You are a minister. You were elected to be an elder. You may serve as deacon. Does this now imply that the leadership over the congregation has been entrusted to us? What kind of leadership are we talking about? Or is the office first and foremost about something different than leadership? These types of questions are the topic of one conference after another, books appear, and there is a certain confusion in the churches and consistories.

The crisis in the churches could be allayed if more leadership was shown. That is at least a guiding principle these days. We need people who have a vision for the congregation. It is necessary then that we have a vision of the congregation. How do we see the church? People who have a vision for the church share differing opinions. We can, however, agree about what a congregation is; the Bible is rather clear on that point. The church is the body of the Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. But you will discover that there are divergent interpretations of the vision of the church. This happens not so much in a congregation itself, for in the local congregation we notice particular developments over the course of several years. Such development may be determined locally. For instance, a church in Nunspeet does not need to develop the same way as a church in Amsterdam or Groningen. I just named some arbitrary places, simply because it’s to illustrate the point. For whatever place you name, in each local community the congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ should be found and recognizable.

Relationship⤒🔗

There is a big difference in vision as to how churches should live together. In other words, with regard to the broader church structure. An “evangelical”-oriented relationship looks and functions very differently from a church federation according to Reformed polity. In Reformed polity it is unthinkable that a congregation exists all on its own, separate from any affiliation. In the Bible the local congregations are connected in some way or the other even though their local autonomy remains intact.

What is striking is that the difference in vision on how a church should be governed can often lead to the rise of churches that start to function separate from any other relationship. New congregations are instituted. People have a vision. It has been given in the heart. I have always found it remarkable that in the vision that the Holy Spirit then gives in the heart he apparently does not speak about churches and congregations that have existed in the same place for years and where the Spirit has worked with fruit and blessing. I am trying to keep things simple in this article and therefore I’m avoiding a deeper theological reflection (although from time to time that needs to be done as well). But one question is: How much is from God, what is from the Spirit, and how much is from man and from a subjective perspective? What do we actually gain when we institute a new congregation in places where it is not needed because there are already so many other churches and congregations? What is the spiritual gain if the establishment of new groups and congregations is at the cost of existing churches? I will leave it with the questions, but these matters are well worth a good conference!

Covenant←⤒🔗

There is always something to criticize about any congregation. There are few congregations like Philadelphia in Asia Minor, one of the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3. The Lord Jesus Christ had little to say about that congregation. Each congregation, of whatever “colour” or “orientation” it may be—what is the “colour” or “orientation” of the Head of the body actually?—will face difficulties, worries, and problems. There is no congregation here that is composed only of upright believers. All too often it is claimed, also in “our” churches, that the congregation is a fellowship of faith. In a certain way that is true, but there is no church that has arrived, that is already there. We are all still on the way. We all still need to make the great transition. And we may not think too lightly about that. The local church is first of all to be seen as a covenant community, a community with whom God has established a covenant of grace with the richest promises. Those promises have been given. Baptism does not lie. Faith and believing is a gift of God. To persevere in faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit. There is astonishment in one of the last words of Paul that he has kept the faith (2 Tim. 4:7). This is not self-evident. Not even for an apostle of the stature as Paul. So it’s not at all self-evident to us. It is rather thus that at present we may stand strong, we may rejoice and witness, but in two years’ time things can be very different for us. Believing is both easy and difficult.

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Feasibility←⤒🔗

In all of this, leadership needs to be provided in and for the church. Who should do that? We also assume that all believers of the congregation are empowered. You may expect a certain degree of spiritual maturity in the congregation. The special office is indeed called to give leadership to the congregation. That is serving and spiritual leadership, nothing else. It is a matter of mutual intuition, discussion, and evaluation when it comes to what means and methods can and may be used in that respect. But the same applies to the church as to all of society: it is not feasible. You can only work in the congregation with the gifts and possibilities that are present. You can set the most beautiful goals but if the gifts and means are not available—if there are no suitable people—you only will achieve little. And what do we wish to achieve with the congregation? Many books and volumes can be written about this, and there wouldn’t be much wrong with that; a good book is always useful. But with the congregation, don’t we want to achieve primarily that it will be a living faith community? Then we know ourselves deeply dependent on the Lord and his work. The Lord himself has to do the actual work! We confess all this and then are soon in danger of forgetting it.

Of course I am oversimplifying things here to some extent. Yet this is a salient point I wish to make. It is God himself who brings the church to spiritual growth. It is the Spirit who gives life. He regenerates the heart and he brings life into the church. That is the simple life of serving with faith, hope and love.

This spiritual leadership is essential in the preaching and in the work of the office bearers. And if we can learn a thing or two about leadership from society or organizations in general, we will be able to discuss and consider this together. We will make grateful use of whatever is useful and necessary for the upbuilding of the congregation. For of course, spiritual leadership cannot exist without structure and organization. We strive for the highest in the church, but circumvent at the same time the idea of the feasibility of the church. Even when a church is structured and organized in the finest details and everything is working smoothly—how beautiful this would be!—it still does not say everything about the spiritual strength of the consistory or the congregation.

Knowledge←⤒🔗

Above all else it is important to know Christ. The knowledge of Jesus, the knowledge of Christ, the knowledge of the Lord. It all centres on the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and in and through him of his Father. This knowledge is possible through faith as the work of the Holy Spirit in us, and then it is our faith. It is my faith. My very own, personal faith, and when I speak with other believers I will discover how they have the same knowledge and long for that knowledge. Such knowledge, that is relationship, that is life, that implies service and also knows how to give leadership. It does not depend only on knowledge of faith. This leadership also depends on the qualities and special gifts that God gives to his people. Not everyone can be minister of the Word or elder.

Faithful←⤒🔗

There may be a lack of necessary vision in churches or consistories. We should not say that such does not occur. That would be thinking too optimistically. There is another side, however. Sometimes there can be too much “vision.” People get all enthusiastic through what they have heard, seen, and read or experienced at a conference, and suddenly they see and know how the congregation has to move forward. Their insight tells them that in the past it wasn’t altogether wrong—obviously not—but still not quite right. Now things have to be different, for they’ve been blessed with “vision.”

It’s great that people get excited. Don’t cut it short right away. Speak with them. Invite them to the consistory. See what you can do with it. But don’t immediately jump into something new before you know what you want to accomplish with it, because that’s a recipe for disappointment. Anyone who has vision that is from the Word will have criticism in love for the church and subject himself to that same criticism. He and she will take their place in the midst of the congregation and remain there, and with the church they will experience periods of growth and prosperity, and periods of disappointment and setbacks. But you don’t just get up and leave the church. Suppose Christ did that? Or am I not allowed to end like this?