By-Products of Role Changes: Unskilled Shepherds

A result of this change in roles is that shepherds are not “skilled” in teaching as their qualifications require (1 Tim. 3:2).  In fact, if they are to be skilled in teaching, what purpose would be served in hiring a preacher?   Consequently, they are not teaching because it is painfully boring when they do attempt to preach a sermon or, in some cases, mediocre when teaching a class.    Keep in mind that this work is all measured by the activities of a regularly scheduled “service”.  The very idea of warning, teaching, and equipping God’s people (“overseeing the church) in the home throughout the week is foreign to a majority of these so-called elders.  Being institutional, they are fixed on the teaching in the formal worship services and public classes wherein they feel inadequate.  But, they feel they must rule something.   So, they concern themselves with the activities of the public assembly, the checkbook, condition of the meeting house, while keeping an eye on the preacher’s performance.  It has been said that the preacher does the work of elders, the elders do the work of deacons and the deacons do the work of servants, while the membership contributes into the treasury “for the work to continue.”