It’s been about 16 years now that I have had the privilege under God to be in active ministry from departmental fellowship, campus fellowship and now church…in those years I have seen the headache and potential heartache that bringing the wrong person onboard your team of leadership can cause. In some cases it was catastrophic really.
1 Timothy 5:22
Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.
There are a number of reasons for laying on of hands in the scriptures, but for the purpose of our study I want us to focus on two main ones that will help us in this particular conversation
1) for impartation
1 Timothy 4:14
Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
2) for ordination
Acts 6:6
Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
They prayed and commissioned them into the offices of deacons by laying hands on them.
Now let’s look at the first scripture quoted above
1 Timothy 5:22
Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.
The laying on of hands here isn’t speaking about impartation but rather ordination.
Let’s see the verse in Amplified Translation
1 Timothy 5:22
Do not be in a hurry in the laying on of hands [giving the sanction of the church too hastily in reinstating expelled offenders or in ordination in questionable cases], nor share or participate in another man’s sins; keep yourself pure.
You can not fulfill the assignment that God has given all alone… Christ couldn’t hence the disciples that became apostles to carry on the work, Paul couldn’t, hence chapters like Romans 16 and other chapters that celebrate co laborers in the epistles . I am certain you can’t either. You are going to need people but please and please do not lay hands on any one too soon just because they are prayerful or you like them. Don’t let your need for help allow you throw positions around in a fresh work.
I even see a major mistake starters make actually… some use ordination as a tool to tie people down to the ministry or the church. HUGE ERROR. Don’t do it. You most likely will regret it.
To use spiritual things as elements of manipulation will lead you eventually to regret.
Also run away from the tendency to imagine the amount of ordained pastors and leaders under you determine your worth in ministry.
For many young starters, validation seem to be the bane… you may be tempted to use men as a tool of boasting and how well you are doing… hmmmnn it’s not good Sir. Don’t do it. Christ is your validation before the father and even if you want anything in the physical realm, it will come by you paying attention to your vision and what God said to you patiently
Here is what I do, I am not too much into positions and all. What I focus on in giving RESPONSIBILITY actually. God will not reward titles but rather duties. Works carried out in his name that he instructed
What you celebrate determines a lot Sir. If people in your church perceives that your church is all about positions, they will clamor for it. If they perceive it’s more about responsibility every man will mind the business of the father as given to them by privilege.
In a church where everyone wants to be a leader people often forget the real aim of leadership which is service. That kind of church is likely to have ungodly competition. Be careful not to fuel that tendency. Kill it.
It took almost 2 years for me to ordain our first pastors and it took another 3 years to ordain the next set of pastors. I found out there are many things we don’t need a pastor to do, you just need a willing vessel who loves the Lord to get them done.
Please feel free if you feel the need to ordain people. The essence of my right up is to help you not to limit and force an opinion on you. I am not saying “don’t”…. I am only saying make sure you know they are the right ones and you won’t regret eventually.
I have had the honor of having men and women who have served in the capacity of a pastor in other churches at some point in their lives but when they come to CLC, I welcome them with open arm, love them genuinely but I don’t relate with them as such… I mean as Pastors instead I relate with them as dear brothers in the Lord or sons in the lord as the case may be.
It becomes unfair both on them and us to relate with them as such. It’s premature…it’s not right to instantly commit pastoral responsibility to them. They may not even know what we are all about. Give people time to settle down…give them time to grow…give them time to be proven.
If they made a mistake in making them a Pastor where they are coming from…YOU DONT MAKE THE SAME. And if they are genuinely called of God, then let them take a seat and learn
Anyone in your church who feels they need a title to do whatever is in their heart for the house of God should not be trusted and not be given that position.
7 things to consider whether to give positions and ordination to anyone, I am taking for granted you have ascertained they are believers
1. Follow the injunctions given by Peter in Acts 6, the injunctions of Paul to Timothy and Titus. Very crucial and foundational
2. Do they really know what you are all about. Have they drank the vision of the house and are committed to it. Ask them questions about certain things about the church.
3. Give responsibility to them first and then, if they function well, equip them with a title. Always know this , responsibilities before titles.
4. Loyalty, disloyal people will be the greatest headache you will have in ministry. There are many things I will allow around me but a disloyal spirit I usually snuff out immediately. Faithful people are key. They are not with you and wishing they are in 5 other different popular churches. Singleness of heart and purpose .
5. Time reveals a lot. Just when they assume you will ordain them, delay it again. Test them. Give it time. You are better off without some people as they are better or without you too. In this period watch body language. If you notice something consistently, don’t say “maybe it’s just me”
6. Independent spirit is a tell tell sign that there is danger. If someone always wants to do things the way the imagine and never willing to accommodate instructions then please my brother, don’t give them titles. They don’t revert on responsibilities. They run without any sense of accountability. That’s not good at all run.
7. If you feel a restraint within then please don’t follow through, you will regret it
There are other things that will help but it’s not all that can be shared in public space like Facebook. But these are the basics for me.
I hope this is simple enough Sir and Ma.
Welcome to Freedom
First Posted in 2018