This set of notes has been scanned and OCR'd from a series of articles
originally published in The Sword & Trowel Nos 1 to 4, 1997. Back issues
may still be available from www.metropolitantabernacle.org .The author is Dr Peter Masters of the
Article 1 Pg 1 Sword & Trowel 1997 No 1
Are God's Pioneers Hearing the Call?
In
a number of towns and cities believers are striving to plant new churches of a
'traditional' evangelical, reformed and non‑charismatic character. The
Lord has stirred the hearts of people here and there to fight back against the
appalling spiritual darkness which has enveloped the land.
Concerned men and women have taken up the work of
pioneering, fully aware of the immense personal sacrifice demanded. It is the
Lord's doing, and they will surely be sustained and blessed.
The tragic side of the pioneering scene is the fact
that in every place where people are struggling to establish a new cause, a
strong witness once flourished. Even up to the 1950s, at least one Gospel
preaching church, often very large, flourished in virtually every town. But the
scene is quite different now because the Lord's people threw away their
witness.
These paragraphs on pioneering must begin with a brief
negative appeal, for no one wants to spend years of their life building up a
witness that will collapse as previous fellowships have done. Why repeat
catastrophe? Why replicate past mistakes?
Churches that disappeared (or were lost to liberalism)
did so for a number of reasons. Sometimes they engaged pastors of unsound
views, or who lacked Godly dynamic in the Lord's service. At other times the
people were not watchful, and allowed in 'worldly Christianity' and other
decadent trends. Many churches made the mistake of admitting new members too
lightly. Eventually people of doubtful spiritual status began to reshape the
character of the church. In many cases churches accepted members by transfer
from other churches of the same denomination, not caring that these may not
have been evangelical at all.
Countless churches lost their passion for souls and
readiness to work, so that they simply ran down. Often this began with
the closure of evangelistic Sunday School outreach.
Pioneers must begin with a profound view of what they
want to avoid. They must have some inkling of the deficiencies which led to
the desperate situation they now find themselves struggling to change.
They must also have a clear awareness of the rigours
that lie ahead for them. They must firmly believe that the Lord uses
instruments, and be ready to undertake long and patient labour.
Pioneering often feels like moving a mountain of
shale. 'There are long periods without apparent fruit. Furthermore, the leaders
must be jacks-of-all-trades'. There is little scope for self‑aggrandisement.)
Persistence will be the rule of life for years to come.
The question is often asked ‑ 'I am attracted to
the work of setting up a new witness. How do I know if the Lord is calling me?
Is it right for me to lead such a venture?'
QUALIFICATIONS OF LEADERS
Among several aspects of guidance, personal fittedness
must be considered. Here is a number of 'qualifications' needed for this work,
and we recommend that would‑be pioneers ask themselves if they fulfil
these requirements, at least in some measure.
We do not want this formidable list to dash the hopes
of sincere people, but if we fall well short in these ideals we should think
again about taking the initiative in the planting of a new witness. Perhaps we
should stay longer in our present church to be further prepared by the Lord. Or
perhaps we should be willing to regard ourselves as helpers of pioneer
leaders.
1. Do you really love souls, and thirst for
conversions? (Some people are only interested in holding some form of teaching
office, which is not the same.)
2. Have you been well proved in your existing -or in a
previous church, perhaps as an office‑bearer, or through some other form
of Christian service? Have you been a Sunday School leader, or a successful
teacher, or a youth class leader? Have you learned 'stickability' through such
service?
3. Can you honestly say that you are not on the run
from some disappointment in your present situation, such as not being accorded
the recognition and leadership role that you think you should have?
4. Do husband and wife stand together in this
objective, and do both possess the spiritual and nervous strength to be
steadfast in all the trials and tribulations of pioneers?
5. Are you spiritually minded, loving the things of
God more than all that is in the world and depending on Him in regular prayer?
6. Are you able to teach, and do others think so?
7. Do you have the readiness, self-discipline and
energy to study in your spare time? (because if not, you cannot succeed in
long-term adult ministry).
8. Are you balanced in your response to troubles? Do
you, for example, react sensibly to the misbehaviour of others, or are you over‑sensitive,
impatient and harsh?
9. Are you courteous, and do you have respect for
other people?
10. Are you patient?
11. And yet can you at the same time be firm, holding out for what is
scriptural and right, in the proper spirit?
(Article 1
Page 2)
12. Are you honest with yourself; conscientious in all
duties and in self-evaluation?
13. Can you subdue self‑interest, self‑projection
and self-glory in all its ugly forms?
14. Do you have an even, consistent bearing, zealous,
but also safe and steady rather than mercurial?
15. Do you possess the application and energy of a
hard worker, or do you expect things to happen by themselves?
16. Are you loyal? Can you be loyal, perhaps for
years, to an emerging witness, no matter what happens? (Your loyalty will be
evident from your faithfulness in previous Christian service activities.)
17.
Can you organise?
18. Can you inspire, encourage and comfort other
people?
19. Are you willing to support yourself into the
distant future, without complaint, by secular work?
20.
And lastly, when a congregation of believers is finally established, would you
be willing for someone else to be called as pastor? Would you be glad to have
been a pioneer‑founder to the glory of God, and then to support another
as pastor, if God so directs?
(It goes without saying that
the requirements of 1 Timothy 3 apply to would‑be pioneers.)
A pioneer will be called of
God first by a strong inner desire to carry out this task, and to be wholly
spent in it. This inner desire will be accompanied by an outer call, as the Lord
moves the church, particularly through its officers, to recognise that he is
equipped and suitable for this form of service.
The call will be further
confirmed as circumstances clearly point to the place, and facilitate the
beginning of a work. Guiding indications will include the availability of
helpers.
How many people are needed to
attempt a beginning? We should pray for two to three couples at least. The
apostles generally worked with companions.)
WHICH COMMUNITY?
What size of community should
be chosen? In answering, we dare not discourage those who labour in villages
and isolated estates. Many have been called and blessed, pioneering in remote
or small communities.
Nevertheless, pioneers should
first consider whether a town has an effective testimony; and perhaps the more
densely populated part of the town. This should normally be given first
consideration because it was the policy of Paul. He began with the cities and
particularly with the large regional centres. Once churches grew in these
places they reached out into the surrounding countryside. At a time when Gospel
witness is so rare, we ought to first view the more populous districts. In the
end, however, we recognise that pioneers may be called to serve their immediate
group of villages, and we respect this.
WHERE SHOULD WE
MEET?
This is of special importance,
as evangelism and Christian teaching is inevitably a meeting based ministry.
