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Tag: Baptist

How has COVID-19 and Lockdown Affected the Implementation of Congregationalism in our Churches

At this time, in the year 2021, we as Baptists have faced a huge challenge to the principle and practice of congregational church government, in that the lock-down has made it very difficult to hold members meetings, particularly for bigger churches. Here are a few of the difficulties: Congregations That Can’t Congregate South Africa went…
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The Role of the Leader in the Context of Congregationalism

Introduction One of the questions that always surfaces in the Baptist Principles class (at BTC) is the one relating to the role of the Pastor in a Church where the Principle of Congregational Church Government is upheld. They recognize that this principle can stifle good leaders and cause much frustration in their ministry. This same…
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The Necessity of Re-establishing Community

With the ease of lockdown and many churches re-initiating corporate gatherings, the primary task that lies before the church, and particularly her leadership, is the necessity of re-establishing community. What do I mean by the phrase ‘re-establishing community?’ I think churches have largely taken ‘together being-together’ for granted. Oh, yes, we congregants knew it was…
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The Biblical Leadership Structure of the Local Church

It seems that the practice of a church Executive model as the leadership structure of a Baptist church has been ‘The Baptist Way” since Baptists arrived in South Africa in 1820. But is this what the Bible teaches as to how Jesus governs his church? Is an Executive (which typically includes all elders and deacons)…
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Appreciate your pastor(s)

I’m personally not one for fanfare. But there are moments when we need to stop and say, “Thank you!” Ken Kessler writes, “In 2019, the Barna Research organization along with Pepperdine University introduced a new study called “The State of Pastors.” In this resource, they provide us a research consistency across denominations about how pastors…
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Getting a Great Pastor’s Fraternal Going

I have had the privilege of being involved in a number of pastors fraternal meetings. The following four elements are a summary of what I’ve found to work best. The Preparation of the Pastors Fraternal Every good fraternal meeting needs a great co-ordinator. This person is the admin-heavy guy who simply puts the email list together…
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Revitalising a Declining Church

From the outside, a typical church building will give you very few clues.  But when you walk into the building on a Sunday morning, you’ll very soon have some idea if the church is in decline or is healthy, vibrant and growing. I have had a few requests from churches to assist.  They are concerned…
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