Suscríbete a DeepL Pro para poder editar este documento.

Entra en www.DeepL.com/pro para más información.

Recuperando un enfoque adventista
para
La vida y la misión
de
La Iglesia Local

Russell C. Burrill

Libros de Hart
Fallbrook, California
 Dirección de arte de la portada y diseño de Ed
GutheroIlustraciones de Nathan GreenePage
diseño y producción de Kara Meredith.

Todo el texto se encuentra en Palatino y Optima.

Y
Copyright @1998 por Hart Research CenterImpreso
en los Estados Unidos de AméricaTodos los
derechos reservados

A menos que se indique lo contrario, las referencias bíblicas en

este libro son de la Nueva Versión Internacional de la Biblia,
copyright @1979 por la Sociedad Bíblica Internacional de Nueva York.
Usado con permiso.

El autor asume la responsabilidad de la exactitud de todos los hechos

y citas citadas en este libro.

ISBN: 1-878046-49-7
 - ÍNDICE

LISTA DE CARTAS ............................................................................................... iv

Próximamente
Introducción1

Primera parte
La Misión de la Iglesia Adventista del Séptimo Día

1. La Gran Comisión como fundamento de la misión7

La Primacía de la Gran Comisión7
El Producto de la Gran Comisión10
Una definición bíblica de "discípulo" ....................................................... 15
Resumen26

2. La comprensión de la Iglesia primitiva y la misión27

Pentecostés y la comprensión de la misión27
La organización de la iglesia del Nuevo Testamento como un
Reflexión sobre su misión Mándate29
Diferencias culturales por el bien de
Cumplimiento de la misión32
La Plantación de Iglesias como un Enfoque de la Estrategia de Misión38
Un modelo de Iglesia no dependiente40
Resumen46

3. La base de la misión adventista47

La parusía como base de la misión adventista47
Un entendimiento de Apocalipsis 14:6-12 como la base para entender
el discipulado en la Iglesia Adventista51
Segunda Parte
El papel del clero y el cuidado de los miembros en la era del Nuevo Testamento
 Contenidos i¡¡

4. Una comprensión de los términos bíblicos para el clero65

Sacerdote67
Apóstoles70
Eider/Bishop. ......................................................................................................... 76
Diácono / Ministro82
Pastor/Pastor87
Conclusión sobre el clero como dispensador de cuidados primarios90

5. Un entendimiento del cuidado de los miembros en el

La era del Nuevo Testamento93
Antecedentes del Testamento de Oíd para la comunidad bíblica94
Comunidad en el Ministerio de Jesús100
La Iglesia de Grupos Pequeños en el Libro de los Hechos como una
Base para el cuidado de los miembros105
El Entendimiento del Apóstol Pablo de Proveer
Atención a los miembros a través de grupos pequeños110
La comunidad en pequeños grupos como novedad
Testamento Estrategia119
La atención mutua como fuente principal de atención al afiliado
en el Nuevo Testamento122
Resumen124

Tercera parte
El papel del clero y el cuidado de los miembros en la Iglesia Adventista Temprana
6. Antecedentes históricos del ascenso del adventismo127
Salida del Plan del Nuevo Testamento
de Atención al Miembro136
El metodismo y su impacto en la comprensión de los adventistas sobre el
papel del clero y el cuidado de los miembros141
i ¡ Contenido

7. El papel del clero en el adventismo temprano149

El papel del clero como evangelista itinerante
y sembradores de iglesias150
Estructura Organizacional Diseñada para
Cumplimiento de la misión151
Elena G. de White y el papel del clero160
Pérdida del papel del clero como sembradores de iglesias164

8. El cuidado de los miembros en el Adventismo Temprano179

Los pioneros del adventismo y la reunión social180
Elena G. de White y el Encuentro Social186
Elena G. de White y Grupos Pequeños193
Conclusiones sobre el miembro Caro en el Adventismo Temprano200

Cuarta Parte
El papel del clero y el cuidado de los miembros en la era del Nuevo Testamento

9. Regreso a las raíces bíblicas e históricas205

Por qué el adventismo debe regresar a una
Iglesia guiada por la misión207
Por qué el adventismo debe regresar a una
El papel bíblico del clero208
Por qué el adventismo necesita regresar a una
El papel bíblico del cuidado de los miembros209

10. Un modelo de estructura eclesiástica basado en la Biblia y en la

Raíces históricas213
Hacer discípulos en el nuevo modelo213
La Estructura de la Iglesia Modelo, Incluyendo
Papel pastoral y cuidado de los miembros223
Estructura de la Conferencia en una Iglesia Construida sobre el
Modelo Bíblico/Histórico231
Resumen233
SUERO Contenta

11. Cómo volver al modelo bíblico/histórico235

La educación en el nuevo modelo236
Plantando una nueva iglesia en el nuevo modelo237
La transición de una iglesia existente al nuevo modelo238
Qué hacer con las iglesias existentes que no lo hacen
Deseo tó Tráñsitioñ243
Resumen244

12. Resumen y Conclusión247

Apéndice: Estadísticas de crecimiento de la División de América del Norte253

Bibliografía seleccionada259

- LISTA DE GRÁFICOS -

Gráfico 1: Aumento de miembros por pastor174

Gráfico 2: Número de Iglesias por Pastor175
Gráfico 3: Aumento promedio de iglesias por año por pastor176
Gráfico 4: Se necesitan pastores para levantar una iglesia177
vi Palabra clave

Recuperar un enfoque adventista de la vida y la misión de la Iglesia Local es

un desafío más poderoso del Dr. Russell C. Burrill a la Iglesia Adventista
del Séptimo Día. Proporciona el marco histórico-teológico que ayudó a
dar forma a sus libros anteriores Reoolutíonized in the Church of the 21st Century
(1997), y el que está por venir, Rekindling a Lost Passion: Recreando un Movimiento
de Plantación de Iglesias (1999).
El Dr. Burrill descubre en el Nuevo Testamento una iglesia que estaba
condicionada por su misión mándate. El enfoque de su misión stratcgv fue la
plantación de iglesias. El clero era predicador itinerante. Las
congregaciones no dependientes de pastores que crecieron y se
multiplicaron bajo el liderazgo de los laicos, el resultado fue una rápida
expansión del cristianismo por todo el mundo entonces conocido.
Una de las contribuciones más valiosas del Dr. Burrill en la
recuperación de un enfoque adventista es precisamente la recuperación de un
capítulo casi olvidado de la estrategia de crecimiento de los adventistas
del séptimo día. Después de todo
En las primeras décadas del siglo XX, los ministros adventistas del séptimo día
eran esencialmente evangelistas itinerantes y sembradores de iglesias, no cuidadores
en las congregaciones locales. El cuidado de los miembros era responsabilidad de
cada congregación, siendo la "reunión social" un factor significativo. Durante ese
período la Iglesia Adventista experimentó su crecimiento más rápido.
El libro concluye con un cali a la Iglesia Adventista del Séptimo Día
para recuperar sus raíces bíblicas e históricas centradas en la misión. Pero
esto no implica un esfuerzo indiscriminado para hacer retroceder el
muelle. Con sensibilidad y realismo, el Dr. Burrill sugiere una estrategia
que también deja espacio para aquellos que pueden ser incapaces de
entender completamente los temas en juego.
 PRÓLOGO

El Dr. Burrill ha surgido como uno de los principales pensadores y

practicantes del Advenimiento en el crecimiento de la iglesia y la plantación
de iglesias. Al recuperar un enfoque adventista, nos ha desafiado a volver a
la misión de la iglesia desde la perspectiva de sus orígenes.

Berrien Sprmgs, MichiganWerner Vyhtnefster, Decano

Novernher, 1993 SDA Tkeological Seminan]
Universidad de Andrews

V
 - INTRODUCCIÓN

Hace casi dos mil años un grupo de once discípulos dudosos se encontró
con Jesús en una montaña justo antes de su ascensión al cielo. Allí Jesús les
entregó lo que se conoce como la Gran Comisión (Mateo 28:16-20). En
obediencia a esa comisión, dentro de los primeros cien años de su existencia
esos primeros discípulos crearon nuevos discípulos de cada nación conocida
por ellos.
Hoy muchos de los que profesan ser seguidores de Jesús prestan poca
atención al mándado de esta Gran Comisión. Las iglesias existen sin ningún
enfoque real en el ministerio. Muchas veces parecen existir por el bien de la
autoperpetuación. Sólo se hacen intentos esporádicos, en el mejor de los
casos, para crear nuevos discípulos.
Asimismo, la Iglesia Adventista del Séptimo Día aróse a mediados del
siglo XIX con una clara misión mándate a proclamar su mensaje único a las
partes más remotas del planeta Tierra. Con celo incontenible recorrieron el
mundo y plantaron el adventismo en todo el mundo dentro de los cuarenta
años de su organización. La Iglesia Adventista ha continuado su crecimiento
explosivo a lo largo del siglo XX, con una tasa de crecimiento promedio del 7
por ciento anual, lo que ha dado como resultado el cióse de diez millones de
miembros en la actualidad. Sin embargo, al examinar el crecimiento de la
Iglesia Adventista, uno descubre rápidamente un crecimiento desigual de la
Iglesia. El tercer mundo está explotando con tasas de crecimiento de 10 a 15
por ciento por año, mientras que Norteamérica, Europa y Australia (naciones
occidentalizadas) están creciendo a menos de 2 por ciento por año.
Las estadísticas de los primeros adventistas de Norteamérica reflejaban la
afiliación comprometida, mientras que hoy en día, en Norteamérica, las
funciones de los miembros están enormemente infladas. El promedio de
asistencia es de menos de la mitad de los miembros. En contraste, la vibrante
Iglesia del tercer mundo cuenta con una mayor asistencia que la membresía
en muchas áreas.
La Iglesia Adventista de América del Norte se ha vuelto muy dependiente
de los pastores, mientras que la mayor parte del tercer mundo existe sin
pastores establecidos. De hecho, muchos pastores tienen de treinta a cuarenta
iglesias bajo su supervisión. Por necesidad, estas iglesias se han convertido
en lideradas y empoderadas por laicos, en contraste con el modelo
dependiente del pastor de Norteamérica y otras naciones occidentalizadas.
El propósito de esta disertación es examinar los fundamentos bíblicos
sobre los cuales la Iglesia Adventista del Séptimo Día ha construido su
eclesiología. Prestaremos especial atención a la misión bíblica

i
2 Intrusión

confiado a la Iglesia, el papel del clero en el cumplimiento de esa misión, y el

papel de los laicos en el cumplimiento tanto de la misión como del cuidado
de los cristianos existentes. Además, investigaremos el adventismo primitivo
para descubrir la eclesiología de la Iglesia Adventista primitiva y su relación
con su comprensión de la misión, el papel pastoral y el cuidado de los
miembros,
A partir de los principios descubiertos bíblica e históricamente, la
disertación intentará proponer un modelo a seguir por las iglesias adventistas
en el siglo XXI. Este modelo se basará en las raíces de Adventismos bíblica! e
histórica! y prevé una iglesia impulsada por la misión, laica e independiente
del clero para el cuidado pastoral.
El adventismo norteamericano actualmente está reexaminando
seriamente su función evangelística e intentando volver a ser una iglesia
impulsada por la misión. La División Norteamericana en su edición de fin de
año de 1996
Las reuniones duraron casi tres días discutiendo y expiando las maneras en
que la Iglesia de América del Norte podría convertirse en un movimiento de
plantación de iglesias. La estructura eclesiológica actual de la Iglesia hace que
sea difícil La distribución regular de fondos favorece a las iglesias existentes
y el mantenimiento del statu quo. A pesar de los obstáculos aparentemente
insuperables involucrados en el fomento de la plantación de iglesias, la
reunión de negocios de la Iglesia se comprometió a avanzar en la dirección de
convertirse en un movimiento de plantación de iglesias una vez más.
En el contexto de los fondos para la plantación de iglesias, la idea de una
redefinición del papel del clero también ha cobrado impulso. Ese papel
redefinido visualizaría al clero como capacitadores/equipos en lugar de
cuidadores primarios. Comenzaría a parecerse al papel del clero en el tercer
mundo más que al modelo institucional de la mayoría de los occidentalizados.
denominaciones. Quiénes pocos en la actualidad se imaginan a los pastores con 30
a 40 iglesias, muchas prevén que las iglesias son menos dependientes de los
pastores y más centradas en los laicos.
Debido a la profunda dependencia de Adventismos en Scriplure como
única regla de fe y práctica, así como su profundo compromiso con la misión,
el modelo sugerido en esta disertación, aunque desafiante, puede ser logrado.
Es la creencia sincera del autor que el adventismo en Norteamérica puede una
vez más convertirse en una iglesia centrada en la misión, no dependiente del
pastor y con poder laical. Es la esperanza del autor que esta disertación
desempeñe un papel en ayudar a la Iglesia una vez más a ser confirmada
como una organización centrada en la misión y en la plantación de iglesias.
El desafío de alcanzar a los millones de personas que no asisten a la iglesia en
Norteamérica debe impulsar una vez más a la Iglesia hacia el cumplimiento
de su comisión ordenada por Dios.
incorporación 3

En resumen, el propósito de esta disertación es definir claramente la misión

de la Iglesia Adventista del Séptimo Día, tanto bíblica como espiritualmente.
Históricamente, y para examinar la ecdesiología sobre la cual tal misión fue
cumplida en el adventismo temprano. El modelo que se desarrolla a partir de
estas raíces bíblicas e históricas! eclesiológicas permite que la Iglesia
Adventista Norteamericana del próximo siglo se convierta en una iglesia que
verdaderamente llega a las personas perdidas, las integra en comunidades
adventistas vivas y, en última instancia, las ve salvas en el reino de Dios. El
modelo aquí desarrollado prevé la aparición de iglesias adventistas no
dependientes del pastor en toda Norteamérica, haciendo discípulos en todos
los grupos de personas posibles.
 r A RT ONE

LA MISIÓN DE LA
IGLESIA ADVENTISTA DEL SÉPTIMO DÍA
 - CAPÍTULO 1 -

LA GRAN COMISIÓNCOMO
FUNDAMENTO DE LA MISIÓN

Entonces los once discípulos fueron a Galilea, a la montaña

donde Jesús les había dicho que fueran. Cuando lo vieron, le
dieron vida; pero algunos dudaron. Entonces les dijo: "Toda
autoridad en el cielo y en la tierra me ha sido dada. Por tanto,
id y haced discípulos a todas las naciones, bautizándolos en el
nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo, y
enseñándoles a obedecer todo lo que os he mandado. Y yo
estoy con ustedes siempre, hasta el fin del mundo".
Mat. 28: 16-20 NIV (Nueva Versión Internacional)

Así terminó la estadía terrenal de Jesús, según el relato de Mateo. En esta

comisión de Sus discípulos, Jesús prepara el escenario para todo lo que está por suceder
dentro de la iglesia infantil que Él ha establecido por medio de esta acción.

LA PRIMACÍA DE LA GRAN COMISIÓN

La Gran Comisión es la "Carta Magna" de la iglesia cristiana. Es su razón

de ser. Se le llama "la Gran Comisión" debido a la magnitud de la comisión.
Lo abarca todo. Frederick Bruner observa los cinco "todo" que forman esta
comisión: "Toda la autoridad", "todas las naciones[pauta]", "en el nombre[de
todo Dios]", "toda la[patita] que os mandé", "con todos vosotros[pasas] los días".
1

Esta escena en la ladera de la montaña recuerda una escena similar de hace unos
mil quinientos años, cuando Jehová reunió a los esclavos recién liberados en
una nación en el monte Sinaí. Fue allí donde Dios habló y comisionó a Israel
para que fuera su pueblo y escuchara su ley. Ahora Jesús está a punto de
encargar el nuevo Israel. El Jesús resucitado no aparece con el propósito de
probar que ha resucitado de entre los muertos, sino más bien con el propósito
de revelar que su estado de "resurrección".

Frederick Dale Bruner, Matthew, vol. 2, The Churcbbook, Matthew 13-28 (Dallas: Word,
1990), 1094.

7
8 Capítulo í

le da la autoridad para emitir el encargo que está a punto de hacer

Sive*1

Esta nueva visión del Jesús autoritario provoca a los discípulos a adorarle.
Sin embargo, sorprendentemente, todavía había algunos que dudaban entre
estos discípulos.2 No todos estaban listos para adorarle. No sólo fue Thornas
quien dudó de su Señor resucitado; otros de los once todavía dudaban el día
de la ascensión. Cuando Jesús se aparece a este grupo de discípulos que
adoran y dudan, no ignora a los que todavía dudan, sino que los incluye. Él
viene a ellos en su acto de adoración y duda. Esto indica que Jesús acepta a
las personas tal como son, incluso cuando tienen dudas y problemas. Jesús no
pide que se tenga una actitud madura cuando se cumple la Gran Comisión.
AJI puede adorar, y todos pueden ser disipados haciendo otros discípulos.34
Jesús está aquí dirigiendo la Gran Comisión no sólo para
sino a los discípulos que dudan.
Habiendo visto al Señor resucitado, los discípulos escuchan atónitos sus
casi increíbles palabras: "Toda autoridad en el cielo y en la tierra tiene
u

heen given to me/' (Mateo, 8:19 N1V). Jesús no viene ahora como antes a
preguntar a sus discípulos: "¿Quién dice la gente que es el Hijo del Hombre?
(Mateo 16:13). Ahora Él viene declarando que fie es Aquel con absoluta y total
autoridad sobre el cielo y la tierra, la Suya no es ahora una autoridad parcial;
es una autoridad total. Jesús en realidad está diciendo que Él es el CEO (chief
executive officcr) del universo. Esta es la declaración más autorizada que
Jesús ha hecho en todo su ministerio en la tierra.
En el monte Sinaí, Dios se reveló por primera vez a sí mismo, tu Israel, con
truenos para acentuar su autoridad y poder. Jesús ahora reincorpora esta
escena para el encargo de Su iglesia del Nuevo Testamento. No es sólo Jesús,
pero el Jesús autoritario que emite la Gran Comisión, Esta poderosa declaración
de la autoridad de Jesús es suficiente para dar un fuerte énfasis a esta
comisión. No se puede tomar a la ligera. No es sólo un mandamiento entre
los muchos que Jesús da, sino que en cierto modo es el mandamiento de Jesús,
porque abarca todos sus otros mandamientos. Ser fiel aquí significa ser fiel a
todo lo que Jesús manda. Ser desobediente a esta comisión es no ser fiel al
autoritario Jesús, el director ejecutivo del universo. No nos daremos por
vencidos
desobediente a la misión de este Jesús que posee autoridad plena,
completa y ultimátina.
Después de haberse declarado a sí mismo como el único poseedor de

1 Mateo 28:18.
2
Matt, 28:17.
3
Bruncr, 1094
Ibídem.
La Gran Comisión como Fundación de la Misión 9

autoridad ultímate, Jesús ahora emite la comisión divina del versículo 19.
El comando es increíble. ¿Cómo podría un pequeño grupo de once pobres, medio
creyentes y medio indecisos, cumplir con un esquema tan grandioso, haciendo
discípulos de todas las naciones? La única manera de hacerlo es a través del poder
del autoritario Jesús.

La audaz divinidad del versículo dieciocho permite el

audaz internacionalismo del versículo diecinueve. "En la
posición de poder de Lésus sobre el mundo entero (v. 18)
está el fundamento de su exigencia de misión al mundo
entero[v. 191]" (K1., 232; cf. Sand, 798). Como Jesús es el
plenipotenciario del universo, los discípulos se mueven
para decirlo.56

Los fundamentos de la misión están profundamente arraigados, por lo tanto, en

la plena divinidad de Jesucristo como Señor absoluto tanto del cielo como de la tierra.
La razón de la misión cristiana a las naciones sólo puede entenderse en el contexto del
Señor resucitado, que había vencido a la muerte. Detrás de esta comisión está el
innegable pensamiento de que este mismo Jesús vvill les proporcionará el
poder y los medios para cumplir la misión que les ha encomendado. Es
por eso que Él declara como el componente final de la comisión que Él
estará con ellos hasta el fin de las edades (v. 20). Este estar con ellos es por
el bien de las naciones que necesitan ser alcanzadas. No es un
"marchitamiento" incondicional, sino un "marchitamiento" al hacer
discípulos.
Los discípulos no debían simplemente ir a las naciones, sino que
debían ir "por lo tanto/' porque Cristo es el poseedor de la autoridad
completa sobre las naciones. No deben comenzar esta misión sin la
presencia de Aquel que tiene toda la autoridad. Inherente al cali de la Gran Comisión
está la promesa del Espíritu que se manifestará plenamente en Pentecostés.
Los otros escritores sinópticos del evangelio presentan un énfasis aún
más fuerte en la presencia del Espíritu con los discípulos mientras
cumplen la comisión de Cristo. Aunque el relato de Marcos no tiene plena
autenticidad, es paralelo a la interpretación de Mateo, pero da un mayor
énfasis al Espíritu. En vez de tener a Jesús declarando que Él

5
Ibídem, 1096.
6
Ibídem, 1106.
10 Capítulo 1

tiene toda la autoridad, Marcos indica que los discípulos de Jesús tendrán
un ministerio autoritativo que se autentica por los signos que los acompañan en su
ministerio para Jesús. Inherente en el relato de Marcos está la misma presencia de Jesús
con los discípulos, permitiéndoles cumplir Su misión a través de Su poder
autoritativo, no en la fuerza humana.
El relato de Lucas también contiene la promesa del poder del Espíritu
que acompaña a los discípulos cuando van al mundo. Cada uno de los
evangelios sinópticos relata el mismo pensamiento que es inherente a la
entrega de la Gran Comisión: el poder del Espíritu Santo para permitir el
cumplimiento de esta misión del Señor resucitado. De hecho, el poder del
Espíritu era tan necesario para el cumplimiento de la misión que Jesús hizo
que los discípulos esperaran hasta que recibieran este poder antes de poder
ir a las naciones en Su autoridad. 8

EL PRODUCTO DE LA GRAN COMISIÓN

El mándate comisionado por Jesús es muy diferente del mándate dado

a Israel. Israel fue comisionado para crear una comunidad humanitaria que
reflejara al verdadero Dios. Fueron colocados en la encrucijada de la
civilización, donde todas las naciones vendrían a ellos y aprenderían del
verdadero Dios. En contraste con todas las naciones que vienen a Israel,
Cristo comisiona al nuevo Israel para que vaya a las naciones:

El énfasis del Testamento de Oíd no está en que Israel

salga en misión, sino en que las naciones converjan
espontáneamente en Jerusalén. Son atraídos por la evidencia
del Dios de Israel única y gloriosamente presente en medio
de su pueblo. Así que vienen a rendir homenaje a una deidad
extranjera, no obligada por la conquista sino convencida por el
pacto que Dios ha establecido con Israel y que se extiende al
mundo".

Algunos escritores sobre el crecimiento de la iglesia han sugerido que el

énfasis debe estar en la formación de discípulos más que en la marcha. Ellos
han sentido que la iglesia ha puesto la mayor parte de su énfasis en la
semirremolque.

s
Marcos 16:14-20; Lucas 24:44-50; Lucas 24:49.
Eridie Gibbs, / Creer en el crecimiento de la iglesia (Londres: Hodder & Stoughton,
9 1992), 33.
La Comisión Crear como fundamento de la misión 11

en lugar de hacer discípulos. "Eso puede ser cierto, pero también hay que
estar en armonía con el texto bíblico, que parece poner más énfasis en el
envío que en la formación de discípulos. Esto no disminuye el hacer discípulos
como la meta, pero ese hacer discípulos debe ser logrado en el proceso de"ir" en lugar
de que la iglesia espere a que la gente llegue a él, como existía en el paradigma del
Testamento de Oíd.
El tendencv de la iglesia ha sido y será contení con
j
lo que ha logrado y no puede seguir adelante. Jesús no podría haber usado
un imperativo más poderoso que el que usa en la Gran Comisión. Él está
exigiendo que Sus discípulos vayan:

Debido a que el imperativo del verbo (poreuthentes) se usa

otras tres veces en este Evangelio para obligar a la gente a
tugo físicamente en alguna parte (2:8; 11:4; 28:7), el "mover"
aquí es probablemente también un mandato dinámico y no
sólo un auxiliar casual. (Por lo tanto, poreuthentes
probablemente no debería traducirse "a medida que se
avanza"; es parte del concepto de misionero.
y significa "¡muévete!") Debido a que Jesús es el Señor, los discípulos
deben seguir tomando decisiones extensas, estar buscando maneras de
ponerse en contacto con la gente".

Este no es un mandato que los discípulos de Jesús puedan ignorar. No

se les pide que vayan a las naciones; se les ordena que vayan, y debe haber
una urgencia relacionada con su marcha. Otros pasajes insinúan que debían
esperar por el poder, pero esta espera sólo duraría diez días. Después de
eso, Pentecostés ocurrió, el Espíritu Santo descendió, y el poder de cumplir
la misión fue dado a la iglesia. Ya no había necesidad de esperar. El poder
que descendió en Pentecostés estaba ahora completamente disponible para
los discípulos. Por lo tanto, la urgencia de la Gran Comisión obliga a la iglesia a
involucrarse en la misión de Cristo ahora.
¿Cuál es esa misión? Según la comisión, es el hacer discípulos, bautizarlos y
enseñarles todo lo que Jesús mandó. La misión descrita en. esta com
mission centecs arourui estas tres obras: hacer discípulos, bautizar y
enseñar. La misión no está completa hasta que las tres obras hayan sido
completadas. Sólo cuando la iglesia sigue este triple mándado puede hacer
que se cumpla 78

7 Robert E. Logan, Más allá del crecimiento de la iglesia: Planes de Acción para Desarrollar
una Iglesia Dinámica (Grand Rapids: Revell, 1994), 96.
8 Bruner, 1096.
12 Capítulo 1

la comisión evangélica. Así que si una iglesia bautiza a la gente sin discipular
o enseñarles, es desobediente a Cristo. Si una iglesia discipula personas y no las
bautiza, es igualmente desobediente. Si una iglesia enseña a la gente los mandamientos
de Cristo, pero no les desagrada ni los bautiza, también le falla a Jesús. Incluso
si una iglesia discipula personas y las bautiza en la iglesia, pero no continúa
enseñándoles los mandamientos de Jesús, son desobedientes a Cristo. El
enfoque de este comando es amplio. Exige que la iglesia cree una iglesia que
reproduzca discípulos sólidos, no cristianos medio convertidos.
El mandamiento de nuestro Señor parece demasiado claro para ser
malentendido, y sin embargo es uno de los más frecuentemente
malentendidos en el cristianismo moderno. La iglesia ha fallado
miserablemente en cumplir la Gran Comisión, no porque no haya
proclamado y bautizado fielmente, sino porque no ha visto la absoluta
necesidad de asegurar las tres acciones.
El origen de la iglesia es inherente a la comisión de Jesús; la fuente del poder
para el cumplimiento de la comisión reside en el evento de Pentecostés. Pentecostés por
sí mismo, desvinculado de la Gran Comisión, resulta muchas veces en un uso
egoísta del Espíritu, en vez de ver al Espíritu como el que da poder a la
iglesia al cumplir la misión de Jesús. Aunque no intenta disminuir la Gran
Comisión, Ray Anderson intenta colocar a Pentecostés como una fuerza
mayor para la teología de la misión que la Gran Comisión:

Pentecostés es la fuente de la teología de la misión de la

iglesia, aun cuando la teología de la misión conduce
directamente a una teología de la iglesia. Es decir, una
teología de la iglesia surge de la misión cuando la iglesia
entiende que su naturaleza se basa en la propia misión de
Dios inaugurada a través de Israel y consumada en Cristo.
Esto significa que la misión tiene una prioridad teológica
para determinar la naturaleza de la iglesia y su relación con
la misión de Dios para el mundo.

Boer argumenta persuasivamente que Pentecostés, no la

Gran Comisión, fue un ingrediente consciente en el
pensamiento misionero de la iglesia primitiva. Esto contrasta
con gran parte del énfasis de la misión moderna, que intenta
lócate
 77je La Gran Comisión como fundamento de la misión 13

el imperativo de la misión de la iglesia sobre la obediencia

a la Gran Comisión en lugar de a Pentecostés.910
Aunque el énfasis de Anderson en Pentecostés es encomiable, este autor
cree que se equivoca al poner la Gran Comisión sujeta a Pentecostés, en lugar de que
Pentecostés sea una extensión de la Gran Comisión. El establecimiento de la iglesia es
claramente la Gran Comisión, como lo ha revelado este capítulo. Sin
embargo, Pentecostés es el poder de la iglesia para cumplir la Gran
Comisión. La iglesia es fundada por Cristo (Gran Comisión), no por el
Espíritu Santo (Pentecostés). La obra del Espíritu Santo es dar testimonio
de Cristo, y por lo tanto el Espíritu da poder a lo que Cristo ha establecido.
Poner a Pentecostés por encima de la Gran Comisión es poner al Espíritu
Santo por encima de Cristo.
Si Anderson está en lo correcto al colocar a Pentecostés sobre la Gran
Comisión como el origen de la iglesia, entonces el Espíritu Santo que
autentifica se convierte en el decisor de la enseñanza en lugar de Cristo o
la Palabra, porque el testimonio del Espíritu se vuelve superior a la
Palabra. Esta no es la intención de Anderson, pero es una consecuencia natural
de tal pensamiento.
La continuidad aposto!ic de la iglesia debe ser iound en su vida
bajo el poder transformador y la presencia de Cristo, más
que en su conformidad con la forma de la iglesia en el
primer siglo.....
Esos vvho buscan repristinar el cristianismo del primer
siglo como base para el gobierno, la vitalidad y el estilo de
la iglesia en el presente siglo, en realidad se vuelven no
apostólicos y finalmente irrelevantes para la misión
apostólica de la iglesia hoy en día. Como sugiere
Pannenberg, lo que pudo haber sido apostólico en el primer
siglo puede ser un obstáculo para la misión apostólica de la
iglesia hoy en día. n
Anderson aparentemente ha invertido el orden bíblico. El origen de la iglesia es
la Gran Comisión; Pentecostés entonces da poder a la iglesia para cumplir esa misión.
En este sentido, el autor puede estar de acuerdo con Anderson:

9
Ray S. Anderson, Ministerio en el Fireljne: A PracticaI Theology for an Empowered Church (Downers Grove,
III: InterVarsity Press, 1993) 101-102; 31.
10
Ibídem, 128.
14 Chdpter 1

La iglesia existe como el pueblo misionero de Dios, esa es su

naturaleza. La misión de la iglesia es encarnar en su Ufe corporativa
y ministrar la naturaleza mesiánica y encarnada del Hijo de
Dios a través de la vida en el Espíritu Santo. La naturaleza de
la iglesia está determinada en su existencia como la misión de
Dios al mundo. La naturaleza de la iglesia, así como su misión
y ministerio, tienen su fuente en la vida del Dios-Padre, Hijo
y Espíritu Santo trino"4.

Hasta ahora, hemos descubierto que la Gran Comisión es primordial para

el origen de la Iglesia Cristiana. Esa comisión está arraigada en la autoridad
del Cristo resucitado que exige de sus seguidores la formación de discípulos,
el bautismo de discípulos y la enseñanza continua de discípulos en todas las
naciones. Para lograr ese objetivo, Él prometió estar con los discípulos en esta
venida misionera, y luego cumplió esa promesa al dar el Espíritu en
Pentecostés. Por lo tanto, Pentecostés está arraigado en la Gran Comisión y
sirve para que la iglesia pueda cumplir con esta comisión. La Gran Comisión
es primaria, Pentecostés es secundario.
Es en este sentido que los adventistas del séptimo día nunca pueden ser
pentecostales. El Espíritu Santo es dado para el cumplimiento de la Gran
Comisión. El Espíritu Santo no es un fin en sí mismo: Él sirve a Cristo
resucitado, permitiendo que su cuerpo cumpla la Gran Comisión. El Espíritu
nunca puede reemplazar al Cristo o a la Palabra. Sólo puede dar testimonio
de ello.
No ha sido el propósito de esta discusión restarle importancia al Espíritu
Santo; sólo poner al Espíritu Santo en Su lugar apropiado. Uno de los peligros
que enfrenta el adventismo hoy en día es el intento de permitir que el Espíritu
sea el decisor auténtico de lo que es correcto en la misión y en la práctica. El peligro
aquí es que un espíritu falso también pueda estar trabajando. El adventismo
debe evaluar al Espíritu en curso por el Verbo eterno. Sólo cuando la teología
y la práctica se someten a la prueba de fuego de la Palabra revelada, el
adventismo puede ser seguro. Como el Espíritu es autentificado por la
Palabra de Dios, Él puede dar poder a la iglesia de hoy para cumplir la misión
de Cristo como se describe en la Gran Comisión.
La verdadera iglesia de Jesús hoy, entonces, debe ser una iglesia de la
Gran Comisión. Debe ser una iglesia que se toma en serio el cumplimiento
de la Gran Comisión. Si el origen de la iglesia está en la Gran Comisión,
14
Ibídem, 114.
 La Comisión de la CJ rea t como Fundación para la Misión 15

entonces su vida y su práctica deben girar en torno al cumplimiento de

esa comisión como razón de su existencia. Es sobre esta base que la iglesia
de Jesús hoy debe convertirse verdaderamente en el pueblo misionero de
Dios por el bien de las naciones.

UNA DEFINICIÓN BÍBLICA DE "DISCÍPULO"

Puesto que el mándate de la Gran Comisión constituye la razón de ser

de la iglesia, y esa comisión ordena a la iglesia que haga discípulos, es
esencial que entendamos claramente desde una base bíblica lo que es un
discípulo. Muchas definiciones se dan en la literatura sobre el crecimiento
de la iglesia, pero parece que se llega a ellas por razones misionológicas
más que como una definición estrictamente bíblica. 1' Sin embargo, algo
tan crucial para el cumplimiento de la Gran Comisión como el contacto
con los discípulos exige que el hacer discípulos sea entendido como Jesús
lo definió. Sería esta definición la que Jesús habría tenido en mente al
ordenar a sus seguidores que salieran a hacer discípulos. ¿Cómo puede entenderse el
evangelismo si el producto que el evangelismo está tratando de producir no es claro?
Según la Gran Comisión ese producto es un discípulo.
La palabra inglesa "disciple" (discípulo) es una traducción de las
matemáticas griegas. Su origen fue en Grecia, cuando un estudiante se unía
a un profesor con el fin de adquirir conocimientos prácticos y teóricos.

Donald McGavran en Understanding Church Growth, 3d ed., ed. y rev. por C. Peter
Wagner (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990), 123, define el discipulado como el traer a
la gente a la fe en Cristo. Esto debe ser seguido por el "perfeccionamiento", que él
define como el llevar a la gente a la madurez de la fe. Esta definición lo llevó
finalmente a su comprensión de los "movimientos populares", a través de los cuales
grupos enteros podían ser llevados a Cristo sin una instrucción completa. Podrían
"perfeccionarse" más tarde. Su intención de aumentar el número de personas que
vienen a Cristo es encomiable, pero su definición no bíblica de "discípulo" ha
abaratado el evangelio. Es esta definición la que muchos de sus críticos han
explotado. Sin embargo, no han logrado llegar a una definición bíblica de
"discípulo" por sí mismos. Para una discusión de la definición de McGavran de
"discípulo" desde la perspectiva de la crítica, ver artículos de John H. Yoder, Alien
H. Howe y Robert L. Ramseyer, todos los cuales se encuentran en The Challenge of
Church Growth, ed. (El desafío del crecimiento de la iglesia). Wilbert R. Shenk, 40, 43;
55; y 65, 81, 102. La definición de McGavran de "discípulo" es rechazada por este
escritor y una definición bíblica es delineada en este capítulo.
conocimiento. Se usa en el Nuevo Testamento para inducir el total
16 Capítulo I

apego a alguien en el discipulado11. 1213

Porque el aprendizaje no es un mero proceso intelectual

por el cual uno adquiere la enseñanza acerca de Cristo.
Implica la aceptación de Cristo mismo, el rechazo de su
existencia y el inicio de la nueva liíe oí del discipulado en él. 1

Ser un discípulo, entonces, es vivir en una relación con Aquel que te está
discipulando. En esta relación, uno debe estar constantemente aprendiendo
más acerca de esa persona, mientras que al mismo tiempo vive en sujeción a
esa persona. La palabra misma no sugiere una rápida conversión de la
persona, sino un lento proceso por el cual uno se convierte en discípulo.

La palabra ilustra a los estudiantes sentados alrededor de un

maestro más que a los penitentes arrodillados ante un altar, un
proceso educativo más que una crisis evangelística, una
escuela más que un avivamiento. El carácter prosaico de la
palabra relaja y dice en efecto: "Trabajar con la gente durante
un período de tiempo en el proceso educativo oí enseñando a
Jesús".
Sólo el Cosmocrator puede hacer las grandes cosas como
convertir, ganar, traer arrepentimiento, o mover a una
persona a la decisión - toda autoridad es suya. Pero los
discípulos pueden, deben y harán la pequeña cosa de
"discipular" a los demás -es decir, pasar un buen rato con la
gente- con la confianza de que tarde o temprano el
Cosmocrator creará en esta gente la decisión por el bautismo
(o, en las culturas cristianizadas, la decisión de poseer el
bautismo) y así seguir a Jesús. ,B

La explicación de Bruner de la palabra "discípulo" tiene un gran peso

evangelístico. Si, como sugiere Bruner, la venida a Cristo es un acto de Dios,
entonces los seres humanos no pueden llevar a la gente a la fe en Cristo. Todo
lo que los humanos pueden hacer es crear un ambiente de educación que haga
a la gente consciente de Cristo y de Su Palabra. En ese ambiente de
discipulado ellos pueden ser llevados a la fe en Cristo. Sin embargo, lo hacen

11
Nuevo Diccionario Internacional de Teología del Nuevo Testamento (1975), s.v.
"disciple" (mathetes), 484, 486.
12
Ibídem.
13
Bruner, 1096-1097.
La Comisión Creal como Fundación de la Misión delí 17

de una sólida educación a la vida y enseñanzas de Cristo y no a una

comprensión superficial de lo que significa ser cristiano.
Bruner profundiza en lo que significa ser un discípulo al distinguir entre
hacer discípulos que llevan al bautismo, y la continuación de hacer discípulos
después del bautismo, que está más en armonía con el "perfeccionamiento" de
McGavran. Sin embargo, Bruner ve más en el discipulado inicial que
McGavran:

"¡Discípulo!" (matheteusate) en el imperativo aoristo es el

verbo de cobertura que resume todas las responsabilidades
misioneras. Entonces los dos participios coordinados presentes
"bautizando" y "enseñando" (note la similitud en la
estructura: baptizontes y didaskontes) hacen muy particular las
dos metas prácticas del discipulado: el bautismo, la meta del
evangelismo; la enseñanza, los medios de educación La....
disciplina alcanza su primera meta "en el acto de bautismo de
una vez por todas y[la disciplina es continuada] a través de la
actividad continua de enseñar...."... Así pues, la Gran
Comisión dice a los cristianos tanto el medio de la iniciación
(bautismo) como el medio de la continuación (enseñanza de
Jesús). 1''

De acuerdo a esta evidencia, parece que el discipulado es tanto un trabajo

inicial como un trabajo continuo en la vida de la persona que recibe el
discipulado. La pregunta que nos preocupa ahora es, ¿Cuál es la obra inicial
de discipulado que debe hacerse antes de que una persona sea bautizada en
la fe? De acuerdo a la Gran Comisión, las personas son hechas discípulos,
luego bautizadas, y luego se les enseña más. Hay poco desacuerdo entre los
cristianos sobre el hecho de que la gente necesita una enseñanza continua
después del bautismo. El arca del desacuerdo radica en lo que se debe enseñar
antes del bautismo. Es con este pensamiento en mente que deseamos
examinar las declaraciones de Jesús acerca de cómo llegar a ser un discípulo.
Serían estas declaraciones las que Jesús tendría en mente cuando ordenara a
sus seguidores que hicieran discípulos.
El primer pasaje que detalla lo que significa ser un discípulo de Jesús se
encuentra en Mateo 10:24-25 (NVI):

Un estudiante \matheta¡] no está por encima de su

maestro, ni un siervo por encima de su amo. Basta que el
estudiante sea como su maestro, y el siervo como su amo. Si
la cabeza
18 Capítulo I

19
Ibídem, 1102.
w Capítulo 1

de la casa ha sido callee! Belcebú, ¡cuánto más los miembros

de su casa!

