Hi brothers,
I wonder whether the debate around the four-fold task has much at all to do with realities and facts of the four-fold task. I believe we should read the text positively as the Synod, which adopted it in 2006, did. This statement is something we have covenanted to do together to help us put the Word of God into practice in the C21st, to become “a church reforming to reach the lost in Christ”. It is guided by the Word of God and dependent on it.
1. Preaching
The criticism that preaching of the Word is not in view seems quite wrong. Please note the first three tasks (emphasis mine)
Task 1: To call upon God for such an outpouring of his Spirit that his people will be assured of his love through his Word, seek to please the Saviour in all things, manifest the godly life and be filled with prayerful and sacrificial compassion for the lost in all the world."
Task 2: To multiply the number of well-trained persons (ordained, non-ordained, full time, part time, voluntary) lovingly dedicated to the creation and development of such fellowships and congregations by proclaiming the gospel.
Task 3: To multiply the number of well-trained persons (ordained, non-ordained, full time, part time, voluntary) lovingly dedicated to the creation and development of such fellowships and congregations by proclaiming the gospel.
It is clear from the above that the work of the four-fold task is based on and utterly dependent on preaching and teaching the Word of God for it’s success. Nothing else will build the church but prayer (Task 1) and the proclaiming of the Word (as as suggested in Task 2 & 3, in all the different ways we might do this; through preaching on Sunday, teaching in small groups, one-to-one discipleship, and specific Word-based training courses). This is surely our practice as ministers.
2. Pastoral care
With regard to pastoral care, It’s true it is not mentioned specifically in the tasks, but it is strongly implied in Task 2. It argues for an increased number of well-trained persons ‘lovingly dedicated to the creation and development of such fellowships and congregations’. Surely this is the pastoral heart in view. I certainly take it this way, and continue to be committed to providing Biblical pastoral care in our congregations. Good pastoral care is vitally important to the health of the church.
3. Leadership
To suggest that the early church did not have leaders prior to 1980 is simply wrong. Hebrews 13:7, 17, 24 makes it quite clear the church had leaders. Furthermore, Paul indicates that certain people in the church have the gift of leadership (Rom 12:8) obviously implying that we should encourage them to use these gifts. Ministers and elders are leaders of Christ’s church and are responsible, under Christ, to lead God’s people according to God’s Word. They have leadership responsibility.
The question is what kind of leaders did the church have. That’s the real issue we are wrestling with, and, may I suggest, the real cause of our angst. Certainly we do not want to have a worldly kind of leadership operating in the church, that lord it over people or who depend on leadership technique to build the church. Rather, we want the kind of servant leadership described in the Bible, focussed on, and led by, the Word of God and prayer, as modelled by Christ and the Apostles. It’s not a leadership that controls, and suppresses and quenches the Spirit, but a leadership that equips, empowers, and encourages people to love and serve Christ as he has gifted them, by teaching, training and discipling people in the Word of God. That requires a measure of good management which is one of the requirements of the eldership (1 Tim 3:5). When you have 100 people or more to shepherd, it helps to have effective structures in place. Of course, if as a minister I’m weak in managing the family of God, then I need to find and empower elders who have the gift of administration to help you (Rom 12:28). And in all of this you don’t depend on leadership or management skill to build the church, but solely on the power of God through his Word and Spirit, so he may receive all the glory.
4. Structure
This last Synod spent a lot of time on the structure of the denomination, and it seems as if that has been the most important thing on our agenda. I think every minister, including those who put the case for this restructure of our committees, would agree that this is not the most important thing at all. Let’s remember that, and be a little more gracious towards each other, rather than suspicious.
The four-fold task has as it’s very first task Spirit-empowered prayer. Tasks 2 & 3 are to be done by the proclamation of the gospel. Task 4 (Align) as Peter Jensen put it at our Ministers’ Conference, is to change anything that gets in the way of doing the first three tasks. Our work is focused on the Word and Prayer.
But we do need to have good structures in place to help us. We don’t depend on them for gospel success, but we see the new structures as a way of helping us focus our attention on the Word & Prayer.
Personally, although I’ve had a say in developing the structures we have provisionally adopted, I’m not convinced that what we’ve come up with will actually help us be more effective. But I will leave that for a personal submission to the MFC.
