministries included many congregations. With such a responsibility, Paul gave them guidelines and directives concerning what to look for in a pastor. We will consider the following sections from the three Pastoral letters:

• 1 Timothy 3:1-7
• 2 Timothy 2:24-25
• Titus 1:5-9

In these three sections, pastors are called by three different terms, which describe their office: “bishop” or “overseer” (1 Timothy 3:1, Titus 1:7); “servant of the Lord” (2 Timothy 2:24); and “elder” (Titus 1:5). In Scripture, these terms are all used to describe the office which we call a “pastor” or “minister” today. The term “pastor” comes from the Latin word for “shepherd” and is connected to this office based on Paul’s words to the Ephesian elders at the end of his third missionary journey: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). A pastor is to oversee (bishop), lead (elder), feed (shepherd), and serve (minister) the believers under his care.

First, notice that Paul says that both pastors and deacons should be the “husband of one wife” (1 Timothy 3:2,12). Can women serve in these roles? In his first letter to Timothy Paul gives certain directives about the woman’s role in the church: “Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control” (1 Timothy 2:11-15 – see also 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 for more on the role of women in the church). These words of Paul clearly teach that the woman’s role within the church is to be one of willing submission, and that she is not to teach or exert authority over a man in the church. Any woman serving as a pastor would have to exert authority over men. The office of the pastor is described as that of an overseer (episkopos). In the verses immediately following these verses, Paul goes on to give Timothy instruction about the qualifications for pastors (overseers) and then also deacons. God has determined that such positions in the church are the role and responsibility of men.

Next time we will consider the duties of a pastor and how they are carried out in his daily ministry.

Nigeria

The main body of the NCLC is still concentrated around the village of Efa, where the Bible Institute is. Over the years they have tried to reach out in many different areas and have in some places established churches, most notably in the larger cities of Port Harcourt and Lagos. Many problems continue to plague our churches in Nigeria and on the surface seem to be the cause of great difficulty in their growth. As is almost always the situation there is never enough money to do the all the things we wish, instead we must simply trust that the Lord knows best and He will provide the way and means for what He wishes to be done. On the other hand they must also contend with the sentimentalism which is so prevalent in thinner branches of Christianity. Yet by the grace of God they continue in His work.

In the south western corner of Nigeria Pastor Eric and Pastor Essien Michael work in the heavily urban area in and around one of Africa’s largest cities, Lagos Nigeria. Although being part of the NCLC and having been trained at the Bible Institute in Efa they are geographically much closer to the churches in Togo and Ghana then they are to the rest of the NCLC churches. This provides them with the unique opportunity to have more opportunity to visit with the pastors and members of these foreign church bodies. An opportunity they were highly eager to take advantage of when I last visited them. To that end they journeyed with Martin Essien to be present for the open pastoral conference which we scheduled in Togo this last December . There they made plans with Pastor Kossi and Pastor Gideon to get together on a more regular basis. The first of these meeting took place March 2010.

Togo and Ghana

After leaving Nigeria I journeyed to Accra Ghana to visit briefly with Pastor Gideon and the small group which meets there under a lamp post on Wednesday evenings to study God’s word. Gideon then accompanied me to Togo where Kossi was awaiting us for an open pastoral conference.

The actually conference was scheduled for Sunday. We spent the week leading up to Sunday in open air evangelism meetings right outside the walls of the church where Kossi meets with his main congregation. Since we were right alongside a large road the crowd fluctuated quite a bit as some people out of curiosity would stop and others getting bored would leave. At its height I would guess about 500 people were at the meetings each night. On Friday the pastors from Nigeria, Eric and Essien Michael, along with Martin Essien joined us.

On Sunday after church we held a conference which 8 men attended as well as one female Sunday school teacher. We discussed a number of things, but most of it centered around infant baptism. These men for the most part understood the Biblical teaching of baptism, but were eager for a more thorough discussion since it is one of the areas they are most often attacked. After the conference they were very eager that I should return and stay much longer this year.

(Submitted by Pastor Matthew Ude)

Attachment: The pastor’s job chart,

Pastor Nathanael Mayhew

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Pastor Koenig

The pastor’s job chart

B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #167

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