The work will probably begin in a home, but when a more public venue is sought
(as it certainly will be for the Sunday School at least), it must be reachable,
known, decent, and near to parking space.
The method of starting will be dealt with in a later article, but the
following practical matters may be of help to pioneering Christians.
Halls or classrooms should never be far too big for the number of
people. Secondary schools, if available, make better meeting places than
primary schools. The former are more suitable for Adult meetings, and as far as
children are concerned, primary children willingly go to secondary schools,
whereas secondary children are reluctant to go to primary schools.
Grubby, dilapidated halls should be avoided like the plague. They surely
discredit the testimony. Far better to use a home. (Years ago this would have
been a serious disadvantage, but pioneers today do not usually encounter much
prejudice by virtue of meeting in a home.)
Modern community
halls are more numerous today than in the past and are often ell well appointed.
Page
3
ADVICE
FOR HOME MEETINGS
A
pioneer family buying and setting up a home suitable for meetings should bear
in mind a number of ideal requirements. Many of the recommendations offered
here will seem rather mundane and petty, but they may help workers to avoid
pitfalls.
A
home which transmits too much interference to neighbours is clearly not the
ideal place.
Cumbersome
furniture should be avoided. Huge armchairs and settees leave no room for
formal seating. Minimal family furniture is a great help. Folding chairs are
not expensive, and it is desirable to have a full set of matching chairs that
will fold away for storage.
Adults
should not be seated on benches and cushions without back support. In the
acquisition of chairs etc, as much simplicity as possible is best. Worship will
be offered in the lounge or living‑room, and we should avoid the casual
atmosphere of a youth squash. In any meeting larger than eight to ten people,
it is valuable to have the chairs set in rows so that all face the speaker.
Nowadays we are urged to adopt an informal style of room arrangement and
service format, but this is a great mistake for pioneers. In the Old Testament
the Lord secured the reverence, seriousness and respect of the people by the
awesome means of the
Good lighting is obviously important, and there should be enough
hymnbooks to avoid sharing.
Heating is not usually a problem in room meetings, but cooling certainly
is during summer heat. They say that every person generates 60‑80 watts
of heat, and a small room can become insufferable. It is advisable to provide
one or two fans.
Room meetings often suffer from family interruptions. Pioneers must be able
to train their children to honour and respect services, and not to disrupt them
with noise or childish antics.
Cooking smells are an objectionable feature of some room meetings. Doors
to kitchens should be kept closed before and during meetings, and 'noxious'
dishes avoided on meeting days.
Pioneers will need to organise a room or place for coats, and to keep
clutter and bicycles out of the hall. Obviously the place must be clean and
tidy.
The meeting room will need a compact lectern of some kind. Pioneer
preachers can feel acutely out of place giving forth in a lounge, especially if
there is nowhere to place a Bible or notes. A lectern also helps people to
respect that a service is in progress. In the absence of a lectern a heavy type
of music stand may serve. (Bare tables never help the preacher, and may train
them to be constantly looking down.)
Hosts of home meetings should avoid expensive, luxury possessions, and
also excessive talking about domestic matters. They should politely deflect
conversation away from flattery of their children, their garden, and similar
matters. 'How are you?' is the stock (and sincere) rejoinder of the wise host.
Before every service there should be a quiet period, and chairs should
be arranged so that people face away from any interesting view.
A sense of occasion, as we have noted, is of great importance, and this
is helped by having a 'steward' for the meeting. Refreshments should be limited
and simple, and it is a good idea to turn off the house doorbell, so that
latecomers knock rather than ring.
HOW TO BEGIN
Future articles will survey ways of getting started, together with the
operation of a successful children's outreach, development and growth
strategies, the ideal 'programme' for pioneer church life, fatal mistakes end
distractions, how to write a constitution, rules for membership, and other
significant issues.
Article
2 Sword & Trowel1997 No 2
THE PIONEER'S EARLY DAYS
In
the last Sword & Trowel, this series began with treatment of the
qualifications of would‑be pioneers, essential basic attitudes, the 'choice' of a community and arrangements for home
meetings.
This article turns to ways of starting, methods of outreach, mistakes
and distractions. (The next issue will look at a constitution, name and
membership policy, and coping with troubles encountered from within.)
The previous article emphasised that a church‑pioneering venture
is of necessity a meeting‑based work. Whether meetings are held initially
in a home or in a hired hall, a suitable place must be determined, and most
evangelistic activities will be formulated around that place.
Hired halls should be well‑situated, preferably not in the
industrial part of a town, nor downtown if few people
actually live there. There are many exceptions to this, but often in smaller
towns the high street is the most desolate and forlorn place in the area.
Certainly, young people may roam during the evenings, but for fairly obvious
reasons that is not usually the best time and place to reach them successfully.
It is best, if possible, to locate a more densely populated area easily
reached by the rest of the town. As young people's work will be a major aspect
of the work, it is important to be in a spot where a good nucleus of children
and teenagers may readily be gathered.
With hired halls, special attention must be given to making them a
worthy venue. The writer well remembers having to pick his way round rolls of
carpet and vinyl, not to mention dustbins, when visiting a pioneer cause years
ago. The fellowship met in an upstairs room over a carpet shop. The poor access
led to a dirty, dingy staircase which in turn led to a badly fitted‑out
room. Great improvements would not have involved much effort. At least two of
the pioneer families were fairly wealthy, possessing substantial homes, and
businesses.
Are we careful to remember God's honour and glory and to project the
best image possible so as not to cause the lost to stumble?
On more than one
occasion I have been unable to find a meeting‑place without a long
search, because no conspicuous sign had been positioned. If we pioneer, we must
have an eye for such things, and arrange to have the best affordable quality in
style and size. It is not a bad rule with hired halls to be always looking for
something better. Many good community halls have been built by local
authorities in the last 20 years. These frequently make excellent meeting
places.
Every meeting needs
a reception steward and, ideally, a seating steward. A measure of formal, friendly
seating supervision achieves a well-arranged hall, avoiding the pathetic
situation of a back‑row congregation, or a U‑shaped assembly. A
very small group should space the chairs a little generously, putting the back
row into position only when needed.
The modern
abandonment of stewarding leads to bad congregation configurations, giving a
poor impression to the visitor. And to existing churches we say ‑ the
longer you leave the restoration of stewarding, the less the congregation will
appreciate and co‑operate with it.
Another key point
for pioneer groups is to encourage silence for a period of time before the
beginning of
Art2
Pg2
a
service. New causes, because they are exceptionally close‑knit, are
vulnerable to an unintended loss of reverence, with conversation continuing
right up to the opening sentence of worship.
