Insights on Being an Armor Bearer in Church Leadership

I first want to touch on Terry Nance's statement in his book God’s Armor Bearer: Volumes I & II  that whenever something is going on in the church, we are not to hide it from the pastor because it will eventually be brought to light. I’m all for this concept. When we allow the wool to be pulled over the pastor’s eyes, then we are opening a door for Satan to run God’s house.

 

Mr. Nance also talked about not making the pastor look unholy or like a dictator in the eyes of the congregants by playing mind games. He said that anyone would only do this to cause strife in the church and to look good in other people's eyes. 

 

Mr. Nance also discussed the leadership allowing God to send good people with their vision. The paragraph also discussed the leadership not trying to keep the ministry in the family if that was not God’s will. I recently asked the pastor if keeping the church in the family was okay, and he said yes. He asked if I had a problem, and I said no. I asked that question because I don’t like people playing with God, and I think too many people keep it in the family for the wrong reasons and don’t allow God’s will to be done in that church. I didn’t mean any disrespect with the question, but I had to ask it since it was on my mind.

 

I liked some of the questions listed for a loyal armor bearer: Are they tithers? Are you at ease in their presence? Do they avoid murmuring and complaining? Do they submit to authority? These are good questions to ask about the people in leadership yearly. 

 

I liked the self-examination the author provided to see if something was hindering our growth as armor-bearers.

 

I smiled when I read about how people open their gift from God and immediately run to see what someone else got, and then they want what they have. People do that a lot in churches. If they reject the gift that He gave them, they’ll reject the blessings He gives them; they’ll reject a godly man or woman that He has sent to be their spouse and a host of other things. They’ll just never be happy.

 

Mr. Nance talked about people needing to be planted in one spot like a tree. He said, “If a tree is continually uprooted and replanted, eventually the roots will die. Many Christians have experienced this. Because of rebellion and sin in their hearts, they constantly jump from one church to another. They refuse to submit to authority or feel they have special gifts for the church which the pastor is unwilling to recognize.”

 

Mr. Nance talked about people who volunteer for projects within the church, but when it gets a little tricky, they bail out. He said God is preparing us for leadership, but we must overcome pride, selfishness, and bitterness.

 

The author also discussed people receiving chastisement. He said we should not get our feelings hurt, get defensive, or hold grudges when rebuked. One scripture I have stood on for years is Hebrews 12:6, which says, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens.” 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was helpful and gave an excellent insight into the ministry of help.

Understanding the Ministry of Helps in Church Leadership

 

I’ll start at the beginning.

 

I love how Mr. John Eckhardt explained the difference between natural and spiritual gifts in his book Ministry Anointing of Helps. People think that ministries of help only do natural things, such as cleaning the church, receiving tithes and offerings, leading people to their seats, etc., but the ministry also needs people to pray for spiritual protection, singers to bring the people before the throne of God, etc.

 

Page 14 deals with deacon-possessed churches and how the deacons are not called to run the churches, control the pastor, or tell the pastor what to do or say. Mr. Eckhardt calls this a form of witchcraft. I had to pause and ponder that. They are using manipulation to control the pastor and get their way…..I would be terrified to touch God’s anointed.  Deacons are called to be members of the help teams and to help hold up the leader’s hands.

 

I then flipped to page 16 and read about Elijah and Elisha. It talked about how, after confronting the prophets of Baal, Elijah took off running when Jezebel threatened to kill him if she caught him. I always wondered why Elijah ran for his life when he knew God was on his side. But Mr. Eckhardt broke it down for me….Elijah was spiritually drained. 

 

It opened my eyes to how much we, as the ministry of help, are needed. A leader can’t do everything. I always thought that Elijah picked Elisha to train him to take over. I didn’t realize Elijah was grooming Elisha for takeover and using him for help.

 

I then flipped to page 21 and read about being a financial blessing to the ministry. Mr. Eckhardt stated, "The motive must be pure, from a generous heart. People are not to help ministries financially with impure motives. The motive must never be to control or get the ministry's favor.”

 

In the last chapter, Mr. Eckhardt discussed laying down our life as a ministry gift. He said, “The Lord will divinely connect people to a ministry to help bring the vision to pass. He will cause intercessors to give their lives in prayer for you. The Lord will join psalmists and minstrels to you. The Lord will join prophets to you. These are divine relationships that can be established for a lifetime.” So many people say they are sent by God to hook up with a leader, but when something goes down, they bail out. I wish people stop lying to God and start seeing the truth about themselves; their motives are wrong.