Uno que se convierte en discípulo de Jesús puede esperar ser tratado como Jesús
fue tratado - incomprendido y perseguido. Cuando la gente acaba de llegar a la fe en
Cristo es difícil para ellos soportar circunstancias difíciles para su fe. Si, como este texto
sugiere, uno que es un discípulo es capaz de resistir estos ataques, entonces
esa persona debe haber llegado a una madurez básica de fe en Cristo antes
de convertirse en un discípulo. Por lo tanto, parte del proceso evangelístico
de hacer un discípulo es ayudar a esa persona a desarrollar una fe lo
suficientemente madura para soportar la persecución o el ridículo.
El segundo pasaje importante sobre el entendimiento de Jesús de
convertirse en discípulo se encuentra en Lucas 14:26, 27, 33 (NVI):

Si alguno viene a mí y no odia a su padre y a su madre,

a su mujer y a sus hijos, a sus hermanos y hermanas -sí, incluso
a su propia pequeñez-, no puede ser mi discípulo.
Y el que no lleva su cruz y me sigue no puede ser mi discípulo..... De la
misma manera, cualquiera de ustedes que no renuncia a todo lo que
tiene no puede ser mi discípulo.

Este pasaje nos dice que grandes multitudes seguían a Jesús (v. 25). Si
Jesús había creído en los movimientos de masas de gente no convertida que
venían a la fe, entonces Él hizo una respuesta muy inapropiada y
desalentadora a las masas en esta declaración. Hay un costo por seguir a
Jesús. Jesús no desea seguidores a medias; desea individuos plenamente
comprometidos. Aquellos que deciden convertirse en Sus discípulos deben
estar dispuestos a renunciar a todo, incluyendo el hogar, la familia, los
parientes, la riqueza y la posición, para poder seguirlo.
De acuerdo con el concepto de movimiento de personas de McGavran, Jesús
debería haber recibido a toda la multitud y no preocuparse por el compromiso, ya que
podría hacerlo más tarde.1 Pero ese no era el enfoque de Jesús. Aun cuando el joven
rico gobernante se acercaba a Cristo, Jesús lo desanimó exigiéndole un
compromiso total antes de otorgarle el discipulado. La teología de
McGavran habría sido aceptar al joven gobernante rico como era,
convertirlo en discípulo y esperar que el compromiso llegara más tarde.
Eso, sin embargo, no fue la

20
Véase la nota 15.
La Gran Comisión como fundamento de la misión 19

patrón de Jesús. Para Jesús, el prerrequisito para el descontento era la

entrega total y la voluntad de renunciar a todo para seguirle.
Convertirse en discípulo, declara Jesús, es estar dispuesto a llevar "su cruz".
Nótese que no es "mi cruz", sino "Su cruz". En la crucifixión, el que se crudifica
lleva a menudo su propia cruz al lugar de la crucifixión. Puesto que los
crucificados solían ser esclavos o condenados por los crímenes más
terribles, el crucificado a menudo era odiado y despreciado por la sociedad.
Así, pues, llevar la cruz es hacer exactamente lo que Jesús hizo cuando la
llevó: soportar sin quejarse o lamentar el ceño fruncido de amigos y
parientes, y soportar el reproche de Cristo con paciencia y humildad. Para
ser un discípulo, uno debe estar dispuesto a llevar "Su cruz". El discípulo
tiene entonces una comunión suprema con Cristo en sus sufrimientos.
Ningún honor más grande puede llegar a una persona.
La religión que Cristo ofrece cuando invita a la gente a ser sus
discípulos no es una religión de facilidad e indulgencia, sino de porte de
cruz. No significa que el cristiano pase por la vida con mal humor y sin gozo,
sino que el que se ha convertido en su discípulo encuentra gozo en la aflicción y en los
problemas causados por su lealtad a Cristo, considerándolo un privilegio sufrir con
Cristo. Cristo no promete
la facilidad y el placer en este mundo, pero Él promete paz interior y
felicidad. Para asegurar esto, el discípulo de Jesús lleva alegremente "Su
cruz". Orlando Costas sugiere que esta vida de sufrimiento como el costo
del descontento sea inherente al cali para convertirse en un discípulo:

Todas estas imágenes, inspiradas en las mismas palabras

del Jesús histórico y que representan una tradición de
desarrollo en la iglesia primitiva, dan testimonio del mensaje
de la cruz como afirmación de la vida a través del
sufrimiento y la muerte. 21

El tercer pasaje que tiene que ver con ser discípulo de Jesús se encuentra en Juan
8:31-32 (NVI):

Jesús dijo a los judíos que le habían creído: "Si os aferráis

a mis enseñanzas, seréis realmente mis discípulos. Entonces
sabrás la verdad, y la verdad te hará libre".

En este pasaje Jesús está hablando a la gente que ya cree en Él. De

nuevo, si Lesus aceptara la definición de McGavran de discípulo como el

Orlando Costas, Liberaling News: A Theology of Contextual Evangelizaron (Grand

21
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989), 97-98.
20 Capítulo /

"venida inicial a Cristo", entonces estas personas ya serían consideradas

discípulos. Sin embargo, Jesús declara que no basta con creer en Él. Ser un
discípulo significa aferrarse continuamente a Sus enseñanzas. Esto sugeriría
de nuevo, como lo hizo Bruner antes, que ser un discípulo implica un proceso
más largo que sólo venir a Cristo".
El resultado de continuar aferrándose a las enseñanzas de Cristo sería,
prometió Jesús, conocer la verdad. Juan más tarde hizo que Jesús declarara
que Él es la verdad (Juan 14:6). Uno que va a ser discípulo de Jesús, entonces,
sería una persona que realmente conoce a Jesús como la última verdad en la
vida. Para que esto suceda evangelísticamente, al neófito se le deben enseñar
las enseñanzas básicas sobre Jesús antes del discipulado. De hecho, la Versión
Amplificada sugiere que un discípulo es aquel que se aferra a las enseñanzas
de Jesús y vive de acuerdo con ellas. 21 Un discípulo, entonces, es alguien que
es obediente a lo que Jesús dice, un guardián de los mandamientos.
Obviamente, está guardando los mandamientos de Jesús por su amor a Jesús
y nol por exigencia o deber. Esto sugiere una vez más un fuerte apego a Jesús
como la base del discipulado y la obediencia a sus enseñanzas como un fruto
externo de ese apego. Si este fruto exterior faltara, sería inducir que el
discipulado no ha ocurrido.

Un discípulo es aquel que escucha el cali de Lesus y se une

a su compañía. En su contexto judío significa mucho más que
en el griego secular. Para los griegos significaba estudiante,
alumno o aprendiz. En el Nuevo Testamento significa lealtad
total. Esto se refleja en el énfasis de la enseñanza en hacer
discípulos.14 1516

El siguiente pasaje sobre el discipulado es muy corto y se encuentra en

Juan 13:34 (NVI):

Un mandamiento nuevo os doy: Amaos los unos a los otros.

Como yo os he amado, así también vosotros debéis amaros los
unos a los otros. En esto conocerán todos que sois mis
discípulos, si os amáis los unos a los otros.

El amor debe ser la prueba absoluta e infalible del propio discipulado. Se

puede decir que una persona es un discípulo cuando esa persona ama como
Jesús ama, incondicionalmente. No significa que el amor es completamente
perfeccionado, sino que el

Bruner, 1097.
Juan 8:31-32, El Diblc amplificado (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1965).
16
Gibbs, 135.
La Comisión Crear como Fundación para la Misión 21

l amor de Jesús debe ser encontrado, al menos embrionariamente, en la

vida de quien es un disgusto. Una vez más, Jesús nos está dando pruebas
de discipulado. Si la Gran Comisión nos ordena que hagamos discípulos,
entonces producir gente a la que calificamos como cristianos pero que no
tienen el amor de Cristo morando en sus corazones es tergiversar el evangelio de
Cristo.
El fantástico éxito de la iglesia primitiva no se debió tanto a su correcta
metodología como a su constante vitalidad al ejemplificar en sus vidas las
claras señales de discipulado que Jesús modeló para ellos. Es una tragedia
cuando las "masas" se hacen miembros de la iglesia sin estas evidencias
claras de discipulado. Esto destruye el testimonio natural de la iglesia y
debilita el cristianismo. La instrucción de Jesús sobre hacer discípulos
como el trabajo de la iglesia parece estar diseñada para prevenir el
desarrollo de una iglesia que comprometería su vitalidad. Jesús se
preocupa por alcanzar a las masas, pero quiere que sean alcanzadas con lo
"real", no con el cristianismo artificial.
El pasaje final en el que Jesús se refiere a hacer discípulos es Juan 15:8 (NVI):

Esto es para gloria de mi Padre, que llevéis mucho fruto,

mostrándoos como mis discípulos.

La conexión con Cristo significa dar fruto. Es el resultado inevitable de

tal unión. Porque es inevitable, si el fruto no está allí, podemos saber que
el discipulado no está ocurriendo.
He aquí otra de las pruebas de Jesús por las cuales la iglesia puede medir
si una persona se ha convertido o no en discípulo. La persona debe estar
produciendo frutos. ¿Qué es esta fruta? Algunos pueden sugerir que Jesús
se refiere al fruto del Espíritu enunciado por Pablo en Gálatas. Sin
embargo, Jesús está hablando antes que Pablo. En el contexto de este pasaje
Jesús se refiere a sí mismo como la vid y a sus seguidores como los sarmientos. El
trabajo de las ramas es producir fruto debido a su conexión viva con la vid. De lo
contrario, se considerarán improductivas.
Todo el contexto de este pasaje parece centrarse en la comprensión de
la misión. El cristiano que no se reproduce creando otros discípulos no es
realmente un discípulo. Es imposible, entonces, ser seguidor de Jesús y no
compartir a Jesús. Los discípulos no sólo deben compartir, también deben
hacer otros discípulos o no pueden ser considerados discípulos ellos
mismos. Esto no es para ser un converso casual una vez en la vida. El
discipulado de Jesús invita a la gente a una vida de constante disgusto.
Jesús quiere que demos mucho fruto.
22 Capítulo J

Inherente entonces en el cali para ser un discípulo de Jesús está el cali

para ser un cristiano productor de frutos y, por extensión, una iglesia
productora de frutos, reproductora y autoperpetuadora. En este sentido
Jesús está declarando que el discipulado cristiano no puede existir a menos que una
persona esté involucrada en la formación de discípulos, o puede existir una iglesia
cristiana que no sea una iglesia de formación desigual. Esto conecta con la misma
Gran Comisión, cuando, como hemos visto, Jesús exige que sus seguidores
vayan y hagan discípulos.

Cada cristiano debe crecer hasta la madurez del

discipulado y luego reproducir a otros discípulos. Cada
discípulo debe ser un padre espiritual para otros discípulos en
crecimiento, luego un abuelo, luego un bisabuelo/ 5

Todo verdadero discípulo nace en el reino de Dios como

misionero. 26
La conversión en este sentido es el cambio de aquellos que "no
eran un pueblo" para que se conviertan en el pueblo ministrador de
Dios, el cuerpo activo, involucrado y sirviente de Cristo....;
(2) la conversión a la Iglesia, el cuerpo de Cristo, y
(3) conversión al ministerio en el mundo por el cual Cristo
murió. 27

Esto sugeriría que en la metodología evangelística y en la preparación

para la membresía en la iglesia, al nuevo discípulo se le debe dar suficiente
información y tener una experiencia lo suficientemente desarrollada para
que el proceso de reproducción del discípulo pueda comenzar. Este proceso
necesita volverse inherente en el cali inicial para ser un cristiano. Uno nunca debe ser
llamado al discipulado sin experimentar el cali para hacer discípulos. Esto sugiere
un proceso que conduce a la conversión en lugar de una respuesta rápida a
un cali para aceptar a Cristo y ser bautizado.

Kent R. Hunter, fundaciones para el crecimiento de la iglesia: Bases Bíblicas para la

Iglesia Local (A Coruña, Indiana: Church Growth Center, 1994), 85.
26
Ellen G. White, El Deseado de todas las gentes (Mountain View, California: Pacific Press, 1940), 195.
fywj

*Charles Van Engen, el Pueblo Misionero de Dios: Repensar el propósito de la Iglesia Local
(Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1991), 152.
Un examen de los pasajes que tratan del discipulado ha revelado lo
siguiente acerca del entendimiento de Jesús de lo que significa llegar a ser un
discípulo:
 La Gran Comisión como Fundación de la Misión 23

1. Un discípulo es alguien que está dispuesto a soportar la persecución y el

ridículo por causa de Cristo.
2. Un discípulo es alguien que vive en total lealtad al Señorío de Cristo,
estando dispuesto a abandonar todo -propiedad, familia, amigos, etc.- por
la causa de Cristo.
3. Un discípulo es aquel que entiende y mantiene las enseñanzas básicas de
Jesús.
4. Un discípulo es aquel que ama incondicionalmente con el amor ágape de
Jesús, recibido de Él.
5. Un discípulo es aquel que está dando fruto creando otros discípulos para
Jesús.

Si los cinco puntos anteriores son lo que Jesús quiso decir con "discípulo",
entonces Su mandato en la Gran Comisión de hacer discípulos significaría que
la metodología evangelística empleada y la iglesia establecida como resultado
de la tarea de hacer discípulos, de alguna manera se parecería a Su definición
de discípulo, tal como se enumera en estos cinco puntos. Tliis es más que una
"venida inicial a Cristo". Hay un sólido desarrollo de fe en las personas que se
hacen discípulos. Tal desarrollo de la fe no ocurre de la noche a la mañana.
Requiere un proceso de tiempo, que es el pensamiento que se sugiere por el
uso mismo del término "discípulo" para describir lo que Jesús quería que su
iglesia lograra.
El mándado del Maestro a la iglesia cristiana está claramente descrito en
Mateo 28:19. Ese mándate exige un proceso de desarrollo de la fe que lleve a
las personas al lugar donde ejemplifican claramente las señales de discipulado
enumeradas anteriormente. Cualquier iglesia evangelizadora que no se ocupe
del discipulado básico está usando una metodología defectuosa y producirá
una iglesia no reproductiva. La gente no puede ser ganada como masas, sino
que debe ser llevada individualmente al discipulado. En la actualidad tal
atención individualizada es consistente con la cali in tíie Great Com mission
del Maestro. Tal instrucción individual puede ser lograda sólo cuando cada
discípulo actual es visto como un discípulo hacedor de discípulos. Si tenemos
que confiar en que el clero proveerá tal instrucción, eso nunca sucederá. Es
por eso que todos los cristianos son ministros y hacedores de discípulos en el
Nuevo Testamento.
El cali a la conversión es una ¡invitación al discípulo-
barco....ya sea que tome la forma directa de Jesús7 calí para seguirlo o
la forma aposto!ic de participar a través de
fe en la comunidad mesiánicaResponde __ a las necesidades
reino. Consecuentemente, involucra a una comunidad que
está comprometida en un discipulado activo en el mundo. 28

Incluso McGavran nota que los adventistas que han practicado un

proceso pre-bautismal más fuerte se aferran a los conversos mejor que
24 Capítulo I

aquellos grupos que sólo enseñan una venida inicial a Cristo:

Pero si Kessler y Money tienen razón, y el crecimiento

adventista en el Perú se puede atribuir en gran parte a la
enseñanza efectiva de lo que ellos consideran esencial para
la salvación, ¿por qué no podría ningún cristiano, copiando
esta parte del programa adventista, enseñar efectivamente lo que ellos
consideraban esencial para la salvación? ’ ‘

Sin embargo, el discipulado es mucho más que simplemente ser

adoctrinado en una iglesia o denominador particular; el discipulado es
principalmente acerca del compromiso con el Señorío de Cristo. 30 Sólo las
personas comprometidas deben ser bautizadas en la comunión de la iglesia.
Según la comisión de Jesús, las personas primero son hechas discípulos,
luego son bautizadas en el bodv de Cristo que el Nuevo Testamento
claramente define como la iglesia de Jesús. En este sentido, es imposible ser
bautizado sin ser miembro de la iglesia. El prerrequisito para ser miembro
es el discipulado inicial, tal como lo definió Jesús, el cual provee una clara
base teológica para el bautismo del creyente.
Retrasar el bautismo hasta que las evidencias de discipulado sean
evidentes en la vida es contrario a la mayoría de los planes de crecimiento de hoy en
día. Sin embargo, parecería mejor tener el crecimiento sólido que implica hacer
discípulos que el crecimiento barato que otros planes permitirían. La iglesia debe
recordar que el mandato de la Gran Comisión es hacer discípulos, no ser miembro
de la iglesia. Sin embargo, aquellos que son hechos discípulos deben ser
bautizados inmediatamente en la iglesia, si la iglesia es fiel a la Gran
Comisión.

2H
Miguez Bonino, Notes on Conversión, 6, citado en Costas, 117. ~
McGavran, 132.
30
Gibbs, 136.
31
1 Corintios 12:1.
El bautismo puede necesitar ser entendido como algo más que un Símbolo
de perdón de pecados. Hay fuerte evidencia en el Nuevo Testamento de que
el bautismo también lleva el Símbolo de la ordenación al ministerio de todos
los beiievers. He discutido esto en mi libro Revolución en la Iglesia. y2 Capítulo
7 indica que el Nuevo Testamento da una fuerte evidencia que vincula la
imposición de manos con el evento bautismal para indicar la iniciación de
cada creyente en el ministerio. Para estar en armonía con la teología de la
misión del Nuevo Testamento, la iglesia de hoy necesita recapturar esta
ordenación en el sacerdocio de todos los beiievers como parte de su iniciación
en el cristianismo. Si el bautismo simboliza, como el bautismo de Jesús, la
La Gran Comisión como Fundación de la Misión 25

entrada en el ministerio, entonces el discipulado que ocurre antes del

bautismo debe preparar a la gente para entrar en el ministerio de Cristo. Eso
en sí mismo preelude un bautismo rápido después de un reconocimiento de
Cristo como Salvador. Uno que es bautizado debe estar preparado para entrar
en el ministerio de Cristo, como se encuentra en los beiievers que Él ya ha
reunido en Su iglesia.

Las congregaciones misioneras de VVhen se ven a sí

mismas como el pueblo de Dios en su totalidad, pueden tener
que cambiar su definición de ordenación. Como discípulos de
lesus son confirmados como miembros del cuerpo de Cristo,
deben reconocer que en esa confirmación hay un mándado
para el ministerio en la Iglesia y en el mundo. La ordenación
se convierte en la diferenciación por parte de todo el pueblo
de aquellos que equiparán, motivarán y movilizarán a los
miembros para el ministerio y la misión. De alguna manera la
ordenación, por lo tanto, dejará de lado a aquellos que
asistirán a los miembros para confirmar su llamado como
pueblo misionero de Dios. 2*

Además, la iglesia debe continuar el proceso de enseñanza después de la

conversión, según la Gran Comisión. Es este último elemento el que las
iglesias tienden a descuidar, pues muchas veces las personas son olvidadas
una vez que han sido bautizadas. En cambio, los neófitos deben ser colocados
en un ambiente de enseñanza donde continúen aprendiendo todas las
enseñanzas de Jesús y creciendo en su relación con el Cristo resucitado.

Por encima de todo, el Jesús de Mateo busca guardianes

de los mandamientos. Este énfasis mantiene a los cristianos

Russell Burrill, Revolution in the Church (Fallbrook, California: Hart Research, 1993), 79-
88.
21
VanEngen, 156.
26 Chapler /

De esta manera, ni el éxtasis, ni las causas, ni las ¡ideas, ni

ninguna otra cosa buena se adelantarán a lo mejor: la obediencia a
Jesús que garantiza la autenticidad del discipulado. 5 '

Así, la prueba de fuego de los que son discipulados y bautizados se ve en

su continua obediencia a las enseñanzas de Jesús. Las vidas cambiadas serán
evidenciadas en aquellos que han entrado en el discipulado bautizado. Serán
diferentes.

RESUMEN
En este capítulo hemos mostrado claramente que el enfoque de la iglesia
primitiva era el cumplimiento de la Gran Comisión. Pentecostés aseguró a la
iglesia infantil la presencia de Cristo resucitado, como se manifiesta en el
poder del Espíritu, para cumplir esa misión, pero el fundamento de la iglesia se ve
claramente en la Gran Comisión. El enfoque de esa comisión está en hacer
discípulos. Cualquier otro producto final es inaceptable para Jesús. Él ordenó
a la iglesia que produjera discípulos, y eso es lo que las iglesias obedientes
deberían estar haciendo.
Hemos descubierto la definición de Jesús de "disipar". Esa definición,
dada por el Jesús histórico, se centra en el apego a la persona de Cristo, a
quien el individuo ha jurado lealtad absoluta, haciendo así de Cristo el Señor
total de su vida. Habiendo hecho ese compromiso, el dlsciple es bautizado
en una vida de constante instrucción y aprendizaje sobre Jesús. Es este
entendimiento bíblico el que Jesús dio como el mándado a Su iglesia. Él lo
comisionó para que existiera con el propósito de hacer discípulos, bautizar a
estos discípulos y mantenerlos continuamente fieles a Sus enseñanzas. Sólo
cuando la iglesia regrese a esta visión bíblica del discipulado podrá ser adecuada y
fielmente obediente a la Gran Comisión. Sólo así puede convertirse en una iglesia
que se reproduce.

34
Bruner, 1103.
 - CAPÍTULO 2 -

LA IGLESIA PRIMITIVA
Y LA COMPRENSIÓN DE LA MISIÓN

La era del Nuevo Testamento comienza con el desafío de la Gran

Comisión que resuena en los oídos de los destilados de Jesús. Ansiosos por
cumplir esa comisión, se apresuraron a obedecer las instrucciones del
Maestro. Los diez días siguientes se pasaron con gran expectación, esperando
el derramamiento prometido del Espíritu que los empoderaría para su
misión: hacer destilaciones entre todos los pueblos. Su espera no iba a
resultar en decepción. Diez días después ocurrió el gran evento de
Pentecostés y la iglesia comenzó el proceso de cumplir la Gran Comisión.

PENTECOSTÉS Y LA COMPRENSIÓN DE LA MISIÓN

Jesús había instruido a los discípulos a esperar el poder del Espíritu

Santo. Algunos han sugerido que la iglesia de hoy necesita esperar por ese
poder antes de entrar en misión. El resultado es que muchas iglesias están
pasando todo su tiempo esperando y no yendo a las naciones. La espera de
la que habló Jesús, sin embargo, fue un acontecimiento de una sola vez y fue
realizada por los discípulos. Esa espera fue recompensada por el evento de
Pentecostés. No hay necesidad de esperar más. Vivimos ahora en el
dispensaron del Espíritu. El Espíritu ya ha sido derramado. Esa efusión está
actualmente disponible para todos los creyentes. Tan pronto como uno llega
al discipulado en Cristo, el poder del Espíritu Santo está inmediatamente
disponible para ayudar al nuevo testimonio cristiano a los demás.
A veces puede haber una necesidad de que una iglesia espere por el Espíritu, pero
sólo porque nos hemos alejado mucho del Espíritu para el fortalecimiento del
ministerio. Es posible que necesitemos tiempo para volver al estado de ánimo
para recibir el Espíritu para este propósito. Sin embargo, esto no se debe a
que Dios no desea enviarnos el Espíritu para el ministerio, sino a que no
estamos dispuestos a permitir que el Espíritu Santo nos use en un ministerio
lleno del Espíritu.
El resultado de la efusión del Espíritu sobre la iglesia del aposento alto
fue la proclamación inmediata del mensaje de Jesús con el propósito de hacer
discípulos. Los resultados tangibles se observaron en el
tres mil que fueron bautizados ese mismo día.17 Estos sin duda fueron el

17
Ellen G. White, Hechos de los Apóstoles (Mountain View, California: Pacific Press,
1911), 105.
Ellen G. White, Las Lecciones Objeto de Cristo (Washington, DC: Review & Herald,
27
28 2

resultado del ministerio de enseñanza de Jesús durante sus tres años y

medio de ministerio. Ahora, bajo la influencia del Espíritu Santo, estas
semillas se hacen realidad.
Pentecostés también resultó en el derramamiento de los dones del Espíritu,
especialmente el don de lenguas. Este don permitió a la iglesia primitiva
comenzar el proceso de hacer discípulos entre las varias nacionalidades
representadas en Jerusalén en este momento. Los dones del Espíritu sólo
pueden ser entendidos adecuadamente en el contexto de los
acontecimientos de Pentecostés, y Pentecostés sólo puede ser entendido en
el contexto de la Gran Comisión. Por lo tanto, los dones del Espíritu, y
especialmente el don de lenguas, son dados a la iglesia con el propósito de
cumplir la Gran Comisión y hacer discípulos. Utilizar los dones del Espíritu
para cualquier otro propósito es abusar de ellos. Tal mal uso en la iglesia de
Corinto trajo la reprensión del apóstol Pablo. 2
Jesús había indicado que el proceso de hacer discípulos debía comenzar en Jerusalén
y luego continuar a todas las naciones. Los discípulos siguieron este patrón durante los
primeros años. Luego, el peligro de que la iglesia infantil simplemente se
convierta en otra secta judía y no comparta su mensaje universal con todas
las naciones. Con la base sólida ya establecida en Jerusalén, el Espíritu Santo
debe conducirlos a las naciones para hacer discípulos. Este es el trabajo
continuo del evento de Pentecostés en la vida diaria de la iglesia del Nuevo
Testamento:

La persecución que sufrió la iglesia en lerusalén resultó

en dar un gran ímpetu a la obra del evangelio. El éxito había
asistido al ministerio de la palabra en ese lugar, y existía el
peligro de que los discípulos permanecieran allí demasiado
tiempo, sin ser conscientes de la comisión del Salvador para ir a todo
el mundo. Olvidando que la fuerza para resistir al mal se gana mejor
con un servicio agresivo, comenzaron a pensar que no tenían un
trabajo tan importante como el de proteger a la iglesia de
Jerusalén de los ataques del enemigo. En vez de educar a los
nuevos conversos para que llevaran el evangelio a los que no
lo habían oído, corrían el riesgo de tomar un curso que
llevaría a todos a estar satisfechos con lo que se había logrado.
Esparcir a Sus representantes en el extranjero, donde puedan
trabajar para otros,

Hechos 2:41.
211 Corintios 12-14.

1941), 120-121.
 La Iglesia Primitiva y el Entendimiento de la Misión 29

Dios permitió que la persecución viniera sobre ellos.

Expulsados de Jerusalén, los creyentes "iban a todas partes
predicando el vvord".

LA ORGANIZACIÓN DE LA IGLESIA DEL NUEVO TESTAMENTOCOMO

REFLEJO DE SU MANDATO MISIONERO

La persecución en Jerusalén resultó en la rápida expansión del

cristianismo entre las naciones. El notable ministerio del apóstol Pablo
resultó rápidamente en la internacionalización del cristianismo. Antes de
examinar el ministerio de Pablo a las naciones, notemos una observación
general acerca de la Iglesia del Nuevo Testamento. Parecía consumido con
un propósito: cumplir la Gran Comisión. Nada podía distraerlos de su gran
objetivo:
Cada cristiano veía en su hermano la semejanza divina de la
benevolencia y el amor. Uno se interesa! prevaleció. Un objeto
se tragó a todos los demás. Todos los corazones laten en
armonía. La única ambición de los creyentes era revelar la
semejanza del carácter de Cristo, y trabajar por la expansión
de su reino. 4
Esta unidad de propósito por el bien de la misión revela que la iglesia del
Nuevo Testamento entendió claramente que su razón de ser residía en la
formación de discípulos entre todas las naciones. La prioridad de la misión
era la compasión abrumadora de esta iglesia primitiva. De hecho, la iglesia
primitiva no puede ser entendida aparte de esta conciencia de misión.
Abarcaba todo lo que hacían, pues la iglesia existía únicamente para cumplir
la Gran Comisión de Jesús, su Señor: hacer discípulos entre las naciones.
Uno sólo puede preguntarse cómo una iglesia en esta era puede aspirar a
ser la iglesia de Jesucristo cuando no está comprometida en la misión de
Cristo, que Jesús mismo definió estrechamente como la formación de
discípulos. Cuando la iglesia ha perdido su razón de ser, puede convertirse
en un club social, pero no es la iglesia de Jesucristo. Sólo una iglesia
vigorosamente comprometida en el proceso de hacer discípulos puede poner
un daim a 1
30 2

siendo la iglesia que Jesús fundó con el propósito expreso de hacer

discípulos.

Quien conoce a Jesucristo como su Señor y Salvador debe desear

ardientemente que otros compartan ese conocimiento y debe regocijarse
cuando el número de los que lo hacen se multiplique. Donde este deseo
y este regocijo están ausentes, debemos preguntarnos si algo no está
mal en el centro mismo de la vida de la iglesia.

Puesto que muchas iglesias modernas ya no evidencian la misión

característica de la iglesia primitiva, debe haber algo seriamente mal. Lo
que está mal es la habilidad de una mentalidad de misión. Los pastores de
hoy intentan involucrar a la gente en el ministerio de la iglesia y son
recibidos con renuencia y apatía. Muchos recurren entonces a la aplicación
de "tácticas de culpabilidad", pero la gente permanece en el sueño de
Laodicea. Lo que se necesita primero es el desarrollo de una mentalidad de
misión; de lo contrario, la iglesia está condenada para siempre a no involucrarse.
Esta misión centrada debe ser retomada por la iglesia de hoy si quiere ser fiel a la tarea
que le ha sido encomendada por el Maestro mismo. La iglesia hoy en día tiene que
entrar de nuevo en el negocio de hacer discípulos. Esto significa que la
iglesia debe evaluar todo lo que hace desde el punto de vista del
cumplimiento de la misión de Cristo.

Lo que la iglesia hace internamente sin la intención de

impactar el mundo exterior no es misión.
Lo que con demasiada frecuencia olvidamos, sin
embargo, es que no tiene sentido que la proclamación
evangelística sea hecha por los discípulos de Cristo sólo a los
discípulos de Cristo dentro de los confines de la iglesia local.
La proclamación es sólo kerigmática cuando se dirige
intencionalmente a aquellos que no han aceptado a Jesús
como Señor.
La Iglesia no puede ser plenamente el cuerpo de Cristo, el pueblo
del GocJ, a menos que sirva en el mundo. 6

La iglesia del Nuevo Testamento centrada en la misión fue organizada

con el propósito de la misión, mientras que la iglesia hoy en día parece
estar organizada más a menudo para el preservador de los santos. El
resultado es que

Venes* £. íessiVe iVewbrgrn, The Open Secret: Sketches for a Missionary Theology
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978), 142, citado en VanEngen, 82.
6
VanEngen, 70, 94, 126.
El Entendimiento de la Iglesia y Misión Tarly 31

la mayoría de las iglesias gastan la mayor parte de su tiempo, energía,

talentos y dinero tratando de sobrevivir. Sin embargo, esa no es la visión de
Dios para su iglesia. La visión de Dios para la iglesia es la de una expansión
constante, de ir continuamente más allá de sus muros seguros hacia el mundo
que necesita desesperadamente el mensaje salvador del discipulado en Jesús.
"Salgamos, pues, a él fuera del campamento, y soportemos
los abusos que sufrió" (Heb. 13, 12-13). Esta es una exhortación
concreta. No debemos llevar nuestro ministerio evangelístico
dentro sino más bien fuera de las cómodas paredes de
nuestras iglesias seguras. Debemos ir a la encrucijada de la
luz, entre los marginados, los no santificados, proclamando a
Cristo con sudor, sangre y lágrimas. 7
La mentalidad del gueto ha consumido a la iglesia de hoy. El resultado
es una iglesia que está muy contenta de "jugar a la iglesia" mientras Roma
arde. Los cristianos viven en un ambiente de iglesia. Sus amigos están todos"a salvo" en
la iglesia. Sus actividades extracurriculares se centran en la iglesia y se organizan
programas para ellos en el edificio de la iglesia. El "discípulo" de los días
modernos de alguna manera ha divorciado su trabajo en el mundo de su
trabajo para Cristo. Por lo tanto, el cristiano promedio no ve ninguna función
misionera en su vida en el mundo durante la semana.
Con este divorcio entre el mundo del trabajo y el mundo de la iglesia, el
cristiano tiene poco impacto en el mundo exterior. Y los que están fuera de
la iglesia han descartado la iglesia por estar fuera de contacto con el mundo
presente, una reliquia de los davs que pasaron. Tal es el resultado natural de
que la iglesia de hoy descuide la misión de Cristo. Las iglesias que se supone
que están centradas en la misión están centradas en sí mismas, y está
ocurriendo poco crecimiento.
Cuando el crecimiento no ocurre, la falta no es la comisión
de Dios. Es la omisión de la gente. Siempre que el organismo
vivo, la iglesia, no está sano y creciendo, es porque la gente no
ha seguido al Maestro. Se han olvidado de seguir la voluntad
del Maestro... . Afortunadamente, hay arrepentimiento. El
crecimiento de la iglesia ocurre cuando el pueblo de Dios se
aleja de la omisión y sigue la comisión de Dios. 8

Costas, 81.
8
Kent Hunter, 48.
32 2

La necesidad de la iglesia hoy es recapturar el sentido de misión que

impulsó a la iglesia primitiva a hacer discípulos, la misión que se centra en
el cumplimiento de la Comisión Creadora. En este sentido McGavran tiene
razón. La iglesia de hoy no debe desarrollar una teología de "buscar", sino
una teología que se centre en hacer discípulos. El trabajo de la iglesia no es
sólo proclamar las buenas nuevas, sino también llevar a los perdidos a
Cristo; debe convertirlos en discípulos en el sentido bíblico más verdadero".
La iglesia primitiva no sólo buscaba a los perdidos, sino que los buscaba.
La iglesia creció rápidamente porque vieron su responsabilidad principal
de encontrar a los perdidos y hacerlos discípulos. "El propósito principal e
irremplazable de la misión es el crecimiento de la iglesia".10 Esta mentalidad
de misión controla la vida en la iglesia del Nuevo Testamento. Todo lo que
hacían se centraba en la misión. Por lo tanto, la estructura organizativa de
la iglesia fue diseñada para facilitar su misión a las naciones. La misión no
era un programa más de una iglesia institucionalizada; toda la iglesia estaba
organizada y desplegada para cumplir su misión mándate: la formación de
discípulos entre las naciones. 11

DIFERENCIAS CULTURALESPOR
EL CUMPLIMIENTO DE LA MISIÓN

El propósito de hacer discípulos del Maestro debía cumplirse entre todas

las naciones. Si los discípulos se encontraran entre todas las naciones, esto
significaría que el cristianismo no debe ser localizado en el judaísmo, sino
transformado en una iglesia internacional. Esta internacionalización de la
iglesia ocurrió muy rápidamente en la experiencia del cristianismo
primitivo. Dentro de la vida de los apóstoles originales, el cristianismo ya
había dejado de ser una secta judía y se había convertido en una secta judía.
iglesia internacional que apeló a través de líneas culturales.
Esta internacionalización de la iglesia no podría haber ocurrido si el cristianismo no
hubiera llegado a ser culturalmente relevante para las diversas naciones. Si la iglesia
hubiera insistido en que la práctica del cristianismo se ajustara a las
costumbres judías, habría sido difícil cumplir el mandamiento de Cristo de
hacer discípulos entre todas las naciones.
El primer vistazo de las diferencias culturales ocurre en Hechos 6, poco
después de Pentecostés, cuando los cristianos judíos griegos se quejaron de
que

McGavran, 6, 30.
10
Ibídem, 22.
1
VVe vvill examinar la estructura de la organización del Nuevo Testamento como
facilitador de la misión en los capítulos 4 y 5.
 La Iglesia Primitiva y el Entendimiento de la Misión 33

la comunidad de habla aramea descuidaba a sus viudas en la distribución

diaria. 12 Curiosamente, no fue la comunidad aramea la que se quejó, sino la
comunidad griega. ¿Vhy? La comunidad aramea pudo haber sido los
cristianos originales; la comunidad griega habría sido el grupo más antiguo.
Aunque ambos eran de origen Jevvish, existían diferencias culturales que
debían ser añadidas.
El ejemplo más sorprendente de que la iglesia primitiva llegó a ser
culturalmente relevante para los grupos que fueron evangelizados se ve en
el Concilio de Jerusalén (Hechos 15). La rápida expansión del cristianismo
más allá de sus raíces judías, especialmente por el apóstol Pablo y su
ministerio a los gentiles, había resultado en el establecimiento de muchas
iglesias cristianas entre personas que no tenían antecedentes judíos.
¿Deberían imponerse las costumbres judías a estos creyentes gentiles? En
otras palabras, ¿deberían los gentiles primero tener que hacerse judíos para
llegar a ser cristianos?
Para responder a esta pregunta básica, la iglesia tuvo que definir lo que
era, en esencia, el cristianismo, y lo que era cultural en su expresión de ese
cristianismo. Una de las cosas más difíciles de hacer para una iglesia es separar la
cultura de la esencia. Hechos 15 reveáis que la iglesia primitiva fue capaz de
hacer esa separación. Como resultado, los disgustos aumentaron en todo el
mundo romano y el cristianismo dejó de ser simplemente una secta judía, ya
que pronto los gentiles se convirtieron mucho más que los judíos.
El adventismo, de la misma manera, ha experimentado la
internacionalización de la iglesia. Habiendo tenido su origen en la Nueva
Inglaterra culturalmente conservadora de los Estados Unidos, fue difícil para
la iglesia concebir una expresión del adventismo diferente de la suya propia.
Sin embargo, a medida que el adventismo se internacionalizó, la iglesia en
Estados Unidos perdió el control en varias partes del mundo. A medida que
el adventismo se hizo indígena de las culturas locales y el liderazgo local se
hizo realidad, la iglesia creció mucho más rápidamente de lo que lo había
hecho con el control estadounidense. El mismo fenómeno ocurrió en el
adventismo que en la iglesia primitiva. Como resultado, hoy en día, los
adventistas no estadounidenses superan en número a los adventistas
estadounidenses casi once a uno.
A medida que el adventismo se ha ido adaptando a las diversas culturas,
se han desarrollado diferentes expresiones culturales en todo el mundo. La
adoración, especialmente, es diferente en muchas iglesias no americanas.
Esto es perturbador para muchos adventistas americanos, que lo ven como
apostasía desde la fe. El problema con el que luchan es muy similar al
experimentado por el cristianismo primitivo. Deben aprender a separar
12
Hechos 6:1-4.
34 Capítulo 2

la cultura de la esencia de su fe, ya que el no hacer esta separación

sofocará el crecimiento de la iglesia de Dios.
Sólo cuando la iglesia del Nuevo Testamento permitió diferentes expresiones
culturales del cristianismo, se convirtió verdaderamente en una iglesia
internacional, haciendo discípulos de todas las naciones. Estas diferentes
expresiones culturales son absolutamente necesarias para el cumplimiento
de la Gran Comisión. Sin embargo, al hacer que el cristianismo sea
culturalmente relevante, la iglesia no debe aceptar y seguir la cultura caída.
Dado que todas las culturas, incluyendo la anglosajona americana, han
caído, a veces es difícil para una iglesia determinar lo que es culturalmente
aceptable y lo que no lo es. La tendencia de la mayoría de los cristianos es
determinar la aceptabilidad tal como la define la cultura dominante. Sin
embargo, bíblicamente, el único determínate de derecho debe ser la Palabra
de Dios. La cultura sólo puede ser afirmada o negada en base a su
conformidad con la Biblia.
Para llegar a varias culturas, es necesario que la iglesia empaque su mensaje
en el bagaje cultural que llegará a sus poblaciones objetivo.

Puede que necesitemos cambiar las formas y técnicas para

presentar la misión cristiana de acuerdo con nuestro tiempo;
pero la Biblia dice que esta misión cristiana fue comisionada
en la historia, es continua a través de la historia, y encuentra
la finalidad sólo cuando la historia misma llega a su fin. 1 *

Muchos escritores del crecimiento de la iglesia moderna han notado la

necesidad de adaptar culturalmente la presentación del evangelio al grupo
que la iglesia está tratando de alcanzar. Mucha de esta estrategia ha sido
construida alrededor del ejemplo del apóstol Pablo:

Aunque soy libre y no pertenezco a ningún hombre, 1 me

hago esclavo de todos, para ganar tantos como sea posible. A
los judíos me convertí en un judío, para ganar la guerra. A los
que están bajo la ley me hice como uno bajo la ley (aunque yo
mismo no estoy bajo la ley), para ganar a los que están bajo la
ley.
A los que no tienen la ley, me hice como uno que no tiene la
ley (aunque no soy libre de la ley de Dios, sino que estoy bajo
la ley de Cristo), para ganar a los que no tienen la ley.
A los débiles me hice débil, para ganar a los débiles. Me he
convertido en todo para todos los hombres para que por
todos los medios posibles

” Alan R. Tippett, Crecimiento de la Iglesia y la Palabra de Dios (Grand Rapids:

Eerdmans, 1970), 73.
La Iglesia Primitiva y el Entendimiento de la Misión 35

Podría ahorrar algo. Hago todo esto por el bien del

evangelio, para poder compartir sus bendiciones (1 Co. 9:19-
23).