Hymn
accompaniment is almost always difficult for pioneers. Sometimes the piano in
the hired hall is appalling. (The writer was involved 35 years ago in a pioneer
work meeting in a community hall. Before the service someone would have to
remove drawing pins from the piano hammers, the 'honky tonk' sound being wanted
by the users on the previous Saturday evening.)
If
no competent pianist is available there is now first‑rate equipment to
play hymn tunes automatically on a standard electronic synthesizer. These can
be obtained with fine church
organ
sound or piano option, and the automatic playing device can be adjusted for
speed and pitch. (See the note on 'Electronic Automatic Organist' on the next
page.)
MISTAKES
Pioneers sometimes tumble into unproductive
digressions and distractions which consume much time and effort, and exhaust
everyone. The motive is no doubt good, but the schemes will injure, if not
completely prevent, any progress. Here are some of the likely problems.
The young people's work is operated much too
elaborately. Games, handicrafts, outings and food‑based events are of
such a high standard that this department demands all the strength of the
workers. If an end‑of‑term or Christmas tea is provided, the food
and embellishments are too involved, not to mention costly.
Special trips or sports activities recur on the calendar. Outings visit
not one but several places and end once again with virtual feasting. All this
is unnecessary. Always it is well intended, but inappropriate. We honour those
who are determined to rise higher than curling fish‑paste sandwiches, but
overkill may stunt the entire work.
To spend early time on an elaborate constitution may also interfere with
progress. We have seen pioneer causes lose many months re‑inventing the
wheel in the forming of a constitution. (General advice on this topic will be
included in the next issue of Sword & Trowel.)
A sure way of wrecking a fledgling church is for the leaders to try to
Art2
Pg 3
produce
a neighbourhood magazine. Regular publications are monsters. Equally they are
despotic slave drivers. It may be that the idea is to reach the community. It
is certainly the most exhausting way of doing it. Leave well alone anything
which imposes deadlines at regular intervals, and involves such work. A prayer
letter, however, would clearly be an exception.
Another
diversion from the spiritual work may be the premature opening of a branch
work. This invariably means that neither location makes progress, while great
strain is placed on leaders. Concentrate on applying all resources on one, main
outreach. A pioneer venture is hardly ever strong enough to diversify early.
These
days, a young church is sometimes advised to put fellowship first, organising
monthly rambles and many similar activities for members and young people.
Fellowship events are certainly pleasant and profitable, but we believe monthly
arrangements are bound to steal, and considerably, from the work.
The very best aim is to have fellowship in and through
service for the Lord. Our first aim, surely, is to seek the growth of the
cause, and to raise a new generation of believers who
will put Christ's service first. A self‑indulgent fellowship cannot grow,
and if it does, it will be a company of people who value companionship more
than soul winning.
A final hint about distracting activities concerns
having too many 'supplementary' meetings. We have heard about weekly elders'
meetings in a pioneer church of less than twenty people. These dear friends did
not realise how costly this was to them.
We have heard of church meetings held at monthly
intervals. One can only speculate how the agenda was ever filled, with matters
of an inappropriate or trivial nature being trawled through the meeting.
We have heard of
additional prayer meetings, so that those who gathered for a prayer meeting on
a weekday (separate from the Bible Study) were back again at 7.00am on Saturday
to spend two further hours in petition. We dare not criticise a desire for
prayer, but sometimes church planters create a timetable of commitments that
would exhaust untaxed people, let alone committed members of a pioneering
fellowship. Such friends often shoulder a number of tasks, including Sunday
School teaching, visiting, weeknight children's meetings, transport of
equipment to hired halls, and many other responsibilities besides. Much care is
therefore necessary in the 'rationing' of church activities.
Next issue will include advice on a
church constitution, membership matters, and troubles encountered in a new
fellowship.
WAYS OF BEGINNING
The following eight‑point list notes the main
outreach methods generally usable by pioneers, depending on the number of
workers available. (A rather fuller treatment of this basic list was included
in the Sword & Trowel issue of 1993 No. 3.)
Gospel preaching is
foundational to everything else.
1 Pioneers must be
convinced about the necessity of a persuasive, pleading presentation of the
Gospel. They must believe in the need for distinctive evangelistic
services, by contrast with the teaching ministry. Preferably such a service
needs to progress to being on a weekly basis.
2 Personal witness is always fruitful, bringing early encouragement
to pioneers. If they work and bring up their families in the area,
opportunities will be many. New members of the group must, of course, be
encouraged to witness.
3
Sunday School is vital as soon as sufficient people are available to help.
Large Sunday Schools may still be built up today. Child evangelism is required
in the Bible,* and is today virtually the only source of moral and saving
instruction for the young. Sunday School and youth meetings may also prove to
be the springboard for acceptance in a community, and even the key to
acquisition of permanent premises. It is still best, if possible, to hold
Sunday School at an entirely different time from an adult service, so that all
helpers are free to help, especially in transportation.*
4 Community visiting is another biblical ministry which often yields
early encouragement, because it discovers lapsed believers, and others having
some former connection with a Bible‑believing church. Included in
community visiting is 'contact work' in which people are approached in parks or
similar places by witnessing couples armed with suitable literature and service
invitations.
Also included is
the targeted visitation of student/nurses hostels. Small churches have sometimes
filled a couple of pews from such work.
5 Transportation,
mentioned above, is essential these days for the gathering of children,
and also for many adults. Pioneers should consider the acquisition of mini‑buses
as their private cars. The rule, whether we favour it or not, is: no transport ‑no
people.
6 Literature is always important, for
handing out on Visitation, for putting through letter‑boxes, and for
giving to visitors and contacts.
7 Advertisements can sometimes be inexpensively
inserted in local newspapers. and also sited on railway stations and in buses.
In larger conurbations the cost is prohibitive, but it is worth exploring in
quieter towns. Occasionally, a smaller local newspaper will include a half‑column
article from a regular church advertiser.
8 Special meetings are frequently used to
attract visitors. These may be a series of coffee‑mornings for shoppers
if there is a suitable venue where people can be introduced to the work of the
church and to the Gospel.
It may equally be
possible to attract people to a special topic meeting ‑ such as an anti‑evolution
film event for younger people
As time goes on the
number of youngsters grows who once came to Sunday School or teenage
Bible Class. It is surprising how many will come, after a few years, to a
reunion event.
*[For suggestions about how to begin
a Sunday School we refer readers to The Necessity of Sunday Schools, Peter
Masters and Malcolm Watts, Wakeman]
Article
3 Sword & Trowel 1997 No 3
A PIONEER'S CONSTITUTION MUST LAST
Pioneers
constantly seek help about the composition of a church constitution. The
natural tendency is for this to be rather long and extremely legal in phrasing.