 

This book basically dealt with how we, as the Ministry of Helps team, should not try to step out of place. We are there to help the leadership, not to run things and throw tantrums when we can’t get our way.

Are You Supporting Your Church Vision?

I first want to touch on Chapter Two of  Proper Attitudes Toward Leadership by Robyn Gool, who asked if we were in the right church. He said that we may be in the wrong church if we can’t connect to the ministry's vision or receive from the pastor. I will tell you that I have been in churches where I knew immediately that I would not fit in. Others took me time to realize that. 

 

Another thing is that when we are not connected to the vision or receiving from the pastor, our blessings are held up. I read recently in another book that when God is ready to unleash His divine blessings on us, and we have moved out of position (or are disobedient), then the ministering angel has to return the blessings to the sender! What a feeling that must be. I don’t ever want to be in that position.

 

Another thing I want to touch on is when Mr. Gool talked about receiving the word from pastors. We, as Christians, have to make sure that what we are hearing and running with is correct. He talked about people who could quote scripture and don’t even know what it means or if it’s correct; they only know that someone in leadership said it.

 

The author also discussed people being led by false leaders. He used Jim Jones, who led millions to their deaths. Mr. Gool said that people also needed to take responsibility for their actions. Like Mr. Gool said, when Judgment Day comes, we can point the finger at the person who told us it was okay, but we’re also going to explain why we did it, knowing what the word said and with the Holy Spirit checking us. 

 

The last thing I want to touch on is when the author talks about Christians supporting the ministry and uses the scripture Haggai 1:7-12. I love that scripture because it makes me understand why people suffer when they do not have to. It also keeps my mind clear that I do not want to be one of those people. I also meditate on Malachi 3:8-10. While typing this, I realized something. In Haggai, the people “have sown much, and bring in little,” and the heavens withheld dew and the earth withheld its fruit, and in Malachi, the people robbed God and had a curse placed on them when they could have had the windows of heaven opened to them, and they would have had more than another. Wow! God is just looking for us to be about His business. 

Strong Leaders, Strong Churches

The church is an important institution in society. It provides a place for people to gather and worship and can be a powerful force for good in the world. However, churches only thrive when they have strong leadership.

A good church leader can inspire and motivate others, knows how to make tough decisions, and can be counted on to do what is right. A church with a leader with these qualities will be more likely to succeed and make a positive impact. 

Conversely, if a church is led by someone weak or ineffective, it will likely struggle and eventually fail. Therefore, churches must have strong leaders if they want to be successful.

Time to Take Charge (Video)

Being a good follower is not about following blindly but about having the courage to step up and lead when the time is right. 

God often calls on His followers to take on leadership roles, and those willing to answer His call are usually the ones who have been paying attention and learning from those who came before them. Good followers know when it is time to take charge, and they do so with humility and grace. They also know they cannot follow forever; eventually, they will be called on to lead in their own right. 

By answering God's call to leadership, good followers ensure that His work continues even after they are gone.

The Difference Between Submission and Agreement (Video)

There is a difference between submission and agreement. Submission is not when you agree with what the pastor said. It only comes into play when you disagree with the pastor. 

I never agree with everything a pastor says. But will I obey them if they teach the word? Yes. Will I follow them if they have a calling from God to do a particular thing, and it is according to the word? Of course, I will. 

There are some things that a pastor is doing that I don’t necessarily agree with or think will succeed, but I keep that to myself. But I also understand that as long as it doesn’t cause me to compromise my walk with the Lord, then it’s no big deal to me. 

Amongst the Sheep

 

Some in leadership are so good at hiding among the sheep that they could skip service, and the sheep do not even know they were not there. And often, even the shepherds don’t know the elders are not there.

 

I think about some people in leadership who scream and holler on Sunday mornings, but they are nowhere to be found for bible study.

 

I remember when I worked the second shift, and I was always able to make it to church on Sundays, but I would crave the teachings and fellowship of bible study during the week. My manager usually gave me a day off in the middle of the week twice a month, and you better believe I was at church.

 

And that was when I was still, a visitor, long before I even became a member.

 

I noticed that then and I notice it now.