Claramente la estrategia de Pablo era hacer que el evangelio fuera culturalmente

relevante para cada grupo que intentaba alcanzar. Pablo no comprometió lo que él creía
que era el cristianismo básico simplemente para llegar a la gente, pero
definitivamente entendió esas partes que eran culturalmente neutrales y
por lo tanto adaptó sus presentaciones para conocer las mentes de la gente
en la cultura en la que vivían actualmente.

Para mantener ese mensaje central, Pablo reconoció que la

forma (¡no el contenido!) tenía que cambiar para obtener
resultados. Se dio cuenta de que tenía que hacer cambios al ir
a diferentes grupos para que el Evangelio llegara a sus
oyentes.
El fin justifica el uso de cualquier estrategia, siempre y cuando no
sea pecaminosa. Pablo fue flexible en su comunicación por el bien de los
resultados. La naturaleza del lenguaje requiere que los cristianos de
todas las edades hagan lo mismo. 4

Sería mucho más fácil para la iglesia hoy en día si tuviera una visión
profética de lo que constituye una práctica culturalmente aceptable del
cristianismo. En cambio, la iglesia debe continuar luchando con este asunto,
mientras que al mismo tiempo continuamente intenta sintonizarse a sí
misma para ser culturalmente relevante a aquellas culturas que busca
penetrar. Esta es la parte difícil. Es este miedo de comprometer la fe a través
de la aculturación lo que fuerza a una iglesia a volverse culturalmente
irrelevante. Por lo tanto, la iglesia debe trabajar duro en ambos extremos:
llegar a ser culturalmente relevante, y no comprometer su fe.

Cuando el contenido es el Evangelio, no debe cambiar. Por lo tanto,

a medida que los receptores cambian, el mediodía tiene que ser
cambiado. De otra manera, la relevancia y la potencia del Evangelio se
perderán para el oyente.1819

Esta es actualmente la lucha del adventismo norteamericano. Al

McClure, presidente de la Iglesia Adventista Norteamericana, reiteró
recientemente la gran necesidad del adventismo en Norteamérica de ser
culturalmente relevante sin comprometer el evangelio:

18
Kent Hunter, 121.
19
Ibídem, 123.
3 6 Capítulo 2

No estamos aquí para discutir cómo acomodar nuestra

teología a una cultura enferma. No estamos hablando de hacer
concesiones a las claras enseñanzas de la Escritura para que
de alguna manera podamos llegar a ser más atractivos y
menos únicos.... .
Sin embargo, aunque nuestra teología es inflexiblemente
bíblica, nuestra metoclología tiene que ser predominantemente
cultural..., ..
Si valoramos a esta generación perdida, sin iglesia, atada
al juicio, como Jesús valoró a la generación perdida de Su día,
entonces es imperativo que estemos dispuestos a idear odres
nuevos que sirvan como vehículos para el agua de la vida. De
lo contrario, no podemos defendernos de la crítica de que
nuestras tradiciones son más importantes que la misión de
Cristo..., ..
Pero debemos ser intencionales en alcanzar a aquellos que
hablan otro idioma -étnica o culturalmente- aún cuando esto
signifique plantar una nueva y diferente clase de iglesia.... .
No tenemos derecho a esperar que los que no asisten a la
iglesia vengan a nosotros en nuestros términos y se ajusten a
nuestra cultura única. La iglesia madura debe estar dispuesta
a dejar de lado sus propias preferencias culturales e
individuales para alcanzar a los perdidos*1

Mantener el equilibrio entre ser culturalmente relevante y comprometer el

evangelio será difícil, pero cada iglesia a lo largo de la historia a la que Dios
ha guiado ha sido capaz de lograrlo. De hecho, cuando una iglesia deja de ser
culturalmente relevante, Dios deja de usar esa iglesia con el mismo poder que
tenía en el pasado. "La aculturación aguda parece caracterizar a las iglesias que
no están creciendo."1
Zunkel está de acuerdo en afirmar que la iglesia no debe ser culpable de
aculturación aguda hasta el punto de comprometer su teología, pero si se
esfuerza por hacer que su metodología sea culturalmente relevante,
compromete la misión del evangelio. La clave, como Al McGlure ha declarado
tan claramente, es aferrarse a esas fuertes convicciones bíblicas] mientras que
al mismo tiempo

Alfred McCIure, "Planting and Harvest i ng/ Review and lerald, vol. 173, no, 49, (5 de
diciembre de 1996), 17-18.
C. VVayne Zunkel, Church Growth Under Fire íScoltdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1987),
94.
 La Iglesia Primitiva y el Entendimiento de la Misión 37

ser culturalmente relevante para el grupo que la iglesia está tratando de

alcanzar.

En las subculturas de las diversas culturas, la Palabra debe

difundirse en la lengua y en las formas culturales de la
subcultura para que se convierta en carne. 1

Una cosa de la que la iglesia debe estar atenta al tratar de hacer que su
mensaje sea culturalmente relevante para el mundo actual es la tendencia a
adaptarse a la cultura simplemente porque funciona. Nuestras razones para
ser culturalmente relevantes deben provenir de la conciencia misionera de la
iglesia primitiva y de la Gran Comisión. Cumplir la Gran Comisión "a las
naciones" exige una iglesia internacional incamacional que esté culturalmente
en sintonía con las culturas que busca alcanzar. La iglesia no debe adaptarse
a la cultura simplemente por el hecho de ser relevante a la sociedad actual.
Debe adaptarse por el bien de la misión de Cristo. Gran parte de la
aculturación que se está llevando a cabo actualmente es aparte de la misión
mándate. La sensibilidad cultural sólo tiene sentido en el contexto de la
misión de Cristo como se describe en la Gran Comisión.
La Gran Comisión y el enfoque misionero de la iglesia primitiva exigen
una iglesia culturalmente relevante hoy en día. Es sobre la misma base
teológica sólida sobre la cual Pablo enunció su teología culturalmente
relevante en 1 Corintios 9 que la iglesia debe construir su fundamento
teológico para el crecimiento culturalmente relevante de la iglesia hoy.

LA PLANTACIÓN DE IGLESIAS COMO ENFOQUE DE LA ESTRATEGIA DE LA

MISIÓN
Puesto que el mándate de la Gran Comisión preveía discípulos entre todos
los grupos de personas, no debería sorprender que la iglesia primitiva
desarrollara una estrategia deliberada para plantar iglesias culturalmente
sensibles en cada grupo de personas que encontrara. La iglesia primitiva se
desarrolló rápidamente en un movimiento de fundación de iglesias porque
esto es lo que imaginaban que Jesús quería cuando les dio la Gran Comisión.
No podrían cumplir tal comisión sin convertirse en un movimiento de
fundación de iglesias. De la misma manera, la iglesia Adventista de hoy debe
volver a ser un movimiento de plantación de iglesias o dejará de ser una
iglesia de la Gran Comisión.

un
Georgc G. Hunter III,"Tu difunde el poder": Church Growth in the Weslcyan Spint
(Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1991), 170.
38 2

La estrategia de plantación de iglesias del Nuevo Testamento es mejor

ilustrada por el apóstol Pablo, quien aparentemente desarrolló una estrategia
de plantación de iglesias para una buena parte del mundo mediterráneo mientras
estaba en Antioquía. David Hesselgrave presenta una estrategia de diez puntos para la
plantación de iglesias a partir de un estudio de los esfuerzos de plantación
de iglesias de Pablo:

1. La iglesia comisionó a misioneros para plantar iglesias. Hechos 13:1-4;

15:39,40.
2. Los sembradores de iglesias contactaron a la audiencia que esperaban
alcanzar. Hechos 13:14-16; 14:1.
3. El sembrador de iglesias entonces buscó comunicar el evangelio a la
gente receptiva. Hechos 13:16-41.
4. No sólo presentaron el evangelio; los oyentes se convirtieron a Cristo.
Hechos 13:48; 16:14-15.
5. Los nuevos creyentes se congregaban. Hechos 13:43.
6. Nuevos creyentes fueron entonces establecidos en la fe. Hechos 14:21,22; 15:41.
7. Los líderes fueron nombrados y consagrados en las nuevas iglesias.
Hechos 14:23.
8. El liderazgo fue completamente transferido a los nuevos líderes y el
sembrador de iglesias se fue. Hechos 14:23; 16:40.
9. Pablo continuó una relación con las iglesias que había fundado.
Hechos 15:36; 18:23.
10. Se hicieron nuevas iglesias parte de la hermandad de iglesias y se
enviaron representantes a varios consejos de la iglesia. Hechos 14:
26,27; 15:1-4.19

Parecería que esta fue una estrategia definitiva de la iglesia del Nuevo
Testamento. Toda la organización apoyó el movimiento de plantación de iglesias, porque
sintieron la necesidad de que la plantación de iglesias ocurriera para poder
cumplir con la Gran Comisión. La plantación de iglesias no fue una de
muchas estrategias en la iglesia del Nuevo Testamento; fue la estrategia,
debido a su conexión con la misión de Cristo. Una iglesia centrada en la
misión en el sentido del Nuevo Testamento será un movimiento de
fundación de iglesias.
El mándado dado a los Adventistas del Séptimo Día es muy similar al
mándado de la iglesia primitiva. Así como la iglesia del Nuevo Testamento
hizo20

20
David Hesselgrave, Plantando iglesias cruzadas culturalmente (Grand Rapids:
Baker, 1980), 58.
 La Iglesia Primitiva y el Entendimiento de la Misión 39

La plantación de iglesias es el enfoque de su estrategia misionera, así que los

adventistas han sido aconsejados por Hilen White para hacer de la plantación de
iglesias el enfoque de su estrategia misionera. 2

Sobre todos los que creen, Dios ha puesto la carga de

levantar iglesias.
Se deben establecer nuevas iglesias, organizar nuevas
congregaciones. En este momento debe haber representantes
de la verdad presente en cada ciudad y en las partes remóte
de la tierra.
En todos los países y ciudades el evangelio debe ser
proclamado... . Las iglesias deben ser organizadas y se deben
establecer planes para que los miembros de las iglesias recién
organizadas realicen su trabajo.
Lugar tras lugar debe ser visitado; iglesia tras iglesia debe
ser levantada.
El establecimiento de iglesias, la construcción de casas de
reunión y edificios escolares, se extendió de ciudad en ciudad,
y el diezmo fue aumentando para llevar adelante el trabajo.
Las plantas fueron hechas no sólo en un lugar, sino en muchos
lugares, y el Señor estaba trabajando para aumentar sus
fuerzas.
No permitamos que el trabajo de establecer memoriales
para Dios en muchos lugares se haga difícil y oneroso porque
se niegan los medios necesarios.
En cada ciudad donde se proclama la verdad, las iglesias
deben ser levantadas. En algunas grandes ciudades debe
haber iglesias en varias partes de la ciudad. 21

Un rápido vistazo a estas citas inmediatamente revela que la iglesia

Adventista del Séptimo Día fue comisionada para que existiera como un

“ Se reconoce que Elena G. de White, una de las iounders de los Adventistas del
Séptimo Día, tuvo una visión profética. Aunque no le conceden a sus vvritos la
misma aulhoridad que las Escrituras, los adventistas los han considerado
consistentemente como consejos de Dios.
De ahí la importancia de su consejo sobre la estrategia básica de la misión.
Ellen G. White, Ministerio Médico (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press, 1963), 315; ídem,
Testimonios para la Iglesia (Mountain View, Calif.Pacific Press, 1948), 6:24; ídem,
Evangelismo (Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1946), 19; ídem, Testimonios, 7:20;
ídem, Trabajadores del Evangelio (Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1948), 435; ídem,
Testimonios, 9:132-133; ídem, Ministerio Médico, 309.
40 2

movimiento de plantación de iglesias. De acuerdo al Nuevo Testamento y de

acuerdo a Elena G. de White, Dios desea que la plantación de iglesias sea el enfoque de
Su iglesia en su intento de cumplir con la comisión del evangelio. Es por eso
que el enfoque de la evangelización tanto en el Nuevo Testamento como en
el adventismo primitivo estaba en la formación de discípulos indígenas,
mientras que el clero era relativamente libre de continuar plantando nuevos
chuleteros.

UN MODELO DE IGLESIA NO DEPENDIENTE

La iglesia primitiva no sólo desarrolló un enfoque culturalmente
relevante para la plantación de iglesias porque deseaba cumplir con la Gran
Comisión, sino que también desarrolló una estrategia de crecimiento
construida alrededor del concepto de hacer discípulos en lugar de conversos
que eran dependientes del clero. El enfoque de la iglesia primitiva estaba en
hacer discípulos, para que la gente discipulada llegara a ser una iglesia indígena y
pudiera llevar el evangelio a otros sin ayuda externa. Su estrategia fue
deliberadamente diseñada para la reproducción indígena.
Fue este enfoque el que estaba detrás de la estrategia de plantación de
iglesias de Pablo, así como de todo el crecimiento del Nuevo Testamento. La
estrategia de Paurs fue plantar una nueva iglesia en un nuevo grupo cultural.
Él se quedaría con la iglesia el tiempo suficiente para asegurarse de que los
discípulos habían sido hechos, los líderes habían sido entrenados, y los
nuevos discípulos estaban ocupados haciendo otros discípulos. Luego se fue
para levantar una nueva iglesia. Él no hizo que las nuevas iglesias
dependieran de sí mismo o de los otros apóstoles. Una vez que recibieron el
evangelio, se les dio la autoridad para continuar llevando el evangelio a
través de su territorio y más allá. De esta manera la iglesia primitiva creció
poderosamente.
Si la iglesia del primer siglo hubiera intentado plantar iglesias como lo
hacemos hoy, nombrando a un pastor para que velara por cada nueva
congregación, el resultado habrían sido iglesias débiles coniposadas de
cristianos imitadores que no eran discípulos. Ese no era su enfoque. Jesús
había ordenado que su trabajo fuera el de hacer discípulos. Estos discípulos
no eran conversos tibios, sino discípulos en el sentido más verdadero de la
definición tal como la entendía Jesús. Para ser un discípulo uno debe ser
autosuficiente y no depender de otros cristianos para permanecer
espiritualmente vivo. Los cristianos del Nuevo Testamento mantuvieron su
espiritualidad mientras trabajaban continuamente para otros discípulos. Sólo
así se podía mantener viva la fe. Como Roland Alien ha observado:

Dondequiera que se ayude a las iglesias, allí son débiles,

La Iglesia Primitiva y el Entendimiento de la Misión 41

sin vida e indefensos....

La F.arl} ("Entendimiento de burch and \1ission") 42

Nada se debilita tanto como el hábito de depender de los

demás para las cosas que debemos abastecernos a nosotros
mismos. ”
La iglesia del Nuevo Testamento, y especialmente Pablo, entendió
claramente esta preocupación expresada por Alien de que la dependencia
engendra cristianos débiles. Sin embargo, la mayoría de las iglesias hoy en
día operan bajo el modelo de dependencia. Muchos administradores se
oponen a la plantación de iglesias simplemente porque la iglesia no tiene
dinero para proveer un pastor para la nueva congregación. 2 La iglesia del
Nuevo Testamento no se ocupaba de tales asuntos, pues no proveía pastores
a las congregaciones locales. De las nuevas congregaciones nombraron
líderes a quienes entrenaron, pero estos líderes no eran la contraparte de
nuestro pastor de hoy en día. Eran laicos. La iglesia local operaba
independientemente de los pastores establecidos y pagados. Si la iglesia del
Nuevo Testamento hubiera apoyado un arreglo de pastores pagados sobre
las congregaciones, su crecimiento habría sido anulado. 24
En contraste, sofocamos el crecimiento de iglesias modernas recién
plantadas nombrando pastores no indígenas sobre ellas. Hacer esto es
admitir que no hemos realizado la obra de la Gran Comisión; no hemos hecho
discípulos de estos nuevos creyentes. Por lo tanto, requieren que los niños
estén sentados. Sin embargo, si hubiéramos hecho el trabajo que Jesús exige
en la Gran Comisión -hacer discípulos- la nueva iglesia debería poder existir
por sí sola.
Si en el momento en que encontramos a alguien haciendo
algo espontáneamente, enviamos a un hombre pagado para
que lo haga por él, detenemos su trabajo y comprobamos que
los demás no sigan su ejemplo.
Si queremos ver una expansión espontánea, debemos establecer
iglesias nativas libres de nuestro control.
"Los ministros deben ser dados a una iglesia, no una
iglesia a un ministro".

Roland Alien, La expansión espontánea de la Iglesia (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,

1962), 35.
-M En la iglesia adventista, los salarios de los pastores son pagados por la
coníerencia y no por la iglesia local.
■' Esta comprensión del papel del clero se desarrollará más en el capítulo 4.
25
Alienígenas, 38. 5, 150.
El apóstol Pablo y los que siguieron su ejemplo pasaron un tiempo
 La Iglesia Primitiva y el Entendimiento de la Misión 43

considerable con una iglesia, haciendo discípulos y entrenando liderazgo

indígena. Él no envió a los líderes a ser educados; los entrenó en su propio
ambiente. El apóstol Pablo modeló el método de Cristo de entrenamiento en
el trabajo:
Entrenó a unos pocos con los que estaba en la relación
personal más cercana; entrenamos a muchos que
simplemente pasan por nuestras escuelas con miras a un
examen y un nombramiento. Cristo entrenó a sus líderes en
medio de su propio pueblo, para que la intimidad de su
relación con su propio pueblo no se empañara y pudieran
moverse libremente entre ellos como uno de ellos mismos;
entrenamos a nuestros líderes en un invernadero, y su
intimidad con su propio pueblo está tan empañada que nunca
más podrán vivir como uno de ellos, o compartir su
pensamiento. 2”

Algunos líderes de la iglesia se preocupan por tal plan. Tienen miedo de

que si no tuviéramos control pastoral sobre las iglesias, las herejías se
infiltrarían. Sin embargo, la actual iglesia dependiente del pastor no es
inmune a las herejías. La apostasía todavía ocurre. De hecho, las herejías son
más propensas a surgir entre aquellas iglesias que no están involucradas en el
mándate de la misión de Cristo. Por supuesto, también necesitamos recordar
que Cristo es la cabeza de la iglesia. Esta es Su iglesia. ¿No podemos confiar
en Él?
Las grandes herejías de la Iglesia primitiva no se deben a
la rápida expansión resultante de la obra de estos maestros
desconocidos, sino a las iglesias más antiguas y en las que los
cristianos no estaban tan ocupados en convertir a los paganos
que los rodeaban.2122

Así, de una base teológica misiológica, la iglesia del Nuevo Testamento

plantó iglesias que no eran dependientes del pastor. Esa base fue la Gran
Comisión. Ordenaba la formación de discípulos. "Discípulos", como ellos
entendieron el término de las palabras de Jesús, implicaba la formación de
creyentes que discipulaban continuamente a los demás y que no necesitaban
una vigilancia y supervisión constantes. En otras palabras, su misión de
levantar iglesias que

21
Ibídem, 21.
Ibídem, 48.
44 2

no eran arósis dependientes del pastor desde su comprensión de la Gran

Comisión mándate para hacer discípulos reales.
Aiso inherente a la teología de la Gran Comisión es la estrategia práctica de la
iglesia primitiva para plantar iglesias entre todos los grupos de personas. La
Gran Comisión no sólo ordenó que se hicieran discípulos, sino que especificó
que se hiciera entre todas las naciones. Sólo una estrategia sólida de
plantación de iglesias puede lograr eso. PauTs llevando el evangelio al
mundo Román y haciendo discípulos allí aróse de la teología de la Gran
Comisión:

Así, el programa cristiano de plantar iglesias se encuentra

dentro de las promesas y proclamaciones de Dios. Cuando
ponemos las promesas de Dios al lado de la Gran Comisión,
tenemos tanto garantías como directivas que son poderosas. 2a

Jesús ordenó que se hicieran discípulos entre todos los grupos étnicos. Este
término tiene un significado mucho más amplio que simplemente las
"naciones" de la tierra. Brown define la etnia de esta manera:

Etnias, derivadas del ethos, costumbre, hábito, significa un

grupo que se mantiene unido por las costumbres, un clan;
luego, multitud, compañía, gente. La palabra carne para ser
usada en el sentido despectivo de la gente común.

Por lo tanto, la Gran Comisión exige que se hagan discípulos en cada

subgrupo de personas en el planeta Tierra, especialmente entre la gente
común. Una iglesia en una nación o pueblo no alcanzará a todos los grupos.
La iglesia que es fiel a la Gran Comisión estará continuamente plantando
nuevas iglesias entre nuevos grupos de personas hasta que Jesús venga.
La creciente ventaja de las denominaciones son las nuevas
congregaciones". Las iglesias de Oíd se marchitan y mueren. Las nuevas
iglesias están frescas y vivas. Por lo tanto, cualquier denominación que sea
seria en cuanto al cumplimiento de la Gran Comisión se volverá seria en
cuanto a ser un movimiento de fundación de iglesias. "Encima de todo esto
está el hecho de que alguna vez 232425

23
Tippett, 77.
24
Diccionario de Teología del Nuevo Testamento, s.v. "people", 790.
25
Zunkel, 85.
 La Iglesia Primitiva y el Entendimiento de la Misión 45

mili cumplir con la Gran Comisión sin el m u 1 ti plica l ion uf chunches".31

De hecho, la plantación de nuevas iglesias es el objeto de toda estrategia
misionera. Debe ser la meta de cada congregación plantar una nueva iglesia.
Sólo cuando un phoritv de plantar iglesias es reestablecido en la iglesia, y a
medida que nuevas iglesias son continuamente plantadas en nuevos grupos
de personas, podemos verdaderamente ver el fantástico crecimiento
previsto por la Gran Comisión.

Normalmente consideramos que el fruto del manzano es

la manzana, pero esto es sólo una parte de la imagen. La
manzana es simplemente un paquete de semillas destinado a
producir los manzanos más frutales. El cuerpo de Cristo es
como la manzana.
discípulos individuales que producen árboles y más congregaciones.

Todos los recursos de la iglesia primitiva fueron colocados dentro de la

misión de la iglesia; el hacer oí disgusta a través de la plantación oí de nuevas
iglesias en nuevos grupos de personas. Cada creyente en la iglesia primitiva
era un hacedor de gente. El desagrado no se limitaba al clero, sino que era
una actividad laica.

Alien criticó las misiones contemporáneas por estar muy

alejadas de los patrones del Nuevo Testamento, especialmente
como se describe en la experiencia y escritura del apóstol
Pablo. En contraste con las costumbres de ANcn, el apóstol Pablo
había evitado crear una relación de dependencia entre él y la
nueva iglesia. + í
Nada menos que un movimiento de liberación de laicos
será adecuado para liberar los recursos humanos de la Iglesia
para hacer frente a los desafíos y apoyos del mundo de hoy.
1426

v
31
JJ

M Logan, 144,

26 B.I.D., 193.
Wílbert R. Shrnk, Ed. El desafío del crecimiento de la Iglesia: A Symposinm
íScottda le, Pa.: Mera id Press, 1973), 8,
Gibbs, 209.
 Entendimiento de la Iglesia Temprana y la Misión A5

Inherente entonces a la comprensión teológica de la iglesia primitiva

estaba el concepto de que cada cristiano estaba involucrado en el ministerio.
Esta aróse comprensiva de la Gran Comisión. Era necesario que cada
discípulo fuera un hacedor de discípulos. En lugar de crear una iglesia
dependiente del clero, los cristianos del Nuevo Testamento, en obediencia a
la Gran Comisión, crearon una iglesia dominada por laicos. El clero pagado
continuamente expandió la iglesia a nuevas áreas, pero la responsabilidad
de expandir la iglesia en áreas donde la iglesia ya estaba establecida recaía en
los laicos.
Durante los primeros 200 años de la vida de la Iglesia, fue un movimiento
basado en el hogar. No se construyeron edificios especiales para el culto
cristiano hasta la ciócesis del siglo II.
La iglesia basada en el hogar permitió que la Iglesia en el Nuevo
Testamento se expandiera a una velocidad fenomenal con el mínimo de
recursos humanos. 3"

RESUMEN
En este capítulo hemos examinado varias estrategias del Nuevo
Testamento que aróse en la iglesia primitiva desde su comprensión de la Gran
Comisión. Esas estrategias incluían lo siguiente:

1. Una prioridad en la misión de la iglesia.

2. Una organización orientada al cumplimiento de la misión.
3. Un mensaje empaquetado de culturaUy diseñado para implantar
Christianitv en cada grupo cultural.
4. Un enfoque en la plantación de nuevas iglesias y una organización que apoyara
esa prioridad.
5. Un modelo de no dependencia de la iglesia local sin pastores
establecidos, porque todos los cristianos eran discípulos.
6. Una iglesia que creció principalmente a través de movimientos laicos.
La misión de la iglesia primitiva era clara. La Gran Comisión fue la
principal formadora de la misión de esa iglesia primitiva. Sus estrategias se
desarrollaron a partir de esa conciencia de la Gran Comisión. El resultado fue
la rápida expansión de Christianitv sobre la tierra en tiempo real. Sólo cuando
la iglesia regresa hoy a su Nuevo Testamento

Ibídem, 160.
46 2

raíces, basadas en la Gran Comisión, puede ser fiel a su Señor en esta

generación. Si los adventistas profesan ser el pueblo de Dios que guarda los
mandamientos, ¿cómo podemos seguir siendo desobedientes a la Gran Comisión? Los
adventistas deben volver a ser un movimiento de fundación de iglesias.

Por lo tanto, obedecer la Gran Comisión simplemente no

será algo que usted haga para cualquier beneficio percibido
que llegue a su iglesia. Sin lugar a dudas, debemos asumir la
tarea simplemente porque Dios lo ordena.

36
Logan, 192.
 - CAPÍTULO 3 -

LA BASE DE LA IGLESIA ADVENTISTA

En los capítulos anteriores se discutió una teología bíblica de la misión

basada en la Gran Comisión dada por el autoritario Jesús. Esa misión,
fortalecida por el Espíritu Santo, dada en el evento de Pentecostés, permitió a
la iglesia del primer siglo plantar el mensaje del Señor resucitado en todo el
imperio romano en una generación. Se enfocó en hacer discípulos entre todos
los grupos de personas. Para lograr esa meta, la iglesia se adaptó
continuamente a las diversas culturas que la confrontaban, sin cambiar su
mensaje básico. Debido a su énfasis en hacer discípulos, se enfocó en plantar
iglesias indígenas que no tenían pastores establecidos. En cambio, las iglesias
están dirigidas por laicos que a su vez discipulan a otros. Así, las iglesias
crecieron tanto localmente como en el extranjero.
El adventismo profesa ser un movimiento bíblico, afirmando que la Biblia
es su única regla de fe y práctica. Si es así, entonces el adventismo debe tener
una teología y práctica de la misión que esté en plena armonía con el modelo
del Nuevo Testamento. Si el adventismo no se centra en el cumplimiento de
la Gran Comisión, su afirmación de ser una iglesia del Nuevo Testamento no
puede ser creíble.
El adventismo primitivo fue claramente motivado por el deseo de cumplir
con la Gran Comisión. La estrategia evangelística desarrollada por aquellos
primeros adventistas, similar a la de la iglesia del Nuevo Testamento, se ha
perdido casi por completo en el adventismo norteamericano actual. No es
nuestra preocupación simplemente recapturar la forma del adventismo
primitivo o la era del Nuevo Testamento, sino que debe ser nuestra
preocupación recapturar el espíritu tanto del adventismo primitivo como del
cristianismo primitivo.

LA PARUSÍA COMO BASE DE LA MISIÓN ADVENTISTA

La misión adventista ha sido alimentada tanto por Mateo 24:14 como por
la Gran Comisión. La iglesia no ha ignorado la Gran Comisión, pero su razón
para cumplir la Gran Comisión, así como su motivación, ha sido el
cumplimiento de Mateo 24:14:

Y este evangelio del reino será predicado en todo el

mundo como testimonio a todas las naciones, y entonces
vendrá el fin (NVI).
En el corazón de la misión adventista ha estado la predicación del
mensaje de Cristo a todas las naciones a fin de alentar el advenimiento de
47
48 Capítulo 3

nuestro Señor. La parusía ha sido la chispa que ha encendido la misión

adventista durante más de ciento cincuenta años. Algunas veces la
motivación para esa misión ha sido principalmente el terminar la obra de
Cristo para que Él venga, en vez de la salvación de los perdidos. Este último incentivo
no fue descuidado, simplemente no fue el principal, lo que impulsó la motivación
en las mentes de la mayoría de las personas. Es por eso que Mateo 24:14 debe ser
atenuado por Mateo 28:16-20.
Sin embargo, la preocupación de Jesús tenía más que ver con la
salvación de los perdidos que con el mero cumplimiento de la tarea
misionera para que Él pudiera venir de nuevo. Sólo cuando la iglesia
entienda la angustia de Dios por las personas perdidas se dará cuenta de
la pasión de Jesús por la humanidad perdida. Esa pasión sólo puede ser
entendida mirando la encarnación y el Calvario. El anhelo, la búsqueda
del corazón de Dios, ha sido plenamente revelado por los acontecimientos
de Belén y el Gólgota. El regreso de Cristo, si bien es la esperanza de la
iglesia, nunca debe eclipsar la Gran Comisión y la pasión de Dios por
alcanzar a los perdidos.
Sin embargo, la esperanza de la parusía, cuando se usa apropiadamente, puede
ser una chispa tremenda para ayudar a la iglesia a enfocarse en su responsabilidad
misionera. Si, como creen los adventistas, la venida de Cristo está cerca, entonces es
esencial que los discípulos sean hechos rápidamente en todo el mundo, ya que el
fin de la libertad condicional está tan cerca. ¡Viene Jesús! Los que no se han
hecho discípulos se perderán! Ese pensamiento es insoportable para Jesús,
y para mí, especialmente si los perdidos son personas que conozco. Por lo
tanto, yo individualmente, y la iglesia colectivamente, debemos estar
involucrados en la formación de discípulos en el tiempo final.
La misión adventista sólo puede entenderse adecuadamente en el
contexto de la parusía. Los adventistas ven que su iglesia ha sido llamada
a ser por Dios para proclamar un mensaje único y rápido a todo el mundo.
Ese mensaje no es sólo el anuncio de la "buena noticia" de la salvación en
Cristo, sino también la "buena noticia" de que nuestro Redentor está a punto de
volver! El mensaje del adventismo ha sido diseñado por Dios para preparar a un
pueblo que estará listo para conocer a su Rey que regresa. El mensaje adventista es
de preparación, lo que encaja bien con la descripción de Jesús de sus
discípulos. La definición de discípulos previamente dada es lo que los
adventistas entienden por estar preparados para la venida de Cristo. Estar
preparado no sólo es aceptar a Jesús como Salvador, sino también haber
entrado en un proceso de discipulado en el que Jesús se está convirtiendo
plenamente en el Señor de la propia vida. Por lo tanto, el trabajo de la
iglesia adventista en la preparación de un pueblo para la venida de Cristo
es idéntico al de la Iglesia Adventista.
La base de la misión adventista 49

los primeros cristianos que salieron a hacer discípulos. La tarea

simplemente se ha vuelto más urgente hoy debido a la cercanía de la
parusía.
Orlando Costas nota la conexión entre la evangelización y la
preparación para la parusía:

La meta de la evangelización no es simplemente promover el

crecimiento de la iglesia o ayudar a los individuos a llegar a la
salvación. Más bien, el objetivo global de la evangelización es dar
a conocer el reino de Dios tal como está encarnado en
Jesucristo y hecho presente por el Espíritu Santo. Al hacerlo,
la evangelización prepara al vvay para la revelación del
reino de gloria. 1
The second text in an understanding of the parousia and Adventist
missiology is Revelation 14:6-12. This passage describes the special
message of the three angels, designed to prepare a people for the coming of
Christ. This passage, therefore, has become the heart of Adventism, to the
extent that the picture of the three angels has been used as a logo of the
church. Adventist mission can not be understood apart from these three angels'
messages:

Then I savv another ángel flying in midair, and he had

the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the
earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said
in a loucí voice, "Fear Cocí and give him glory, because the
hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the
heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."
A second ángel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is
Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the
maddening wine of her adulteries."
A thircl ángel followed them and said in a loud voice:
"If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on
the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of
God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup
of his wrath. Fie will be tormented with burning sulfur in the
presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke
of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day
or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or
for anyone 27

27
Costas, 82.
50 3

who receives the mark oí h¡s ñame." This calis for patient
endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's
commandments and remain íaithful to Jesús (Rev. 14:6-12
NIV).
This passage will be examined in detail later in this chapter. However, at
this time we wish to notice this text as an extensión of Matthew 24:14 and
Matthew 28:16-20.
If Adventists focus exclusively on Matthew 24:14, it leads them to an
understanding of mission that is primarily proclamational. In this sense, as
long as the gospel is proclaimed, regardless of whether ¡t is accepted or
rejected, mission is accomplished. Yet Matthew 24:14 cannot be isolated
from the goal of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19, that of making
disciples. The beauty of the passage in Revelation 14 is that it brings all the
elements of the two Matthean texts together in one composite whole. Mere
there is the preaching of the everlasting gospel. This proclama-tion is
worldwide. It is not just proclaimed; there are results. The preaching of this
message produces patient endurance in saints who keep the commandments of God. Like
Matthew's Great Commission, the object of the three angels' messages is to
produce a people who keep the commandments of God. It is clearly a
disciple- making passage.
In addition to this passage's goal of disciple making, it carries the
urgency expressed in Matthew 24:14. This special message of the eternal
gospel must be proclaimed in view of the imminence of the parousia. Its
apocalyptic warnings are used to give urgency to the task of preparing a
people w'ho keep the commandments of God and remain faithful to Jesús.
Adventism must see as the basis of its mission this passage of Revelation
14:6-12. Yet the passage can be properly understood only against the
background of the Great Commission. Revelation 14 must be seen as an extensión of
John's commentary on the Great Commission as it is to be carried out in the last
days of human history. The goal of the three angels' messages is identical to
the goal of the Great Commission. That goal is the making of disciples who
keep the commandments of God and remain faithful to Jesús.
AN UNDERSTANDING OF REVELATION 14:6-12 AS
THE BASIS FOR UNDERSTANDING DISCIPLESHIP IN THE
ADVENTIST CHURCH

Adventist mission is rooted and grounded in the hope of the second

coming of Jesús Christ. The basis of its mission has been and must continué
to be the preaching of the three angels' messages of Revelation 14 in order to prepare
a people for the coming of the Lord. This understanding of mission gives urgency and
direction to the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
La base de la misión adventista 51

Not only must the Church understand what sparks her sense of
mission; she must also understand what she hopes to accomplish as a
result of the proclamation of the three angels' messages. That end product
is inherent in the three angels' messages themselves. Revelation 14:12
declares that these messages produce a people who keep the
commandments of God and remain faithful to Jesús.
Adventists also have seen a connection between the preaching of this
message and the 144,000 mentioned in the previous five verses of
Revelation 14:
Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on
Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his ñame and his
Father's ñame written on their foreheads. And I heard a
sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like
a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of
harpists playing their harps.
And they sang a new song before the throne and before the
four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the
song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the
earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with
women, for they kept themselves puré. They follow the Lamb
wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered
as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths;
they are blameless (Rev. 14:1-5 NIV).

In Adventist understanding, the 144,000 are not a literal number, but a

symbolic one. They represent the people who are ready to meet Jesús at
the time of the second Advent. They are the new spiritual Israel. This
group is not exclusive; rather, it is meant to be an inclusive group of people
from all nations of earth who are ready to meet their returning King.
Adventists understand that the preaching of the three
52 Capítulo 3

angels' messages is meant to produce the people who are described in

these verses.
Therefore the goal of Adventist mission is to not just prodaim a
message, but to produce these people whorn the number 144,000 symbolizes
as complete. Note the characteristics of these people who are ready for the parousia, as
John enumera tes them in the passage:

1. They have the Father's ñame vvritten on their foreheads (v. 1). These
people are living in full commitment to God; therefore, the Father can
place His ñame on them, signifying that they belong totallv to Him.
j

2. They have been redeemed (v. 3). They belong to God because they
have been purchased by the blood of Calvary. Only blood -
purchased sinners can be ready to meet Jesús.
3. They possess a puré faith. In contrast to those who receive Babylon's
wine and indulge in her adulteries, these people are not defiled by
Babylon the Great. They have not partaken of her wine, neither have
they committed adultery witn her. In spite of the overvvhelming
apostasies of the last days, apostasies which the Scriptures declare
could nearly deceive the very elect, these people nave kept the puré
faith of Jesus.^2
4. They follow Jesús all the way. In contrast to those who follow the
beast and his image, Revelation pictures a people who follow Jesús.
They follow completely. Not only have they been taught, but they
follow all that Jesús commanded.
5. They stand without fault before the throne of God, blameless in His
sight. They do not stand in their own righteousness, but are holv
because thev have been redeemed, as noted above. Thev have been
covered with the righteousness of Christ, therefore the judgment has
vindicated them as ready to meet Jesús and enter heaven.
The five characteristics of those who respond to the three angels'
messages are reminiscent of the characteristics of true disciples as Jesús
enumerated them in the gospels." These are people who are living in full
commitment to the lordship of Christ in their lives, following Him in total
obedience. Everything that the Great Commission specifies is here
enumerated in greater detail. Revelation 14:1-12 not only specifies 28

28
Matt.24:24.
J
Estas son las características discutidas en el capítulo 1.
 La misión adventista de Basis oí 53

the kind of people who are the object of the church's mission in the end
time, but also cites the message to be preached in order to produce a people
who will live in full discipleship with Jesús Christ.
The cost of discipleship in the end time is no different from that of any other period
in human history. God expects His disciples to produce true, genuine, fully-committed
disciples in every age of the church. This is especially so in the end time, as God brings
Christ's mission to consummation with His second coming.
If the goal of the Adventist mission is to produce the people described in
Revelation 14:1- 5, then their evangelistic strategy must follow the pattern
of Revelation 14:6-12. Adventists must preach this uñique message in the
context of the eschaton. The evangelistic mándate, originating out of the
Great Commission and elaborated bv the distinctive message of Revelation
14, must be the guideline for the accomplishment of Adventist mission.
Henee, Adventists can never be content with merely bringing people to
initial faith in Christ and not into full discipleship. The Adventist mission
can be understood onlv against the backdrop of Revelation 14 and the
disciple-making mándate of the Great Commission.
In recent years within Adventism, suggestions have becn made to sepárate the
initial coming to Christ and the discipleship that follows. Baptism would then follow
the initial coming to Christ and be
disconnected from church membership. After the people have been taught
the message of Adventism, they can then be brought into membership if
they desire.54
Yet a baptism separated from entrance into the church is both foreign
and contrary to the New Testament, which links baptism as the initiating
rite into church membership.^ It is also foreign and contrary to the
instruction of Christ in Matthew 28:19, vvhere He commanded His
followers to go forth and make disciples. This He had previously defined
as more than just acceptance of Christ. Jesús declared that this "discipling" is to
be made before baptism, not after. Once a person has become a disciple, that person is
to be continually taught—given instruction in living as a disciple—so that the new
disciple can produce other disciples.
The focus on separating coming to Christ from discipleship is also
causing Adventists to lose the focus of Revelation 14:1-12 as the goal and
message of Adventism. If the goal is simply to bring people into

‘ This idea has arisen because oí the influence of McCavran's separation of

"discipling" and "períecting," discussed in chapter 1.
55
1 Cor. 12:13.
an embryonic faith in Christ, then our evangelistic methodology does not
need to stress the parousia and preparation for the eschatcn. The church can
simply bring pcoplc to faith in Christ apart from full commitment and hope
 54 Capítulo 3

that they vvill eventually enter into full discipleship. This, however, vvould
place the church in direct violation of the Great Commission, which demands disciple
making as a prerequisite to baptism. The entrance of weak Christians into the church
vvill be the ultímate result of an evangelistic strategy that only emphasizes
acceptance of Christ as Savior and not commitrr.ent to Him as Lord. These
weak Christians will eventually dilute the living witness of the church.
Adventism must return to its Wesleyan roots. Wesley and Whitfield
preached in the same era. Both were successful evangelista yet many of
Whitfield's converts did not remain, while john Wesley's flourished. The
difference lay in their evangelistic mcthodologies. Whitfield brought his
hearers only to acceptance of Christ, whereas John Wesley centered on
involving converts in the class meetings where they could be made
disciples.
Seldom (if ever) did he invite people to accept Christ and become
Christians on the spot— Most often, he invited people to ¡oin a
class—sometimes a new class that would meet that
evening.5”

Since Wesley focused on disciple making, his method was more in

harmony with the Great Commission than was Whitfield's. Adventist
understanding of mission is far more in harmony with Wesley than with
Whitfield. That is the reason for Adventism's remarkable growth to nearly
ten million members. Through the years Adventists have emphasized
discipleship more than simply acceptance of Christ as a basis for
membership. That is why Adventists do better than many churches in keeping
the harvest God gives them. Today, however, Adventists are facing more difficulty in
keeping converts. The less emphasis that is given to discipleship, the greater will be the
number of people who fail to remain in the church. Adventism is starting to
follow in the path of Whitfield rather than Wesley:

"My brother Wesley acted wisely. The souls that were

awakened under his ministry he joined in class, and thus
preserved the fruit of his labours. This I neglected, and my 29

29 George G. Hunter III, Para extender el poder, 56-57.

 La base de la misión adventista 55

people are a rope of sand" (quoted ¡n Ayling, 1979, p.

