At Kingship Church we have in place an Advisory Council to help provide sound wisdom to the Overseeing Pastor. It is important to us that no leadership role in the church is left in a vacuum to make difficult decisions on their own. (Proverbs 11:14)
Throughout Scripture we see God instruct leaders to seek wisdom, from God’s Word and others of biblical integrity, so that one may be grounded in the Lord’s Kingship and shepherd others with understanding and discernment of God’s ways (Proverbs 1:7, 2:6, 19:20-21). By having counsel on theological and doctrinal matters (Acts 15) we can be confident in our professing of sound doctrine and protecting from false teaching.
The Advisory Council consists of both qualified men (Titus 1:5-9, 1 Timothy 3:1-7) and qualified women (Genesis 2:18, 1 Peter 3:3-5, Titus 2:3-5, Proverbs 31:25-30), who are dedicated to displaying the health of men and women’s distinct roles partnered together in ministering the calling of the Church. As it was not good for Adam to carry out the image bearer responsibility on his own (Genesis 2:18), it is not good for the separation of men spiritually leading the church without the perspective of women present and vice versa.
It is the call of the Advisory Council to provide discernment and accountability for proper judgment on all matters that pertain to our faith and practices. They are to be engaged within the congregation to proactively promote the spiritual health of the church body; helping equip the church for ministry, providing spiritual care, and being devoted to prayer alongside the Overseeing Pastor.
It is the Advisory Council’s responsibility to care for the spiritual health and welfare of the Overseeing Pastor, as well as the leadership of the church and their families. Our hope in tending to the health of the leadership is that the church body is shepherded under the same care. We value a healthy church body, ahead of being performance driven.
It is the responsibility of the Advisory Council to hold the Overseeing Pastor and other Council Members accountable to his or her qualifications, handling all matters with biblical principles to ensure that the holiness of the church is uplifted. We value relational accountability in matters that require rebuking and correction (2 Timothy 3:16), which should be done in a manner that seeks to restore and uplift the spiritual health of a believer.
The Advisory Council role is a life-long service to the church that provides historical context, establishes deep relationships for healthy accountability and mentors future qualified men and qualified women upon the event that a new member is needed.
Biblical Reflection:
Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. // Proverbs 11:14
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. // Titus 3:5-9
Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. // Titus 2:3-5
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” // Genesis 2:18
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