This is a pity because it results in a document which is seldom used, and has
no ongoing ministry to the members.
Certainly a new
work needs basic articles of association, without
which a charity registration cannot be made, nor (usually) a bank account
opened.
Because the need is urgent, it may be thought better to establish simple
rules of association with a statement of doctrine, to be followed by a further
statement of constitution after longer thought.
Ideally, a church needs three basic elements in its constitution: the
definite rules of the church, a binding statement of faith and a church
covenant, or something similar. All should be framed to enlighten prospective
members. This can easily be accomplished.
Most independent and baptistic churches of the past never had
constitutions, because their constitutional rules were incorporated in the
conveyance at the time of land or building purchase. It is this trust‑deed
that one consults to discover the church rules.
Before moving to examples of sections of a constitution, we offer some
general advice.
An ideal constitution
should minimally include the following provisions.
(i) A definition of
the church.
(ii) A clear but
brief statement of doctrine. (A longer statement, such as; the Baptist
Confession of Faith of 1689, may be referred to by name only, mentioning only the
chapters, if any, not taken as binding by the church.)
(iii) Applications
for membership, and procedures for the receiving and exclusion of members.
(iv) Rules of government and qualifications for pastors and other office
bearers, including procedures for their election and removal.
(v) Rules for the resolution of disputes between church and office bearers.
(vi) A church or
family covenant. An advantage of living toward the end of history is that our
newest constitutions may include specific exclusions of modern predators on
Truth. New churches have the opportunity to repudiate ecumenism, charismaticism
(through a cessationist clause), mystical errors, worldly
Christianity and new‑evangelical denials of the full authority and
infallibility of the Word of God.
The following points should be carefully considered for specific mention
in the light of problems which many pastors and churches have reported over
recent years:
(a) The goals and duties of membership should be emphasised (usually in
the church covenant).
(b) There should be no commitment to an unreasonable frequency of church
meetings and officers' meetings. (For most churches today, three to four church
meetings a year ‑ including the AGM ‑should be ample.) Too many
meetings deprives the officers of their scriptural
role, so that all matters are resolved at the church meeting. A proper
distribution of responsibilities should ideally be stated in the constitution.
Generally speaking, the scriptural tasks of the gathered church are
(i) the accepting and exclusion of members
(ii) the election of all office bearers including missionaries and other
'spiritual' employees (though not necessarily their nomination)
(iii) the approving of annual accounts and budget
(iv) the approving of all unusually substantial expenses other than
those which may be described as routine. It should be possible to anticipate
most of the unusual expenses in the proposed budget presented at the church
AGM. If approved in essence, the
Article 3 Pg 2
precise details may be effected by the
officers.)
(v)
the consideration of all innovations in the ministry of the church.
To
the officers fall all other responsibilities including the 'day‑to‑day'
responsibility for the work, the initiation of endeavours, the nomination of
members and officers, the employment of non pastoral staff, the process of
church discipline (except that a disciplinary resolution must finally be
approved by the whole church), the oversight, with the pastor, of the flock,
and of all church departments (including the appointment and retirement of
those who labour in them such as Sunday School leaders and teachers) and,
preferably, the fixing of the minister's stipend, which should be confidential.
Obviously, officers must be careful to proceed with no new or significant
undertaking without it having been fully shared with the church through the
church meeting, and having received wholehearted identification.
(The
distribution of responsibilities between church and officers is treated at
length in the LRBS course of lectures at the Metropolitan Tabernacle.)
To
elaborate further on the church meeting, the horrors of Roberts' Rules (of
Parliamentary Procedure) should on no account be incorporated into the
constitution. All business in church meetings should emanate from the officers'
court through the chairman, and there should be no ‘any‑other‑business',
for this overthrows the entire concept of ordered biblical government.
Church meetings are intended
to be acts of worship and altogether beautiful and holy in God's sight. A
clause in the constitution abominating clamour and unseemly behaviour as an
offence would be a gain. Some reformed churches have unwittingly embraced the
'super‑democratic' notion of the church meeting made popular among
Arminians from the 1850s.
The invariable result of this
is disorder and unpleasantness, sometimes even tumult, and pioneers should be
sensitive to the need to teach and define the purposes of the church meeting
from the beginning. Times without number small fellowships have been ripped
apart and the work stultified due to the ascendancy of opinionated democracy
over godly application of the order and proper recognition of the roles of
officers and church members.
Another important matter for the constitution
is the issue of majorities. Should it be a two-thirds or three-quarters
majority required for the appointment of an officer or a pastor?
Tyranny
of the minority
Some teachers of the past
spoke of 'the tyranny of the minority', and this is a real danger. A shade over
one quarter of the church can rule and impose their will against the
overwhelming view of the membership if the required majority is too large. A
large margin may sound admirable, but it may prove to be a stumbling block.
To appoint officers and
pastors, a large majority certainly ensures trust, but in the case of a
troubled church it may hinder the appointment of a pastor. If a large majority
is required, it may be helpful to stipulate a smaller or even a simple majority
for (say) the third attempt at calling a leader.
To dismiss a pastor or officer
should always be a matter of a simple majority. Simple majorities are the best
rule for most business, although one would hope that Christian churches would
normally proceed in near unanimity, assuming the leadership is godly and trusted.
(c) On the subject of officers, we offer some comments
on the number of elders in a church, and their relationship to the deacons. It
is fashionable nowadays to see the elders as senior to deacons, rather than to
see them as undertaking different responsibilities. (It is interesting that C H
Spurgeon's congregation regarded the deacons' court as superior to the elders'
court.)
During Spurgeon's ministry the Metropolitan Tabernacle had around 20
elders, equal to one for every 250 members. Today a church of 100 members may
have four or five. We offer no criticism of churches at this point, but would
urge a very modest number of elders to help the preaching elder or pastor‑teacher
to care for the church spiritually. We know of some recent constitutions where
the church has been bound to elect a set number such as six or even twelve,
which seems excessive. The number is best left to the discretion of the church,
and not included in the constitution.
(d) The following comments assume that a church is baptistic in
conviction. The church should be defined as consisting of Christians
maintaining an experience of conversion to God, believing the doctrines of the
statement of faith, baptised by immersion as believers, assenting to the roles
of government and embracing the church covenant. In other words, every church
should maintain a 'closed' membership according to its doctrinal distinctives
(honouring the rule ‑'that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be
no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly
Article
3 Pg 3
joined
together in the same mind and in the same judgement’ See Romans 15.6, 1
Corinthians 1.10; 2 Corinthians 13.11; Philippians 1.27, 3.16; 1 Peter 3.8.)