201 ).30 31

It is therefore imperative that the Seventh-day Adventist Church

return to a disciple-making model of church growth if it is serous about
fulfílling its mission as delineated Ln Revelation 14:1-12 and Matthew 28:16-
20.
We ha ve examined the Adventist understanding of Revelation 14:1- 5 as a
description of the end product of discipleship and Revelation 14:6-12 as the message
that is to produce that end-time disciple. We now wish to examine Revelation
14:6-12 in an attempt to discover how the teachings proclaimed in the three
angels' messages produce the discipled people of Revelation 14:1-5.
The first ángel begins his message with the proclamation of the eternal
gospel. The language used here is reminiscent of that in the Great
Commission. This would indícate that the three angels' messages are an
amplification of that commission as it is to be fulfilled in the last days. The
message begins with an announcement of the eternal gospel the same gospel
message that has been proclaimed from the beginning of time. The gospel does not
change. The message indicates that at the end time, just before the eschaton, the very
gospel that was preached at the beginning of Christianity will need to be proclaimed
with power.
The gospel is the "good news" that Jesús Christ forgives people of their
sins by virtue of His death on Goigotha's hill. It is exceedingly good news.
Humans can do nothing to accomplish the forgiveness of sin; only the
sacrifice of Christ can accomplish that. Sinners are made righteous not by
works that they perform, but solely by virtue of the shed blood of Christ.
Adventists must not preach a new gospel. If they are to fulfill
Revelation 14:6-12, then they must preacn the eternal gospel of salvation
by grace alone. ít may be done in the setting of Christ's soon return, but nothing
can ever be added to the basis of salvation: faith in Christ alone. Discipleship must be
accomplished not as a basis of salvation, but as a fruit of salvation. Yet no one can be
led into discipleship who does not first of all accept Jesús Christ as Savior of the life.
The first step in preparing people to be readv for the return of Christ
is to lead them to the foot of the cross and full acceptance of

30
Ibídem, 126.
“ Apocalipsis 14:6.
 56 Capítulo 3

Jesús, the One who clothes them in the beautiful garments of His spotless
righteousness and saves them from sin. They achieve this righteousness
not by human merit, but solely through the grace of God.
Once people have been brought into saving relationship with Jesús,
they must be discipled. That discipleship involves a restoration to the image of God of
those who have accepted the free gift of Christ's righteousness. Humankind was
created in the image of God physically, mentally and spiritually.32 Yet that image has
been marred by sin. Humans sinned even before they partook of the
forbidden fruit:

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good
for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for
gaining wisdom, she took some and ate ¡t. She also gave
some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it (Gen.
3:6 NIV).

Sin originated in the mind of Eve before she performed the outward act. Eating
the fruit was the natural result of her fallen nature. Thus humankind, who had
been created in God's image, fell away from that image: physically, Eve saw that the
tree was good for food; spiritually, she saw that the tree was pleasant to the
eyes (eyes are symbolic of the spiritual nature—see Revelation 3:18); and
mentally, she saw that the tree was desirable for gaining wisdom. The fall
of our first parents was complete; physically, mentally, and spiritually they
had departed from the divine image. Temptations from without now
found an answering chord in human hearts and their feet turned
imperceptibly to evil.
The plan of salvation envisions the complete restoration of human
beings to the image of God through the redemptive work of Christ on
Calvary. Jesús entered human history as the perfect example. In the wilderness
of temptation Jesús went over the same ground upon which our first parents failed,
and provided full and complete victory over the enemy. Jesús gained the phi/sicnl
victory when He refused the first temptation, to turn stones into bread. He
gained the victory at the very point on which our first parents fell. In the
second temptation, Jesús gained the mental victory for humankind as He
rcsisted the temptation to presumptuous pride, refusing to jump from the
pinnacle of the temple. In the third temptation Jesús gained the spiritual
victory

32
Génesis 1: 26.
La base de la misión adventista 57

by refusing to bow in false worship. Jesús' victory was complete in all

aspects: physical, mental and spiritual. All that Adam and Eve had lost
was fully restored in Christ. It is His victory that He offers to those who
accept the eternal gospel. He has the right to offer it to us because of
Calvary.
It is the purpose of the eternal gospel to implant Christ's victory into the lives of
those who accept Him as Savior. This victory is the first step in the discipleship process
for those who ha ve been restored to covenant relationship with God. Having accepted
Jesús, new converts need to be pointed to the victory through which Christ
wishes to restore in them His divine image. Jesús does not wish simply to
save us in our sins, He envisions complete victory over sin for His people
through His victorious power. Revelation 14:7 hints at this restoration as
a result of the proclamation of the eterral gospel of verse 6:

He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory,

because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him
who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water"
(Rev. 14:7 NIV).
The three injunctions of this verse—"fear God/' "give him glory," and "worship
him"—convey a message of restoration prcached in the setting of the
eternal gospel in preparation for the parousia. The cali to fear God in this
passage is reminiscent of the defmition given by Solomon, the wise man,
that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Prov. 1:7). The
cali to fear God envisions the mental restoration of redeemed people to the
image of God. It calis for redeemed people to be discipled by cleaning up
their minds, thinking on those things that are true, noble, right, puré,
lovely and admirable.'”’ In an end-time age of mind pollution, the cali of
discipleship requires those who have responded to the gospel to purify their minds
by dwelling upon the noble aspects of their Lord. In preparing people for the coming
of the Lord, the Christian standard in the area of holiness of mind cannot be neglected.
The second injunction of Revelation 14:7 calis upon people to give
glory to Him. While there are many ways for Christians to glorify God, the
apostle Paul enumera tes one that should not be r.eglected:

w
Phil. 4:8.
What? knovv ye not that your body is the temple oí the
Holy Ghost which is ¡n you, which ye have of God, and ye
are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in
 58 Capítulo 3

your body, and ¡n your spirit, which are God's (1 Cor. 6:19-
20).'

This cali to glorify God is clearly identified with the physical restoration of
humankind, with the understanding that the body is the temple of God. Note
again that the context of the body as the divine temple is in the setting of a
redeemed person, bought with the price of Caivary. The indwelling Christ
has found permanent lodging in the bodies of the ransomed of the Lord.
These redeemed people respect their bodies as the dwelling place of God.
They show their respect by abstaining from sexual immorality and caring
for their body temple. ít is in this setting that Adventists developed their
health philosophv of caring for the body temple through abstaining from
that which is harmful and using in moderation that which is good. This is
seen as a part of physical restoration to the image of God. Again, this is never to be
presented as a means of salvation, since Scripture clearly indicates that care for the
body temple is given only to redeemed people.
The third injunction of Revelation 14:7 is to "worship Him." Obviously, this cali
deais with spiritual restoration to the image of God. Those redeemed
through the eternal gospel are not called simply to worship, but to
"worsnip Him that made heaven and earth." It is calling a redeemed people
back into a relationship with their Creator. This appears to be a direct
quotation from the fourth commandment of the Decalogue:

Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea
and the springs of water (Rev. 14:7 NIV).
For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea,
and all that is ¡n them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the
LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy (Exod. 20:1 1 NIV).

The Adventist message of Sabbath keeping is here seen as a part of the

messages of the three angels. The redeemed are restored to the image of
God through keeping holy His original seventh-day Sabbath of creation.
Sabbath keeping, like the other issues in restoration, must not be seen as a
means of salvation, but as an activity of redeemed people who are seeking
to come into full discipleship with Jesús.
The Sabbath was not given to the human race as a Symbol of
humankind's rest, but as a symbol of God's rest.33 Redeemed humans are
invited to enter God's rest through keeping holy God's seventh- day
Sabbath. The purpose of this rest is seen in the giving of the Sabbath to the
first humans in sinless Edén. According to the Génesis account of creation,
Adam and Eve were created on the sixth day of creation week. Their first ful!

33
Génesis 2:1-2.
 La Misión Basis oí Adventisí 59

day on planet Earth was the Sabbath. They did not need to rest, for they had not yet
worked. They instead were invited to enter into the celebration of God's rest, a time
for them to become better acquainted with their Maker.
Christians preparing for the return of the Lord desire to enter into
God's rest. Therefore they cease their physical work on the sev-enth day
in order to spend that time in developing a relationship with their Creator.
The Sabbath has far more to do with relation-ships than anything else.
Human history has reached the point where it is absolutely necessary, in
order for discipleship to occur, that people take the time needed to
develop their relationship with God. The Sabbath provides that respite,
providing twenty-four hours each week vvhcn individuáis are free from
worldly pursuits and may spend quality time in getting to know God.
The Sabbath is at the heart of the restoration process because of the great
need to develop a deep relationship with God. Since Sabbath is the time allottcd
for relationship building, born-again, last-day Christians will eagerly
pursue Sabbath rest as part of the discipleship process, because they ha ve
discovered the secret to restoration lies in the time spent with God. Rather
than spending only an hour a week with God, God declares through the
Sabbath that humankind needs a twenty-four hour period once each week
to develop with Him the deep relationship so necessary for the
tumultuous times of the last days.
The cali of the first ángel, then, declares that the eternal gospel redeems
people to Christ and begins the work of restoration. It calis for a three-fold restoration
to the image of God by cleaning up the mind, keeping the body in good health and
free from sexual immorality, and taking time for the development of a deep
relationship with Christ through Sabbath keeping.
One final aspect of Revelation 14:7 needs to be addressed: the reason
for the cali to restorative discipleship, which is that "the hour of his
judgment has come" (Rev. 14:7 NIV). The judgment spoken of here has
already commenced. Adventist understanding of this pre-advent
judgment is that it commenced in 1844 at the conclusión of the 2300- day
prophecy of Daniel 8:14. Interestingly, the angel's declaration that the
judgment has begun is included as a part of the eternal gospel. In other
words, judgment in Revelation is not inconsistent vvith gospel; it is, in fact,
the gospel. It is the "good news" that God is being vindicated against Satan's charges.
The message of the judgment must be presented to those newly come to faith in
Christ. This "good news" helps them to understand the ministrv of Christ in
the heavenly sanctuary, vvhere jesús presents the ñames of the redeemed
before the angels in heaven just before He returns to earth. This
presentation in judgment is not to find out who is saved and who is lost.
God already knows this. The purpose of this judgment is to vindicóte the
righteous against Satan's charges before the unfallen beings of the
 60 Capítulo 3

universe.02 It should not bring tear, but rejoicing, to the righteous. They
rejoice because they have the assurance that Christ, their Advócate, has
vindicated them before the throne of heaven. The Adventist understanding
of this pre-advent judgment should give the assurance of their ultímate
victory in Christ to those newly come to faith in Him.
The second angel's message warns people against Babylon and her fornication, or
falsification of the gospel. Babylon is ultimately symbolized by all those who place
human merits and works in place of the gospel of free grace. Babylon is also
symbolized by those who would cheapen the gospel by not calling for
rigorous discipleship demanded by the first angel's message. The tragedv
is that most of the world has been captivated by Babyionian wine.
Therefore, God extends an invitation to redeemed people to come out of
Babylon.' ’ The cali of Revelation 18:4, then, is simply an extensión of the
cali of Revelation 14:7—a cali to genuine discipleship instead of false
discipleship.
The third ángel extends an even stronger warning against the beast, his
number and his mark. Those who respond to the message of the first ángel have the
Pather's ñame written in their foreheads. Revelation 7:3 declares that they have the seal
of God on their foreheads. Both indicate people belonging to God in total
discipleship. In contrast, the third ángel warns against false discipleship,
centered in the beast and his mark. To have the mark of the beast is to live
in discipleship with the beast, just as to have the sign or mark of God is to
live in discipleship with the Lamb.

w
Angels and perhaps unfallen beings on other planets (Job 1:6; Rev. 12:12). M
Rev. 18:1-4.
La base de la misión adventista 6/

The result of the proclamation of these three spedal messages in the

context of the end time is the production of a people who are truly disciples
of Jesús. They follow Him wherever He goes; they keep the
commandments of God and remain faithful to Jesús.61 They are disciples in
the truest sense of the word, for they actually do what Jesús envisioned in
the Great Commission; they have been taught and do all that Jesús
commanded. Their keeping of the commandments is not a legalistic
keeping of law, but a faith relationship springing out of a continuing
relationship vvith Jesús that is nourished by daily Bible study, daily prayer,
and weekly Sabbath keeping.
Adventist understanding of Bible truth, centered in the three angels'
messages of Revelation 14, prepares people for honest discipleship. The
Adventist mcssage of tne gospel of frec grace, followed by discipleship that
restores people to the image of God through cleaning up the mind,
healthful living, and Sabbath keep-ing to build a relationship with Christ,
leads into full discipleship. The mcssage of the pre-advent judgment is
designed to provide assurance of the ultímate vietory of Christ sud Mis
fáüewéfs fkmgk Ckñ§t'§
final work in the heavenly sanctuary. This message is to be presented in
the apocalyptic setting of the end time to prepare people for the return of
Christ. The negative warnings about Babylon and the beast must be seen
as helping to lead people away from false discipleship to germine
discipleship. All this is to be accomplished among all the nations in the
setting of the eschaton. This is the Adventist mission.

w Rev. 14:4, 12.

 - SEGUNDA PARTE

CLERGY ROLE AND MEMBER CARE

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT ERA
 C A P Í T U L O 4

AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE
BIBLICAL TERMS FOR CLERGY

Part 1 has established the fulfillment of the Great Commission in the

setting of the coming eschaton as the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church. The reason for the existence of the church is missionary. The early
Christian church, the originators of this mission consciousness, organized
their church for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Its clergy and laity
worked together for the accomplishment of the mission of Christ. The
clergy function was performed so that it enhanced the mission of the
church. Likewise, the laity performed their task in order that mission might
be fulfilled.
Nearly two millennia have passed since Jesús gave the Great
Commission. Nearly half the world still have not heard of Jesús, and most
people who live in the "Christian world" are unchurched. The missionary
challenge that faced first-century Christianity is still enormous at the end
of the twentieth century. With these challenges facing the church, one would
expect an organizaron trim and lean for the accomplishment of its mission. Yet in the
Seventh-day Adventist church, as in most Christian denominations today, it appears
that a Great Commission consciousness is missing.
Instead of a missionary organization, the church appears more like a
baby-sitting operation. It seems more concerned with the care of the saints
than with reaching the world for Christ. Nurture has replaced outreach as
the church's primary function. Yet, in spite of all the nurturing, the church
appears in feeble spiritual health. In contrast, the early church, concerned
with outreach, appears to have been in strong spiritual health.
When one examines the church today, it is obvious that most of its time,
talent, and treasure is being spent on preserving the saints, who already know
the gospel, rather than reaching those who do not believe the gospel of Christ. In most
Adventist churches today nearly 95 percent of the local budget is spent either paying
the bilis of the local church's upkeep or educating the children of the local members in
Adventist schools. It is rare to find a church that places more than 5 percent
of its local budget in outreach ministries.1

These figures are generalizations based on the author's observations, both ¡n

pastoring and in consultation with scores of Adventist churches across North America.

65
 66 Capítulo 4

Church members who are able to dónate significant amounts of time to

church work spend most of that time in activities that are not mission
related. Thev perform many good works and provide much- needed
Services to the community of faith, but they have little to do vvith the
fulfillment of the mission of Christ. Most of such activities are geared to the enrichment
of those who airead y know Christ.
Even church leadership has assumed a role that is foreign to that of the early
church. Pastors of local chinches spend most of their time nurturing the
church members who have been placed under their care. In most
congregations the pastor has become the chief care giver in the church. The
function of the church member has become that of an observe^ who
watches the pastor perform each Sabbath morning and then pays for his
support. Congregations demand that conferences supply them with
pastors, based on the fact that they pay enough tithe to the conference to
warrant a full-time pastor. Conferences have even responded with
formulas whereby if a certain amount of tithe is received, the local
congregation will receive a full-time pastor.
The result of all this is a church structure geared not to mission, but
primarily to the maintenance of the organization and the protection of
"turf." Mission becomes more difficult to accomplish as this mode of
operation becomes more fixed vvithin the church structure. A radical
restructuring of the local church is needed. The role of the pastor as the
primary care giver must be replaced by local congregations who once again
assume their New Testament role as the chief care givers of the church.
Much pastoral training and emphasis, from the seminary to the local
conference, has been on the pastor as chief care giver. Many pastors cannot
envision any other role for themselves than care giver. As a result, many
pastors feel threatened by the new paradigm, wondering what role they
will play if the members take over "their job" as primary care giver in the
local church. Many have even asked if their job would be necessary.
The pastoral role, however, is essential to the mission paradigm. There
is a definite role for the clergy to play, but it is not that of primary care
giver of the church. Instead, pastors must leam to function in the
trainer/equipper/church planter mode of ministry. They will need to
abandon the shepherd model of pastoral ministry and assume the rancher
model.2 34

34 El modelo de ministerio del pastor se usa aquí para referirse al pastor como el
principal cuidador de la iglesia. El modelo de ministerio del ranchero se usa para
referirse al pastor en
el modelo del equipper, donde el pastor entrena a los miembros para que se cuiden
los unos a los otros, y el pastor supervisa ese cuidado.
Una comprensión de los términos bíblicos para el clero 67

Since the new paradigm that is suggested here is such a radical departure
from the normal clergy function, it is essential that we explore the biblical
basis for this clergy function. This chapter will explore the various words
used in both Oíd and New Testaments to refer to clergy, in an attempt to
discover a solid biblical basis for the clergy function in the church. While
examination of these words will provide some understanding of how the
New Testament church was organized, it will be apparent that the New
Testament era did not crea te an organization as highly developed as most
church systems are today. In fact, the church was not organized around
positions or power, but instead was organized around the gifts of the
individual members. Believing in the priesthood of all believers forced the
church into a gift-based organizational structure, rather than a hierarchal
system.

PRIEST
Of all the biblical words used to refer to clergy, none surpass "priest" in
the Oíd Testament. It is the word most commonly used in pre-Christian
times to refer to the clergy, both in Israel and in the non- Hebrew world. The
function of these priests was clearly that of performing ministry for the
people which they were not able to perform for themselves. Thus the priests
were the offerers of sacrifice.4 Only they were permitted in the sanctuary.
And only the high priest was allowed in the Most Holy Place, which he could
enter only once a year, on the Day of Atonement.^
If the New Testament writers had desired to give us a word that set
clergy apart as distinct from the people, they would likely ha ve chosen the
word "priest," which was in common usage in the Óld Testament and all
ancient litera ture. Yet, strangely, the New Testament writers failed to use
this word to describe the New Testament clergy.

Cari A. Volz, Pastoral Life and Practice in the Early Church (Minneapolis: Augsburg
Fortress, 1990), 14.
Lev. 1: 1-7.
Heb. 9: 6-7; Lev. 16: 5-29.
68 Chdpler 4

The fact that the word priest (iereus) is not applied ¡n the
New Testament to any office-bearer ¡n the Church oí Christ,
is of itself a circumstance of no mean signification.
It cannot be an accident/’
This is not merely an argument from silence. The New Testament writers did use
the term "priest," but when they utilized this ancient term they impregnated it with
new meaning to refer to the priesthood of all believers. These texts clearly point
out that Christ, by virtue of His redemptive ministry on the cross,
hascreated a whole kingdom of priests. Rather than priests being a special
class of clergy, as in the Oíd Testament, these passages indícate that "priest"
has now become a term to represent the entire people of God, including
both clcrgy and laity. This concept of the entire people of God being the
priests is suggested in embryonic thought in the Oíd Testament.8
It would seem that it was God's original purpose to establish Israel as
a nation of priests, but their rebellion at Sinai evidently resulted in His
using a secondary plan whereby the children of Levi were appointed the priests
of the nations. ín the New Testament, Christ again seeks to establish a church where
the priests are not a privileged class, but where all the people ha ve full access to God.
The apostle Peter further establishes the claim of all God's people to the
priesthood by declaring that all Christians are being built up as a "holy
priesthood" and a "royal priesthood."1'
These passages clearly indícate that the New Testament writers did not
attach to the word "priest" its Oíd Testament meaning. Instead they placed
upon this word the meaning of God's original intent for Israel. Thus, in the
New Testament all of God's people are priests and there is no special class of
clergv who ha ve access to God not enjoyed by "ordinary" believers. Since
the purpose of this chapter is to explore the terms for clergy in the New
Testament we will not further explore the use of the term "priest/' which has
been given as a ñame for laity in the New Testament. Clearly there is no priestly role
for clergy in the New Testament and the word should not be used to convey the
function of clergy who officiate in the Christian church:

0
E. Mellor, Priesthood in the iight of the New Testament (London: Hodder and
Stoughton, 1876), 12.
7
Rev. 1:5,6; 5:9-10. a Exod. 19:5-6.
9
1 Pet. 2:5; 1 Pet. 2:9 New American Standard Bible ÍNASB).
But popular sacerdotalism, or the priesthood oí
believers, is peculiar to Christianity, while the pastoral office
is the unique institution of Christ. In no other religious
system does it exist.11
Una comprensión de la Biblia! Ternas para el clero 69

Furthermore, if the New Testament church was attempting to establish a priesthood,

the most logical people to be priests would have been those Jewish priests who
converted to the new faith. While the New Testament clearly indicates that such
priests became part of the early church, there is absolutely no indication
that they continued in the priestly role once they became Christians.1
Instead, their status was the same as all Christians; they had entered the
priesthood of all believers:

In Judaism, as in paganism, there are priests. In the New

Testament priesthood belongs to Jesús Christ alone.
It is true that the whole Church shares in it, but that does not
apply to an individual or group that would then be
distinguishable from the other, non-priestly, church
members.*
Yet the apostle Paul does seem to indícate that there is a priestly Service
of sacrifice that happens in the New Testament church. In Romans 12:1 Paul
counsels the Romans to present their bodies to God as a living sacrifice and
then proceeds in the rest of the chapter to discuss spiritual gifts. In the
writings of Paul there is an emphasis on ministry as priestly Service. Paul
considered the reception of the gospel by the Gentiles to be his offering to
God. But his priestly Service in tnis incident is no different from what he
had already counseled all Christians to do.13 Thus even priestly ministry is
tied to the evangelistic mission thrust of the early church. Clergy function
in priestly terms was not doing something for believers, but instead was reaching non-
Christians, bringing them to Christ, and presenting them

" William Lefroy, The Christian Ministry: Its Origin, Constitution, Nature, and Work
(London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1890), 40, 41.
Acts 6:7; Eduard Schweizer, Church Order in the New Testament, trans. Frank Clarke
{Naperville, III.: Alee R. Allenson, Inc., 1961), 47.
Schweizer, 173.
Rom. 15:16; 12:1; Colin G. Kruse, New lestament Models tor Ministry: lesus and Paul
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983), 127, 129, 141, 143.
70 Capítulo A

as an offering to God. Such acts were not exclusively the job of clergy, but
of all Christians.

Paul used priestly and sacrificial imagery to depict every

Christian's Service to God. All believers act as priests in so far as they
are responsible to present themselves as living sacrifices to God. This
offering they make as their response to the manifold mercies of
God made known to them in the gospel (Rom.

APOSTLES
The most common term for church leadership in the early church was
"apostle." It is used more than any other term to denote those who are
exercising authority over other believers in the New Testament. As such, it
is the most commonly used term to denote the clergy of the New Testament
era. Other words may also denote clergy function, but "apostle" is clearly the
favorite. Yet the mission of the apostles was the same as for all believers: sha ring the
good news of Jesús with a lost world. Being an apostle did not change one's basic
ministrv focus from that of all believers.1"
J

Much disagreement and discussion can be found relative to the use of

this term. Some feel that it is to be used solely to refer to the twelve disciples
that Jesús appointed. Others feel that it ineludes more than the original
twelve. Some feel the term and its function ceased with the new Testament
era, while others see it as a continuing ministry in the church:

We are torced by the perplexing multitude of attempts at

a solution to the conclusión that the darkness that lies over
the beginnings of the primitive Christian apostolate can no longer be
illuminated with certainty.
We consider that NT scholarship has not sufficiently considered
the meaning of the vb. apostello as a starting point for a
solution.

14
Kruse, 189.
,s
Volz, 15.
D. Müller, "Apostle," in New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology
(1975), 134.
Let LIS consider a brief understanding of this word as a basis for
understanding clergy role in the New Testament era. The basic meaning of
 Una comprensión de (los términos bíblicos para el clero) 71

anocxoXoq is "one sent out on a mission."35 36 37 The very use of this term to
denote the leaders that Christ had chosen to form, organizo, and lead the
infant church indicates the missionary basis of the nevv organization that Christ
was establishing. The Great Commission began with the word "go"; now the leaders
of the group to fulfi 11 the Great Commission are ralled "those sent/' Inherent in the
ñame Christ gave to New Testament leadership is its missionary function.
If Jesús wanted to convey a continuance of Oíd Testament clergy
function to the household of faith. He could have chosen the word "priest."
Yet Jesús chose "apostle," because the New Testament leaders were to exist
for a missionary’ purpose. They were sent into the world to share the glad
tidings of Christ. Inherent in this first clerical term is a very strong
missionary bias. John Knox has observed that the apostles were basically
itinerant evangelists.ls
Some authorities have credited the Jewish salíah as the origin of the term
"apostle." He was the one who was sent out by one in authority to represent that person
to those to whom he was sent. It was a legal term but could be used in a religious sense.
It is possible that the New Testament church borrowed the apostleship from
this concept. Just as Jesús' ministry was an extensión of the Father, so those
He sent were an extensión of His ministry. Even the Great Commission is
possibly given in the setting that a Jewish man would commission his
salíah:

It is worth recalling that Jesús' commission of the

Tvvelve for the Galilean mission involved a similar double-
sided representaron; they were sent as Jesús' envoys, but
were, at the same time, representatives of the Gocl who sent
Jesús. Thus lesus could say to them: "He who receives you
receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent
me" (Matt. 10:40).v’
It is in this sense that Christ has given authority to His apostles. Since
they have been commissioned to represent Him, they do so with the same
authority that He had, which in turn carne from the Father. 38 This was not unlimited
authority, but delegated authority. They were only to hold this authority as they
followed Jesús. Yet in the centuries that followed, this authority became

35
james Strong, el exhaustivo concordante de Bihlc: Un diccionario griego del Nuevo
Testamento, s.v. "apóstoles".
íl
John Knox, "The Ministry in the Primitive Church," en The Ministry in Historical
Perspectives, ecl. H. Richard Niebuhr y Daniel D. Williams, (Nueva York: Harper &
Brothers, 1956), 7.
Kruse, 29, 32, 86.
38
Ibídem, 98.
72 Capítulo 4

unlimited and formed the basis of the separation of clergy and laity,
eventually providing the background for the power which the clergy
exercised over the laity. Even the doctrine of apostolic succession can be
traced to a distortion of this concept.
As the New Testament period developed and the church grevv, so did
the number of apostles. Some have suggested that the term "apostle" was to
cease with the death of the original twelve. However, others in addition to
the Twelve were called apostles. Furthermore, "apostles" was one of the
spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit had implanted in the Christian church:
And he gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as
evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping
of the saints for the work of Service, to the building up of the
body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and
of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the
measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ
(Eph. 4:11- 13 NASB).

If the gift of apostles was limited to the New Testament era, so would
be the gift of prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. The above text
emphatically declares that all the spiritual gifts are toexist in the church
until the church attains total unity and maturity; a condition she vvill not
reach this side of eternitv. J

The view that seeks to limit apostles to the first century is perhaps operating on a
misunderstanding of the clergy function in the early church. This may
account also for the misuse of the clergy function in the present-day church.
Once one eliminates the missionary function of the church as its primary
reason for existence, then the apostle function becomes unnecessary. If
Christian ministry is primarily to the "saints," then why would "apostles" be
necessary as "those sent"?
 Una comprensión de los términos bíblicos para 73

However, if the missionary function of leadership is primary, then

"apostles" become a necessity.
Inherent in leadership's commission, as given by Christ Himself, is the
missionary function. Those called into clergy are called to mission. Those who
served as apostles in the early church were not the primary care givers of the
believers, The early believers attempted to fasten this job on the earliest apostles,
but they quickly removed it from their job description.39
They declare their resolution to retain the ministry which
is otficially theirs, and to commit to others a ministry from
which they desi re to be relieved.40
The Twelve had a special place of importance in the life of the early
church. They were the deciders of doctrine, judges of the people, the objects
of aÚ attacks against the church.41 42 This would indícate that the early
church did possess a clergy who performed functions inherently different
from the Oíd Testament priesthood:

Nothing can be clearer than the fact that...the apostles of

Jesús Christ...occupied a position of govern-ment, of
authority, of supervisión, of peril.
Nevertheless the Acts of the Apostles prove that the
distinction which existed between apostles and adherents
before the Resurrection was continued after it; it was not only
not obliterated by Pentecost, it was deepened, and it was
accepted by Churches which were planted by independent
action, and in places which were widely distant from each
other.M
Thus the function of the apostles was clearly supervisory leadership for the mission
function of the church. All Christian churches recognized their authority and pre-
eminence. They were recognized as the "apostles which were at Jerusalem"
(Acts 8:14). This statement would indícate that there were others who were
apostles, but they were not at Jerusalem, as were the Twelve.
The presence of other apostles suggests that two groups of apostles
operated in the early church. The first Twelve occupied administrative
leadership over the entire church. In addition, others were called apostles
but were not part of the Twelve and did not seem to have the universal
39
Hechos 6:1-4.
40
Lefroy, 54.
41
Hechos 2:42; 4:36-37; 5:18, 29, 40.
42
Lefroy, 50, 56.
74 Capítulo
4

authority of the Twelve. It would seem that the difference between the two kinds
of apostles was not authority, but govemance. The Twelve were over the en ti re church,
whereas the other apostles cxercised authority o ver a more limited a rea.
Paul warns about "false apostles," and John the Revelator commends
the church for judging people who claimed to be apostles and finding them
to be liars/ If the number of apostles was limited to twelve, there would be
no need to warn against false apostles or to judge the claims of false
apostles, since everyone would have known that there were only twelve
and they would be easily identified. The existence of a multitude of apostles
outside of the Twelve would be the only reason for the warning against
false apostles. Also, such a warning would have been unnecessary if
apostles were limited to the early church.
The New Testament recognizes and calis many others by the ñame of apostle; chief
among these was Paul, who even calis himself an apostle.43 44 45 Evidently, there were
some who questioned Paul's apostleship, which led him to assert most
definitely that he was an apostle. Yet Paul never claimed to be one of the
Twelve. Even though not of the Twelve, he was not inferior to them:
"Actually I should have been commended by you, for in no respect was I
inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody" (2 Cor.
12:11 NASB). This fascinating text lends further credence to the theory of
two kinds of apostles. The "most eminent" is an obvious reference to the
Twelve. Those who are not of the "most eminent" would be the second
group of apostles, whose authority and jurisdiction seem to be more
limited. Others who are called apostles in the New Testament are Bamabas,
Andronicus, and Junia.2
One of the most interesting designations of the apostles is that of Galatians 1:19,
where James the Lord's brother is classified as an
apostle. The passage seems to imply that James was one of the twelve
who were at Jerusalem. Yet James the Lord's brother is not one of the
original Tvvelve. Evidently, the Twelve added to the original number,
which may indica te that there is nothing sacred or limited by the number
twelve.
In one of the early non-canonical books, the Didache (A.D. 90-110),
mention is made of apostles operating in the church. Since the Didache was
written after the demise of most of the original Twelve, it would indícate that
the office of apostle continued in the earliest church at the end of the first century. These
apostles were no longer resident in Jerusalem, but instead were moving from church
to church, indicating the continuing presence of an itinerant clergy at the cióse
43
2 Corintios 11:13; Apocalipsis 2:2.
44
Romanos 1: 1; 11: 13; 1 Corintios 1: 1; 9: 1-2; 2 Corintios 12: 11; 2 Tiempos. 1:1; Col.
1:1; I Tim. 2:7.
45
Hechos 14:14; Romanos 16:7.
Una comprensión de los términos bíblicos para el clero 75

of the first century.46 47 48

New Testament evidence also seems to point to the fact that the
apostles were paid. Paul gives an eloquent defense of the right of the
apostles to be paid for their work, even drawing a comparison to the Oíd
Testament priests.2" This passage strongly supports a paid clergy already
operating in the first century. The fact that the apostles were paid for their
work would indícate that they were regarded as clergy by the early church.
From this discussion we may draw the following conclusions regarding the
apostles of the New Testament era:

1. The twelve apostles were special and uñique and held an authoritative
position with universal jurisdiction in the early church.
2. Apostleship was not limited to the Twelve; additional apostles also
functioned in the church, but without universal jurisdiction.
3. The apostles were the clergy of the early church. They received wages
for their labors, altfiough Paul refused payment many times.
4. The job description of the apostles included their being preservers of
puré doctrine, deciders of doctrinal controversy, and proclaimers of Christ.
Theirs was a leadership role which included also overseeing the missionary
expansión of the early church.
5. The apostles were not the primary care givers of the early church.
6. The apostles, along with the pastors, evangelists, and teachers, were
to equip the believers for their ministry.

46
Schweizer, 143
47
1 Cor. 9: 1-16.
48
Fph. 4:11-13.
 76 Capítulo
4

If we were to use modern terminology for the apostolic role in the modern
Adventist church, the apo.stles of today would be the General Conference
leadership who opérate in the same sense as the original tvvelve apostles.
Others who fill the role which the apostles did in the early church would be
those who opérate as local conference presidents, etc. Their jurisdiction is not
as broad as the General Conference leadership, but still they occupy an
apostolic role similar to that of Paul, Barnabas, Junia and others in the early
church.
Thus far we have seen apostles to be the counterpart of today's clergy
who serve in supervisory leadership roles. Is there evidence of other clergy
roles in the local church, outside of apostles, that are more akin to the pastoral
role of today's church? As we continué our search of the New' Testament
terms for clergy, we must seek to discover if clergy occupied a role in the
local church, and, if so, what wras their job description in the early church.

ELDER/BISHOP

The biblical terms '"eider" and "bishop" are closely related, and most
scholars draw little distinction between them. Both the Greek words
upeoPuiepo^ and emoKonoq are translated "eider." These terms even pre-date
the arrival of the Hebrews in Palestine and are used of the seventy elders
whom Jethro led Moses to appoint.31 Throughout the Oíd Testament era the
words are used primarily as "overseer." They referred to those wrho were in
control of local communities of Israelites. They were not priests and therefore
not clergy, and served a more secular function, although it was difficult to
sepárate the two in Israel. Elders were appointed in every city that Israel
inhabited. They became the judges of disputes in Israel. EventuaUy the office became
formalized and powerful, to the extent that the elders would choose the fu tu
re leadership of Israel. After the captivity the office of eider was reinstated,
and the elders once again functioned as overseers. :
In the ínter-testament period, a new development occurred in the council
of seventy/seventy-one elders. During this period the term 49

49
L. Coenen, "Obispo", en Diccionario de Teología del Nuevo Testamento, 194.
1
Num. 11:16; Coenen, "Obispo", en Diccionario de Teología del Nuevo Testamento, 195; 2
Kgs. 6:32; Éxodo 12:21; 17:6; 19:7; Números 11:25; Éxodo 24:1,9; Deuteronomio 19:12;
Judas 11:7-11; 1 Crónicas 11:3; 2 Reyes. 10:5; 19:2; 23:1; Esdras 5:5; 6:7-8,14.
Una comprensión de la Biblia/ Términos para el Clero 77

"eider" seems to have acquired a reference primarily to the lay members of

the council rather than thosp from the priestly sido. ' It is into this milieu
that the early church begins using the term "eider." Concurrently with
Christian origins is the dual usage of the word to refer to both lay and
professional elders. Possibly the early believers used the word, as was
current practice, to refer to both lay and clergy elders, in which case there
would be unpaid lay elders and paid elders in the church. To the modern
reader this would create confusión.
After A.D. 70, Jewish society limits the word "eider" to theologians and to the
presidents of synagogues, thus linking the word more closely to clergy
connotations.'4 However, this was after the development of Christianity,
although later first century Christianityr could have been influenced by
this trend. Whatever else they did, the elders of Israel did not perform a
role of primary care giver. Theirs was a leadership role in a local
community. The New Testament church appointed elders for the newly
christened church in this historie Oíd Testament context. Even Jesús'
appointment of the Seventy hints at a replacement of the Sanhedrin as the
governing body of the church.
The New Testament uses two words almost synonymously to refer to elders. The
primary word is Tipeaputepo^ (used sixty-five times) and the secondary word is
£7CIOKO7I:O^. The primary word is used to refer to the leaders of the early local
churches. Paul admonished the church to appoint elders in every church
raised up. Since they were raised up out of the harvest, it would suggest
that these early elders were laity rather than clergy. More than one eider
was to be appointed in each church, which gives further credence to their
being lay elders.^ What church could afford to pay several elders,
especially since the early churches were probably house churches of less
than thirty people. The job description of these local elders was clearly
defined by Peter:

Theretore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow eider and
witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that
is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising
oversight not under compulsión, but voluntarily, according to the will
of God; and not for sordicl gain, but with eagerness; ñor 50 51 52

50
Coenen, "Bishop", en Dictionarv of New Testament Theology, 196.
51
Ibídem.
52
Mellor, 19, 89; Hechos 14:23; Tito 1:5; Hechos 20:17.
 78 Capítulo
4

yet as lording ¡t over those allotted to your charge, but

proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief
Shepherd appears, you w¡11 receive the unfading crown oí
glory (1 Pet. 5:1-4 NA5B).

Local lay elders had the responsibility to see that the church was properly
shepherded, although nothing is said of the elders doing all the
shepherding. Their responsibility seems to be oversight of the process, not
that of a primary care giver. The passage indicates that they were voluntary
positions, not done for "sordid gain." So they were unpaid positions. Even
here the care of the flock is not designated to one person, but to all the
elders. Peter is emphatic that the shepherding which he commissioned
them to perform is by exercising "oversight." Even if some wish to use this
text to refer to current pastors, it does not vvarrant the job description of
primary care giver.
The use of the term "eider" becomes even more confusing when we notice that it
also is used to refer to the apostles.36 If Peter and John were both 7tpeoPuT£o<; and
cx7iocrcoXoq, then it is possible the term could have múltiple meanings in its
New Testament usage. Paul hints at this when he writes to Timothy:

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of

double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching
and teaching. For the Scripture says, "YOU SHALL NOT
MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING," and "The
laborer is worthy of his wages." Do not receive an accusation
against an eider except on the basis of two or three witnesses
(1 Tim. 5:17-19 NASB).

