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"...the true Light which, coming into the world,
enlightens every man..."
The Bible, Gospel of John 1:9 NASB*
Organization of the Mountain View Church
The Simplicity of the Divine Arrangement
One of the hallmarks of the church in the New Testament is the simplicity of it's
organizational arrangement. As a matter of fact, that last sentence requires more
education to understand than the simple arrangement God defined for His church.
Let's look at the three major factors for which God has specified His will for
arrangement, linked to our local organization respecting His revealed will:
Elders / Overseers / Pastors in Every Church
When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting,
they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
~ Acts 14:23
The Seriousness of the Charge to Overseers / Elders / Pastors
"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the
Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with
His own blood. 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not
sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse
things, to draw away the disciples after them."
~ Acts 20:28-30
Overseers / Elders / Pastors in their Relation to Deacons
Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who
are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons
~ Philippians 1:1
Qualifications of Elders / Overseers / Pastors
It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a
fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of
one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to
wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one
who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5
(but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the
church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall
into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with
those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the
devil.
~ 1 Timothy 3:1-7
Titus' Commission and The Qualifications of Elders / Overseers / Pastors
For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and
appoint elders in every city as I directed you, 6 namely, if any man is above reproach,
the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or
rebellion. 7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed,
not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8 but
hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9 holding fast
the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both
to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.
~ Titus 1:5-9
The Duties and Limitations of Those in Oversight
Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the
sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd
the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily,
according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as
lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.
~ 1 Peter 5:1-3
Our Local Arrangement -
Elders
A group picture of the Mountain View elders
Back to Oversight
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Appointment of the First Deacons (Task-Servants) in Jerusalem
So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, "It is not
desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. 3 Therefore,
brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of
wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer
and to the ministry of the word." 5 The statement found approval with the whole
congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and
Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. 6 And
these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.
~ Acts 6:1-6
Phoebe, A Female Servant
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which
is at Cenchrea; 2 that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and
that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also
been a helper of many, and of myself as well.
~ Romans 16:1-2
- Note
This is a potentially danger-fraught citation, when considered in the
context of modern-day militant feminism and the so-called "change agents" who
are loudly and boldly proclaiming their intentions to change the churches by denying
fundamental principles of Bible interpretation and the establishing of authority to
act.
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That Phoebe was a servant (from the original word meaning
"deaconess"), whose service is directly related to the church in Cenchrea and only
incidentally to the church(-es) in Rome, is clear from the text. What is not clear
from the scriptures is what that service was, nor how it might relate to modern women who
may perform similar work. What IS clear from scripture
is that no woman violates the
will of God when she does that which is assigned to her by God and under His appointed
oversight. Clearly a woman may be deputed to a particular task by those under whose
oversight she receives those directions, so long as they do not require of her what God
may forbid.
-
The citation is expressly given to reflect the clarity of the scriptural
uses of the root term from which our word, deacon, is translated. This point is
worthy of further study. Compare the chapter "Deaconess" in C. R. Nichol, God's
Woman (1932).
Deacons in their Relation to Overseers / Elders / Pastors
Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who
are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons
~ Philippians 1:1
Our Local Arrangement - Deacons
- Chuck Childs
- Dirk Driskill
- Steve Morris
- Ruben Salas
- Carlos Zapata
Pictures of the Mountain View deacons
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In earlier citations, we have focused on the particular organizational specifics given
by the Lord for the local church. However, there is a broader concept of
God's instructions which includes the oversight of the local churches in the broader
context of the ministry of the Word. Here, the presence of pastors / elders /
overseers (whose oversight is limited to and defined by the local church) is seen in
relationship to others whom God has appointed to insure that His people are adequately
taught.
From the Establishment of the Church until the Lord Returns
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets,
and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body
of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness
of Christ.
~ Ephesians 4:11-13
Definitions of the Four Terms
- Apostles
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- Those who were appointed by the Lord as His special ambassadors of the gospel,
qualified primarily by specific appointment by God to be witnesses of the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (Acts 1:22).
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- Prophets
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- Those who, in the first century, were invested with the duty of revealing the Divine
will in and by the gift of prophecy, one of the temporary gifts of the Holy Spirit,
as outlined in 1 Corinthians 12-14.
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- Evangelists
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- Those who, both in the first century and for all time, are charged:
"...preach
the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great
patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound
doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves
teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the
truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do
the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." (2 Timothy 4:2-5)
-
- And, who (in their cooperation with those in oversight) are functional teachers of the
word of God, public proclaimers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, motivating both saints and
sinners by their exhortations to a full measure of obedience to the will of God.
Sometimes called ministers or preachers.
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- Pastors (who are) Teachers
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- Those who, in the waning years of the first century and extending through the years
until the Lord returns, and on the basis of their growth and maturity in Christ, are
appointed in oversight of the local congregation of disciples and are particularly charged
with the duties of instruction that equip God's people for their great work.
Also known as elders or bishops.
Our Local Arrangement - Evangelists
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Part-time Hispanic preacher,
Ruben Salas
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Local preachers of the past (in chronological order)
- Robert Farish
- Alton Winbush
- Thomas Allen Robertson
- Wright Randolph
- R. J. Stevens
- Wright Randolph
- Bill Moseley
- Bobby Witherington
- Jack Gilliland
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Preachers who have assisted the Mountain View church through the years
- Connie Adams
- Maurice Barnett
- Max Bradford
- Craig Bradley
- Bill Brown
- Andy Cantrell
- Roy Cogdill
- Ken Dart
- Keith Davis
- Bob Dodson
- Richard Dowdy
- Gailen Evans
- Robert Farish, Jr.
- Micky Galloway
- Scott Gardner
- Ollie Harmon
- Larry Houchen
- Olin Hudson
- Gary Johnson
- Robert Johnson
- Richard Kizer
- Frank Macy
- Tom Thornhill, Jr.
- James Turner
- W. L. Wharton
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MOUNTAIN VIEW CHURCH OF CHRIST
San Bernardino, California USA
Our Address and Contact Information
MOUNTAIN VIEW CHURCH OF CHRIST
1354 North Mountain View Avenue
San Bernardino California 92405 USA
Tel 909.885.4136
Fax 909.883.1629
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