It
is not ideal to make the Baptist Confession of Faith 1689 a qualifying basis
for membership. To do so would strictly mean that no spiritual babes or young
could be admitted. It is better to adopt a brief statement as essential to
membership, while the longer Confession should determine the ministry of the
church, and the doctrinal position to which all strive.
Thus
the constitution is 'confessional' in character, and no other doctrine may be
advanced either publicly or privately among the members.
e)
It is extremely valuable to insert a provision for the termination of
membership after six months' non-attendance, at the discretion of the officers'
meeting. Clearly in the case of members who have moved, and not yet resettled,
this need not be applied. Nor in the case of the sick. There may well be
compassionate exceptions for those studying or away for other purposes for a
long time, but walking with the Lord and intending to return. However, an automatic basis for
lapse of membership will enable the church to maintain a truthful and God‑honouring
membership roll.
It is also valuable to have a
forfeiture of membership rule for those who no longer subscribe to the articles
of faith, and for those who may wish to advocate doctrines in conflict with the
longer Confession, or for those who refuse to co‑operate with a proper
disciplinary enquiry.
By this rule, the
officers may regard as having left the church any member who clearly infringes
in any of these ways without proceeding to an extended 'process', although the
action will clearly be reported to the church meeting.
This does not
mean that the officers assume the right of expulsion, which belongs only to the
church meeting. It enables them to resolve a clear‑cut and self‑declared
change of belief, or to resolve a refusal to answer to misdemeanours which
could lead to expulsion. (We hope that such cases would never or seldom have to
be invoked, but in these troubled times particularly, churches report such
heartaches.)
A BASIS OF FAITH
1. The full
inspiration of the Holy Scriptures; their authority and sufficiency as not only
containing but as being in themselves the Word of God. The reliability of the
Scripture's witness to itself as the only, the complete and the infallible Word
of God, the New Testament witnessing to the reliability and divine character of
the Old Testament; the necessity also for a reverent faith in the Word, and the
teaching of the Holy Spirit, for a true understanding of the whole.
2. The unity of the
Godhead and the divine co‑equality of the Persons of the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit eternall; the sovereignty of God in creation, providence
and redemption.
3. The true and
proper deity of our Lord Jesus Christ; His virgin birth; His real and perfect
manhood; the authority of His teaching and the infallibility of all His
utterances; His substitutionary death on the cross as being the full and
sufficient and only atonement for sins; His bodily resurrection and His
ascension into Heaven; His present priestly intercession for His people; His
personal return in glory.
4. The
justification of the sinner solely by faith, through the atoning merits of our
Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
5. The total
depravity of human nature in consequence of the Fall of man from the original
state of perfection in which he was created, by which Fall all mankind is in a
state of condemnation and separation from a holy God, and can only be delivered
by the divine work of regeneration and redemption.
6.
The sovereign grace of God, by which we mean His free and unmerited favour; and
that by His sole choice the elect have been predestinated to salvation.
7.
The work of regeneration, conversion, sanctification and faith as being not an
act of man's free will and power, but of the mighty efficacious and
irresistible grace of God, through the Holy Spirit.
8.
All those who are chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and sanctified by
the Spirit, shall certainly and finally persevere, so that not one of them
shall ever perish but shall have everlasting life.
9.
The resurrection of the dead, the judgement of the world by our Lord Jesus
Christ, with the eternal blessedness of the redeemed, and the eternal
punishment of those who finally reject Christ as Saviour.
10.
The observance of the divine institution of the baptism of believers by
immersion, in loving obedience and as an act of witness, but not as conveying
any regenerating grace. The observance of the Lord's Supper as a commemoration
of our Lord's death, but not as being a sacrifice for sin nor
involving any change in the substance of the bread and wine.
11.
The sole authority and prerogative of Christ, through the Holy Spirit, speaking
in His Word, for the government of the church.
Article
3 Page 4
In connection with membership, it should be stated that every
prospective member should provide a clear testimony of salvation, and be
satisfactorily interviewed by the pastor and by at least two other officers
before the name is put to the gathered church.
No one should be able to automatically transfer their membership from another
church, although the commendation of the previous church should be available.
It will protect the church if an 'acquaintance interval' is set, say of at
least six months from the time the applicant began to worship at the church,
before a membership motion is brought to the church. (This writer would also
recommend a minimum age of sixteen, with a right to vote at eighteen.)
(f) It would also be of immense value to include in the constitution a
requirement that the minister must believe in the necessity of specific and
direct evangelistic preaching, at least once every week, and also that he
should actively encourage and support evangelistic Sunday School and other
outreach. In times past, these formed part of the unspoken definition of a
minister's task, but now need to be clearly articulated.
(g) Negatively, a modem constitution should preclude affiliation to any
society of churches not consisting exclusively of those committed to the
defence of evangelical doctrine, or to any society in which the autonomy of the
church would be compromised in any way whatsoever. Clauses should also
repudiate those current problems referred to earlier, such as ecumenical
activity.
(h) A provision will be needed to facilitate the resolution of any dire
problems which may arise leading to the dissatisfaction of the members with the
conduct or work of the pastor or elders or deacons. If the leaders will not
address complaints raised by the members, or if they have abused their
authority, or if for any reason an impasse has come about, then an
extraordinary meeting of the church would need to be called. The method by
which members may initiate this, and determine the matters to be raised, will
be set out in a future issue of Sword & Trowel.
THE CHURCH COVENANT
A church covenant is a statement of promises entered
into by the members of a church. Its purpose is to encourage godliness and to
define unacceptable conduct. It deals with the spiritual attitudes of members
toward God, the church, and fellow members.
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries churches would often
read their covenants publicly (not the entire constitution) every time they
observed the Lord's Supper, or at least at annual church meetings.
Today, covenants, where churches have them, are seldom read out before
the church, but they are certainly included in the process for joining the
church. They have often been called Family Covenants.
Such covenants have been traced back to 1567 in
Covenants were used in the course of church discipline, when a member
was reproved (or even removed) for perpetual and grievous gossip, or for
disorderly behaviour.
A typical covenant appears on the following page.
Article 3 Page 5
SOLEMN
SPIRITUAL PROMISES
The Solemn Covenant drawn up by Benjamin
Keach in 1689 is still the covenant of the Metropolitan Tabernacle.
