The Front Porch is a ministry that provides resources, sermons, and conversations on theology within the African-American church context and beyond. I have personally been very encouraged by the work of Pastor Tony Carter in the metropolitan Atlanta area. His commitment to a biblical church government, expository preaching, and sound doctrine is a breath of fresh air in our wasteland of church culture in Atlanta.
A conversation was posted on The Front Porch last August between Tony Carter, Thabiti Anyabwile, and Louis Love on the subject of church government. Who runs the church? In our church culture in the south (especially in Baptist churches), the deacons typically oversee the church while a single pastor preaches each Sunday. The pastor also manages the staff, volunteers and cooperates with the deacon board and the entire church body regarding decisions of the church. This may be a typical or recently traditional form of church leadership structure, but it isn’t biblical. Tony Carter, Thabiti Anyabwile, and Louis Love talk about these problems and seek to describe the biblical pattern that God has established from the beginning.
For more on this subject, take time to read the following books:
Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons – Thabiti Anyabwile
Biblical Eldership – Alexander Strauch
Deacon Run Churches: Are They Biblical? – The Front Porch
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