(4) Encourages an employee/employer relationship.
We know what the Bible teaches about the work and role of an evangelist. But typically, a preacher, looking for a place to preach, goes to a congregation, preaches one or two sermons, and sits behind closed doors with an eldership who decides whether or not they will hire him. If the preacher agrees to the move, he is expected to follow a contract, whether written or unwritten that is prepared by the elders. Since they were given the power to “hire” him, they must also have the power to “fire” him if he does not fulfill the requirements of the contract in a satisfactory way. This is all wrong! I appreciated the response from the late Robert Turner, who was asked by a young man if he knew of a place where he could preach. Turner said, “Well, let’s see – there’s a community civic center or the city park….” He followed his response with his familiar laugh, but I appreciated the response probably more than the young man who asked the question. Both shepherds and preachers look at themselves as workers in the church organization who want a job preaching, there. The popular thought is that Shepherds shepherd the congregation and preachers preach to the congregation.
What we know as examples of evangelists is from Timothy and Titus. There was a work of an evangelist that included more than just preaching the gospel to the unsaved. Philip, who is classified as one, did go to Samaria to preach the gospel, but he reaches Capernaum where he abides with his family and where he is called, Philip the evangelist. Granted, that may be a label attached to him because of his work recorded in Acts 8. The evidence points to the conclusion that evangelists were more mobile and were sent to Christians living in difference places to set things in order. We suggest from Titus 1:5 that setting things in order involved the appointment of overseers living in those cities. Given the order of the list in Ephesians 4:11 and the general practices of arranging for guided teachers to be in each city, the apostles are making arrangements for every city of called-out people to have the teaching of divine revelation. This was more than having the law and the prophets and a learned individual who could impart his knowledge. This pattern is the order of teaching that was critical for all God’s people in the first century. Notice the examples of Paul and Acts 14:23. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders[a] for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. Study “committed them to the Lord.” ……
As a result of this departure from the leadership rule of elders taught in the Bible, some church leaders have told preachers not to preach on some sensitive subject like marriage and divorce or church discipline. When told not to preach that which the Word of God teaches, preachers are immediately inquisitive. I am at once concerned with any man’s right to tell me what I can preach and cannot preach. Of course, the cause of this outrageous demand is fueled by the false view of an elder’s rule. Preachers should not work for any group of men nor should they be hired. At the same time, one can understand that a new person may have just arrived in the middle of some problem that is already being addressed. It is reasonable to expect preachers should comply with an elder who has cause to believe that something would be untimely, or inappropriate and gives the reason for the sound judgment. The preacher understands that the issue will be addressed in a more productive way. He is not made to believe that there are subjects that are just never discussed because of their sensitive nature. A preacher was once told by an elder not to address a problem in the pulpit. When the elder was assured that it would be handled privately, the elder said that he would take care of it. However, the problem was never addressed.