We
who desire to walk together in the fear of the Lord, do, through the assistance
of His Holy Spirit, profess our deep and serious humiliation for all our
transgressions. And we do solemnly, in the presence of God, and of each other,
in the sense of our own unworthiness, give up ourselves to the Lord, in a
church state according to the apostolical constitution, that He may be our God,
and we may be His people, through the everlasting covenant of His free grace,
in which alone we hope to be accepted by Him, through His blessed Son Jesus
Christ, Whom we take to be our High Priest, to justify and sanctify us, and our
Prophet to teach us; and to be subject to Him as our Law‑giver, and the
King of saints; and to conform to all His holy laws and ordinances, for our
growth, establishment, and consolation; that we may be as a holy spouse unto
Him, and serve Him in our generation, and wait for His second appearance, as
our glorious Bridegroom.
Being
fully satisfied in the way of church‑communion, and the truth of grace in
some good measure upon one another's spirits, we do solemnly join ourselves
together in a holy union and fellowship, humbly submitting to the discipline of
the Gospel, and all holy duties required of a people in such a spiritual
relation.
1. We do promise and engage to walk in all holiness,
godliness, humility, and brotherly love, as much as in us lieth to render our communion
delightful to God, comfortable to ourselves, and lovely to the rest of the
Lord's people.
2.
We do promise to watch over each other's conversations, and not to suffer sin
upon one another, so far as God shall discover it to us, or any of us; and to
stir up one another to
love and good works; to warn, rebuke, and admonish one another with meekness,
according to the rules left to us of Christ in that behalf.
3. We do promise in a special manner to pray for one
another, and for the glory and increase of this church, and for the presence of
God in it, and the pouring forth of His Spirit on it, and His protection over
it to His glory.
4. We do promise to
bear one another's burdens, to cleave to one another, and to have a fellow‑feeling
with one another, in all conditions both outward and inward, as God in His
providence shall cast any of us into.
5. We do promise to
bear with one another's weaknesses, failings, and infirmities, with much
tenderness, not discovering them to any without the church, nor any within,
unless according to Christ's rule, and the order of the Gospel provided in that
case.
6. We do promise to
strive together for the truth of the Gospel and purity of God's ways and
ordinances, to avoid causes, and causers, of division, endeavouring to keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4.3).
7. We do promise to
meet together on Lord's‑days, and at other times, as the Lord shall give
us opportunities, to serve and glorify God in the way of His worship, to edify
one another, and to contrive the good of His church.
8. We do promise
according to our ability (or as God shall bless us with the good things of this
world) to communicate to our pastor or minister, God having ordained that they
that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel. (And how can anything lay a greater obligation upon the conscience than this
covenant; what then is the sin of such who violate it?)
These and all other
Gospel duties we humbly submit unto, promising and purposing to perform, not in
our own strength, being conscious of our own weakness, but in the power and
strength of the blessed God, Whose we are, and Whom we desire to serve. To Whom
be glory now and for evermore. Amen.
Article 4 Pg 1 Sword &
Trowel1997 No 4.
This example of a constitution is for the help of pioneers, who may want
to omit and insert clauses. The traditional role of a Pastor is represented
here.
Those
who incline to a different nuance of ministry will need to re‑express
relevant portions. This constitution embodies general principles commonly
adopted by Baptists and Independents, and also takes account of modern errors.
Constitution of the Church known as the
worshipping for the time being at XYZ
1. Character of the Church
This Church is a society of Trinitarian, Protestant, Baptist Dissenters
holding and maintaining Calvinistic doctrines as represented in the Church
Statement of Faith and in the Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 [with
stated reservations],* maintaining that the moral law of God ought ever to be
the rule of a believer's life and conduct, and that the Holy Scriptures are the
infallible, sole and binding authority in all tiers of doctrine and conduct.
The Church shall
remain an independent congregation holding that the Lord Jesus Christ is the
exclusive Head and authority over individual congregations.
The Church shall
not be affiliated to any society of churches unless it consists [and continues
to consist] entirely of like‑minded churches, or if by such affiliation
the autonomy of the Church would be compromised or inhibited in any way
whatsoever.
The
Church exists for
‑
worship of Almighty God through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ;
‑
the proclaiming of the Gospel of grace to adults and children;
‑
the expounding of God's Word;
‑
the nurture of believers in the faith;
‑
the defence of the faith;
‑
the promotion of fellowship between Christians within the congregation;
‑ the organising of works of witness and service to be carried out
by members of the congregation;
‑ the ministry of discipline in the congregation; and the support
of church planting and other missionary endeavours at home and overseas.
2 Membership
The Church shall be
composed of those who have‑ professed repentance towards God and faith in
and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ; have since been baptised by total
immersion in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; give
evidence of a renewed life; assent to the Church Statement of Faith; pledge
themselves to the Family Covenant of the Church; acknowledge that the conduct
of the Church must accord with its Constitution;
‑ disavow all sympathy with Roman Catholicism,
the ecumenical movement, theological liberalism, worldly Christianity,
charismatic distinctives, and New Age and other mystical views;
‑ hold that
the revelatory miracle signs ceased with the apostles; and
‑ are not
members of any other church.
Prospective members shall present a testimony of salvation to the Church
Prayer Meeting, or other Church meeting, satisfy the Pastor and Officers of
their sincerity, and be approved by a majority of those present and entitled to
vote at a Church Meeting Those approved shall be received into membership by
right hand of fellowship at the Lord's Table.
Members shall be removed from the Roll at a combined meeting of the
Elders and Deacons, without recourse to the Church Meeting, if due to death,
resignation, or non attendance for more than six months unless infirm. At the
discretion of the Pastor and Officers, non‑attending members may be
retained on the Roll if their absence is temporary, or if they have removed and
for a time are unable to find a like‑minded church, or for some
compassionate reason.
Article
4 Pg2
Members shall be declared by the Pastor and Officers to have forfeited
their membership without recourse to the Church Meeting if they plainly state
that they renounce or oppose the beliefs and Constitution of the Church, or
refuse to participate in any disciplinary enquiry into suspected disorderly or
sinful conduct on their part.
Members who are suspected of disorderly conduct or sin shall be subject
to enquiry by the Pastor and Officers, and if found guilty by them shall either
be reproved with or without temporary suspension from participation in the
Lord's Table, the Church Members' Meeting, and Christian service, or, in the
case of grave disorder or sin, expelled from the Church by a resolution put to
the Church Meeting by the Officers and approved by a majority of members
present and entitled to vote. The offences for which a member shall be
susceptible to expulsion shall be those stated in Romans 16.17; 1
Corinthians 5.9‑13; 10.14,. Galatians 1.6‑9;
and 2 Thessalonians 3.6, 11, 14.