With love in Christ,
Brian Vaatstra
I wonder whether the debate around the four-fold task has much at all to do with realities and facts of the four-fold task. I believe we should read the text positively as the Synod, which adopted it in 2006, did. This statement is something we have covenanted to do together to help us put the Word of God into practice in the C21st, to become “a church reforming to reach the lost in Christ”. It is guided by the Word of God and dependent on it.
1. Preaching
The criticism that preaching of the Word is not in view seems quite wrong. Please note the first three tasks (emphasis mine)
Task 1: To call upon God for such an outpouring of his Spirit that his people will be assured of his love through his Word, seek to please the Saviour in all things, manifest the godly life and be filled with prayerful and sacrificial compassion for the lost in all the world."
Task 2: To multiply the number of well-trained persons (ordained, non-ordained, full time, part time, voluntary) lovingly dedicated to the creation and development of such fellowships and congregations by proclaiming the gospel.
Task 3: To multiply the number of well-trained persons (ordained, non-ordained, full time, part time, voluntary) lovingly dedicated to the creation and development of such fellowships and congregations by proclaiming the gospel.
It is clear from the above that the work of the four-fold task is based on and utterly dependent on preaching and teaching the Word of God for it’s success. Nothing else will build the church but prayer (Task 1) and the proclaiming of the Word (as as suggested in Task 2 & 3, in all the different ways we might do this; through preaching on Sunday, teaching in small groups, one-to-one discipleship, and specific Word-based training courses). This is surely our practice as ministers.
2. Pastoral care
With regard to pastoral care, It’s true it is not mentioned specifically in the tasks, but it is strongly implied in Task 2. It argues for an increased number of well-trained persons ‘lovingly dedicated to the creation and development of such fellowships and congregations’. Surely this is the pastoral heart in view. I certainly take it this way, and continue to be committed to providing Biblical pastoral care in our congregations. Good pastoral care is vitally important to the health of the church.
3. Leadership
To suggest that the early church did not have leaders prior to 1980 is simply wrong. Hebrews 13:7, 17, 24 makes it quite clear the church had leaders. Furthermore, Paul indicates that certain people in the church have the gift of leadership (Rom 12:8) obviously implying that we should encourage them to use these gifts. Ministers and elders are leaders of Christ’s church and are responsible, under Christ, to lead God’s people according to God’s Word. They have leadership responsibility.
The question is what kind of leaders did the church have. That’s the real issue we are wrestling with, and, may I suggest, the real cause of our angst. Certainly we do not want to have a worldly kind of leadership operating in the church, that lord it over people or who depend on leadership technique to build the church. Rather, we want the kind of servant leadership described in the Bible, focussed on, and led by, the Word of God and prayer, as modelled by Christ and the Apostles. It’s not a leadership that controls, and suppresses and quenches the Spirit, but a leadership that equips, empowers, and encourages people to love and serve Christ as he has gifted them, by teaching, training and discipling people in the Word of God. That requires a measure of good management which is one of the requirements of the eldership (1 Tim 3:5). When you have 100 people or more to shepherd, it helps to have effective structures in place. Of course, if as a minister I’m weak in managing the family of God, then I need to find and empower elders who have the gift of administration to help you (Rom 12:28). And in all of this you don’t depend on leadership or management skill to build the church, but solely on the power of God through his Word and Spirit, so he may receive all the glory.
4. Structure
This last Synod spent a lot of time on the structure of the denomination, and it seems as if that has been the most important thing on our agenda. I think every minister, including those who put the case for this restructure of our committees, would agree that this is not the most important thing at all. Let’s remember that, and be a little more gracious towards each other, rather than suspicious.
The four-fold task has as it’s very first task Spirit-empowered prayer. Tasks 2 & 3 are to be done by the proclamation of the gospel. Task 4 (Align) as Peter Jensen put it at our Ministers’ Conference, is to change anything that gets in the way of doing the first three tasks. Our work is focused on the Word and Prayer.
But we do need to have good structures in place to help us. We don’t depend on them for gospel success, but we see the new structures as a way of helping us focus our attention on the Word & Prayer.
Personally, although I’ve had a say in developing the structures we have provisionally adopted, I’m not convinced that what we’ve come up with will actually help us be more effective. But I will leave that for a personal submission to the MFC.
With love in Christ,
Brian Vaatstra
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