Pastors and deacons do not always get along. Young pastors in their first churches seem to have some unusual problems in getting along with deacons.
The young pastor is often upset because the deacons do not seem to understand that he is in charge. The deacons get upset because the young pastor thinks he is in charge. Confusion abounds as to how the pastor and deacons should relate.
Before the 20th century, Baptist pastors and deacons had a different relationship. Until the 20th century, few churches had full-time pastors. More often than not, the pastors of Baptist churches worked farms alongside the other members of the congregation. The pastor belonged to the community like all the other members of the church. The pastor and the deacons had known each other all their lives.
Before the advent of the professional pastor, pastors had standing in the community prior to their office as pastor. They were chosen as pastors because of the authority that the congregation recognized in them.
Preacher or pastor?
Many young pastors believe that because their title is “pastor,” they also hold the office of pastor. Churches let them believe this, because they believe it themselves. In practice, however, when churches call a young man to his first full-time pastorate, they have only called him as “preacher.”
Someone else in the church has served as pastor for years, but he holds the title of “deacon.” Pastors come and go in these churches every three years, but the old deacon remains to look after the church.
In essence, most Southern Baptist churches have always practiced the “plurality of elders” but never realized it because they no longer used the term “elder.” The pastor was an elder, but some of those who held the title of deacon actually functioned as elders too. In these cases, the titles do not actually represent the offices that people hold.
This confusion of the offices of pastor/elder and deacon was made clear to me when I went — fresh out of seminary — to serve as pastor of a church. Two of the older deacons kept the Sunday School records, and I often went by to speak to them.
Once, the subject of elders came up as we discussed our old covenant from 1833 that mentioned elders. I asked them what they thought elders were, and one said elders were old deacons who had the wisdom to advise the pastor and guide the church. In other words, the deacons recognized a plurality of elders even though the bylaws of the church said nothing about it. The confusion of the pastor and deacon relationship had an added dimension as the 20th century progressed and churches began to add “staff members.” One looks in vain for the staff member in the New Testament. They must either be pastors or deacons. In most Baptist churches they are neither. Recovery of the New Testament model of the church involves recognizing some deacons play the role of pastor and some staff members play the role of deacon.
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