3 Pastor
The
Church shall ordinarily be the care of the Pastor who shall be a man‑
‑ qualified to be a Church member;
‑ whose conscience is bound to the doctrines of the Baptist
Confession of Faith of 1689 [with stated reservations];* *See top of page 23 (original page reference-see Article 4
Page 4 of these notes for permitted reservations on the 1689)
‑ who maintains the pressing and persuasive universal tender of
salvation including a dedicated evangelistic address each week;
‑ who aims to promote child evangelism through Sunday Schools;
‑ who renounces mystical views of spiritual experience; and who is
a total abstainer from alcohol.
The Pastor, who is the teaching Elder, will normally preside at meetings
of Elders, Deacons or members and shall have oversight of all departments of
ministry in the Church.
He shall be nominated by the Officers and appointed or dismissed by
Church members gathered in a Special Church Meeting as defined in paragraph 5
of this Constitution.
The Church members assembled in a Special Church Meeting shall be bound
to approve any resolution to dismiss the Pastor if it can be shown that he no
longer maintains or preaches the doctrines or complies with the Constitution of
the Church, or fails to preach regularly in a specifically evangelistic manner,
or adopts mystical views, or ceases to be a total abstainer.
The members assembled in a Special Church Meeting may also consider and
approve the dismissal of the Pastor for any reason whatsoever.
The Pastor may resign from office.
In addition to the Pastor, the Church may appoint other teaching Elders
or Pastors to assist the Pastor. Such persons shall be nominated and elected and
may resign or be removed in the same way as the Pastor.
4
Services and Activities
Church shall gather regularly for worship instruction, evangelism, prayer, the ordinance of the Lord's Supper and also from
time to time for the ordinance of Believers' Baptism.
No other doctrine
may be taught except that which is consistent with the Baptist Confession of
Faith of 1689 [with stated reservations].*
The Church shall use other opportunities for evangelism and ministry
towards both adults and children, including the printed page, so long as the
spoken or written proclamation of the Bible shall be the principal objective,
and theatrical or dramatical methods, music of profane style, and the pursuit
of signs and wonders are eschewed.
Wholesome recreational activities shall be permitted for young people as
part of evangelistic meetings on weekdays but not as part of children's
ministry on the Lord's Day.
The Church may engage in benevolent and educational activities and also
give support to other Christian organisations for evangelism or benevolence.
Women shall be permitted to pray audibly in Prayer Meetings, but not to
contribute in worship meetings or to teach, excepting in children's ministry or
the teaching of other women.
Worship shall be formal in character and led by the Pastor or other
Officer. Reverent psalm versions and post‑biblical hymns shall be sung in
worship accompanied by either piano or organ but not both, but so‑called
choruses, except those forming part of traditional hymns, shall not be used in
adult worship.
5 Members' Meetings
From time to time a
meeting of members called the Church Meeting shall be convened by and under the
chairmanship of the Pastor or, in his absence, a senior Officer for
‑ the
approving of applications for membership;
‑
the dismissal of members other than those who are excluded by death, non‑attendance,
resignation or forfeiture of membership;
‑ the
election or dismissal of a Pastor, Elders or Deacons;
‑ the
approval of annual statements of account and of an annual budget;
‑ the
approval of unusually substantial expenses not of a routine character;
‑ the
approval of all innovations in the ministry of the Church;
‑ the hearing
of reports or exhortation as deemed fitting by the Pastor or Officers; and
‑ the
proposed dissolution of the Church.
Notice of a Church
Meeting shall be given by announcement at the morning worship service on the
Lord's Day preceding the meeting.
A meeting convened
to consider the election or dismissal of a Pastor or Officers, or to consider
the annual accounts statement shall be known as a Special Church Meeting and
shall be announced on two preceding Lord's Days.
Proposals to elect
Officers must be considered in two consecutive Special Church Meetings, a vote
by paper
Article
4 Pg 3
ballot being taken in the second of these. Charges of ill repute against
nominated men shall not be mentioned by members at the first meeting, but
reported to the Officers for their consideration between the two meetings.
Only
those matters introduced by the Pastor and Officers and thus emanating from the
chair may be considered at a Church Meeting.
Business
not emanating from the chair such as 'any other business' shall not be put
before a Church Meeting, except for a meeting convened in the event of a
dispute between the Pastor or Officers and the Church, or if no Pastor or
Officers remain in office.
No parliamentary rules
Parliamentary
rules of order shall not be adopted in Church Meetings. Motions shall be
presented from the chair as from the Pastor, Elders and Deacons, requiring no
seconding by any other. A motion may be withdrawn at the discretion of the
Chairman, except for a motion to dismiss an Officer. If any substantial
amendment to a motion is desired, the motion shall be withdrawn for further
consideration by the Elders and Deacons before being represented to the Church
Meeting.
The
quorum for a valid Church Meeting shall be one quarter of those entitled to
attend and vote at Church Meetings.
A
record of all resolutions passed by vote shall be recorded in a book, and signed
as correct by the Chairman of the meeting. Such a record shall be binding and
conclusive on all members.
Only
members who have been present at worship services on a majority of Lord's Days
during the preceding six months, who have attained the age of eighteen, and
have not been suspended from the Lord's Table as the result of Church
discipline, may vote in any Church Meeting.
Any
resolution shall be approved by simple majority, by show of hands, except for
the election of a Pastor or Officers when a three‑quarters majority must
be in support, on a paper ballot.
In all Church Meetings women may ask questions or address matters of
taste or of a practical nature, but not make directive statements and
exhortations of a spiritual character.
A Church Meeting shall commence with worship, and the Chairman shall
rule as disorderly any unseemly behaviour, clamour and vituperation
6 Ordinances
The ordinance of the Lord's Supper should be observed at least twice
each month, the Pastor presiding, or. in his absence, an Officer; the wine
being non‑alcoholic, and the bread of the most ordinary kind.
Only, those with an evangelical profession of faith in Christ shall be
invited to participate, including visitors from other Trinitarian, Protestant,
evangelical churches, including persons not baptised as believers by immersion.
However, in the case of unbaptised worshippers settled in this congregation
steps shall be taken by the Pastor and Officers to bring them to obey the
ordinance of Believers' Baptism, and to seek admission to the membership of the
Church.
The ordinance of Believers' Baptism by total immersion in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit shall be observed from time to
time with the Pastor as baptiser or in the event of his absence or infirmity an
Officer. Those desiring Baptism must submit a written testimony of salvation
and be satisfactorily interviewed by the Pastor and two Officers.
7
Elders and Deacons
The Church may elect ruling Elders from among the men members of the
Church to assist the Pastor in the spiritual care of the fellowship. Such
Elders will meet from time to time under the chairmanship of the Pastor. They,
or a number of them, will also convent to inquire into reports or allegations
of disorderly or sinful behaviour by members. They shall also choose and retire
leaders, teachers, visitors, and other workers in the different departments of
the Church.