These elders clearly have a ruling, leadership role, and not that of primary care giver
of local congregations. In contrast to Peter's elders, they are paid. They also preach and
teach. Thus it would seem that the elders referred to here are paid clergy, while
Peter's elders are
unpaid local lay elders.
These elders clear whether teaching was done with local
performed a
preaching and teaching
function. It is not
congregations, c ers who preached and taught, like
Paul, in establishing new congregations. The organizational setup of 53

53 1 Ped. 5: 1; 2 Juan 1: 1; 3 Juan 1: 1.

 Una comprensión de los términos bíblicos para el clero 79

the early small house churches would seem to suggest that this preaching
and teaching was probably referring to the itinerant preachers of the early
church, vvho were primarily church planters. These elders probably
resemble the present pastoral role more closely than any other New Testament
pos i ti on, but even here they are not primary care givers over local congregations.
The word 7tpeo(5\>xeoq leads us to the conclusión that there may
have been two groups of elders operating in the early church. First there
were the paid elders, vvho preached and taught, raised up new
congregations, and perhaps even were in charge of certain larger
geographical areas, although there is little evidence to support the latter. It
is easy to try to read our modern pastoral role back into the New Testament
here, but the evidence is not clear that this should be done. Secondarily,
there was a group of local elders appointed in each local church, similar, at
least in title, to the job of local eider in the modern Adventist church. These
were not paid for their work, but their main job seems to be the supervisión
of care for the flock entrusted to them.
It ¡s not easy to decide exactly what the elders' ministry was.
According to 1 Tim. 5.17 they are overseers, of whom only
some are entrusted with preaching and teaching.37

Since the New Testament is not clear and the evidence is sparse, it
would seem inappropriate to build a job description of clergy over churches
as primary care givers from the scant evidence in tne New Testament. It is
uncertain from the evidence that clergy were localized over churches
during the first century. Since the modern Adventist church also uses the
term "'eider" for both clergy elders and local lay elders, it should not be
surprising if the New Testament church did ihe same. This does not mean that we must
read the modern counterpart back into the original text, but it does point out the
possibility of two groups in the church using the same title concurrently. If
it can occur today, it could have occurred in the first century.
The other New Testament word in the church translated "eider,"
87UCK07to^ is also translated "bishop." Its original Greek usage referenced
one who watched over a people. Later it was used of those

r
Schweizer, 85-86.
sent to subdued States to conduct affairs of State; eventually the office
became a financial one. The term is used in a religious sense in the Qumran
community to describe an overseer of the community.It is in this sense that
the New Téstament seems to borrow the word and use it to refer to overseers. The one
80 Capítulo
4

called to be the bishop is to oversee the group. In this sense, the bishop is the "guardián"
of the flock: "For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you
have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of vour souls" (1 Pet. 2:25
NASB).
Here "shepherd" and "guardián" are combined and refer to Jesús as the
primary guardián or bishop of our souls. A1I who serve in the office of
bishop serve under the head bishop. They are guardians of the flock, not
primary care givers.,g Their job was to protect the church from errors and
vvolves who would seek to destroy it. Evidently the job of overseer, as
understood biblically, is more in the line of protecting the church from
outside forces that would destroy it, rather than providing primary care to
the flock itself.
The word "bishop" is used sparingly in the New Testament, at times
interchangeably with "presbyters." Paul admonishes Titus to appoint elders
(TipeopuxepOv;) in every church. He then proceeds to
give the qualifications of those who are to be appointed as elders, but he
calis them "erciOKOTCoq."54 55 56 It appears that "eTuaKorcoc" is used
primarily when giving the qualifications of those called to the office. This
reveáis that the local church at this time already had a dearly defined role
of eider, since there were qualifications for those who served.
In the list of qualifications for this position, we can ascertain some idea
of the job description expected of those called to this office. Most of the
qualifications deal with leadership ability and faithfulness to the gospel.
These qualifications would be especially helpful in the role of guardián, in
which the eider would protect the church from heresy. Ónly one qualification
mentioned could apply to one who is a care giver, and that is hospitality. Yet
hospitality should be found in all leaders, so even the qualification list does not
mándate the office of eider to be one of care giver. Furthermore, we do
not know if these

54
Coenen, "Bishop", en Diclionary of New Testament Theology, 189, 190; Hermán Cremer,
Biblico-Theological Lexicón of New Testament Greek, Irans. from Germán por William
Urwick, s.v. "eider"; Lefroy, 34.
55
Hechos 20:28.
56
Tito 1:5-9.
 Una comprensión de los términos bíblicos para el clero 81

qualifications apply to the local church eider or the clergy elders, or both.
Our examination of both testament usages of "'eider" reveáis no
indication that the job of eider consisted of being a primary care giver in
the church. Instead, the eider is given the responsibility of overseeing or
protecting the local community. The inter-testament period witnessed the word
assuming an even more lay than clergy connota tion.
New Testament evidence reveáis that the office of eider soon reached
major significance in the early church. We also discovered that the word
possibly was used in two ways: to refer to clergy elders who were paid, and
local lay elders who were unpaid. Timothy and Titus may have been paid
clergy elders who exercised more authority over local congregations than
the local elders, but who evidently traveled extensively. They apparently
were not located in one place, as is the modern pastor. In Peter's epistle, as
in the latter pastoral epistles composed near the end of PauTs life, the role
of eider is becoming more definid ve, but even at this time these elders are
itinerants, not located pastors.
In fact, there seems to be something I¡ke circuits allotted to the
individual elders. But the honorific title of king and priest is
given, not to individuáis such as these, but to the Church as
a whole, whose priesthood is not a ministry of reconciliation,
but of praise and preaching (2.9). So here too there is no
distinction between clergy and laity.41

However, in all cases there is no indication that the job description of

either local elders or clergy' elders included being the primary care givers
in the local church. If these elders are the counterpart of the modern pastor,
then the modern pastor is operating undera different job description from the biblical
elders, whose job was to be overseers rather than primary care givers. In fact, the
primary job description of the paid elders was preaching and teaching. It
would be easy to conclude that the teaching and preaching was primarily
directed to the saints, because that is how it is done today. However, in the
cultural and missional orientation of the early church, the preaching and
teaching was probably directed more to unreached people than to 57
church members. There is no evidence in the New Testament of a paid
clergyperson preaching to an existing congregation on a regular basis.
YVhile these clergy elders had general oversight of congregations, thev
mav also have been involved in the establishment of new congregations
and the extensión of the church into new territories. Many, Üke Timothy and
Ti tus, may have staved behind after Paul, with bis gift of evangelism, did the initial

57
Schvveizer, 111-112.
 82 Capítulo
4

work of planting the church. They helped to solidify the new converts and organize
them into a working church. In the context of the early church, it is likely that
these clergy elders performed a missionary rather than a nurtural function.
Volz suggests that the ones who nurtured the new congregations were
the prophets, although he offers no biblical proof for this assertion. It would
appear from the evidence here presented that this was done by the
preaching and teaching elders, such as Timothy and Ti tus. Unless we
would consider them prophets, they are the ones to vvhom Paul turned to
nurture the new congregations. But we must remember that they were
nurtured for self-sufficiency and not dependency. Even Volz notices that
the prophets were itinerants and not permanent nurturers over local
congregations in the New Testament period.58 59

DEACON/MINISTER
Since the word Siaicovoq is translated both deacon and minister, it is
included as a clergy term, even though most recognize "deacon" as a lay
term. However, "minister" is sometimes used as a clergy term today, even
though it is translated from the same word. AiotKOvoq means "providing
personal help to others." Ancient Greek usage referred to those who waited
on tables; it is a term that denotes loving actions for brothers and neighbors.
In the early church it denoted those who stood by the bishops or presbyters as
helpers. The care of the churches devolved on the deacons as the helpers to the
presbyters.4, Schweizer notices that the word is used in the New Testament from a
purely secular connotation:
Thus the New Testament throughout and uniformly
chooses a word that ¡s entirely unbiblícal and non- religious
and never ineludes association with a particular dignity or
position.60 61 62
This is the first term that we ha ve consictered which is a direct reference to care-
giving. If a word was to be chosen to show that clergy were the primary care
givers in the church, this is the word they probnbly would ha ve used. So this
is a significant term for this study. Amazingly, only two passages actually
transíate the word as "deacon" to indícate a specific office in the early
church.4"
Both of these texts indícate the office of deacon to be an established
58
Volz, 15.
41
K. Hess, "Servir", en üiclionary of New Testament Theology, 545, 547; Cremer, 178.
60
Schvveizer, 174.
61
Phil 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8-13.
62
Mat. 22: 13; (2: 5).
Una comprensión de la Biblia! Términos para el Clero 83

position in the early church. Qualifications for Service are given and the
office is tied to the overseer as a recognized position in the church. The term
SicxKOVoq is used only to reference this local church office; it is a purely
local term and does not ha ve any characteristics of a clergy role. There is no
indication that the deacons were paid or that their jurisdiction went beyond
the local church. They seem to have been appointed to this position from the local
congregation. They may have occupied a major role in the local church, but it seems to
have been a lay role.
Aicucovoc; is also translated as "servant" five times. Two of these times
it refers to literal servants; the other three times it describes the attitude that
disciples should have toward leadership. *' In other words, all those who
serve in Christ's work should have the attitude of SiccKovoq.

But the greatest among you shall be your servant (Matt.

23:11 NASB).
And sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them,
"If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant
of all" (Mark 9:35 NASB).
If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there
shall My servant also be; if anyone serve Me, the Father will
honor him (John 1 2:26 NASB).
All who follow Christ are called to be Sioucovoq. Ministry cannot
belong to clergy alone, but instead must be something belonging to all the
people of God, including clergy. Thus all clergy are ministers, but not all
ministers are clergy. All who belong to Christ are called to a life of serving
others. It is this concept of servant leadership rather than arbitrary rulership
that should characterize all who follow Jesús.
Five additional passages transíate Sioncovoq as "minister."4' The first
merely refers to Christ as not being a minister of sin. The second refers to civil
authorities as they minister to people, and the last three refer to clergy who
minister in the context of their life as Christians, not as a specific clergy role.
These texts clearly ¡Ilumínate the fact that clergy also serve as ministers, not
because they are clergy, but because first and foremost they are ministers
called by Jesús to salvation through the grace of God. The use of the term
SiaKovo^ in the New Testament indicates that all Christians were called to a
ministry of Service because they were Christians. There is no ind¡catión that
this is a clergy term. The only office referenced by this term is a lay office.
While they were called, as Christians, to care, there is no indication that even
the deacons were given the responsibility of being the primary care giver in
the local church. Caring was always the responsibility of the whole
congregation.
Even the biblical position of deacon must not be seen as providing special
84 Capítulo
4

status as clergy position. To the earliest Christians, ministry was a

responsibility of everyone and caring was not to be delegated to an office with
power and prestí ge:

The very choice of the word, which still clearly involves

the idea of humble activity, proves that the Church wishes to
denote the attitude of one who is at the Service of God and his
fellow-men, not a position carrying with it rights and powers.4”

Two other Greek works are translated "minister" in the New Testament:
U7cr|peTr|<; and tercoopyoi;. The first is used only one time in the New
Testament.4' Its original meaning was "a rower." From that it carne to mean
"servant," "helper," "attendant."M) In its only New 63 64 65 66

63 Cal. 2:17; Romanos 13:4; Efesios 3:7; 6:21; Colosenses 1:23,25.

41 Schweizer, 177.
65 Hechos 26:16.
En el Diccionario de Teología del Nuevo Testamento, 546.547.
Una comprensión de los términos bíblicos para el clero 85

Testament usa ge, Paul uses the word to describe his conversión experience
as one ealled by God to minister and witncss. This is a conversión cali, not
a clergy cali. Since God ealled him to minister and to witness and
witnessing is clearly recognized as a cali to all Christians, it is reasonable to
conclude that Paul's cali to ministry is likewise the cali to ministry
experienced by all Christians. Thus this passage does not denote a clergy
position of minister in the New Testament church.
The original meaning of teuoopyoc was "to do public work at one's own
expense." It became a political, almost legal, concepta' The Septuagint
adopted the word from the classical Greek and used it for the priests,
vvhose duty it was to discharge sacerdotal or temple Service.'2 The word is
used five times as a noun in the New Testament. There is no indication that
it refers exclusively to clergy. In all instances it can refer to both, or if it does
refer to clergy, it relates to them just as it would to any lay member. If there
was a word that could easily be transformed by the early church into a
cultic clergy word, it would be Aeixoupyo^, because of its cultic origins.
Yet this usage does not seem to have originated in the early church.
Xeixoupyo^ is used to describe Jesús' ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. What
Jesús is, His followers may become. Thus, if Jesús is our ^ciTOUpyo^ in heaven,
His disciples can be teiToupyoq in this world. Even the angels are spoken
of as Xeuoupyoq. Paul declares that God has ealled him to be a minister
(keixoupyoq) to the Gentiles. Taken alone this passage could indícate that
certain individuáis were ealled into the sacred priestly Service, as the
ancient A£iTO\)pyoq. But a few verses later, Paul uses the same word to
indícate that the Gentiles should now serve as ^cruoopyoq. The only other
passage where the word is used refers to Epaphroditus as Paul's minister
or helper.
From this we conclude that \wcr|p£Tr|<; and teixoupyoi; are used in
a similar manner to Sioncouoc,. In all these instances, the words do not
reveal a specific office, except deacon, that is held in the church. It seems
primarily to describe the activity of members among the body. All
Christians, w'hether clergy or laity, are to be ministers.
All of these words are also used as verbs. Yet there is no instance in the
New Testament where the verb form is used to describe the 67 68 69 exclusive
work of dergy as ministry. The clergy were to minister not because they
were clergy, but because first and foremost they were Christians, and
ministry was the prerogative of all Christians. Also, ministering was one of

67 Ibídem, 551.
Cremer, 762-763.
5J Heb. 8:2; Heb. 1:7; Rom. 15:16; Rom. 15:27; Fil. 2:25.
86 Capítulo
4

Paul's spiritual gifts."4 Interestingly, this gift of ministering is not listed

among the people gifts of Ephesians 4:11, but instead appears among the gifts
of Romans, gifts which everyone acknowledges to be available to all Christians. Peter
declares: “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one
another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Pet. 4:10 NASB).
Christians are to minister to one another through the use of their spiritual
gifts. Since Peter declares all Christians to have received a gift, it
automatically follows that all Christians are therefore ministers.
This New Testament understanding of "minister" is entirely different
from that of the Oíd Testament. There the term is used to refer to those who
ministered in priestly Service in the tabernacle.^ Even the verb form is used
extensively in the Oíd Testament to refer to the work of the priests. The Oíd
Testament used the term almost exclusively for clergy.
Tkis niakes the New Testament usage of the word even more significant. The
early church was attempting to show that it is no longer the clergy who do all
the ministering, but that ministry now belongs to all the people of God. Since
all of God's people are priests in the context of the New Testament, it
logically follows that they are all ministers, as well. The clergy words
"priest" and "minister" in the Oíd Testament are made lay words for all
people in the New Testament. To refer to clergy as "ministers" is equal to
calling clergy "priests." Both are anathema in the New Testament because
of the priesthood of all believers.

In view of the large number of terms available, the

evidence of the choice of words is unmistakable. Before there
has been any theological retlection all the New Testament witnesses are
sure of one decisive fact: ofíicial priesthood, which exists to concíbate
and medíate between God and the community, is found in
Judaism and Paganism; but since Jesús Christ there has been
only one such office—that of )esus himself. It is shared by the
70 71

whole Church, and never by one church member as distinct

from others. Here therefore there ¡s without exception the
common priesthood, with no laity. ”

PASTOR/SHEPHERD

70 Romanos 12:7.
71 Núm. 18:2; Éx. 28:3-4; Joel 1:13; Esdras 7:24; 8:17; Isa. 61:6; Ezequiel 44:11; 45:4; Joel
2:17.
Una comprensión de los términos bíblicos para Cfergy 87

The final word we will examine is TCOIJÍT|V, translated either '"pastor"

or "shepherd." The vernacular usage refers to the literal shepherd of a flock
of sheep, but was al so used in ancient Greece as a ñame for a leader, ruler,
or commander, and even as an alternative for a lawgiver/7
Since "pastor" is the title given to most people who are placed over
churches today, and since the analogy to the shepherd who cares for the
sheep is used to justify the pastoral role as that of primary care giver, we
must carefully examine this term. In ancient Greek usage the term was more
closely associated with "leader" than "care giver/' although care giving is a
possible meaning.
In the Oíd Testament, 7toigr|v or its derivatives are used for chiefs such as Moses.
s Jeremiah uses the word to represent generáis. ' According to Blunt, only the

post-exilic writers make the application of the word to men in sacred

office.60 Yet Jeremiah seems to use the word for people in sacred office. In
fact, all the texts translated as "pastor" in the King James Versión are from
the book of Jeremiah and refer to men in sacred position. Jeremiah even
castigates those whom he claims to be false pastors w'ho have led Israel into
Baal worship.” This usage ind icates pastors were identical with the priests,
elders, or even the rulers of Israel. Clearly these were people wrho had been
given the oversight of Israel. However, they had misled Israel, and God,
through Jeremiah, now called them to accountability. These Oíd Testament
references to pastor, then, do not refer to personal care- giving on the part of the
pastor, but instead refer to the general

%
Schweizer, 176.
E. Beyreuther, "Shepherd/' in Dictionary of New Testament Theoíogy, 564.
4 Cremer, 840-841. Cremer cites Isa. 63:11; Jer. 3:15 and Zech. 5:8 as proof of this usage.
v’ Jer. 6:3.
u' Dictionary of Doctrinal and Historical Theoíogy, s.v. "poimen550.
61 Jer. 2:8; 3:15; 10:21; 12:10; 22:22; 23:1,2.

oversight or leadership that the person was to have over the

congregation.
The leadership function of the shepherd/pastor is clearly seen in the
passages translated as "shepherd" rather than "pastor." Most are Messianic.6
The Messiah will be the true shepherd of Israel, the only one who can truly feed Israel.
Does the New Testament place the responsibility of feeding the flock on the clergy as
primary care givers, or on the shoulders of aíl Christians?
It is highly significant that all New Testament passages translated
"shepherd" refer to Christ,63 just as most Oíd Testament passages
translated "shepherd" are Messianic. Christ, indeed is the only one who
88 Capítulo
4

can really shepherd the church. No other person could ever

singlehandedly provide the kind of care that Jesus gives His sheep.
7roipriv is used only one other time in the entire New Testament. Here
is the only time that it is used for someone other than divinity. We must
be careful to not build a whole doctrine of pastoral care on one text of
Scripture:
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some
as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of
the saints for the vvork of Service, to the building up of the body
of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the
measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ
(Eph. 4:11- 13 NASB).

Is the reference to pastor in this text a reference to a position held in the

local church, or is it a general reference to functions performed by people
in many other positions? Textual evidence seems to indícate that "pastor"
does not stand alone in this text, but is coupled with "teacher." Thus the one
who has the gift of pastoring here also has the gift of teaching. The Greek construction
suggests that Paul is here speaking of two phases of one office. 64 Other commentators
recognize

Ezek. 34:23; Ps. 80:1; Isa. 40:10-11. w John 10:11,12,14,16; Heb.

13:20; 2 Pet. 2:25; 1 Peí. 1:5.
M Seventh-dav Adventisl Bible Commentary, (Washington: Review and Herald, 1980),

6:1023.
 Una comprensión de los términos bíblicos para el clero 89

in this passage an established position in the embryonic first century

church.
Many commentators suggest that the "pastor" of Ephesians 4:11 is a
stationary pastor over the church, much like the pastors of today. However,
this author must disagree with these distinguished commentators because they
do not offer any proof of the pastor/teacher being a stationary leader in a local church.
If the pastor/teacher is a settled pastor, then so must be the apostles,
prophets, and evangelists, since there is absolutely no evidence in the text
that distinguishes the pastor/teacher from the preceding three positions.
The problem of these commentators is that they try to read the modern view
of pastor into the ancient text. This is not only bad exegesis, but it
perpetuates a non-biblical role of the pastor. As Schweizer has observed,
there really was no difference between the pastor role and the bishop role.66
Evidence has been clearly presented in this chapter that the role of
apostle was not exercised in any given single church. Neither was the role
of prophets. We do not know about the role of evangelist, since this is the only text
that mentions them. Since the two roles that are known are not local roles, it is safer to
assume that the pastor/teacher role was of similar stature to the role of apostle.
If the text differentiated between the two or if the New Testament
mentioned the pastor/teacher role elsewhere, we might more easily agree
with these commentators, but it does not. Other commentators support the
writer in this conclusión.6 Thus we must conclude that we do not
understand, with any degree of certainty, exactly who were the
pastors/teachers spoken of in this passage.
The passage however, does give a job description of those who served in
any of these offices. In fact, this is the only job description given for clergy
positions in the New Testament. That job description is "for the equipping
of the saints for the work of Service" (Eph. 4:12 NASB). Whether the
pastor/teacher was a settled pastor is not as large a question as that of the job description.
The role was not to be that of ' ’ Dictionary of Doctrinal and Histórica! Theology, s.v.
"poimen550-551; Rev. T. K. Abbott, International Critical Commentary on the Epistles to the
Ephesians and to the Colossians (Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 1897), 1 1 8 ; H. D. M. Spence
and )oscph Exell, ed., The Pulpit Commentary, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977), 20:lf>4;
and Lefroy, 1 1 2 . w‘ Schweizer, 200.
6 E. Beyreuther, "Shepherd," in Dictionary of New Testament Theology, 568.

primary care giver, as is the modern pastor. Scripture is clear that when
clergy deal with churches, thcir role is to equip saints for ministry. The
training/equipping function is given here as the primary job description of
those engaged as clergy.
On this basis it is safe tu assume that the role of the pastors in the early
church, along with the prophets, evangelists, and apostles, was not primarily
the performance of ministry, but the training of other people so that the
 90 Capítulo
4

ministry of the whole church could be enhanced. The care of the church is
always assigned in Scripture to all the people of God, not to the pastor alone.
The pastor does provide care because he is a part of the people of God, but it
is not for this reason that pastors are hired. They are hired to train and equip
the saints for their ministry. Only thus can the church truly be built up.

CONCLUSION ABOUT CLERGY AS PRIMARY CARE GIVERS

Having examined all of the possible clergy terms in the New Testament,
we can safely draw the following conclusions:

1. Three of the terms—"deacon," "minister," and "priest"—do not refer to

clergy, but to either a lay office in the local church or to the priesthood
of all believers, and thus are references to all Christians.
2. The term "pastor" is ambiguous as to whether it refers to a specific
position in the local church or a general designation of leadership.
3. Only three words definitely reference clergy: (X7CoaioA.o^
Ttpt'oPuTepo^ and emomnoq. Of these, the last two terms refer to the
same basic group, the elders. Two kinds of elder/bishops seemed to
opérate in the early church; one a lay position over the local church, and
the other a clergy position, referencing those who preached and taught.
"Apostle" is used only for clergy.

Since the early church was organized for a missionary function and not a
nurturing function, it follows that the clergy in the early church served in a
mission capacity even if their work was to oversee the churches. The
missionary function was the primary reason for the existence of the church,
and it was the sacred responsibility of the clergy to be sure that the church
did not lose its mission orientation.
Textual evidence seems to bear out that the apostles were the general
overseers of the church, with universal jurisdiction. In addition to the
Twelve, other apostles must ha ve served more localized jurisdictions;
their function was administrad ve and evangelistic. Under these apostles
were additional clergy, referred to as the preaching and teaching elders,
who kept in touch with local churches as they preached and raised up nevv
churches. They were not settled elders who resided in one place.
From our study of words for clergy in the New Testament, the inevitable
conclusión is that the New Testament church had a defined clergy, but
their job was far different from the primary job of clergy today, especially
in western culture. The New Testament clergy evangelized and
administrated, but did not provide primary care to any particular
 Una comprensión de la Biblia! Términos para el Clero 91

congregation. That work was designated to lay leaders.

Lines of authority and power were not clearíy drawn in the New
Testament era, except possibly through the ministry of the Twelve. In the
local churches of the mid first century, there seems to be no dearly defined
hierarchal system of leadership in place. There was no office of "laity," only
an office of "priest," to which all members of the Christian community
belonged.72
The New Testament church does not haue a ministry, it is ministry. All members of
the community participated in the one ministry of the whole church. It was organized
around the giftedness of the members rather than hierarchal structures of authority and
power.

The New Testament has no exclusive form or

terminology for ministry. Some churches have bishops and
deacons, and others do not. Some have presbyters, while
other officials are callee! prophets, teachers, pastors, and
evangellsts (Eph. 4:11-12). Paul and Barnabas, referred to as
apostles, are commissioned by prophets and teachers ¡n
Antioch (Acts 1 3 : 1 ff.). Bishops appear to be synonymous with
elders (Titus 1 : 5 - 7 ) and to these leaders are added workers of
mi rae les, healers, helpers, administrators, and speakers in
tongues (1 Cor. 12:28).
The all-mclusive term that describes every gilt of leadership
is that of ministry (diakonia). All are "ministers of the new
covenant" (2 Cor. 3:6), or "ministers of Christ"
(2 Cor. 11:23), or "ministers of the church" (Col 1:25).
Correspondence ¡s sometimes addressed simply to "the church oí
God" (1 Cor. 1:2), or "to the saints" (Eph. 1:2), ¡mplying that no
single leader was recognized. The New Testament literatura leads
us to believe that the primitivo church was not yet highly
organized or stratified into various types of clergy and laity.
Rather than offices, vve find persons who possessed gitts or
functions of Service, vvhich Paul refers to as "varieties of
ministry" (1 Cor.
12:5). All these gifts of Service were understood to be given by the
Spirit, who apportioned "to each one individually as he wills" (1
Cor. 12:11

Because its resources were not placed in nurture responsibilities, the

early church was able to continually devote its time, talent, and treasure to

72 Schweizer, 1 9 1 .
92 Capítulo
4

planting new churches and evangelizing lost people to Christ. It is precisely

because the present church has liad to put all of its resources into nurturing
local congregations that it has no money or personnel available for
establishing new congregations and effectively evangelizing communities.
Perhaps a return to the New Testament model of clergy ministry will enable today's
church to recapture a sense of its God-ordained mission to evangelize the vvorld for
Jesús Christ.
New Testament evidence overwhelmingly reveáis that no single person
was ever hired to be the primary care giver of the local church. Pastoral care
was never designed as a prima ry function of clergy. All New Testament
evidence indicates that pastoral care is the responsibility of all the people
of God. The clergy will perform some pastoral care because they are a part
of the community of faith, but not because they are clergy. This concept will
be more fully developed in the next chapter.

wVol z, 13-14.
 CHA CAPÍTULO 5

AN UNDERSTANDING OF MEMBER CARE

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT ERA

In contrast to the vibrancy of early New Testament churches, most

North American Adventist churches today seem dead. Complaints
abound about pastors who do not faithfully visit their members. Churches have
become over dependent on pastors to be the primary care givers in the church. Yet
New Testament churches were not dependent on clergy to sustain their spiritual lives.
This chapter will explore member care and Christian community in the New
Testament era, especially in light of the fact that most, if not all, New
Testament churches did not have sellled pastors providing care.
It is the thesis of this chapter that biblical community is best gained in
a small group setting. Yet it is recognized that small groups are not a
panacea for all the ills of the church. Small groups will not save a dying
church or rejuvenate a declining one; only the Holy Spirit can do that. Yet
small groups may be a major vehicle to facilítate the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit. Only the presence of Jesús can transform people, and His presence is
made manifest through the Holy Spirit, who facilitates llie growlh oí individuáis
and the mission of the church through small group communities.
Rugged American individualism tends to cause Americans to think
that they can serve God apart from any attachment ío a community of
believers. One researcher claims that fully eighty percent of American
Christians believe that they can be good Christians without being a part
of a church.1 Such thinking, we shall discover, is absolutely foreign to the
thinking of fírst-century Christians.
Could it be that involvement in a community of believers is what is
desperately needed by most American Christians today? Rather than an
option for Christians, the thesis of this chapter is that it is impossible to he a New
Testament Christian and not be involved in community. Isolated Christians are not
really Christians, even though their ñames are on the books of our churches.
Community is not attained by membership, but neither is it attained without
membership. Caring communities vvhere people truly minister to one another
are the basis

' Gareth VV. Icenogle, lecture in the course "The Church in Ministry Through Small
Groups," Fuller Theological Seminary, Nov. 6-17, 1995.
9T
 94 Capítulo
5

upon which all real mission can happen in Adventist churches at the cióse
of the twentieth century.
Modern Adventist churches ha ve become so pastor dependent that
without the pastor no real ministry is possible in most churches. As a result
Adventists have a burned out, frustrated clergy, from whose ranks many excellent
pastors are exiting year by year. The challenges of pastoring as we begin the twenty-
first century are not going to be met by asking pastors to become better skilled
in more areas. We don't need to add to their frustration; we need to take
away their frustration and release them for the ministry God has cailed them
to do. Cari George has described the need of most Adventist churches well:

Show me a pastor-centered large church, and we'll find a very

tired staff of clergy. Show me a lay-empowered, simply organized
large church, where the clergy are not completely exhausted
because they're doing too much, and I will show you a church that
will not stop growing because it will be able to take good care of
people as God calis them to new life through it.73

Are small groups the answer? No, but they may be one of the means that
can be used to revolutionize the church. The primary objective is to create a
community that cares, as it reaches out to share Christ vvith those who do
not know Him. One of the best ways to accomplish that, this author believes,
is through the initiation of a small group ministry. The development of this
caring community as the basis for the fulfillment of the mission of Christ
will be explored in this chapter through a brief look at the ideal Oíd
Testament community, as seen in the creation account and a deeper
exploration of New Testament community.

OLD TESTAMENT BACKGROUND FOR BIBL1CAL COMMUNITY

While structured small groups seem to be a modern phenomena, the
origin of groups as the basis through which God works is the cssence of God
from the earliest revelations of the Deily in Scripture. God Himself existed
before humanity, and the oneness of that God was expressed in trinity. The
biblical God is never presented to us as a

73 Cari F. George, The Corning Church Revolution (Grand Rapids: Revell, 1995), 35.
Un entendimiento de Caro en la era del Nuevo Testamento 95
single entity, but a plurality that is one. We do not understand the oneness
of God apart from the plurality of that oneness. That is vvhy several writers
refer to the Trinity as the initial small group. Thus the essence of God is
community. At God's very heart and center is the whole idea of
community. One cannot truly understand God apart from His existence in
community. God does not exist alone, and neither can His people.
The first activity of the God of community upon planet Earth was the creation,
and especially the creation of humankind in His image on the sixth day.4
Humankind is created in the image of the Triune God. Therefore humanity
is called to live in community, as the Triune God lives in perfect
community. "This image is not one of aloneness."s Humans vvere not
created to live alone; they were created to live in community with each
other and with God.” The essence of sin is the attempt to live apart from
community, in isolation from others. Human beings are not complete apart
from fellowship with others.
Adventists often proclaim that God is seeking to restore humanity to
the image of God. If so, then at the heart of Adventism must be the desire
to restore broken communities into communities that reflect the divine image.
Therefore, the Adventist church must be in the forefront of any movement that seeks
to restore broken communities to the image of God. Yet vvithin Adventism there is a
strong independent spirit. Could it be that Adventism, birthed in America,
has unwittingly accepted the rugged individualism of America as gospel?
Have Adventists, who talk so much about creation, failed to see the initial
purpose of God in the creation of our first parents to live in community
with each other and with God? Why do those in the church strive against
each other to create their own success, rather than community success? As
Julie Gorman has observed:

The self-sufficiency and personal independence that

characterize our present evaluation of success is totally

’ Gareth Icenosle, Biblical Foundations for Small Group Ministry: An International

Approach (Downers Grove, III.: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 21, and Neal F. McBride,
How to Lead Small Groups (Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1990), 14.
4
Gen. 1:26-27.
’ Julie Gorman, Community That Is Christian: A Handbook on Small Groups
(Wheaton, III.: Víctor Books, 1993), 29-30.
Gen. 2:18.
See chapter 3.
foreign to the Godhead who exist ¡n ¡nterdependent community.8

If we are going to reflect the divine image in our church, it is

imperative that we develop a church with respect for community, and a
willingness to live in subjection to each other as our community is in
subjection to the Godhead. We must banish the rewards of individual
accomplishment and uphold the ideal of group accomplishment. God intends that we
96 Capítulo
5 live in interdependence with each other, rather than in competítion with each
other. This concept of interdependence in community is rooted in the
Triune God and in the very creation that He made in the image of the
Godhead. God does not create one- person societies, He creates only
community. The God who lives in a group creates a group.”
The practical ramification of seeing God as the Creator of community
is to see our absolute need to live in community with other Christians. It
is in this sense that it is impossible to be a Christian and live in isolation.
Failure to do so is to live apart from the image of God and the purpose of
God for humankind.1
As the sun sank in the west on that first Friday evening, God announced the
beginning of His Sabbath—the seventh day. At that time God set aside the seventh
day as a sacred respite, time for humans to spend with Him and with each
other. Adventista have spent much time talking about the "seventh
dayness" of the Sabbath, and rightly so, but hopefully in the process of
emphasizing the day we have not forgotten the purpose of that day.
In the hectic schedule of modern Life, we have liad the tendency to
emphasize the valué of Sabbath rest as a respite from the mayhem of
modern living. As a result we have talked much about "resting" on the
Sabbath. Yet that was not the original function of the Sabbath, ñor should
it be the main focus of Sabbath rest today. Adam and Eve had no need of
rest. They had not even worked. Their first day on the planet was the Sabbath.
In giving the Sabbath as a gift to humankind, God refers to it as "My Sabbath." It
is not a Sabbath to celébrate humankind's rest. It is a celebration of God's rest.
Humankind are invited to enter into God's rest by ceasing from their own
works, as God did from His on the

Gorman, 28.
' Icenosle, "The Church in Ministry Through Small Groups." 10
Gorman, 107.
seventh day.11 Why does God ask humans to enter into His Sabbath rest?
In order that they might spend time developing community with God and
with one another. Adam and Eve needed to get acquainted with the God
who made them. Thus God invited them to spend their first twenty-four
hours in community with Him.
Our God is a God of relationships. He is a God of community. It is
imperativo for Adventists, who emphasize the Sabbath, to talk about the
functioti of the Sabbath as a time for humans and God to enter into relationship with
one another. This is why the Sabbath message is so necessary for today's w'orld. lt
is not just that the hectic pace of society demands a day of rest, but that
there must be a special day to emphasize community. On Sabbath God
intends for humankind to come apart from all the broken communities that
they function in throughout the week, in order that they might particípate
in a community that is being renewed through a relationship with God.
Human tragedy occurs, many times, because real community is not being
Una comprensión del cuidado de los miembros en la era del Nuevo Testamento 97
developed in the churches on Sabbath. Many times people "keep" the
seventh day, but are totally divorced from building a relationship with
God and with other Christians. Thus, to keep the Sabbath alone is, in reality,
not keeping the Sabbath at all, for the purpose of the Sabbath is to develop a
relationship with God in the setting of community with other Christians.

As Karl Barth suggested, ¡t is community born out of the "Sixth

Day" of creation and being beckoned into the "Sabbath
community" of God in the "Seventh Day." "The Goal of Creation,
and at the same time the beginning of everything that follows, is
the event of Gocrs Sabbath freedom, Sabbath rest and Sabbath
joy, in which [humanity] too has been summoned to particípate.'*'

The God of relationships has created humankind not only tu live in

community with each other, but also to live in community with Cod. In addition, He
has provided a special time, set aside from Edén, for the human race to leave the
brokenness and destruction of human works communities and to enter the joy
of Sabbath rest, taking time to develop the vertical relationship with God
and the horizontal relationship with humankind. Only thus can the divine
image be
n
Heb. 4:10.
w
Icenogle, Biblical Foundations, 23, quoting Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics 3/1,
Doctrine of Creation (Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 1958), 98.
9ÍÍÍ Capítulo 5
restored. Adventists, of all Christians, should be preaching and
demonstrating the results of living in community on the seventh day.
Such communities are not developed simply by being in a large group in
church on Sabbath morning, listening to a preacher expound the Word as
worshipers examine the backs of each others' heads. That is the antithesis of
real community. Such an understanding of God and humans ín community
on Sabbath may indícate that a new vvav of "doing church" needs to be disco
ve red, one far different from the non- participatory model currently in use.
Since Sabbath morning worship is the primary activity for most Adventists
today, it may mean creating an entirely new model of church on Sabbath
morning.74' The Sabbath must be used for the purpose of building a
relationship with God in community with one another. All activities must be
examined in light of this function. The apostle John succinctly States this to be
the basic purpose for the church gathered: to have fellowship with God and
one another.14 The Word is preached, not for the sake of securing intellectual
assent to certain dogmas, but so that community (fellowship) can be restored,
both to God and to humankind. This is the essence of the crea ti on story and
is the essence of the mission of Christ, according to John. The re can be no
church if community is not created.
1 laving examined the ideal of community development inherent in
creation, we now look at God's attempt to establish community in Israel
through the suggestions of Moses' father-in- law, Jethro. Moses liad just led
Israel out of Egypt and brought them to Sinai, when Jethro visited the camp
and reunited Zipporah with Moses.1" Jethro immediately noticed a major
problem with Moses's leadership style. Moses had reverted to tlie pyramid
style of leadership with which he had grovvn up in Egypt.16 As a result, Moses
was exhausted and had no time for his family; and the people were not in
community with each other or with God. Moses was spending all his time
settling disputes among the people. He was acting like many pastors today
who spend all their time ministering to the people, caring for them and

74
Esto se analizará en el capítulo 10.
Juan 1:1-3.
15
Éxodo 18:1-19.
El estilo piramidal del liderazgo ve a una persona en la cima. Todos los de abajo
apoyan al de arriba. Cada uno de los que están debajo está tratando de llegar a la
cima, por lo que están constantemente buscando derrocar al que está arriba. Como
resultado, todas las decisiones se toman de arriba hacia abajo. El poder se
concentra en la parte superior de la pirámide.
 Un entendimiento del cuidado de los miembros en la era del Nuevo Testamento 99
creating a totally pastor-dependent church. Moses had created the
modern church.
Jethro's suggestion was very simple, but it was the antithesis of the
group leadership theory taught in those days and today. Jethro said that
Moses should give away his power by empowering his people. He was to
do this in such a way that no person would be in charge of more than ten
people or families. That caused a reduction of power to the size of what we today
cali a "small group."
The result for Moses was freedom to deal with the major problems. It rescued
him from burnout, and it freed the people by empowering them to solve
their own problems. The Jethro model is a very good ministry model for
the church today. Instead of the pastor being the primary care giver in the
church, the pastor releases the role of care giver to the people, who care
for each other. Such a system of caring for people does a better job than
any pastor alone can do adequately.
The purpose of small groups is to give away power, to give away the
priesthood Decentralization means giving away the priesthood. On this
basis churches need to evalúate their small group structure. Do they give
away power or concéntrate it? Genuine small groups that build community give
away power rather than centralizing it in the pastor or another controlling person in
the church. Leaders who give away the priesthood will have more time for their
families. It was stress and long hours that caused Moses to accept this new
leadership system. Perhaps the high stress and long hours that most
pastors experience today will cause them to reevaluate how they do
church and consider the possibility of developing a new style of ministry,
one that gives away the priesthood. When pastors do this, they will
empower their people to perform ministry to each other rather than being
dependent upon the pastor to be the chief performer of ministry in the
congregation.
A system that gives away power demands a support structure for its
leaders. Jethro provided such a system when he instructed Moses to create
rulers of tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands. A drcular style of leadership operating
in a church today will provide a support base for all leaders. As church members
recognize that power is not centralized in one person, they will become
more willing to help each other solve problems. "My" problem then
becomes the problem of the community, as we recognize that we are all in
this together.
In the Jethro model Moses went from being the one who passed
judgment to being one who oversaw the judgment of others. As churches
adopt the Jethro model of leadership, the pastor will no longer be the chief
care giver and decisión maker in the church.
Instead, leadership will be diffused among the people and all the people of
God will be empowered for ministry. The church indeed must become a
priesthood of all believers.
The Jethro model had a lasting effect on Israel throughout the
period of the judges and later had implications in the establishment of
100 Capítulo
5jewish synagogues, which could be established with ten people. Inherent in
the cali of God to the nation of Israel is the idea of diffusing leadership
among the people. Israel's apostasy occurred when they copied the nations
around them and, contrary to God's purpose, developed the office of king
to rule over them. YVe see the patience of God as He allovved Israel to
develop kingship, which was totally contrary to his design. Sometimes God
allows us to learn the hard way by making the mistakes that hierarchical
leadership creates.
The Oíd Testament has revealed the idea of community as inherent in
the creation of humanity and amply demonstrated in the history of Israel.
God's plan for His people is community and a diffusing of power from the
hands of the few to the hands of the many. As vve examine the New Testament, we will
observe God at work seeking to establish the New Testament church on this Oíd
Testament foundation of community, inherent in creation.

