The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1950-03-09

quite do this. for
one important rea- IT.
son. Where in the ~
New Test a ment
would you dig in? W.
Would you take the letters to
Timothy and Titus as your guide?
There you find bishops (overseers,
superintendents) mentioned. also
elders and deacons, but you do not
find their duties laid down.
Go back into the story Of Acts
and you will find a place where
elders are first mentioned in the
Christian, church (11:30); 60 still
farther back and you come to the
first election OF deacons (Acts 81
In your first Utopian Church,
will you model II after the
three-officer plan, or two, or
one, or tgoing back before
Acts 81 none ut all? Apostles.
Of course, are mot now avail.
able.
Scholars in most churches today
are pretty well agreed that what
we have in the New Testament IL
not q rigid pattern Of organization.
but rather certain principles on
which any successful church must
be built. Let us see what some of
these are.
The Job and the Man
Il IL CHURCHES are agreed on
"a one point: A church must
have leadership. What is every
body's business IL nobody's bust
ness. Some one must draw up
plans, think ahead. No organiza-
ton in the world Is self-starting
and self-operating. not even the
church Of Christ. The early church
knew this. But they elected officers
only as the need for them arose
In Jerusalem there was not a dea-
con in the place until that emer.
gency came up In the matter Of
relief.
In st. Paul's first missionary
church facts Is, 14) he did not
get the elders first, and then
find churches for them. On the
contrary, he founded the
churches first and then ap-
pointed elders Ter them.
II would be q good idea for Z
church today to take stock of II.
officers once In q while. Are they
necessary? For example. do you
elect . deacon to take the place
Of one who has moved away, or de-
you elect a deacon to do a Job tina,
can't otherwise be done?
Sweetness No Substitute
MOT ALL CHRISTIANS are quail
~ flied to hold office in the
church. and very few. Il any
would be equally good in any office
A Sunday school superintendent
for example. might make a pool
showing at q experimenting talk
A man who can conduct a success
ful financial campaign and keel
the church up to high level o.
generosity the year round, may no
be just the man to plan the educa
tional program. A lovely swee
lady might turn out to be q stupis
| Madam Chairman.
Paul knew all this and In
fact insisted on il. Each sep
arate kind Of job in the church
calls for distinct quaIifica-
tons.
Just beng good Christian wa
never enough to insure a man
Cor woman's being a good OF
| ficer.
Personality
after ALL. however, persona
"A character means more tha
technical skill. A man may hav
such flaws in his character tina
his influence does more harm tha
good, so that even if he is an &C
complished musician you sti
would not want him as "Ministe
of Music" or even as choir-leadeI
A man whose own home Is
always at skies and sevens las
Paul pointed out is poor candi-
date for any executive post in
the church. A man who can't
keep from quarreling in every
day life Is no man to entrust
with responsibility In the
| church.
A man Of good character can. an
will want to. learn the skills hi
Job calls for; but a man Of sleaz
character just does not care. B
careful of the sort Of man 20
elect to office. in church or out
for the rank and file are not goin
to rise above their leaders.
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| Protestant denominations. Released |
WNU Features.l
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Mr.. and Mrs w p Tavlor sper