Together with Deacons, through their properly convened meetings, they
shall determine the business to be put before a Church Meeting.
They will regard themselves as ordinarily under the lead of the Pastor,
but he will defer to the judgement of the majority of them, subject to appeal
to a combined meeting of the Elders and Deacons, whose united majority shall be
binding. The Pastor as an Elder shall be entitled to vote at such a meeting.
Such ruling Elders will serve for five years, at the end of which term
they shall submit to renomination by their fellow Officers and re-election at a
Special Church Meeting.
The Church shall appoint from among the men members Deacons who shall
meet under the chairmanship of the Pastor or an Elder or Deacon deputed by him,
to supervise the organisation, management and care of the properties, fabric
and facilities of the Church, the compassionate and benevolent work, the
practical arrangements of meetings, classes, meals, and other gatherings
arranged, and the employment of non‑pastoral staff.
From among their number they will nominate a Treasurer to be appointed
by vote in a Special Church Meeting. They will ensure the careful spending of
stewarded and other funds, and with the Treasurer draw up a proposed budget for
approval by the Church Meeting each year.
In the event of there being no Elders, the Deacons shall take up in
addition to their duties the work of ruling Elders, assisting the Pastor in the
spiritual oversight of the Church. Deacons shall relinquish such oversight as
Elders are appointed.
The number of Deacons shall not be less than three or more than twelve.
Deacons will serve for five years, at the end of which they must submit to
renomination by their fellow Officers and re‑election at a Special Church
Meeting.
The Elders and Deacons may meet as one, or separately as desired. An
Elder or Deacon may resign from office.
Article
4 Pg 4
8 Financial Support
The
Church shall maintain its ministries and facilities by free‑will
offerings and not by recourse to pew rents, sale of goods, bazaars,
entertainments, draws, lotteries, or any form of gambling, excepting that the
Church may sell ministry in the form of literature, audio and video cassettes
or another means of conveying the exposition of the Word of God.
9 Contention between Officers
and Members
If
one quarter or more of the members of the Church shall at any time desire to
have a Church Meeting called they shall give notice in writing signed by them
to the Officers specifying the particular business they desire to discuss or
transact, and if the Officers cannot satisfy their concerns and fail to
convene a Church Meeting within one month of the delivery of
such a notice it shall be lawful for those who gave notice to convene a
Church Meeting on their own authority.
Such
a Church Meeting shall be advertised by letter sent to all members stating the
purpose of the Meeting. Such a
Meeting shall take place not less than three weeks after the sending of that
letter.
At
a Church Meeting called under this rule a man shall be elected to preside as
Chairman by a majority of members present and entitled to vote, and equal time
shall be accorded to the representatives of both sides of any dispute.
10 Dissolution
In the event of the dissolution of the Church all funds and possessions
remaining after the payment of all due debts, and the disposal of which is not governed by
any Trust Deed or Conveyance or otherwise by law, shall be donated to a like‑minded
church or churches either in the United Kingdom or overseas. (A Statement of
Faith and Church Family Covenant appeared in the previous issue)
*Permitted
reservations in assent to the Baptist Confession of Faith of
1689.
Three
reservations shall be permitted when a pastor, an Elder, or a Deacon is
required to affirm his acceptance of the Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689,
and these reservations apply also to the doctrines which are bound to be taught within the Church.
1. It shall not be necessary to affirm that the Pope of Rome is the
literal Antichrist and man of sin, although
it must be believed that he is the servant of a church so‑called,
which is Antichrist in nature, and the enemy of the true Gospel (chapter 26:4).
2, It shall not be necessary to affirm that a 'bishop' or
Elder or Deacon should be set aside by the laying on of hands of the Eldership,
or with fasting, although it must be affirmed that they are to be chosen by
common consent and vote of the Church, with prayer (chapter 26:9).
3. It shall not be necessary to affirm that churches should meet with each other through appointed messengers to seek and obtain advice about any
matter in dispute either within a church or between churches, although it must be affirmed that
should any such consultation take place, the gathered messengers cannot
exercise any censure over any churches
or persons or impose their determination on any churches or their Officers (chapter 26.15).
SEVEN BIBLICAL POLICIES FOR A
CHURCH
This
brief 'policy statement is that followed at the Metropolitan Tabernacle.
(It
does not form part of the example constitution above.)
FIRST, we teach the doctrines of grace (often summarised as the 'five
points of Calvinism'). Our doctrinal basis is the Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 (The pastor of the
congregation at that time, Benjamin Keach, was a compiler of this Confession.)
SECONDLY,
we believe in the free offer of the Gospel, dedicating one
service every Sunday to persuasive evangelistic preaching, and praying that God
will use this for the salvation of precious souls. Evangelism is a foremost
duty for us, embracing evangelistic
THIRDLY, we believe that traditional worship is in line with the
clear teaching of the Bible. Worship is to be glorious and reverent, lifting up
our minds in praise, thanksgiving, repentance, dedication, intercession, and
the hearing of God's Word. It is not intended to entertain, as though the house
of God were a theatre or dance‑hall, but to bring us to appreciate
Almighty God.
FOURTHLY, we try to honour the
concept of the working
church, which means that all true believers serve the Lord, joining
together in activities to bring glory to Him. With this emphasis it is possible
for a church to carry out large outreach efforts, Sunday School Ministry, and
so on. Christians are not just a 'Sunday audience', but a company of committed,
dedicated workers for the Lord.
FIFTHLY, we believe that the Lord's people must keep themselves clear
from worldliness and false teaching. The doctrine of biblical separation is imperative. False teaching
denies the inspiration and infallibility of the Bible, as well as fundamental
doctrines of the faith. True churches must defend and preserve the Truth at all
costs, and never compromise the only way of salvation.
SIXTHLY we believe in the great importance of prayer, and maintain the
church prayer meeting as a distinctive weeknight meeting. Without the blessing
of God in answer to prayer, all our witness would be in vain. Corporate prayer
is paramount.
SEVENTHLY, we hold that the 'local church' (that is, every individual
congregation) is God's intended agency for all ministry and witness. It is
designed by Him to carry out many tasks. Therefore 'wider' ministries, such as
missions, training of preachers, and the issuing of literature, should be
undertaken by individual churches, if the Lord leads and enables them.
This list of
policies does not, of course, cover all the duties of a church, but highlights
the tradition in which the Metropolitan Tabernacle stands, and which was re‑emphasised
in 1970.