COMMUNITY IN THE MINISTRY OF JESUS

VVhile the Oíd Testament presents a theology of community as inherent
in the Godhead, the New Testament gives us a better picture of how such
community’ can be worked out practically in the dav to day life of the
church. As the New Testament era dawned, church as community had again
been lost sight of in the power struggles of the Pharisees and others who
were more concerned with power than with the development of community. Into
this setting Jesús appeared, and He built a movement based squarely on community and
diffused leadership with an empowered people.
VVhile speaking to vast crowds occasionally, Jesús spent most of His
time pouring His life into a small band of twelve people. Yet Jesús forever
changed the world. Most churches today concéntrate on dispensing their
lifeblood to the multitudes and then wonder why they do not seem to make
a major impact on the world around them. Perhaps it is time to look at Jesús'
methodology in light of His theology of community.
Having initially been organized as a small group, it should not be
surprising that Jesús's disciples established a small group church.17 This
was the model which they inherited from Jesús. They unabashedly followed
that model. Jesús revealed that the way to reach the masses was through small groups
that were experiencing genuino community. The band of twelve was Jesús' chief
organization for carrying out the Great Commission. He gave no elabórate
schemes, no great organizational charts; He simply organized and trained
a small group. And He changed the world. He was not concerned with
building great institutions, He was concerned with building people.
Building relationships was the essence of the kingdom Jesús announced.
Because of Jesús' involvement with a small group and Hisexample of
employing most of His ministry in the development of that group, it is
imperative that churches today be involved in small group ministry. In this
way they pattern their ministry after Jesús. It is unthinkable that a church
Un entendimiento del cuidado de los miembros en la era del Nuevo Testamento 101
built on a Scriptural base could exist without a small group ministry, when
small groups are the essence of Jesús' ministerial style.1 '
Jesús did not simply select the Twelve and develop them so that they
could individually perform ministry. Most of His time wasspent in
attempting to develop community among them. They didn't trust each
other at the beginning. They were not open and vulnerable with each other,
but instead were very judgmental. Jesús had to change all that if they were
going to represent the new community that He was creating—the new
Israel.2" To emphasize the community that He desired to create, Jesús used
familv words to describe the relationship they were to ha ve with each
other. They were to cali each other 'brother" and "sister." One of Jesús' most
misunderstood statements was His redefinition of family.21
Jesús' new community transcended the natural family. People who are drawn to
Him are to be a part of His new family. The fact that Jesús used family terms to describe
the relationship which believers were to have to each other and to Him is an
indication that

Neal F. McBride, How To Lead Small Groups (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1995), 16.
’8 John Malí ison, Growing Christians in Small Groups (Sydney, Australia: Anzea
Publisher, 1989) 3.
" McBride, 15.
20
Icenogle, BíblicaI Foundations, 207.
21
Matt. 12:46-50.
relationships were at the very heart of these new communities. Jesús
attempted to establish a new community—the restored Edén—where
relationships are more important than hierarchical structure. Thus, in
order to save humanity Jesús creates community. The bonds that are to exist in the
Christian community are to be as cióse as the bonds that exist in the natural t'amily.
In the many instances when Jesús counseled his original disciples, he
referred to them as his servants, thereby implying that they should
continué their ministry in the pattern that He had taught them. As Kruse
has observed: "They must be prepared for lowly Service to men/one
another."22 Jesús did not model a ministry that lorded it o ver other people;
instead, He taught a ministry of oneness, whereby His followers
ministered to one another without exercising the least hint of power or
control. Since Jesús is the founder of Christianity, it would seem logical
that the plan for member care should be modeled after the One who
demonstrated the establishment of community as the primary focus of His
ministry. His disciples, then, were to go forth and create communities of
mutual care and servant leadership, without the hierarchal structures so apparent in
the religions of His day.
As Jesús ministered within this new community which He vvas
developing, He taught the people how to relate to one another. They were
not to live in a vacuum. Jesús also sent them out to minister to others,
because part of being in community is to minister to those outside of the
community. However, Jesús did not send anyone out to minister alone.
102 Capítulo
5 He sent them forth in pairs, two by two, for only community can create
other communities.21 Perhaps it is our failure to follow Jesús' "two by two"
rule that has produced so many individualistic Christians. When people
are won to Christ one on one, they fail to develop into community. The
fact that Jesús alvvays ministered in a group and always sent forth His
disciples in groups of at least two should cause us to question seriously our method
of laboring solo.
Some may wonder how we can afford to pay the wages for two to
work together. However, perhaps we should realize that we cannot afford
to pay for the failure of the one who does not labor out of a community
setting. Furthermore, it may be that we will need to think of a new kind of
paid employee who labors in a community setting

- Kruse, 50.
23
Ralph W. Neighbour, Jr., Where Do Wc Co From Heret (Houston, Tex.: Touch,
1977), 61; Icenogle, Bíblica! Foundatíons, 233.
Una comprensión de la curación del miembro en (he New Testareen! Era
103

rather than the usual individualistic setting. This may mean a restructuring
of the role of clergy as we move back into an apostolic paradigm.
Jesús declared that He would be with us specifically as we gathered in
tvvos and threes.2i Jesús would manifest Himself in this community gathered in His
ñame. When Jesús thought of church as the ecclesia or gathered community, He had
the small group in mind. Today we use this text in an apologetic fashion when
attendance is sparse. Jesús proclaimed these words to help us understand
that the small group is the very essence of church. We cannot have a church
without the small group as the special place where Jesús dvvells among
His people.

The words church (ecclesia, v. 17) and assembly (v.

20) are contextually identified with the promise that "wherever
two or three are gathered" )esus will be present with them in their
gathering. Such a small group gathering has exceptional
¡nfluence, power and accountability.
jesús' response to the disciples in this context suggested that
there was not one who was greatest, but that "wherever two or three
are gathered"—wherever there is a small group gathered in
childlikeness, agreement, forgiveness, reclamation and
reconciliation—jesús in their midst would bring greatness to them
together.75 76

Jesús is telling us that the small group is church, not a part of church,
but the essence of church. It is this gathered community of the Twelve that
becomes the church. In the modern church we look at small groups as just
another program to be added. Jesús, however, envisioned the small caring
group as the church in total. The model of church which He created was
not one of large super churches, but of small groups who live in open and
honest community with one another.
At the heart of Jesús' small group ministry is the idea of community. The small
group does not exist for the sake of a small group. lt is merely the vehicle for the
establishment of community. Jesús recognized that the small group is the
best means for the accomplishment of that goal. Througnout His ministry
Jesús was concerned that community be developed among His followers.
This seems to be one of the most important tasks that Jesús attempted to

75
Mat. 18:19-20.
76 Icenogle, Biblical Foundations, 227.
104 Capítulo
5

accomplish.
Jesús' concern for community stems out of His relationship to the
Godhead and the restoration of the image of God in humanity. If the process of
redemption involves the complete restoration of humanity to the image of God,
then it is imperative that community be established in the church that
Christ Ls building on earth. Jesús' understanding of "church" is in direct
contrast to the American western individualistic understanding of
church. The American who says he can worship God on his own, without
the church, misses the essence of Jesús' understanding of church as
community.2' There isno place for monas ti cism, or serving God in
isolation, in Jesús' understanding of community. To Jesús the essence of
church vvas involvement in community, and He could not envision
church in our western individualistic understanding.
Evidently involvement in community is not an option for the Christian;
it is Christianity. Adventists have been great exponents of the priesthood of
all believers. It is not just part of their Reformation heritage, it is their New Testament
right. The Church has dearly understood the priesthood to indícate each
Christian's ability to go directly to God without any Mediator except
Christ. However, there is another part to heing a priest that Adventists
must never forget: people cannot be priests apart from the community
they serve. There is no such thing as a people being priests all hy
themselves. To be a priest means to be in community. Since a priest is to
serve others in the community, and since all believers in the community
are priests, then the priesthood of all believers is a cali for all Christians to
minister to one another. It is in this sense that the "one another" passages
in the New Testament become very meaningful, for they describe the
ministry of the priest, a ministry of mutual care. That kind of care can only
be provided in a community.
In this understanding of the new priesthood vvhich Jesús established and the
small groups that became the ecclesiu oí ihe New Testament, Jesús has
established a new model of church. It is a model that teaches believers to
depend on one another instead of on themselves. This model is fully
developed in the house churches described in Acts.
Jesús is one of the greatest exponents of small groups, even though He
never commands the church to have small groups. However, 77

77
Ibídem, 258.
Una comprensión de Membcr Caro en la era del Nuevo Testamento 10 5

throughout His ministry He demonstrated the development of

community as a primary objective.2
Thus the Christian community ¡s a place where we can start to
practice the Christian life together. It needs to be a place where
we can succeed and fail ¡n an atmosphere of acceptance and
adherence to God's Law/"

It is God's plan and Jesús' desire that Christians grow in small groups.
The purpose of small groups is not just meetings to study the Bible. The
purpose of groups is for Christians to have a place where they can grow
together. If intellectual knowledge alone is being attained then the small
group is a failure, because its purpose is spiritual growth, not intellectual
attainment.
In the pursuit of small groups in Adventism, concern has been
expressed about relational groups. "Small groups are all right as long as
they stick to Bible study/' is what many have said. It seems that Adventists
are afraid of developing deep relationships with one another in community.
Yet this is thc* vc*ry essence of what small groups are meant to do, according to Jesús.
Groups that opt only for intellectual pursuits of Bible study are, in a certain sense,
dysfunctional. The very purpose of groups, for Jesús, was the development
of relationships. We need to be in a group in order to hold each other
accountable for our life in Christ, to truly care for one another, and to
adequately witness for Christ. All of this requires relational groups. This is
the heart of Christianity and it must be the heart of the Adventist church if
Adventists are serious about being the church of Jesús, for Jesús' church is
a relational church. A relational church is one of the greatest needs in a
world that is starving for relationships. Likewise, the development of a
relational church is one of the greatest needs of the church today.

THE SMALL GROUP CHURCH IN THE BOOK OF ACTS AS

A BAS1S FOR MEMBER CARE
Jesús had modeled to His disciples a church that was relational, living
together in community as it restored the brokennoss of

Jeft'rey Arnold, The Big B(X)k on Small Groups (Downers Grove, lll.: InterVarsity
Press, 1992), 73-74.
28
Ibid., 75.
 106 Capítulo
5

humanity. Out of this new family community, evangelism was to occur.

With the explosión of Holy Spirit power at Pentecost the church grew in
numbers as well as ¡n spirituality. What was this new community of
believers like? Was it just a large group of people who met together every
Sabbath to worship God?
So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there
were added that day about three thousand souls. And they were
continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer (Acts 2:41-42
NASB).

This is the earliest description of life in the apostolic church. As soon as

people were baptized, they were immediately involved in four things:
study, fellowship, food, and prayer. Not only were they involved, but
Scripture declares that they were devoted to these four things. Two of the
four, food and fellowship, are unquestionable group activities. Since these
two require a smaller group setting, it is probably safe to assurne that the other
two activities: teaching and prayer, also occurred in a small group setting.20 This is
further reinforced by the passages that follow:

And all those who had believed were together, and had all
things in common; and they began selling their property and
possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have
need. And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and
breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meáis
together with gladness and sincerity of heart (Acts 2:44-46 NASB).

Here we discover that the sharing of food was done in hornos, which
implies that this meeting together was not all in one place, but in many homes, although
the groups also met together regularly at the temple. However, it seems that
meetings were primarily in the hornos. Evidently the three thousand were
immediately divided into small groups where they were nurtured and
nourished by the hundred and twenty.
The church established at Pentecost did not meet as a large group in one
place. It immediately became a small group church, in obedience to the
model of Jesús. It would have been impossible to bo a

Icenogle, Biblical Foundations, 257.

Christian in the early church and not be a part of a small house group. The
small group activities of the early church consisted of four things: study of
the teachings of Jesús, whidi they learned from the apostles; fellowship; the
breaking of bread; and prayer. These are all small
Un entendimiento del cuidado de los miembros en la era del Nuevo Testamento 107

group activities. In the small group setting the early church did Bible study. With few
people present, it was not one-way conversation, but dialogue, where the believers
could ask questions. While, no doubt, didactic teaching occurred, it was in a
strong small group setting.
The sccond aspect of life in the early church was fellowship. The
believers didn't just gather together to study and then leave. Intermingled
with their study was time for fellowship. The form of the fellowship is not
spelled out in Scripture, but the results are olear. Acts declares that
immediately they shared everything in common. Somehow through the
teaching that was shared they saw the immediate need of providing for one
another. Believers willingly sold their own possessions in order to help
fellow believers. This is the closest possible kind of fellowship. Jesús had
taught that the church was to be a new family, a community that healed the
brokenness of humankind. The fellowship operating in this early church
demonstrated that the teachings of Jesús were at work. Scripture declares that "they
had all things in common." Theirs was a totally open society. The
"hiddenness" of fallen Edén had been removed, and the believers could
openly share their doubts, their struggles, their problems. There was no
judgmentalism, but true care for one another. All the aspects of
dysfunctional community that had been rampant in the world were being
removed in the fellowship of these early Christians.
The third aspect of life in the early church was that they ate together.
One of the best ways for groups to bond is to eat together. It goes hand in
hand with fellowship. So great was the fellowship in the
early church that these believers ate together every day. This breaking of
bread was done in the homes. It was not a large meeting with a symbolic breaking of
bread, but real fellowship with shared food.
The fourth and final aspect of life in the early church is described as
prayer time. Praying together builds strong community and spirituality. As
people openly share their prayer needs with each other, the group becomes
closely cemented. Since prayer occurred in the small groups every day, we
can easily imagine that this activity pulled the early believers into the
closest harmony.
This is the church brought forth by the initial evangelizaron of the
disciples at the Pentecost event. It was not a large church in one place, but
a church consisting of many groups. The New Testament church of
10V Capítulo 5

the book of Acts is not a church vvith small groups, but a church that is
small groups. Real fellowship—koinonia—was occurring among the
disciples:
But koinonia expresses something new and independent. It
denotes the unanimity and unity brought about by the Spirit. The
individual was completely upheld by the community."

This was real fellowship. Community had been restored. The

brokenness of the fall had been restored. Jesús' mission to heal that which
was broken, to free that which was bound, had been accomplished in the
newly ereated church. 1

A balance existed among instruction, fellowship, common

activities (meáis), and spiritual responsibilities (prayer). The
atmosphere was charged. A sense of awe, unity, and praise
prevailed. People looked OJÍ for one another. They sold their property
and possessions, sharing the proceeds with those in need. This
dynamic situation brought the approval of all people. Spiritual
and numerical growth were evident. God was at work in their
midst.32

Sorne may have entertained the idea that the early church met in
homes because of the persecution that was occurring. However, in the
earliest days Christianity was regarded as a sect of Judaism and therefore
was not outlawed. That occurred later. It is true that Christians were
persecuted by Jews, but there seems to have been nothing secret about
the meetings of the believers. Three thousand people meeting daily in
homes in one city would be well known. They could have easily found a place
where larger groups could meet together. There were other options than home
meetings, but the early church chose to meet in homes because homes limited the size
of the group. Well-to-do homes in that era could accommodate thirty to
thirty-five people.33 Many homes would have been much smaller, 78

78 J. Schattenmann, "Fellowship/' in Dictionary of New Testament Theoiogy, 642.

11
I uke 4:1 8 4 McBride, 19.
B
Robert Banks, Paul's Idea of Community (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrikson
Publishers, 1995) 35.
Una comprensión del cuidado de los miembros en la era del Nuevo Testamento 109

housing only groups of ten or fifteen. To accommodate three thousand, many

such homes would be needed. Such innumerable meeting places could very
quickly give the impression that Christians vvere everywhere.
VVhy did Christians choose to meet in homes? Because Jesús had modeled
that kind of community setting, and they simply followed Hisexample. As
Banks has observed, the family character of the early church called for
meetings to be held in homes because homes provided these early Christians
vvith the most conducive atmosphere to give expression to the faith that they
held in common.'1
Small rióme gatherings continued to be the practico of the early church as
it was established throughout the Román empire. The home continued to be
the primary meeting place of the early church. The very na tu re of the meeting
place forced the church to stay small and muítiply new groups as it grew
rather than to centralize:

Whether house churches were independent groups of

believers or were part of larger churches is uncertain. It is likely,
however, that small house fellowships were the building blocks of
the church in each city or región. The early disciples met in groups
small enough to fit into normal homes (for instance, Prisa lia and
Aquila were tentmakers and probably not wealthy—Acts 1 8:3). ^

Adventists would probably accept the íact that these churches were all
part of the one church and were somewhat linked together through the twelve
apostles. However, it would seem that they were also a complete community
on their own. They did not need to meet with the larger group to be the
church, for Jesús had declared that where two or three are gathered in His
ñame, He is present. That would make each of these house fellowships a
church in the fullest sense, even though they may also be linked to the larger
body. All would be part of the one fellowship that everyone enjoyed in Christ,
but the cióse fellowship occurred as believers met together in individual
homes.^
This small group setting for the church continued for nearly three
hundred years, until the church was institutionalized at the time of

w
Ibid., 56.
Arnold, 18.
56
Icenogle, Biblical Foundations, 356; Malí ison, 5.
Constantine.3 The amazing thing is that the church vvas able to multiply
and grow most rapidly without a lot of buildings, institutions, and even
mass meetings. The church centered in community was the norm for
1 110 Capítulo 5

Christians of the first three hundred years.

Another factor that must be considered is that these house churches
beca me the center of all Christian activity. As the church spread beyond
Jerusalem, the early leaders would start a church, train tne elders to care for it, and
then lea ve. The house churches had to provide their own care. Pastors were not
imposed from outside. An institutionalized church with large numbers
meeting in one place could not ha ve provided the necessary nurture. It
had to be decentralized, and the home small group meeting was ideal. This
church could truly reflect the community of Christ without tying up the
resources of the church in maintaining a spiritually healthy congregation.
Clergy were free to continué planting new groups of believers all over the
world, training them in the small group setting to be communities of íaith
which administered mutual care.
Today the church has departed form the New Testament norm. Our
institutional churches fail to provide community, and we spurn the house
church as a relie of days gone by.38 Yet the modern small group movement may help
us to revitalize and reestablish this forgotten part of the mission of Christ: mutual
member care through biblical communities of faith.

THE APOSTLE PAUL'S UNDERSTANDING OF

PROVIDING MEMBER CARE THROUGH SMALL GROUPS

The apostle Paul plantee! most of the churches mentioned in the book
of Acts. He continued to plant them on the Pentecostal model of house
churches, existing for the sake of fellowship. Paul could have established
institutional churches patterned after the Jewish synagogue model, but he
deliberately chose, instead, to plant house churches based on community. That was
what Jesús had taught them, and they simply obeyed Him.
Paul began his missionary journeys in community with other disciples,
in obedience to Christ's instruction to go two by two. Sometí mes it was
Paul, Barnabas, and Mark; at other times he was accompanied by Silas.
Paul and his company did not seek merely to

57
McBride, 19.
Icenogle, Bíblica! Foundatíons, 249.
Una comprensión del miembro Caro en la era del Nuevo Testamento 111

disdple individuáis, but also to reach the oikos of those he evangelized. 11 The
early church practiced team ministry. There vvere no solo workers in the
first century church because evangelism was done in community. Yet
evangelism in the twentieth century has become a solo affair, with individuáis
working alone to win souls one by one.
Evangelism in first century Christianity was always done by a
community and focused on a community. The reason for this was that Christ
had commissioned a new community and had modeled community
evangelism throughout His ministry. The early disdples could not help
themselves—they were trained by Jesús and tney practiced what they had
been taught. In the model of the early church there was no Christianity
without community. Neither could one be a Christian if one was not part of
the community.4"
Thus Paul established churches that were designed to be communities.
They were not mighty fortresses or large cathedrals. They were small house
churches where individuáis could enter into real community with other
Christians. This was no accident. It was a delibérate strategy of Paul in obedience to the
model of Christ.41
PauTs most definitive statement on community are the parallel passages
of Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, where he discusses spiritual gifts in the
setting of the unity of community:

For just as we have many members in one body and all the
members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are
one body in Christ, and individually members one of another (Rom.
12:4-5 NASB).

Here Paul emphatically declares that all Christians are members of one
body; they exist in community with each other. All may function differently
according to their gifts, but they are mutually dependent. There is no room here for
isolationist Christians. To be a Christian, according to Paul, is to be in community
with other Christians. They were not simply individual members, but
"members one of another." Paul's concern is not membership, but that
believers be brought into mutual dependence upon others in the
community. If Paul is correct, then individuáis who are members of churches
but who are not living in community with other Christians, mutually
dependent on each 79 80

79
Hechos 16:15, 31-33.
80
Banks 17, 27.
4
Icenogle, Bíblica! Fundaciones, 195.
 1 112 Capítulo 5

other, are not really Christians in the New Testament sense. To be a

Christian is to be a member of a group that provides care for each other.
Any group that is not this kind of mutually caring community is not
Christ's church, no matter what its claims to truth may be. This is the heart
of PauTs understanding of community;
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what ¡s evil; cling to what is
goocl. be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preterence to
one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit,
serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted
to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not. Rejoice with those
who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind
toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the
lowly. Do not be wise in your estimation. Never pay back evil for evil
to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so
far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men (Rom. 12:9-18
NASB).

This is the heart of all the "one another" passages in the New Testament.
The "one another" passages actually arise out of PauTs theological
understanding of community. It is in this community that real care for each
other occurs. Christians are not called to serve God singularly, but in
community with other people, vvhere they can care for each other, love
each other, rejoice with each other, etc. These are the hallmarks of genuine
Christian community.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul continúes to discuss spiritual gittedness in the
church. The Spirit may give gifts to people individually, but the gifts are
not to be used independently. They are to be used in the community. If all
Christians are using their gifts the church will be complete, but if any
members fail to utilize their gifts, the body suffers. It continúes to exist, but
it cannot function as effectively as it does when all the parts are functioning
together. PauTs other main passage on spiritual gifts, Romans 12, while not
using "body" language, enunciates the principie of the church as an organic
whole, that is, "a spiritual unity made up of 'gifted Christians/"^ This is
the essence of 81

81
Kruse, 131.
Una comprensión del cuidado de los miembros en la era del Nuevo Testamento 113

Paul's visión of the church—a body, with different functioning members,

working together harmoniously with Christ as the head:

For even as the body is one and yet has many members,
and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one
body, so also ¡s Christ. For by one Spirit we vvere all baptized into one
body, whether Jews or Creeks, whether slaves or tree, and we
were all made to drink of one spirit, For the body is not one
member, but manyd Cor. 12:12-14 NASB).

Here is the heart of Paul's theology of community. Christians are

actually baptized into the body. There is no hint here of being baptized
without becoming a part of the community. Some Adventists suggest that
people be baptized and not be brought into membership in the community.
This would be heresy to Paul. Baptism was the rite that
joined a believer to the community. What Paul envisions here, however, is not
just membership, but participation in a community that he has airead y defined in
Romans 12 as being inutually dependent and caring. It also involves caring for
those who are the weakest part of the community.4 In fact, the weakest are
to receive special attention. They are the objeets of special care and more
extensive labor.
In fact, in the New Testament sense, no ministry really occurs apart from
the body of Christ. Paul is not calling the church to an individualistic
ministry, but to a ministry of community.
To sum up, in opposition to the individualistic approach
of the enthusiasts, Paul emphasized that the Christian
experience of the Spirit is body-forming (continuously so),
and orientated towards the common good of the body so
formed (12:7). If this interpretation of 1 Corinthians 12 is
admitted, it follows that the reality for which the figure of the
body of Christ stands is the unity of Christians in the Spirit. It
is called the body of Christ (rather than the body of the Spirit)
because it is Christ's Spirit that binds them together. This
conclusión is important for the present enquiry because it
enables us to say that, for Paul, ministry in the Christian
community is dependent upon 82

43
82 Corintios 12:22-24.
7 14 Capítulo 5

(the Spirit of) Christ who bestows the ministerial gifts and (at the same
time, and by so doing) creates a unity of interrelated and mutually
dependent spiritually gifted people, which may be ralled the body of
Christ.”

Kruse further elaborates on this spiritually gifted body that Christ has created by
stating that it is a body dependent for its existence upon the charismata of the Spirit.
These bestowals of the Spirit, equipping each person differently for
mutually dependent ministry, forces the church into a ministry of
dependence on one another rather than a ministry of lordship over others.
It is a ministry of mutual dependence that is unique in the religious world,
not only of the first century, but also of today. In Ephesians 4 Paul further
elaborates on the joints that hold the body together in love. These joints are
the actions of loving care that members have to one another. It is through
this mutual love that Christ as Head of the church nourishes and strengthens
the church. In discussing Paul's letter to the Colossians, Kruse concludes that
the metaphor of the body is used to delíncate Christ7s headship over the
church, thus nourishing the church through the members of the body, who are all
connected to the Head. According to Paul, Christ has clearly established a
church of mutual dependence.4
Even the people gifts that God has given the church, according to
Ephesians 4, are given for this mutually dependent ministry. As Kruse
observes:

Then, in Ephesians also, the Service of Christ is not only the privilege
of the special ministers of the Church, hut is a privilege shared by all
believers: the faithful carrying out of the responsihilities of their State in
life is Service acceptable to Christ.83 84 85 86

After examining Paul's unique contribution to the understanding of

member care in the New Testament era, Kruse concludes that the use of
body imagery is unique to Paul and that his writings show no sign of
evolutionary development in his understanding of body life.4 That should
not be surprising in light of Jesús' development of community with His
disciples. What Paul

83
Kruse, 117.
84 Ihid., 117.156.
85 Ibídem, 174.
86 Ibídem, 181.183.
 Una comprensión del cuidado de los miembros en la era del Nuevo Testamento 115

develops theologically has been clearly demonstrated to have come from

Jesús' unique understanding of the church as community. Paul merely
elaborates the teaching of Jesús.
The basis of mutually dependent ministry, the norm of the New
Testament church, is one that is driven by the charismata. No wonder Satan
has so abused the charismata, thereby forcing Christians to deny a ministry based on
spiritual giftedness, which would in turn result in their learning to be mutually
dependent on each other. God has not endowed one individual in the church
to have all the gifts. He has spread them out through the body to create a
dependence on each other. Placing one person over the church to provide
care is a dart thrown at the very core of the New Testament church. Any
attempt to develop a theology and practice of church that ignores a gift-
based ministry is not only foreign to the New Testament, but such theology
and practice would be considered heresy by the body-based, community-
dependent understanding of the New Testament Church.
Because of the need for mutual dependence on each other and the
bestowal of spiritual gifts as the basis for a mutually dependent ministry,
there is no room in the New Testament understanding of church for a pastor or any
other leader to be hired to do the work of the church. To do so would destroy the
very basic fabric of the New Testament church, built on community:

Thus there is in the New Testament no monarchical

Church management; such a thing is known only to
opponents. But this means, not only that everyone who is in
the Church's Service has people alongside him who are
endowed with other gifts, but that no one carries out his
ministry except in co-operation with other people. The
apostle, indeed, is marked out from the rest by his special cali
from the risen Lord; but he ¡s the one who regards his
ministry as team-work with ful ly authorized íellow workers. Paul
knows that he is a link in the chain of tradition (I Cor. 15:3; cf.
3.5 f.); this is not changed till the sub-apostolic period. Except
for the apostolic ministry, therefore, which is unique through
a special cali, no ministry in the New Testament is forbidden
to any member of the Church.487

4,1
Schweizer, 203.
Paul's two classic passages on community reinforce our understanding
that Paul's theology is consistent vvith Jesús' idea of community. jesús carne

87 1 Corintios 14:23. Banks, 32.

 1 116 Capítulo 5

to form a new community where people truly cared ÍOT each other. The early
church established house churches that were small enough for people to
know and care for each other. Paul the theologian gives us me theological
background to understand why the church formed small group churches.
House churches were not formed just because they provided a convenient
place to meet or because the church was too small to ha ve larger facilíties.
The formation of house churches was in response to the theology of
community as espoused first bv Jesús, and now by Paul. Onlv in small groups
could people come to know each other well enough for real community to
develop. l he small group New Testament church was not an accident; it was
by divine design.
Today involvement in a large group on Sabbath morning is considered the
mandatory obligaLion of Christians, and involvement in small groups, in most
churches, is considered optional. This understanding must be reversed if the
church is to follow the New Testament model. There were times when all the
house churches in one city carne together,1" but the implication is that the
church comprised small house churches all over the city and only occasionally
carne together as a large group. "
If the early church existed primarily in small groups, it would imply an
entirely different way of doing church than is currently used today. Today,
the primary and chief activity of the church is on Sabbath morning, where
believers assemble to worship God. In the typical church, the pattern is the
same whether five people are presen! or five thousand, Parishioners sit in
pews or chairs facing the pulpit. They look at the back of people's neads and
listen in silence as a pastor presents a sermón for thirtv to forty minutes. They may
sing a few song.s, but worship is mostly a spectator sport. In such a setting it is
possible to attend without ever speaking to another person. There is no
community. Yet Christianity is community. It is true that many people find
community in the church, but usually not in the worship Service. This would
be all right if people attended other events, but the Sabbath morning worship
Service is the only event most "Christians" attend. The sad truth is that
precious few people are actually fulfilling Christ's desi re for community. *
 Una comprensión del cuidado de los miembros en la era del Nuevo Testamento 117

Some feel that the church exists to worship God, and therefore people
do not attend church for fellowship, but to worship. Accordingly, vve
should be silent during the worship hour, leaving fellowship for other
times. Such theology also is foreign to the New Testament. Actually, the
New Testament church did not meet to worship God, but for fellowship.
Jesús had given them a new understanding of worship in His discussion with the
woman at the well of Samaria:
lesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when
neither in this mountain, ñor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father.
Vou worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we
know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is,
when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth;
for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and
those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:21-24
NASB).

Place is no longer to be important in Christian worship. People don't have to go to

a sacred place in order to worship. True worship is defined as obedience to Christ
in every act of life. Worship is not something people do once a week on
Sabbath morning. Worship is an activity which people engage in
throughout the week. Worship is the life of obedience that people Uve for
the Master. Paul further elaborates this new theology of worship:
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present
your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your
spiritual Service of worship (Rom. 12:1 NASB).

Paul elaborates Jesús' embryonic teaching of worship by declaring that worship is

the entire life of the Christian. It is the ministry that
individual Christians do for the Master in harmony with their spiritual
gifts. In fact, this understanding of worship being the utilization of the
spiritual gifts appears at the beginning of Paul's main theological passage
describing the church as a community. According to Paul the church does
not meet to worship God; rather, it wrorships God in all that the members
do. This does not mean that people do not worship when they go to church,
but they worship there only because that is part of their life, and everything
they do in life is worship. Therefore it
/ 18 Capítulo 5

is a misnomer to refer to the main activity of the church as a "worship

Service/' Such a concept distorts the true biblical understanding of
worship and reduces it to an activity of the institutional church rather than
the obedience of Ufe/1
The purpose of the church meeting together is not for the sake of worship, since
the Christian is to worship at all times, but for fellowship. If that is the biblical rational
for the church meeting together, then the church must be composed of small
fellowship groups where individuáis can find true community with one
another. The large meeting of the church as the primary place where
Christians assemble must be changed. This does not mean that large
meetings are not important, but they are not to be the primary place of
Christian assemblage, for people do not find community in such large
gatherin^s. In fact, the large gatherings are meaningful only when
relationships have been built in the small group meetings of the church.
VVhat were early Christian meetings like? Unfortunately, Scripture
does not give us details, only sketches. Their main activities seem to have
been devoting themselves to the apostles teaching (Bible study), fellowship, breaking
of bread, and prayer.88 89 They also included singing of psalms, hymns and spiritual
songs. 3 These are all communal activities, not spectator ones. There seems to
be no indication in the New Testament period of a preacher reguiarly
presenting sermons to a congregaron of beüevers. Preaching is almost always
seen in the context of the evangelistic presentation of Christ to non-
Christians. In the evangelistic setting, preaching was the norm. It is only
on rare occasions that New Testament congregations are recorded as
listening to preaching as part of their regular assemblage/’
Since this is an argument from silence, it does not mean that preaching
did not occur or that it is vvrong for a church to have preaching. There just
simply is no record of this being part of the regular activity of the early
church. However, it does seem strange that the church today has made preaching
the central focus of Christian worship in light of the fact tnat it is not even mentioned
as a regular part of New Testament worship. This does not mean that the church
must abandon all preaching and become only a relational church. Both
cognitive Bible study and relationships are needed.

88
Bancos. 89.
89
Hechos 2:42.
Si
Efesios 5:19;
Colosenses 3:16. w
Hechos 20:7
 Una comprensión de la curación de los miembros en la nueva era lestamentaria 119

However, preaching was not their primary way of delivering the apostle's
teaching to believers, as it was for unbelievers.
The apostle Paul has expanded our understanding of Jesús' model of
community as the norm for the Christian church. He has given us a
theological basis for such a community and a practical model in the
communities he established. Paul worked in community with others; he
won people in groups (communities), and then placed the new believers in the new
communities that he established. He then modeled and developed a pattern of church
radically different from the Jewish worship of his time. He did so by
transforming the church from a spectator activity to a participatory one.
Church under Paul's leadership became a fellowship one entered, rather
than a Service one attended.

COMMUNITY IN SMALL GROUPS AS

A NEW TESTAMENT STRATEGY

It was not only Jesús and Paul who emphasized Christianity as

community. It was a strategy of all New Testament apostles and the basic strategy of
the New Testament church. The apostle John gives one of the clearest declarations of
the function of the church as an evangelistic agency and it is community
based.^ The gospel, according to John, is preached to establish community.
It was not just to save people individually, but that they might have
fellowship with those who already lived in fellowship with the Father and
His Son. Just as the Father and Son exist in community with the church
that Christ had established, so those who join themselves to Christ exist in
community with others who have already been brought into community.
The purpose of evangelism is to bring people into community. If people
are brought to a knowledge of salvation and truth but are not brought into
community, Christian mission has failed. John agrees here with Jesús and
Paul, continuing the pattern of the church as community throughout the New
Testament era. The church is not a building; it is not a creed; it is a fellowship. It exists
for the sake of bringing other people into its fellowship. It is not a fellowship
of just any individuáis, but of individuáis who are in fellowship with the
Father and the Son.
John has declared that the vertical fellowship and the horizontal
fellowship cannot be separated. If we live in fellowship with the Father

55
1 lohn 1:1-4.
and Son, vve vvill live in feilowship with one another. Here is a re:urn to
the original idea of community in Génesis, when the God who Üved in
community with the Son and the Spirit increased the community by
creating Adam and Eve to live in eternal feilowship with the Godhead. Sin
120 Capítulo 5

broke that relationship, but now through Jesús that feilowship has been
restored. Just as God created Adam and Eve to increase His feilowship, so we
proclaim Christ for the purpose of increasing this feilowship. The
expansión of feilowship by the act of creation is now accomplished through
the acceptance of the act of redemption.
John's word for feilowship is koinotiia, a feilowship in faith.b Feilowship
with Christ is impossible without feilowship with other Christians. John
declares that as we walk in the light and have feilowship together, the
blood of Christ cleanses us from sin. Even the cleansing from sin occurs in
community. Those who are cleansed are placed in community, because
only in community can we be held accountable for not repeating those sins.
John's definitive statement on the purpose of the church as a feilowship
of believers living in community with God and each other in order to
increase the feilowship, is at the heart of the New Testament
understanding of the church as community. Feilowship thus is not a
sideline of Christian activity, but biblically is the essence of what it means
tobe a Christian. One cannot be a Christian in isolation from others. God
created us to live in communities of mutual dependence.
A caring community where members minister to each other is itself an
evangelistic tool. Non-Christians seeing people who are living in a restored
community, truly caring for each other, vvill flock to be a part of it. Such
loving, caring communities are a drawing card for evangelism. People vvill
beat a pathwav to the door of churches that live in New Testament
community. That may have been one of the reasons for the success of the
early church. People today live in such broken communities that they will
be eager to belong to a genuine, redemptive community. The tragedy of
the church today is that it is more reflective of the broken communities of
the world than of the restored communities that Christ envisioned for His
church. It is precisely because the church has failed to teach its people
genuine community living that the church has become a broken
community in need of redemption. As the church once again begins to live
in

56 Schattenmann, Tellowship," in Dictionary of New Testament Theotogy, 644.

57 1 john 1:7.
Un entendimiento del cuidado de los miembros en la era del Nuevo Testamento 121

community, it wil] become an evangelistic agency. One cannot live in a

genuine New Testament community and not be evangelistic.
The small group must be a píace of evangelistic activity. Small groups that
only nurture themselves and fail to reach out to others will die. Navel-gazing groups are
dysfunctional. When people belong to a small group, they are empowered by the
Holy Spirit to reach out and touch other hurting people, bringing them into
the restorative, redemptive atmosphere of their small group/s Furthermore,
Jesús commanded His disciples to evangelize two by two, for ministry must
occur in community. Individuáis aíso need the support of the group as they
evangelize. We cannot evangelize in isolation, but only through group support.
Only community can produce community/1
The theological flaw is that these Christians meet together
alone, and then go to witness alone. How wonderíul it would
be if they ¡neluded each other in the relationships they
establish with unbelievers, and ¡neluded unbelievers in their group
lite as well.'"

The New Testament model indicates that disciples are best made in
relationship with other disciples, which thereby indicates that ideallv all
new believers should be made a part of a small group and all small groups
should consists of both believers and unbelievers. Involvement in the group
must be seen as a part of the evangelistic process. No longer must we
evangelize in isolation, for disciples are made in relationships/1
The New Testament evangelistic strategy was clearly one that centered
on the development of community, yet it was not nurtural; it was
evangelistic. The New Testament group was evangelistic. If today's church
is to pattern its small groups after the New Testament example, then these
groups must be evangelistic. Groups that focus only on nurture produce
religious weaklings.62 People are nurtured in groups as they go about fulfilling
the commission of Jesús to make disciples of all people. This must be done
in a community that supports the making of disciples and provides a "safe"
place to bring the new or prospective disciple.

,H
Icenogle, Biblical Fcundations, 231. 59 Ibid., 233.
N1
Neighbour, 61.
61
Arnold, 21.
62
Ellen G. VVhite, Testimonies, 7:18.
122 Capítulo 5

MUTUAL CARE AS THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF MEMBER CARE

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

In church organizaron in the New Testament era, the pastor was not to be
the primary care giver. Instead, a theology of community was developed where the
basis of member care was the mutual carc of one another. The early church did not
neglect nurture or member care; they provided the real thing. New Christians,
as well as older Christians, need nurture and care on a regular basis. The issue
was not over whether this should happen, but how it should occur.
The New Testament is clear that the responsibility of providing the care
needed by members does not belong to the clergy, but is the responsibility
of all Christians. This obligation is inherent in the cali to be a Christian and is
never given to any select group of people, thereby leaving others in the
church free from the responsibility of providing care. All believers are to be
priests and ministers. To hire a clergyperson to perform ministry is to deny
the priesthood of all believers and rob the people of something that God has
given them to keep them healthy Christians.
The New Testament Church was organized on an entirely different pattern than the
Oíd Testament Church. It is not patterned after the Levitical priestly model, but on
the model of community as taught by Jesús and all New Testament writers.
In the Oíd Testament, God commissioned Israel to be a model of His kingdom.
Israel was placed at the crossroads of civilization so that all nations could see
what God had done with this people. Their model of ministry organization was
geared a round those who gathered in Israel. However, the New Testament
model was one of dispersión. The church was not to gather in one location,
but to spread its message to all elimos. Therefore, its organizational structure
had to be different, that is, missional. That is why the role of clergy in the New
Testament church was not to perform ministry, but to train God's people, enabling
them to go everywhere and evangelize. It freed the resources of the church to
accomplish its primary function: evangelism.
All New Testament passages dealing with the care of existing Christians
are directed to all Christians, and not to clergy. Most of these are the "one
another" passages. In the Oíd Testament the term is never used to refer to the
ministry of mutual care, but in the New Testament the phrase is used
extensively and exclusively to refer to people caring for one another.
 Una comprensión del cuidado de los miembros en la era del Nuevo Testamento 123

These are the phrases that are used to desígnate member care.
Note that each one is addressed to all Christians. Christians were to
confess their faults to one another. They were to forbear and to forgive
one another.
They were to be kind and tenderhearted, forgiving one another.
Members were not to provoke, judge, or envy one another. They were
not to bite or devour or speak evil oí one another.63

Many of the texts speak of the positive things members were to do for
each other, such as loving one another,64 being kindly affectioned for one
another, and in honor preferring one another. They were to show
compassion for and ha ve peace with one another. They were to comfort,
edify, and exhort one another.'”
Some of the "one another" passages speak of the bond that members
were to have toward each other. They were members one of another. Each
member had the same care one for another, Members were to submit to each
other, admonish one another, consider one another, bear one another's
burdens, be subject to one another, and have fellowship with one another. As a
symbol of this cióse bond members were to have, they were to greet one
another with a holy kiss. To further demónstrate their subjection to one
another as servants or ministers, they were to follow the practice of Jesús in
washing one another's feet.66
Finally, as a further demonstration that ministry belonged to all the
people of God, the early believers were commissioned to teach and
admonish one another/' These functions of teaching and encouragement,
as well as correction, are the responsibility of all the people of God and not
just the clergy. All the members were to minister the gift of hospitality to
one another and to offer hospitality without grudging.68
These "one another" passages indícate clearly that the ministry of care belongs to all
the people of God. If these biblical passages were

6Í
Jas. 5:16; Eph. 4:2; Col.3:13; Eph. 4:32; Cal. 5:26; Kom. 14:13; Gal. 5;15; Acts 4:11.
w
John 13:34-35; Rom. 13:8; 1 John 4:7; John 15:12,17; 1 Thess. 4:9.
65
Rom. 12:10; 1 Pet. 3:8; Mark 9:50; 1 Thess. 4:18; 5:11; Heb. 3;13; 10:25.
** Rom. 12:5; Eph. 4:25; I Cor. 12:25; Eph. 5:21; Rom. 15:14; Heb. 10:24; Gal. 6:2; 1 Pet.
5:5; 1 John 1:7; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; John 13:14.
67
Col. 3:16.
68
1 Pet. 4:9,10.
stated to dergy, wc would condude that the dergy are primary care givers.
However, the New Testament does not suggest that these acts are the
exclusive domain of clergy. These passages indícate that care is the
responsibility of the entire church of God, both dergy and Laity.
124 Chaptcr t

For clergy to become the primary care givers of the church is to rob the
church of that which belongs to the whole body of believers. This would
weaken the church spiritualiy. Since the western church has created this false
role of clergy' as primary care givers in the local congregaLion, a sick and
weak church has been the result. Consequently, lay people are seen as
neeessary to support the dergy financially and attend dergy functions, but are
rarely given the role of primary care givers of the body. When limbs in the
body are not used, they become weak, flabby, and ultimately usefess.

RESUMEN

This examination of the Oíd and New Testaments has clearly revealed
God's ideal of community. Teople in the New Testament era took Jesús
seriously and created a church organiza ti on that would foster community.
What God envisioned in ihe Creation was most períectly developed in the
early church: a community where people truly cared for one another.
Members cared for one another in the community, because mutual care was
entrusted to them. The srnall house church of the New Testament era
provided the framework for this ministry of mutual care.
The only conclusión that can be drawn is that the ministry' of the laity is
clearly a New' Testament concept. It was not as clear in the Oíd Testament,
but it is abundan ti y clear in the New Testament. The reason for this change
was to keep the clergy from being tied down, babv-sitting weak Christians,
and to free them to create new Christians, The churches they established
would be healthy as members cared fur one another, and this mutual care
would be a drawing card to non-Christians. When they see Christians as the
truly caring body of Christ, unbelievers will beat a path to the door of the
church. In this sense, the care of Christians for one another is a part of the
evangelizing strategy of the New Testament church.
 - TERCERA PARTE -

CLERGY ROLE AND MEMBER CARE IN THE

EARLY ADVENTIST CHURCH
 - CAPÍTULO 6 -

HISTORICAL BACKGROUNDS
TO THE RISE OF ADVENTISM

New Testament Christianity developed in the Román world as a

missionary movement. The church existed for mission, and mission expansión caused
the church to blossom everywhere. By the end of the first century, Christianity was
implanted throughout the Román empire. Its clergy, its laity, and its chunches
were all organized and structured for the accomplishment of this mission.
The New Testament structure, as examined in previous chapters, freed
the clergy from being the primary care givers of the church and enabled
them to focus their energies on evangelism and church planting. Change
does not happen overnight, and the change in the job description of the
clergy was gradual. Yet already in the second century the seeds wrere sown
for what was eventually to become the clergy of the Middle Ages, from
which the modern church has derived its job description of the pastor as
primary care giver.
The practice of clergy becoming priests and thus destroying the New Testament
concept of the priesthood of all believers began in the latter part of the second
century.90 In the first century the clergy were primarily itinerants rather than
pastors settled over congregations. The oversight of local congregations was
delegated to the local appointed elders. As the church spread rapicily in the
first century, a need was perceived for a more structured oversight of the
congregations. Although there is no clear evidence to prove the fact, we can
surmise that the locally appointed elders may have sought more power by
moving into the ranks of clergy.
As Christianity was implanted throughout the Román empire, there was
less need for itinerant clergy. Rather than looking beyond the Román
empire for places to evangelize, or looking at further expansión within the
empire, the church began to focus on retention instead of expansión. This shift from a
mission base to one nurture- oriented necessarily required a restructuring of
clergy role from itinerants to permanent, localized ministers. Referring to
the time of Justin Martyr in the second century, Lefroy comments:
"They minister to you the ministry of the prophets and teachers."
This passage indicates the point of transition.

90
Mellor, 16 años.
127
128 Capítulo 6

The prophets are passing avvay. The itinerants are declin¡ng.... The
permanent ministry is growing. The ministry of Proclamation and
the ministry of spiritual Power are steadily moving in the direction
of fixity and of localisation.2

Lefroy claims that in the second century the itinerant ministry was
declining and the permanent ministries were becoming the main clergy.
Either those who were itinerant clergy were settling down to pastor in
localized places or the localized lay elders were moving into the ranks of
clergy. One thing is clear: a transition was occurring in the second century in
the functional role of clergy. "As transition advanced... itinerancy gave place
to permanency, and a general to local ministry."3 Lefroy quotes Schaff to
indícate that the local elders were beginning to replace the apostles in the
organizational structure.4
The New Testament period ends with no indication of any change in
clergy role from that established by Jesús, Paul, and other founders of the
early church. Yet in a very short time—by the opening of the second century—
there is already indication of a departure from the biblical model of an
itinerant clergy to one of a localized clergy, and the development of the role
of a local leader as primary care giver. While its origin is in the beginning of
the second century, it is established everywhere by the end of the century."
The earliest indication of an established clergy over churches comes from
Ignatius (A. D. TIO). He portrays a highlv developed clergy, even suggesting
that where there is no bishop, there is no church, and obedience to the bishop
is obedience to Cnrist.6 In fact, the power of the local bishop is so advanced in
Ignatius that it seems improbable that such great power could ha ve been
developed in so short a time. Since there are scholarly questions about the
authenticity of much of Ignatius' writing, it is safe to assurne that these
thoughts are part of a later period. 91

91 Lefroy, 184.
J
Ibídem, 124-125.
Ibídem, 125 (nota a pie de página).
* Knox, 23-24.
b
Schvveizer, 153.
Alexander Roberls y james Donaldson, eds., Introductory Note to "Fpistle of Ignatius to
the Ephesians" ¡n The Ante-Nicene Fathers: Traducciones de la
Histórica/ Antecedentes del ascenso del adventismo 129

Probably more reflective of the second century is the first letter of

Clement and the Shepherd of Hermas. In both of these works, one
discovers a less developed clergy than in Ignatius, although movement
toward a hierarcy is beginning. In Clement, the linking of the New
Testament leader to the Oíd Testament system is beginning." As a result,
Clement is the first in Christian literatura to suggest a distinction between
clergy and laity, as well as a hierarchy of position. The reasons Clement gives
for this is that church order and position can only be granted by the local
church. Yet these first bishops were merely bishops of local churches, not
wider jurisdictions.92 93 94
Why did theearly church lea ve the model of church established by
Jesús and Paul? The reasons are varied and somewhat obscure, but John
Knox offers some good possibilities:

A system of government through a council of elders

could be cumbersome; and with the increasing complexity of the
congregations' operations and the growing need for both
unity and efficiency in the face of increasing persecution by the
State and the more vigorous activities of the gnostic teachers—in
such a situation the conception of a single head of the church, the
guardián of its unity and the responsible agent of its decisions,
would have appealed to many congregations."’

Volz adds that the appearance of heresies, such as Montanism, forced

the church to decide on leaders and continued to move the church in the
direction of a single leader.
This changing role of the clergy in the second century was beginning to
move in the direction of the modern pastoral primary care role. The fact
that the second century dearly saw a change in the role of clergy is further
indication that the modern role is not the New Testament role. Most historians,
such as Volz, seem to argüe this change to be a favorable adjustment. Volz argües that
the local elders and bishops were more in touch with the local congregation than the
itinerants, so it was a natural development for them to grow in power

Escritos de los Padres hasta el año 325 d.C. (Crand Rapids, Michigan: W. B.
Eerdmanns, 1989-1990), 46- 47. rt Schweizer, 149, 156.
93 Volz, 19,22; Knox, 25.
94 Knox, 24.
130 Capítulo 6

and prestige.11 This writer questions that conclusión. There was a missional
reason for the clergy's role in the New Testament, and when the role
changed, clergy lost its missional function. When a church or its clergy lose the
missional function/ it has lost its reason for existcnce. The only thing left is a power
struggle, which is what happens as the church moved toward the traditional model
of church.
That the deacons were dissatisfied with the primitive
position which they held we have abundant authority for
believing. Harnack has done good Service in calling
attention to their early and prolonged efforts to gain power
and prominence at the expense of the presbyters. They did
so, probably, because of their association with the bishops,
who, however, were unable to elevate the deacons in the
ratio of their own official advance-ment.
With the establishment of monepiscopacy went the
doctrine that a certain priestly power inhered in the office
of the bishops, who were the successors not only of the apostles but
also of the Oíd Testament high priests.n

In the third and fourth centuries, the development of a fixed clergy with priestly
power fully develops, so that by the tíme of Nicea (325), it is a recognized
feature of the Christian church as it moves into the Constantinian era.
Whereas in the ministry of the New Testament church, ministerial
functions were diversified within the body, gradually they are taken over
by one person who now performs them for the people. The result is the
development of a priesthood.

But gradually the principal officiant at the cultual re-

enactment of the Supper carne to be so closely associated
with Christ (Ignatius of Antioch) in the sacrifice of Calvary
and its liturgical commemoration, the Eucharist, that by
contagión and imputation the eucharistic president himself
became looked upon as at least analogous to the high priest
of the Oíd Covenant and the spokesman of the entire royal
priesthood which is the church. Though he was normally one
of the presbyters, the cultual president 95 96

95 Volz, 23.
96 Leíroy, 146-147.
11 Knox, 25.
Antecedentes históricos del ascenso del adventismo 131

acquired, through his supervisión of the deacons, a pre- eminence

over the other presbyters in their corporate capacity as the
"municipal" council of Christians vvhose ultímate citizenship was
in heaven. 5

Slowly the bishop, whi.le still a local pastor, began turning over some of his
authority and functions to surrounding parishes that did not have episcopal care. That
made these presbyters priests and paved the way for the bishop to exercise
authority over these neighboring churches.1' As Williams further observes:
Thus the ministry became more of a career than a calling. The
ministrant became much less an organ of the local church and
spokesman of the community before God and much more of a
professional cleric, appropriately trained and promoted, even
from one parish to another.u>

Ordination of clergy began around A.D. 200. Slowly the church organization is
likened and then tied to the Oíd Testament. The result was that the clergy then assumed
the power of the Oíd Testament priest, un til they eventually claimed they had
the power to forgive sins. They first used the term "priest" just before Nicea
in 325.'
By the fourth century, this change evidently had greatly accelerated.
The descriptions given above of the struggles between deacons and
presbyters is totally foreign to the clergy concerns of the early church. They
are the concerns, instead, of a church that had ceased to be organized for
an evangelistic mission and was spending most of its time debating the
intricacies of the clergy's power. Even the deacons were attempting to
move into a clergy role, as the local elders had done in the earlier centuries.
The development of clergy power was greatly accelerated by the conversión of
Constantine. Clergy were now given exemption status 97 98 99 100

97
Ceorge H. Williams, "El ministerio de la Iglesia Ante-Nicena (c. 125-325)/en
The Ministry ¡n Historical Perspectives, ed. H. Richard Niebuhr y Daniel D. Williams,
(Nueva York: Harper & Brothers, 1956) 28.
98
Ibídem, 29.
Ibídem, 29-30.
100
Volz, 26, 32.
Lefroy, 146, 147.
132 Capítulo 6

from taxes, and civil power was also granted to them. Even ovil councilors
applied for clergy status.1 ’ Standards vvere novv set up that gave the
hierarchy control and power over other clergy, as well as the right to not
recognize what they considered heretical bishops.20 Ultimately, the primacy
of one bishop over all others developed through Leo the Great and then led
to the first medieval pope, Gregory the Great, vvho set the tone for pastoral
care throughout the Middle Ages.21

After Christianity became the official religión of the

empire c. 390 under Theodosius, the Christian hierarchy
¡nherited the social positions and authority that formcrly had
belonged to the pagan priests and bishops, including titles
and even dress. The chasuble, dalmatic, stole, ancí maniple
vvere borrowed directly from the Román magistracy, and in
every municipality where there had been a ÍLimen to
superintend the worship of the emperor, there was now a
bishop who i nherited his privileges.
These included an imperial salary, a seat on the city council,
the right of direct access to the emperor, and rank second
only to the provincial governor. Bishops vvere novv
becoming persons of great ¡nt'luence and office,
accompanied by a retinue of servants bearing their insignia
of office in processions, vvhich instead of the Román eagle
was now the cross/2

Bv the time of Constantine's conversión to Christianity in the fourth

century, the clergy role had degenerated from its evangelistic function to
one of power and control. The environment in vvhich the church
functioned also was changing drastically at this time. Before the time of
Constantine the church was a forbidden sect. Constantine's "conversión"
and the ready "conversión" of the multítude of pagans in the Román empire
in obedience to Constantine, meant that the church no longer faced an
"unbelieving" world. There ceased to be a

,g
Volz, 36.
Philip L. Culbertson and Arlhur Bradtord Shippee, eds., The Pastor: Readings from the
Patristic Period (Minncapolis: Tortress Press, 1990), 105.
M
Ibid., 185,186; William Clebsch and Charles Jaekle, Pastoral Care in Historical
Perspeclive (Englevvood Cliffs, N.j.: Prentice Hall, 1964), 3.
' Volz, 44.
 Antecedentes histónicos del ascenso del adventismo 133

need for clergy to supervise member's ministry and work to raise up new
churches and evangelize lost people, since all people in the Román empire
soon became fully "evangelized," as far as the church was concerned.
We have noticed two transítions from the New Testament model.
The first was the move from an itinerant ministry to a permanent ministry,

Testament roots. The church

which changed the role of clergy to a
more localized role. The second
transítion occurred after Constantine. It
further separated "| ’*
r 1 11 ers that God never intended
began to pattern its ministry after the Oíd Testament priestly model, vvhere
clergy performed for the people ministry which they could not do for
themselves, rather than the clergy being the facilitator of the ministry of the
laity.
These transitions resulted from a change in the environment of the
church from a missional field to an established location. With the missional
emphasis no longer prominent and primary, it was necessary for the church
to be reorganized for a maintenance ministry. This was a logical
development for a church that had lost its missional function. Whenever a
church appoints clergy as the primary care givers of the congregation, it loses
its mission consciousness.
Constantine's acceptance of Christianity and its subsequent proliferation
throughout the Román empire resulted in a major paradigm shift in the role
of clergy from missional emphasis to care giving. Loren Mead describes this
shift from a political perspective.2’ In the first few centuries of Christendom,
Mead contends, Christianity faced a hostile world that was alien to the
gospel. However, with the acceptance of Christianity by the empire, the
church and the world became the same. This necessitated a change in the role
of clergy from evangelism to care giving and in the role of the laity from
ministry to observer. Evangelism in this setting became the role of the professional
soldier who reached new lands by conquest and then forced the inhabitants
into Christianity. Since mission was the responsibility of the professional,
and since all in the community were "Christians," the church had no local
mission function, only a nurture function. However, Mead indicates that in
the modern world we have returned to a society more like that of the New
Testament in which some parts of the world are hostile, some indifferent,
and some 101

101
Loren Mead, The Once and Future Church (Washington: The Alban Institute, 1991), 13,
14.
134 f¡

supportive. This societal change, he declares, necessitates a new paradigm

íor the ministrv of both laity and clergy.21
Mead contends that the paradigm shifted from missional emphasis to
nurture emphasis when the empire became the church. However, this writer
contents that the paradigm shifted tirst and the identification of the church
with the empire was the natural result of the paradigm shift. It began in the
second century, tong before the church identified with the empire. The role of
pastor as cate giver was firmly established by the time of Constantino. The
natural result of this paradigm shift, in lightof the empire's acceptance of
Christianity, is to move directly in the path that Mead suggests the church
did.
However, if the cnurch could ha ve recaptured or kept the apóstol ic
paradigm, she may ha ve avoided the pitfalls that occurred during the Middle
Ages. The apostasy of the church during that dark time can be traced to a total
abandonment of the New Testament understanding of clergy and laity. Thus
the Middle Ages adoption of the church and the empire as one was
consequential rather than causal.
As the church identified more with the empire, various groups within the
church moved underground and created the dissident church of the Middle
Ages. While these groups had strong leaders, they viewed the "Christian"
world as their "hostile" environment and consequentlv did not accept the
established church's abandonment of the ministry of the laity. Instead, most
of the members of these groups engaged in ministry. Tlús ministry of the laity
was responsible fur the rapid spread of these groups in papal Europe. A prime
example of this was the Waldenses, who disguised themselves as merchants
but whose real purpose was to sha re the good news.25
During the time of Mead's Christian paradigm, vvhen the world and the
church were id en ti cal, there vvere groups within the Román empire who
refu sed to accept the new paradigm, but continued a missionary emphasis. It
is this concern to identify the church with the world that perhaps motiva tes
some Christians today to forcé the State to enforce religious obligations. The
contention of this writer is that this resulte from the abandonment of the
bíblical model of laity and clergy.
These were not just societal changes affecting the church, although it is
not denied that they played a role, but the present state of the

“ Ibid-, 14, 15, 27-29.

■' EIIon C. White, The Credt Coniroversy (Washington: Review and Herald, 1911),
church is the result of the abandonment of the New Testament model of
ministry. The New Testament model must be recaptured, not just because
society today is more like the New Testament vvorld, but because it is the
¡Historia! Antecedentes del ascenso del adventismo 135

biblical model. It was never appropriate, even in the Middle Ages, for the church to
adopt the ''church kingdom" model of ministry, as Mead contends.
This writer is grateful to Mead for his insights into the paradigm shift,
but disagrees that the societal shift carne first. Instead, by abandoning the
New Testament model, the church willingly accepted the societal shift of
the Middle Ages. Even though it is true that society again has become
somewhat "hostile" to Christianity, that must not be the primary reason for
abandoning the traditional model of the church. It will certainly help to
make the transition more quickly, but the change must occur because it is
biblically correct.
The Protestant keformation of the sixteenth century was primarily
theological, but it also had practical ramifications, although they probably
existed only in embryo. Luther's great emphasis on justiíication by faith alone
has certainly received much attention. However, Luther also rediscovered the doctrine
of the priesthood of a 11 believers and made it a hallmark of Protestantism.
VVhile Luther removed the clergy as mediators between God and the
people, he failed to bring the reformation to the more practical level of a
paradigm shift in the function of clergy and laity. While Luther clearly saw
that the priesthood of all believers necessitated each Christian's
involvement in ministry, he failed to see the corresponding new role for
clergy.2'1 As a result, no change occurred in the ministry of the laity, since
the clergy's role, derived from the non-biblical paradigm of the Middle
Ages, was still in place.
This probably was one of the main reasons why most of the early
Reformers failed to sepárate the church from the State. Because they
operated under the non-biblical paradigm of the Middle Ages, Luther, Zwingli,
Calvin and others each sought to créate a biblical kingdom ruled over by the State. All
within that kingdom became citizens of their church, and as the political
leaders of the kingdom changed their religión, so the religión of the State
changed. As a result, most of the early Reformers failed to develop a true
missionary model of the

Rex Edwards, Every Believer A Minister (Mountaín View, Calif.: Pacific Press,
1979), 94, reíerencing John Calvin, The Inslitutes of the Christian Religión, trans. Henry
Beveridge (Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1845-46), bk. 3:3.42; bk. 2.15.6; bk.
4.18.17.
13 6 Capítulo 6

church. Since most denominations have descended from these Reformers,

each of them failed to develop a missional model of the church, but instead kept
intact the traditional model.
lt was the Anabaptists who first discovered that the church and State
could not be united.: Whenever the spiritual and the political were brought
together, there was corruption. Therefore the Anabaptists were the first
reformers to abandon the Middle Ages concept which united the church and
the empire. Interestingly, there did not seem to develop among the
Anabaptists a strong clerical movement, as happened among the other
Reformers. Instead, the Anabaptists developed a more missional
organization and the denominations that have descended from the
Anabaptist movement are today more missional than those descending from
the mainline reformers.
The Wesleyan revival, stemming from the Anglican communion, also
developed a more missional system. However, unlike Anglicanism, they did
not seek a State church, but existed initially as a dissident group within
Anglicanism. We will examine the Methodist movement in more detail later
in this chapter.

DEPARTURE FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

PLAN OF MEMBER CARE

The loss of the New Testament plan of member care follows a path
identical to the loss of the biblical role of clergy. In fact clergy's missional role
and the New Testament concept of mutual member care are inevitably linked
together. Once one of these is rediscovered, the other will quickly follow.
Likewise, when one is lost, the other quickly will be lost. Therefore, as clergy
became localized and permanent and as the missional function of the church
ceased, jobs had to be created
for the clergy who were no longer missionaries. Thus arrives the pastor as
primary care giver of existing Christians.
At the end of the New Testament era, the church was built on community.
Even as late as the end of the first century, the apostle John declared this to
be the basis upon which the church was built. For the next two hundred years
the church continued in the paradigm of

Wilhelm Pauck, "Ministry in the Time of the Continental Reformation" in The Ministry in
HistóricaI Perspectives, ed. H. Richard Niebuhr and Daniel D. Williams (New York:
Harper & Brothers, 1956), 119.
Antecedentes históricos del ascenso del adventismo 137

house churches. During this period the church experienced substantial

growth and seemingly was in good spiritual health, in spite of constant
persecution. This held true even though clergy had already begun to be
localized.
During this time, the Christian church constructed no church buildings. It
continued to meet in homes, caves, or catacombs. The church was not centered
in massive structures and buildings. It was built on the community life of the
believers who cared and supported each other as they continually extended
their friendship to fellow sinners:
Not until the third century do we haveevidence of special buildings being
constructed for Christian gatherings and, even trien, they were modeled on
the room for receiving guests in the typical Román and Greek household.2"
In the third century, Christians for the first time began building places for
Christian gatherings. However, even these were very small. In viewing
excavations of Palestinian towns, the author has observed the remains of third
century churches. They were no larger than most homes, and some small
towns supported three or four of these small Christian churches. Evidently,
when the church moved away from the home as the primary gathering place
for Christians, they did not erect cathedrals, but instead fashioned their
buildings after the home. Of course, many Christians probably continued to
meet in homes.
With the conversión of Constantine early in the fourth century,
Christianity began to be tolerated, and then became the only religión of the
empire. This was the turning point in the establishment of the institutional
church and the total demise of the small group church. The paradigm shift
that began in the second century and which was fullv established in the fourth
century has lasted fully seventeen centuries, and today we still suffer from the
apostasies sanctioned by Constantine. The way we do church today is more a
paradigm of the Román Empire of the Middle Ages than of New Testament
Christianitv.
J
It was not more than three hundred years after this dramatic
appearance of the apostolic small group movement in salvation
history that the form and character of the "church" suddenly
changed. The ecclesia as small group community disappeared and
the church as formal 102 institutional structure appeared. This
transition was a major paradigm shift of the very nature of God's
presence on earth.29
It is generally affirmed today by theologians, historians,
and ecclesiologists, that the church ¡s at a dramatic "paradigm

102
Banks, 35.
138 6

shift" in history. For the past 1,700 years, the realm of God has
been strongly guided by this organizational and institutional
mooring precipitated by the conversión of Constantine in
A.D. 313. "Instead of the congregation being a small group
that constituted the church in that place, the understanding of
the congregation had been enlarged to inelude everything in
the Empire. The congregation was the church; the church was
the Empire,’0

The loss of a missionary clergy, whose main function was to evangelize and
plant churches, occurred first. Even though clergy became localized, the church
grew and remained somewhat healthy over the next couple of centuries. As
the pastoral role continued to shift in favor of clergy who were primary care
givers and power seekers, local churches began to grow in size and influence.
They moved out of homes and into small buildings, then larger buildings,
until by the time of Constantine the small community-based church had
disappeared, and the institutional church had begun to flourish. The larger
churches that developed in this period turnee! Christian worship from
communal to ceremonial. Preaching went from focusing on the needs of
people to oratory. In the earliest New Testament churches, there was not even
a prescribed leader for Christian worship. That concept arrived by the time of
Justin (A.D. 160). As the sizes of churches increased, so did the clergy. As
with clergy role, the small group church does not emerge again until the Methodist
reviváis.31
As the shift to a localized and power-hungry clergy began in the second
century, so did also the shift from mutual to pastoral care. As early as the
second century, Polycarp enjoined the presbyters to visit 103
the sick, etc. In Cyprian (c A.D. 250) the pastoral role developed further
through dealing with Christians who had relapsed during the times of
persecution and who now desired reentry into the church At first, people
were given only one opportunity for repentance after baptism, and it was a
public penance. In later centuries this developed into the confessional box. Eventually, in
the Middle Ages, the administration of discipline became the chief concern of
clergy. For this purpose the Middle Ages clergy developed a list of sins with
which the early church had never been concemed. This does not mean that
the medieval clergy were not concerned with souls; they were. They watched
over people's sins to keep them from hell, but they did it through power and
control rather tnan through mutual loving care for each other.12

103
Icenogle, 360.
30
Ibidem, 360-361, citando a Loren B. Mead, The Once and Future Church- Reinventing
the Congregation for a New Mission Frontier (Nueva York: Alban Institute, 1991), 15.
31
Volz, 72, 111, 64, 73.
Antecedentes históricos del ascenso del Adviento 139

The movement that forced clergy into a role of watching for people's sins
seemed to develop out of a raising of standards, such as Tertullian's
requiring that women not wear jewelry or cosmetics. To enforce such
standards required the watchful eye of the clergy.u Other early third century
works begin referring to the pastor in shepherd imagery. But as Volz points out:

Appealing as we find the pastoral image, in the course of time

it led to an authoritarian interpretation of rulership and
governance. Chrysostom cautionecJ against making too literal an
Identification of shepherds with clergy, as "shepherds have full
power to compel the sheep to accept the treatment if they do not
submit of their own accord... but you cannot treat men with the
same authority with which the shepherd treats a sheep.14

Thomas Oden favorably develops a rationale for what is considered classical

pastoral care. His whole rationale is built on the church fathers rather than the New
Testament. His countless quotations from the fathers dearly reveáis that this
model of church is built not on the teachings of Jesús and Paul, but on later
development, which we have shown to be a departure from the rationale of
mutual member care. Oden points out five characteristics of classical pastoral
care: accurate, emphatic listening; congruent openness so that self- 104 105 106

104
Culbertson, 24, 96-97, 98, 94, 100.
105
Volz, 77, 81.
106
Volz, 143.
140 Capítulo 6

disclosure is encouraged; un condi tional, accepting love; rigorous self-

examination; and narrativo cumio insights. These are Services performed by
one person in behalf of the congregation. That is the essence of the classical
approach to member care; ono poTsun is hired to porform this care for the
membership, vv he reas the New Testament church developed a plan of
mutual member caro. This is further seen in the metaphors that Oden uses to
describe the work of the pastor: counselor, physician, guide, liberator, and
educator.^
Another definition of classical pastoral care also reveáis its substitutionary
nature:

Tho ministry of the cure of souls, or pastoral care, consists

of helping acts, some by representativo Christian persons,
directed toward the healing, sustaining, guiding, and reconciling
oi troubled persons whose troubles artse in the context of ultímate
meanings and concerns.ib
The most defin i ti ve work on the formation of pastoral care in the Middle
Ages was that of Gregorv tho Croat, the first medieval Pope. 3 His work
focuses on the difficulties of the pastorate, the lite of the pastor, how to deal
with the maladies of the pe opte, and cautions about the wTeakness of tho
pastor. '
Since pastoral caro in the Middle Ages focused on acts performed by
representad ve persons, pastoral care developed a sacramental basis.

Sacramental grace not only served to restore medieval

men and women to an assumed prior condition of health, but
also granted power for spirituai growth toward the universal
desiderátum of eternal bliss. '107

While the Reformation period restored the doctrino of the priesthood of

all beiievers, pastoral care and watchcaro over the flock continued to be the
domain of clergy. The chiof clergy role of the
Reformation period became preaching. The key term for clergy became
''pastor" rather than "priest." VVhile eliminating priestly function, Luther
and the other reformers failed to return ministry to

107 hornos Ocien, Pastoral Clásica Seríes, vo!. 1-4 (Nueva York: Crosaruad, 1989);
Ibíd., 3:7,48.
* Clebsch, 4.
Ibídem, 3.
Volz, 175.
^ Clebsch, 24.
Antecedentes históricos del Riw del Adventismo 141

r j
the people, especially mutual member care. This, as mentioned earlier, was
partly due to the continuance of the unión of church and State. Luther realized that he
needed the support of the state in order to enact his reforms. Therefore, the
reformers maintained the tradition of pastoral care that they inherited from
the Middle Ages. They required pastors to control and shape the behavior
of people and to visit each borne in the parish at least once a year. The main
difference with Protestant clergy was that clergy authority was confirmed
by the local congregation, which, however, was also confirmed by the
State.4
Thus the traditional model of pastoral care, where the pastor is seen as
the one who is the primary care giver in the church, began to develop in the
early second century, was fully in place by the beginning of the Middle
Ages, and then was enhanced with powerful privileges during the Middle
Ages. The Reformation period inherited the model from the Middle Ages,
unaware of its origin in post-New Testament times. Today the traditional model
still cripples the church from fully returning to a New Testament model of
mutual member care. What has existed for nearly nineteen centuries is
difficult to purge from the expectations of both clergy and laity.

METHOD1SM AND ITS IMPACT ON ADVENTISMO

UNDERSTANDING OF CLERGY ROLE AND MEMBER CARE

The Wesley reviváis in America have left an indelible mark on American

religious history. Their methodical way of not just preaching Christ, but
organizing the new believers into classes or small groups where members
provided care for each other, was probably the reason for the lasting impact of
Methodism on the American scene. In contrast, great reviváis also followed preachers
like John Whitfield. However, many of his converts did not endure. One
possible reason may well have been the fact that Whitfield's was a clergy
revival and failed to follow up with a ministry of the laity; whereas Wesley's
revival resulted in converts being retained. This was no doubt due to the
fact that Wesley organized class meetings led by laity. 108

108 Ibídem, 114, 131; 116; 112; 117; 120; 125, 136; 138.
142 Chdpter 6

VVesley's class meetings for all new converts seem to be the main reason
for Methodism's initial success. Thesc class meetings, led by 1 a i ty r resulted
in care oí members being the primary responsibility of [he class group rather
than the clergy. This is one of the earliest movements to reignite the ministry
of the laity and to return to the new Testament ideal. As a result, most of
Methodism's earliest clergy were Circuit riders rather than stationary
preachers. Once the New Testament plan of mutual member care is re-
established, there will cease to be a need for a pastor over every church, and
clergy will be free to evangelize again.
Wesley offered two types of small group experience: the classes and the
bands. The bands were optional; the classes were required of all those who
desircd to stay in membership. The result was the establishment of an on-going
system of pastoral care.41
Fach group consisted of ten to twelve people frorn the
same neighbourhood, coming together weekly for an hour or
so.
The leaders were lay people—some were men, but the
maiority were women—selected beca use of their high moral
and spiritual character and common sense.u

It is interesting to note that most of the leaders of the early Methodist class
meetings were women. This is especially enlightening when onerealizes that
the largest local church in the world today, Dr. Paul (David) Cho's church in
Seoul, Korea, is built on small groups led primarily by women. Evidentlv
wornen do a better job than men in reía ti onal small groups.
What were those early Methodist class meetings like? In those early days
you could not belong to the Methodist society without being a member of the
class and attending regularly. Failure to attend regularly was sufficient cause
to be dropped from membership. Wesley believed so strongly in these class
meetings that he made tliem a condition of membership. Today in most
denominations that requirement would be considered oppressive. Yet such a
requirement was obviously part of early Christianity. People could not be
Christians if they failed to live in community with other Christians,
41
MaJÜson, 6.
Ibid,, quoting James A. Davios, Article in Christian Education Journal, vol. v, no.
2.
and the small relational group was the ideal place for that community to
occur.
In the early Methodist class meeting the emphasis was not on doctrine,
but on discipleship.43 The whole purpose of these meetings was to hold people
¡Historia! Antecedentes del surgimiento del adventismo 143

accountable for their life in Christ. Wesley wisely understood the biblical principie that Christians
will not grow in isolation from a community of other Christians who can hold
them accountable. He formed these classes so that his converts could grow
into spiritual maturity. The emphasis was clearly relational and the purpose
was discipleship.
Wesley was convinced that only through an accountable
fellowship could Christian discipleship be nurtured and
made effective, and it ¡s in such a context that the
development of Methodist polity must be understood.44

Wesleyan Methodism was a holiness movement and Wesley implanted a strong

desire that Christians not merely accept Christ as Saviour, but that they mature in their
relationship to Him. Wesley perceived that spiritual growth takes place best in a group
setting where there can be mutual support and encouragement for those pursuing the
life of holiness. What was the content of such a meeting?

Everyone was to speak "as freely, plainly and concisely as

he [couldl the real State of his heart, with his several
temptations and deliverances, since the last time of
meeting."

But at every meeting, there were five questions to be asked of everyone:

• What known Sin have you committed since our last Meeting?
• What temptations have you met with?
• How was you delivered?

David Lovves VVatson, The Early Methodist Class Meeting (Nashville:

Discipleship Resources, 1987), 15.
44 Ibid., 67.
• What ha ve you thought, said or done, of which you doubt whether it
be a Sin or not?
• Ha ve you nothing you desi re to keep secret?4'

Such openness would be unknown to most Christians today. Our

American individualism would regard such questioning as an invasión of our
privacy. Eighteenth century Methodism did not regard it in that light. They
saw such questioning as a means of helping people to be accountable. Yet
even the early Methodists recognized that this very direct questioning may
have been a little too strong, so it was soon modified. However, the intent
144 Capítulo 6

remained the same. The purpose of the class meeting was to hold people
accountable for their life in Christ. This is perhaps one of the greatest needs
of today's church, yet it sea res people because the openness that it demands
is totally foreign to today's cultural setting. It is ironic that the openness which
should exist in the church exists instead in manv of the self-help groups, such
as Alcoholics Anonymous. The fact that these groups enjoy such openness
indicates that people are hungry for openness and accountability without
judgmentalism. If we truly desire to grow in Christ, we may need to drop our
cultural American individualism and develop solid community once again so
that we can truly experience life in Christ.
It was the optional bands that continued the more direct questioning of
its members. The required class meeting did not have such direct questioning.
their initial purpose in meeting together each week was primarily to receive
an offering, But community quickly developed in these meetings as vvell:

It was therefore agreed that the members of each class

should meet together once a week, not only to collect the
weekly contributions, but also to give advice, reproof, or
encouragement as needecl. A dynamic of Christian fellowship
quickly developed, as members began to "bear one another's
burdens," and to "care for each other." The openness which
was engendered by the meetings led to "a more endea red
affection" between the members, and they felt free to be
honest with each other.109 110

109Ibídem, 81, 84.

110 Ibídem, 94.
¡Historia! Antecedentes del ascenso del adventismo 145

These class meetings very quickly developed a definite style of their own
that encouraged people to be open and supportive oí each other. Questions
were asked, but they were not as specific as in the earlier meetings.
Atter some such harangue as this, the leader proceeds to
inquire into the State of every soul present; saying,
"Well sister, or well brother, how du you tínd the State of your
soul this evening?" The member then proceeds, without
rising, to unbosom his or her mind to the leader; not, as has
often been said, bv particular confessíon, i)ut by a general
recapitulation of what has passed in the mind during the
week. 7
Nonetheless, the point to be made is tha! the classes enjoyed
ibis fellowship precisely because they did have the prior
purpose of accountability. Initially there would be some
awkwardness as the catee hética I process was implemented,
and people would be dinident about answering such direct
and evaluative questions. But as the accountability was
exercised, they began to realize that they were indeed on a
common journey- and that their mutual accountability was
not pejorative, but supportive. The fellowship was rich
because they understood the real purpose of their gathering;
and the meetings were informal because their structure was
assured.™
Modem Christians would be frightened by such a meeting. This is because
vve have asked such questions for the sake of passing judgment on those thus
questioned. VVe do not know the jov of mutual support and openness that
the earlv Methodists enjoyed. Yet deep down, many modem Christians still
desire an experience that is reminiscent of lite in the early Christian church.
How wonderful it would be if we con Id elimínate our judgmentalism and
the church could once again become a supporting environment. Small
relational community support groups may well be part of the answer.

-17 tbid,, 96.

** Ibid., 116.
The death of Wesley eventually led to the demise of the dass meeting as a
part of the Methodist experience. The nineteenth century saw the requirement become less
demanding, until it was eventually eliminated as a condition of membership is 1889.4‘ There
was a bitter clash over the class meeting and a compromise was finally reached.
146 6

The class meetings would continué, but failure to attend would no longer
be grounds for being dropped from membership in the Methodist church.

And in Wesley's day, they were primarily a means of

"evangelism and conservation—the recruitment and
assimilation of nevv members." The first half of the nineteenth
century saw the loss of both of these functions.... References
to class meetings in early Methodist autobiography decline
quite abruptly during the 1830s, and the role they liad hitherto
served as a door into the societies was taken over by the prayer
meeting—especially the after-preaching prayer meeting at the
Communion rail or in the vestry. Indeed, spiritual vitality in
general became more frequently related to prayer meetings
than to classes. They were less structured and more
spontaneous gatherings, and were more readily adaptable to
the ¡nstitutional activities of the chapel than the
interpersonal spirituality of the class meeting."

It is important to notice that as Adventism was beginning, the

Methodist class meeting was in the process of decline, ultimately to be
replaced by the prayer meeting. Yet the Methodism that shaped the
thinking of the early Adventist pioneers such as Ellen White, who carne out
of Methodism at this time, would ha ve been the Methodism of the class
meeting, where there were definite relational implications and accountability for their life in
Christ. Chapter 8 will examine the development of the Adventist social meeting which had its
origin in both the Methodist class meeting and the Methodist prayer meeting
that was emerging at the time of Adventism's beginning.
Watson offers this conclusión to his study of the early Methodist class
meeting:

49 Ibid., 137.
50 Ibid.
However productive it might have been as a method of
outreach and ingathering, this was not its initial purpose. The
most effective method of evangelism in Wesley's day was ¡n
fact field preaching, which appears prominently in early
Methodist autobiography as the initial point of contact with
those vvho eventually joined the societies. The class served as
a locus of evangelism and nurture only because of its prior
purpose of sustaining the responso to evangelistic outreach by
fostering a faithful discipleship through mutual
¡Historia! Antecedentes de Lhe Rise oí Adventism 147

accountability. Those who were drawn into a Christian

commitment through the weekly meetings were exposed to
the realities of discipleship as the members reported their
respective pilgrimages, and the authenticity of this witness lay
in their desire—and their need—to watch over one another in
love.5'

Thus early Methodism developed all the essentials of relational small

groups that met together regularly for mutual support and encouragement
and to hold each other accountable for their life in Christ. The Methodist class
meeting had all the elements of small groups. This was the first time since the
apostasy of Constantine and the establishment of the institutional church that
a church which was built on relational small groups had gained such popular
support. It must not be forgotten that much of Adventist ecclesiology was
borro wed from the Methodist roots. Adventist conference organizaron is
essentially Methodist in origin. Even the itinerant, circuit-riding preacher of
early Adventism can be traced to Methodist roots.
In examining early Methodism's class meetings we have seen a return to
a more biblical ecclesiology: the building of a church based more on
community than on the development of large institutions. Early Adventism,
on the other hand, attempted to build a church both as an institution and as a
community at the same time. They seemingly succeeded, but institutionalism
ultimately seems to have won out. Modern Adventism has reverted back to a
solely institutional church and has lost sight of the community-based church.
It is for this reason that we re-examine early Adventism, which maintained so
well the balance betvveen institution and community.
51 Ibid., 149.
 CAPÍTULO 7 -

THE ROLE OF THE CLERGY IN EARLY

ADVENTISM

Arising in the aftermath of the great second advent awakening in the middle of the
nineteenth century, the Seventh-day Adventist Church developed a church structure that bears
considerable
resemblance to the First century model. The earliest Adventists believed
that if they were to organize, they must do so biblically rather than simply
copying existing organizational structures. Obviously, they couldn't help
but be influenced by such structures, but the one that influenced them most
was the most biblical—the Methodist organization. Therefore, they
developed a lay-driven, non-clergy dependent, community-based church.
The reasons for this development are threefold. First, the Adventist
church aróse with a clear mándate for mission. In the aftermath of the 1844
disappointment, Adventists faced scoffing and ridicule from a hostile
world. This situation was the same as Mead's understanding of the
relationship of the church to the world in the first century, as noted in ihe
previous cliapler. With the world so hostile to their message, they quickly
developed a missionary strategy for their existence.
The second reason for the Adventist church to develop a ministry of the
laity model was its roots in Methodism. Many of the earliest pioneers nad
been Methodists; foremost among whom was Ellen White.111 Therefore the
system of organization that these early Adventists developed was akin to
that of the Methodist church. Most of the first Adventist churches were no
more than small groups of believers organized very similarly to the
Methodist class meetings. The Adventist preacher became an itinerant evangelist, much
like the Methodist Circuit rider.
The third reason for the Adventist church to adopt a lay ministry model
was the inspired guidance of Ellen White. From its inception the Adventist Church has
recognized the spiritual gift of prophet to exist in the life and ministry of Ellen White. While she
is not looked upon in Adventism as a source of theology, Mrs. White is
respected for the guidance that she gave the infant church in the area of
practica! ministry.

111Otros pioneros surgieron de conexiones bautistas y cristianas, pero el

metodismo prevaleció como la principal influencia en el desarrollo
organizacional. Esto, sin duda, se debe a la influencia carismática de Elena
G. de White.
149
150 7

Her advocacy oí the clergy as trainers/equippers, and the laity as performers of

ministry in the church, did mucn to bring the early Adventist church back to the New
Testament church model. Since Ellen White's views were so powerful in the early
Adventist church, we vvill carefully examine many of her statements later in the chapter.
Of the three reasons listed for Adventism's recapturing the first century
model, the most powerful has to be the first, reinforced by the third. ít was
clearly the evangelistic visión of the early pioneers that torced them to create
a church structure that was missional in its emphasis. Backing these
structural developments was the inspired guidance of Ellen VVhite, who
took a leading role in creating the structure and later revising it at the 1901
General Conference Session.
Early Adventists believed emphatically that Jesús was coming again
soon. While Seventh-day Adventists did not set a date for the Lord to come,
they were insistent that the time was near. That being so, it was abssolutely
necessary that the world be warned of the coming King. Every penny that could be scraped
together was used to spread the message of the Advent. No money could be
spared to care for existing Christians or Adventists, for they must get the
message to the world as quickly as possible.

ROLE OF CLERGY AS ITINERANT EVANGELISTS

AND CHURCH PLANTERS

For the first sixty to seventy years of its existence the Seventh-day
Adventist Church had an itinerant clergy. Their main function was to raise
up churches and give oversight to many local congregations, who primarily
cared for themselves. There were no settled pastors who were the chief care
givers for the local church. In this sense the structure was very similar to that of the
first century church.
VVhen a church was organized, local lay elders were appointed to
oversee the congregaron, and the clergy went on to start new congregations.
Since the churches were small and the believers scattered, it was unnecessary
to appoint clergy over an individual church. The only exception to this may
have been the headquarters church in Battle Creek, Michigan, where
thousands of Adventists had gathered.112 In this church of several thousand
members, there seems to have been a settled pastor near the end of the
nineteenth century.

112
Arthur White, Ellen G. Whfte, vol. 6, The Later Elmshaven Years, 1905-1915.
(Washington: Review and Herald, 1982), 126.
 El papel del clero en el adventismo temprano 151

James White even served as pastor of the Battle Creek Church, vvhile
serving concurrently as General Conference president and head of the
publishing work.113 However, it does not seem that this position vvas the
same as that of today's pastor. It merely meant that he preached there once in
awhile.
Thus, in the early years of Adventism the church structure was very
similar to that of
the first century Christian church. The church clearly was organized for the
accomplishment of its mission. While the tithing system was not fully
developed at this early stage, nevertheless members gave money for the
support of the clergy. Yet the clergy's primary function was establishing
new congregations, not overseeing churches.
The only nurtural function of clergy in the early days was during the
camp meetings. Members from across a State would gather in one location
for these annual convocations. Clergy from across the denomination would
attend and preach to the believers. However, even here it seems that the
primary function of the camp meeting was evangelistic. The sermons spoken
during the weekdays were primarily for the members, but evenings and weekends saw the
crowds greatly increase as unbelievers attended and the church carried out Ls
evangelistic function. No activity of the early Adventist Church escaped the
evangelistic mándate. Mission was the driving forcé of the church and the
church was organized for the accomplishment of that mission.
The lay-developed church vvith itinerant clergy did not simply result
because the early Adventists were few in number, but was by delibérate
design. The Adventist Church was deliberately organized to function as did
the New Testament church—for the accomplishment of the mission of
Christ, the making of disciples in all the world. We will now examine the
development of the itinerant clergy model through the organizational
development of the church.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE DESIGNED

FOR MISSION ACCOMPLISHMENT

For the first nineteen years the small group of people who embraced
Seventh-day Adventism refused to be organized into a church or
denomination, regarding all organization as part of Babylon.
However, bv 1863, due primarily to the influence of James and Ellen
White, the cnurch was organized into the General Conference.
Even before its organization, however, the fledgling church had
developed a clergy job description where the pastor was not primary care

113Arthur White, Ellen C. White, vol. 3, The Lonely Years, 1876-1891

(Washington: Review and Herald, 1984), 132.
152 7

giver, but fully involved in the mission of the church. J. N. Loughborough,

Adventist contemporary historian of the nineteenth century, describes the
work of the clergy in the church during its preorganizaron days:

In the summer of 1854, Seventh-day Adventists first

began to use large tents in vvhich to hold meetings. It was a
rare thing in those days to see tents used for such a purpose;
consequently crowds of people carne to the tent meetings.
This increased interest in the message called for ministers
who could devote their whole time to gospel work. This they
could not do without some means of support besides their own hand
labor.'1

Loughborough States that the reason for an enlarged clergy was the
increased interest in Adventism, rather than care for the believers. This
missional concern was a vital part of early Adventism and the reason for its
clergy's existence.
As part of the struggle for organization in the early 1860s, a document
was prepared to form the basis for the organization of the General
Conference. In this document, two classes of church officers are delineated.
First there are those called especially by God, the apostles and evangelists.
Second are lay positions appointed by the cnurch: elders, bishops, pastors,
and deacons.114 115
According to this document, these early Adventist pioneers placed the
pastor, along with local elders and deacons, as part of the lay leadership of the church, thereby
limiting the clergy to the roles of apostle and evangelist. Amazingly, this is the basic
structure that we have discovered in the early Christian church of the first
century. In fact, this document spends considerable time examining the
New
Testament basis for church organization and reaches the conclusión that,
based on the New Testament model, the organization of the
church should be missional. Apparently the organization of the Adventist
Church as a lay movement without settled pastors was not an accident or a temporary
arrangement due to the size of the church, but a delibérate theological attempt to
return to a missional New Testament ecclesiology. Note especially the
documentas definition of eider:

114 j. N. Loughborough, The Church: lis Organization, Order and Discipline

(Washington: Review and Herald, 1907), 103.
s Ibídem, 127. Originalmente aparecido en la Review and Herald del 15 de
octubre, I8f>1, pero citado en su totalidad por Loughborough en este
trabajo. Loughborough también declara que éste era el documento de trabajo
para la organización de la Conferencia General.
El papel del clero en el adventismo tardío 153

Elders. This office is also expressed by the words, bishop,

pastor, and overseer. To show that these are interchangeable
terms for the same thing we refer, first to Titus 1:5,7: "For this
cause left 1 thee ¡n Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the
things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city as I
had appointed thee; for a bishop must be blameless," etc. The
word eider in verse 5, is from presbuteros, and signifies,
primarily, according to Robinson, "an eider person, a sénior; as an
officer of the church it signifies the elders of Christian churches,
presbyters, to whom was committed the direction and
government of individual churches; properly the same as
episcopos — which see." The word rendered bishop in verse 7
is from this word episcopos, and is defined by the same author
as follows: "In the New Testament, spoken of officers of the
primitíve churches as overseer, superintendent. This was
originally simply the common Creek ñame of office
equivalent to presbuteros, which later was a )ewish term." That
elders and bishops are idéntica!, is also shown from Acts
20:17, 28. The word elders in verse 17 is presbuteros, and the
word overseers ¡n verse 28 is from episcopos (bishop). The term
pastor is from poimen, and signifies literally a herdsman, a shepherd,
especially a pastor, a teacher, a spiritual guide of a particular
church. The definition of this term shows that it signifies the
same office as presbuteros (eider), and episcopos (bishop), a
local office confined to a particular church."116

The biblical scholarship of these pioneers is amazing. The conclusión that

the office of pastor is a local lay office like that of the

116 Ibídem, 129.

t54 ( hdpter 7

eider, was clearly the result üf sound scholarship, lt is abundantiy dear,

according to this document, that the pastor then was the same as a local
church eider today and not part of the clergy. Accordingly, the role of the
clergv {evangelísts and apostles) was to be administrad ve and
evangelistic. Interestingly, they did not choose to ñame the clergv
"apostles," but instead used the more modern term, "president.' This was
a delibérate attempt to model its clergv on the apostolic model—"apostle"
being those in church leadership.
The other biblical term for clergy used by early Adventista was
"evangelist." These were itinerant clergy who spent most of their time
raising up new churches. Here is the definition of an evangelist according
Lo the document:

A preacher of the gospel, not fixed in any place, but traveling as a

missionary to preach the gospel, and establish churches/

According to the organizing document, those who served in clergy

positions could also serve in lay positions, such as eider or deacon,

From what has been said, it will be seen that the officers
oí (he church which are appointed solely by the church itself
are reduced to two, namely, elders and deacons. From what
then has arisen so much confusión upon the suhject? It must
be from the fací that the different ñames of eider, bishop, and
pastor, are applied to the same office, and also from
overlooking the principie that a person holding any one of
the higher officers is qualified to officiate in any of the lower;
and when performing the duties of such office is called by
the tille applying thereto.
Thus Peter, though an apostle, calis himseií an eider ||
Peter 5:1]; and Paul, carrying the liberalices of the brethren
up to Jerusalem [Acls 11:30], might with equal propriety be
called a deacon.... Evangelísts, also, are called elders. Paul
says to Timothy, "Let the elders that rule welE be accounted
worthy of double honor, especia!ly they who labor in word
and doctrine." 1 Tim.
5:17. Mere were some laboring in word and doctrine who are
called elders, but such labor shows them to be evangelísts, it
being especially their work; henee
7
lb¡d„ 128.
El papel del clero en Lady Adventista 155

evangelists are sometimes called elders; but only, of course, when acting in
that capacity.117 118

The early Adventist Church, thcn, was del iberately organized without
settled pastors. This was done in an attempt to create a biblical organization
similar to the New Testament. AU clergy were itinerant preachers whose
work was to raise up new churches or administer the affairs of the church.
The local church was expected to care for itself. It might receive an
occasional visit from a clergy person, but none was assigned over the local
church as a primary care giver. Churches established were immediately
indigenous, without an outside leader appointed o ver the church. As a
result, the local elders were expected to preside over the local churches in
much the same way as the clergy pastors do today.
This was the basic organizational structure that was operative in the
Adventist Church throughout the nineteenth century and even into the
early part of the twentieth century. It led the Adventist Church in North
America and around the world into explosive growth. AJI of the church's
resources were channeled into the expansión of the church rather than into
the care of existing members. Adventism was primarily a church planting
movement.
Loughborough describes the annual State meeting of clergy in the early
days as a time when all the requests for new work in that area were
presented to the clergy. The preachers were then asked to spend time with
God asking where He desi red them to go. They would then come back to
the general meeting and declare where they would plant churches during
the coming year. Only after each person was clear that this was the cali of
God for them were appointments made.'
In a meeting of the California State Conference in 1874, a discussion was
held about who should be granted ministerial credentials and licenses.
Eider Butler spoke to the point, reciting the imperative necessity of
more laborers in the field in order to spread these living but unpopular
truths... that unless those who go out to labor in this direction do benefit
the cause, the

117
Ibídem, 130.
118
Ibídem, 116, 148.
I >b Capítulo 7

Conferences generally do not feel under obligation to pay

them for their time and efforts.10

Note the missionary function of clergy indicated bv Eider Butler's words.

Clergy were paid to raise up new churches. If they failed to íncrease the
church, they simply were not to be paid. The early Adventist Church saw no
need of paying laboréis simply to watch over the churches that vvere
composed of believers.
During these early years the plan of systematic benevolence was
introduced in order to support the clergy. Later, il developed into the tithing
system. It was unique in that all tithe was sent to the local conference and the
conference in tum paid the clergy. This was due to the fact that the local
church had no settled pastor, so there was no need to use tithe money to pay
local pastors. Ihe tithe instead was used exclusively for those who
administered and evangelized.11
The early Adventists were so concerned with spreading the message that
conferences ciid not limil their employees to work only in the conference
that supported them. As late as 1903, local conferences employed ministers
in other States. At the 1903 session, the California Conference reported fifty-
five laborees on the payroll with thirty-two ordained ministers, six of whom
labored in foreign lands. AIso induded were nine licentiates, three of whom
worked in Great Britain but vvere paid by California. Eleven people were
given a missionary license, one of whom worked in England and one in the
Georgia Conference, vet were paid by California.
The early church was not parochial in their thinking, They sha red workers
everywhere, because mission was the primary task of the church.
Furthermore, they would not even consider a request for clergy where there
was already a large membership of Seventh-day Adventists.1, They could
evangelizo their own territory. That was the responsibility of the local church
and its members. The tithe that supported the clergy was not to be used to
pamper local

IL
'California State Conference Minutes, Annual Session, Qctober 1-10, 1874,
Napa, Calif. Repon oí the 71*1 Session, October 9 , 8:00 A.M,
11
Today the Adventist Church continúes to have the conferences pay the clergy, huí
now the money ¡s used for the settled pastors and no money ¡s available for
church planting, Yet the initial rcason for the tithing strurfurc was to support a
church planting movement.
California Minutes of April 13, 1903, 10.
1 1 IbiH., last page.
El Papel del Clero en el Adventismo Temprano 157

congregations, but instead was to make clergy free to raise up churches.

The biblical basis for not having settled pastors was constantly referred
to by these pioneers. James White, in addressing a coníerence of
Adventists in 1859 declared:
VVe ha ve no settled pastors over our churches; but our ministers
are all missionaries, as were the early ministers oí Jesús Christ,
consequently they are most of their time deprived of the blessings of
home. For Christ's sake, and for the salvation of their fellow-men, they
sacrifice the society of dear ones at home, go forth into a coid, selfish
world, and wear out their lives in preaching unpopular Bible truth. God
bless them! But they must be sustained, and God has made it the duty
of the church to support them, as they go on their mission of love.1 *
Paul was not what is now called a "settled pastor," yet at Corínth
"he continued a year and six months, teaching the word of God among
them/' Acts xvi,1,11. These early teachers of Christianity remained ¡n
one city, or place, till their testimony aroused the people, and they hacl
brought out a body of believers, and established them in the doctrine
of Christ. Things were then set in order so that these disciples could
sustain the worship of God. And then these ministers would pass on to
a new field of labor.
These churches were not carried upon the shoulders oí their ministers,
but were left to sustain the worship of God among themselves.
Occasionally would they pass through and visit the brethren, to exhort,
confirm, and comfort them.’"

Clearly, the pioneers felt that not having settled pastors was
advantageous and biblical. They could ha ve chosen to place pastors over
churches, but for biblical reasons they did not. In fact, vvhen young men
showed promise of being preachers, they were discouraged from
preaching in the churches. They were to prove their calling by going forth
and raising up new churches. Church planting

” James White, coníerence address reported in Review and Herald, vol. 14, no. 3
(June 9, 1859), 21.
r
’ James White, Review and Herald, vol. 19, no. 20 (April 15, 1862), 156.
was the supreme test of a cali to clergy function. If you couldn't raise up a
church that was self supporting, you could not be paid as a clergy:

ln no way can a preacher so well prove himself as in

entering new tields. There he can see the fruits of h¡s own
labors. And ¡í he be successful in raising up churches, and
establishing them, so that they bear good fruits, he gives to
his brethren the best proofs that he is sent of the Lord.
158 Capítulo 7

Some vvho join the Seventh-day Adventists commence at

once to preach to the brethren, many of whom are far in
advance of them. And our brethren often err in urging such
to spend their time in preaching to them. Let such ministers
first be suitably instructed by those of experience in the
message, then let them go out into new fields, trusting in God
for help and success. And when they shall have raised up
churches, and shall have properly instructed them, then those churches
will support them. if they cannot raise up churches and friends
to sustain them, then certainly the cause of truth has no need
of them, and they have the best reasons for concluding that
they made a sad mistake when they thought that God called
them to teach the third angel's message.119

Another reason for not having settled pastors was that time was short
and there was a great work to be done. The hope among the Adventist
pioneers of their Lord's imminent advent influenced their organizational
development and gave it much missional emphasis.1
Further evidence for this unique New Testament missional organization
of the church is seen in some of the apologetic writing of early Adventists.
Sincc their ministerial function was so radícally different from that of other
denominations, Adventists had to continually explain this unique clergy role
for the benefit of the non- Adventist world. In an interview vvith a local
newspaper in 1886, G. B. Starr, an Adventist evangelist, explains the reason
for the rapid growth of Adventists:
"Well, in the first place," replied the Eider, "we have no settled
pastors. Our churches are taught to take care oí themselves, vvhile
nearly all oí our ministers work as evangelists in new fields."18

Seventh-day Baptists, who greatly outnumbered Seventh-day Adventists

at tVie time oí Adventist organizador», vvere overshadowed by this rapid
growth of Adventism. As the Seventh-day Baptists pondered this rapid
growth at the beginning of the twentieth centurv, they offered the following
reason:
All Seventh-day Adventists clergymen are missionaries—not located
pastors—and are busy preaching, teaching, and organizing the world over. '
Eider D. M. Canright, an early Adventist minister who later left the
church and wrote against it, caused the church to respond to several charges
that he made regarding the Adventist Church. One of these was that he was
119
Ibídem.
Andrew G. Mustard, "james White and SDA Organization" (Andrews University
Seminary Doctoral Dissertation Series, Vol. XII, Berrien Springs, Michigan, Andrews
University Press, 1987), 142-143.
El Papel del Clero en el Adventismo Temprano 159

a prominent minister in the Adventist Church because he had pasto ved

eighteen churches. The official response to this misleading assertion was to explain
the Adventist minister's job:
In the quotation taken from the Kalamazoo Telegraph, we find
this statement: "At the time he dissolved his connection with them,
he had the charge of eighteen churches in Michigan." The facts in
this case are these: Seventh-day Adventists churches maintain their
regular worship without the assistance oí any located pastors,
leaving our entire ministry free to act as evangelists in new fields.
As a consequence, many of our churches pass long periods without
any preaching, and consequently conference committees aim to
arrange the labor in the State so that ministers will occasionally be at
liberty to visit the churches, to help and encourage them in the Christian
life by a few meetings.'0

!il
G. B. Starr, Wabash (Ind.) Plain Dealer, I October, 1886, 5.
'' Seventh-day Baptist Sabbath Recorder, December 28, 1908, reprinted in Review and
Herald, January 14, 1909.
11
George I. Butler, "Assumption of Facts," Replies to Eider Canright's Attacks on Severnh-
day Adventists (Battle Creek: Review and Herald, 1888 and 1895), 24.
Thus Canright was given eighteen churches under these circumstanees,
but clearly was not a settled pastor over these churches because Adventists
did not have settled pastors.
Early Adventist clergy worked under the direction of the conference and their main
purpose was to raise up churches and develop evangelistic workers within the local
congregation.120 Even the largest church in the denomination, the Battle Creek
Tabernacle, seating three thousand people, did not have a localized pastor
until the early twentieth century.

ELLEN WHITE AND THE ROLE OF CLERGY

Since Ellen White played such a major role in the development oí early
Adventism and because her counsels were regarded as coming from God
Himself, she deserves special treatment. In the previous section, it has been
clearly demonstrated that early Adventist clergy were not settled pastors, but
primarily evangelistic workers. Does Ellen White substantiate this arrangement? What

120
Victor R. Brown, "An Analysis of the Role and Functions Expected oí a Seventh- day
Adventist Pastor as a Basis for Negotiating an Intentional Ministry" (D.Min. Project
Report, Andrews University, Sevcnth-day Adventist Theological Seminary, 1977).
160 Capítulo 7

was her view of the clergy's job description? First of all, she perceived the clergy role to
be that of trainer/equipper:

Let the minister devote more of his time to educating than to

preaching. Let him teach the people how to give to others the
knovvledge they have receíved.
It is not the Lord's purpose that ministers should be left to do
the greatest part of the work of sowing the seeds of truth.
In laboring vvhere there are already some in the faith, the
minister should at first seek not so much to convert unbelievers,
as to train the church-members for acceptable co-operat¡on.
God has not given His ministers the work of setting the churches
right. No sooner is this work done, apparently, than it has to be done
over again. Church members that are thus looked after and
labored for become religious weaklings. lí nine tenths of the effort
that has been put
El Papel del Oi el Clcrgy en el Adventismo Temprano 16t

forth for those who know the truth had been put forth for those who
have never heard the truth, how much greater
would have been ihe advancement made!
Sometí mes ministers do too much; thev seek to embrace
the whole work in their arms. It absorbs and dwarfs them; yet
they continué to grasp it all. They seem to think that they
alone are to work in the cause oí Cod, while the members of
the church stand idle. This is not God's order at all,
The greatest help that can be given our people ¡s to teach
them to work for God, and to depend on Him, not on the
ministers.
So long as church members make no effort to give to
others the help given them, great spiritual feebleness musí
result."
As far as Ellen Whíte was concerned, when clergy worked with churches they
shoulti perform a training function. This fits in with the first century
paradigm of Christianitv and the Adventist Church as it was organized in
the nineteenth century. Remember, all her statements are made in the
histórica! context of an Adventist Church vvithout settled pastors. Such a
fact makes her statements even more astounding. Evidently she even
thought that Adventist ministers of the nineteenth century were spending
too much time "hovering" over the churches.
Ellen VVhite viewed members of the churches as people who must be
actively engaged in ministry of some kind. Tbis was necessary for their spi
ritual strength and Christian growth. Thus the best nurture pastors could
give churches would be to put the members to work rather than perform
ministry for them. Ellen White's rationale for not having settled pastors is not only
missional, but nurtural. Speaking of the early church, Ellen Whíte stated:

Forgetting that strength to resíst evil is best gained by

aggressive servic.e, they bogan to think that they had no work
so importan! as that of shielding the church in Jerusalem from
the attacks of the enemy. Instead of educating the newr
converts to carry the gospel to those who had not heard it,
they were in danger oí takíng a

Elien G. White, Testimonies, 7.20, 21; Ídem, Cospel Workers, 196: ídem, Testimonies,
7 : 1 8 ; ¡dem, Evangelism, 113; ídem, Testimonies, 7:19; 1 8 - 1 9 ,

22
7 62 Capítulo 7

course that would lead all to be satisfied vvith what had been
accomplished. To scatter His representativas abroad, where they
could work for others, Cod permitted persecution to come upon
them. Driven from lerusalem, the believers "went everywhere
preachíng the wurd."
Those who would be overcomers must be drawn out of
themselves; and the only thing which will accomplish this great work,
¡s to become ¡ntensely interested in the salvation of others.121

Ellen White's view of a healthy church was one in which all members
were actively engaged in ministry. Not only did such a view carry
missional overtones, but clearly in her mind it resulted in healthy
Christians. She was so emphatic as to assert that only this model of lay
ministry could result in church members being overcomers.
Ellen White felt so keenly about clergy being trainers and equippers
rather than performers of ministry, she even stated that pastors who are
performing ministry rather than teaching members to minister should be
fired.21 Again, this was not written in the context of today's settled pastors,
but in the context of itinerant clergy.
Ellen White's great concern about settled pastors seems to have two
reasons: the mission of the church and the discipling of Christians.
Clearly, her view was that any church which was dependent upon a
minister was immature and had not been discipled, and the pastor who
had raised up that church had failed in his job because he had not created
a church that could exist on its own.

My heart has been filled with sadness as I have looked over

the field and seen the barren places. What does this mean? Who
are standing as representatives of Jesús Christ? Who feels a
burden for the souls who can not receive the truth tilI it is brought
to them? Our ministers are hovering over the churches, as though the
ángel of mercy was not making efforts to save souls.
God holds these ministers responsible for the souls of those
who are in darkness. He does not cali you to go into fields that
need no physician. Establish your churches with the
understanding that they need not expect the

121
Elena G. de White, Hechos de los Apóstoles, 105; idem. Fundamentáis of Christian
Education (Nashville, Tenn.: Southern Publishing Association, 1923), 207. u Ellen G.
White, Gospel Workers, 197-198.
El Rolé del thé Cíergy en el Advenimiento Temprano 163

minister to wait upon íhem and to be continually ieeding

them. They have the íruth; they know what truth ís. They
should have root in themseives. These should sírike down
deeply, that they may reaeh up higher and stlil higher.
They must be rooted and gnounded in the faith.
Churches are to be píanted. No great ¡centers are to be
mabe, as át "Batlie 'Creétc; and yét 'hiere will 'De sume
important churelies estábil shed, and meeting houses
provided in large dties favorable tn accommodating the
believers ¡n each locaíity. There should not be a cali to have
settíed pastors over our churches, but iet the life- gjving
power ofthe truth rmpress íts individual members to act,
carrying on an eífident missionary work in that locaíity- As
the hand of God, the church ís to be educated and trained to
do effective work. its members are to be the Lord's devoted,
Christian workers, The church is too one sided.ifc

Ellen White clearly understood that the local members should be cared
for. It was her understanding that this work should not be done by the paid
clergy. Lay elders served as pastors of local churches because pastoring was
seen as a lay responsibility, and was necessary for the Health of the church.
The BatLle Creek Tabernacle, the de no mina ti o n's largest church, did
not have a settled pastor throughout the nineteenth century. James White,
while president of the General Conference and head of the publishing work,
at times also served as pastor of the Battle Creek Tabernacle.2'' As late as 1906
Tllen White counscled A. G. DláflPéUs, then General Conference president,
to also assutne the responsibilite of pastpring the Battle Creek Tabernacle.28

-r' filen G. White, "An Appeai to Our MI ruste rs* General Conrcronce ñuiieún, VoT IV, Battle
Creek,. April 16, 1901. Extra No. 12.
Ellen G, White, portan t Testimony, 5.
27 Arthur White, Ellen G, White, vol i, The Loneiy Yearsi l 8 7 b - 1 8 9 l (Washington: ReVrew and

Herald, 1984), 1M.

:I
‘' Ibid., The iater Elmshaven Years, vol, 6, 1905-1915, 126, Note: This w¿s due in the
Kellogg crisis of the íirst decade of the twontieth century when iohn Harvey Kellogg
attempted to steal the Battle Creek Sanítarium and Tabernacle írnm denominational
control.
164 Chapler 7

It seems that lay elders and deacons were the ones primarily in control
of the local church in those early days.2“ Ellen White even counseled that the
itinerant preachers should not be sent to the same churches each year," for fear that
would create dependency on the ministers and hinder development of their
spiritual lives.31 Át Battle Creek, first eider George Amadon, a lay person,
selected the Sabbath- morning speakers from the many ministers residing in
Battle Creek. Various clergy preached, depending on who was in town.

LOSS OF CLERGY ROLE AS CHURCH PLANTERS

As the church moved into the twentieth century, a change in the job
description of the pastor was on the horizon. those who clearly understood
the unique biblical role of the Adventist clergy warned of dire consequences
should the denomination copy the Protestant traditional model of pastors. One of
these was A. G. Daniells, General Conference president for the first twenty years of the twentieth
century. Evidently there were some in his day who advocated having settled
pastors. In answer to these people Daniells made the following prophetic
statement:

We have not settled our ministers over churches as pastors to any

large extent. In some of the very large churches we have elected pastors,
but as a rule we have held ourselves ready for field Service, evangelistic
work and our brethren and sisters have held themselves ready to
maintain their church Services and carry forward their church work
without settled pastors. And I hope this will never cease to be the order
of affairs in this denomination; for when we cease our forward movement
work and begin to settle over our churches, to stay by them, and do their
thinking and their praying and their work that is to be done, then our
churches will begin to weaken, and to lose their lite and spirit, and
become paralyzed and fossilized and work will be on a retreat. ‘

‘ Arthur White, Ellen G. White, vol. 2, The Progressive Years 1862-1876, 266.
As noted earlier, each year Adventist clergy would be assigned a group of churches
to visit briefly for a few meetings. These were not settled pastorates. Ellen G. White,
Cospel Workers, 402.
A. G. Daniells, Ministerial Instituto Address, Los Angeles, California, March 19I2.
La Rofe del Clero en el Adventismo Temprano 765

Thus, as late as 1912 Adventists still operated on the New Testament

model of the church. However, Daniells' defensive statement suggests that
some of the larger churches had already been given settled pastors, and
movements were underway to extend the practice to smaller congregations.
However, the churches at this time were not pastor dependent; rather, the pastor
operated in the trainer/equipper mode. J. O. Corliss, San Francisco pastor
responding to Ellen White's cali to not hover over the churches, describes
vvhat lite in a church with a pastor was like:
No, sir; not if we do the work of reaching out for the lost. A man can hover
over, and simply preach to a church until it depends entirely upon his
preaching; but our church does not do that. Our church is at work. We try to
get every member of the church at work. But the pastor wants to have a
discriminating mind, as he talks with different members of the church, to
know just what that individual is fitted for. 1 believe we can do this.33
He then goes on to describe the work which the church was doing: Services
on the first and third Sundays at the Seaman's home attempting to lead them to
Christ; a jail ministry, aiso on the third Sunday; and a Thursday night health
talk by physicians. In addition, members go out to the poor of the city and
share healthful living with the needy people and ta lk to them about Jesús;
others provi de food and clothing for the poor of the city. Committees of
people visit the sick and elderly, and others distribute and sell over 250 Si gris
of The Times each week. They also conduct a Chinese work and a Japanese
work in the city. 4 What is the pastor's role in this situation?

All these committees report at the regular weekly workers' meetings.

1 have little else to do in these plans of work than to counsel with those
engaged in carrying them out. This much seems necessary where so many
are engaged in work, in ordcr to preserve harmony and unity of
purpose.r’

What was the result of all the members working so diligently in the
church and the pastor working as a trainer/equipper, as well as coordinating
the members' labors? Listen as Corliss describes the results:
55General Conference Bulletin, April 21, 1901. Extra No. 16, 371. M
Ibid.
Ibid.
166 7

Yes, and we have had as many as three baptisms ¡n a month. We

have never failed to have a baptism every month, of people coming into the
truth. It ¡s done by working outside. The minister gets no credit tor it, and
deserves none. The earnestness of the workers, and their careful
methods recommend the truth to others. It is not long before they
begin to inquire about the Seventh-day Adventists, and what they
believe, saying, "I have always thought that the seventh day ¡s the
Sabbath." You do not have to argüe with such people. We preach
Christ, and let everything cluster about him, and center ¡n him. In
every' discourse Christ is the theme, and the Sabbath is put in a way
vvithout saying very much about it, so that when people accept Christ,
they accept the Sabbath with him.
The Sabbath is an ¡mportant part of this message. Rut we have come
to a time when we can preach it more powerfully than by dwelling on the
difference between the two days. People want the Sabbath to come to them
warm from the Saviour himself. '6

Life even in churches with settled pastors in the first part of this century
was nothing like it is today. Pastors were clearly in the biblical mode of
trainer/equipper. And the churches continued to grovv in spite of having
settled pastors. Ellen White and A. G. Daniells were concerned about this
new trend, even though currently it was working all right, because the
trend to have settled pastors would eventually lead to pastor dependency.
Therefore when confronted with the question of settled pastors in the early
part of the twentieth century, Ellen White usually counseled against it.
Why? Because it would mean a loss of mission and would result in the
spiritual decline of the church.
There has been too much spiritual energy expended ¡n the church at
Battle Creek. Those who have listened to the precious truth that has
been pouring forth in such a free manner as it has there, have generally
failed to receive or to appreciate the light given. They have failed to
communicate what they have received.... The great outlay caused by
these institutes, which have been held so often, would have brought far
better returns if expended in 122

122
Ibídem.
El Papel del Clero en el Adventismo Temprano 167

maintaining the ministers in some part of God's neglected vineyard

where there are no Sabbath-keepers.... The gospel is to go to every
nation, tongue, and people, and ministers are not to devote their
labors so entirely to the churches which knovv the truth. Both ministers
and people lose much by following this method of labor. 123

Seventh-day
Ellen White, like A. G. Daniells, continúes with a clarión cali for the
Adventist Church to maintain its New Testament organizational structure
and not move back to the Middle Ages paradigm of pastor dependency:

There should not be a cali to have settled pastors over our

churches, but let the life-giving power of the truth impress the
individual members to act, leading them to labor interestedly to carry
on efficient missionary work in each locality. As the hand of God, the
church is to be educated and trained to do effective Service. Its
members are to be the Lord's devoted Christian workers.*8

Evidently, early in the twentieth century some were calling for the Adventist Church
to move to "settled pastors" over the cnurches. Ellen White and Daniells
both emphatically resisted such a cali. Their concerns, as noted in Ellen
White's statements below, were both nurtural and missional.

Do not depend on the ministers to do all the work in your church

and neighborhood. The pastors must seek the lost sheep, and you
must help them; and while the ministers are called to labor in other
parts of the vineyard,
the people of God must have light in themselves, speaking to each
other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our
hearts and making melody unto the Lord. While you should respect the
ministers highly for their work's sake, you must not trust them as your
saviours, but builcJ yourselves up in the most holy faith.
When you assemble in the house of God, tell your

123 Elena G. de White, "Id por todo el mundo", Revista de Adviento y Sabbath Herald, (11
de junio de 1895).
íl< Ellen G. White, "The Work in Greater New York," Atlantic Union Gleaner, (8 de

enero de 1902).
168 7

experiences, and you will grow stronger. While you speak in meeting,
you are gaining an education that will enable you lo labor for others.
Many seem to think that the declension in the church, the growing
love of pleasure, ís due to want of pastoral work. True, the church is to
be provided with faithíul guides and pastors. Ministers should labor
earnestly for the youth who ha ve not given themselves to Christ, and
also for others, who, though their ñames are on the church-roll, are
irreligious and Christless. Bul ministers may do their work failhfully and
well, yet it will amount to very little if parents neglect their w'ork.
When men learn to be servants of Jesús Christ, they will understand
that in every church, workers are to be set to work to take the oversight of
thjngs. Pastors and teachers are to work intelligently in their Iines,
instructing church members how to work in medical missionary ! ines.
When the professecJ followers of Christ ha ve an índwelling Saviour they
will be found rloing as Christ did. They will have no opportunity to rust
through inaction.
Pastors of churches are remiss in minislering, in educating faithíully
the members of the church.
It has often been presented to me thal ihere should be less
sermonizing by ministers acting merely as local pastors of churches, and
that greater personal efforts should be put forth. Our people should not
be made to think that they need to listen to a sermón every Sabbath.
Many who listen frequently to sermons, even though the truth be
preached in clear lines, learn bul little. Often it would be more profitable
if the Sabbath meetings were of the nature of a Bible dass study.
The commtssion given to the disciples is given also to us. To-day, as
then, a crucified and risen Saviour is to be uplifted before those who are
without God and without hope in the world. The Lord calis for pastors,
teachers, and evangelists. From door to door His servants are to proclaim
the message of salvation. To every nation, kindred, tongue, and people
the tidings of pardon through Christ are to be carried. Not with lame,
lifeless utterances is the message to be given, but with clear, decided,
stirring utterances. Hundreds are waiting for the warning to escape for
their lives. The world needs to see in Christians
El Papel del Clero en el Adventismo Temprano 169

an evidence of the power of Christianity. Not merely ¡n a few places,

but throughout the worid, messages of mercy are needed.w

This examination of Ellen White's contribu ti on to Adventismo practical

theology reveáis a strong evangelistic and theological basis for having
itinerant pastors. Since this was the norm for the church in the nineteenth
century, most of these statements vvere written in the early twentieth
century when many were crying for settled pastors over the churches. Ellen
White and Daniells labored hard to prevent the shift. However, after her pen
was stilled by death in 1915 and Daniells was out of the presidency in 1920,
nothing could stem the tide. The Adventist Church in North America then
abandoned the missional model of church and began to move toward the
traditional model of church, which the Adventists had so definitively
abandoned upon their organization in the mid-nineteenth century.
One final statement from Ellen White, perhaps her strongest, written in 1901, reveáis her
passion on the subject of a church having a settled pastor:

The churches are dying and they want a minister to preach to them.
They should be taught to bring a faithíul tithe to God, that He may
strengthen and bless them. They should he brought into working order,
that the breath of God may come to them. They should be taught that
unless they can stand alone, without a minister, they need to be
converted anew, and baptized anew. They need to be born again.40

Clearly Ellen White believed in an indigenous church. The church

should not have to depend upon an outside pastor to sustain their spiritual life. If such was the
case, the church was not converted and
trióse who had raised it up had not discipled the people. To disciple, one
must create independence. This is a powerful statement and one

Ellen G. White, ''The Work in Greater New York," Atlantic Union Gleaner, (January 8,
1902); ídem, "The Necessity of Connection with Christ," Advent Review and Sabbath
Herald, (May 7, 1889); ídem, "Our Duty As Parents/’ Advent Review and Sabbath Heraldf
(March 7, 1907); idem, Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, 238; ¡dem, The Kress Collection, 154;
ídem, Loma Linda Messages, 179-180; idem, Cospel Workers, 29.
40
Ellen G. White, Evangelism, 381. (Originally appeared as Ms 150, 1901).
 170 7

that should strongly motívate the present Adventist Church to return to

¡ts roots and once again create a self-sufficient church.
There does not seem to be any definitive action that switches the missional model of
theearly Adventist Church to the traditional model of modem Adventism. Instead, it seems
to have been a gradual shift over several decades. Slowly, beginning in the
1920s, Adventist pastors vvere given regular care of a district of churches,
while still expected to perform their evangelistic function. The district
assignment plan vvas fully in place by the 1950s. ín the 1960s and 1970s the
church continued to add pastors to churches, until most churches of any
size had their own pastor. Only smaller churches sha red a pastor. With
financial difficulties in the late 1980s and early 1990s, local conferences took
a step back from the continual adding of pastors and instead began to
increase the size of districts. Some conferences now have districts of five or
six churches. However, even in these the pastor's role continúes to be that
of primary care giver.
Some may wonder how the Adventist church, with its strong beiief in the inspiration of
Ellen White, could abandon the mutual member care model for the traditional model of clergy
care. The tragedy of Adventism is that it has not consistently followed the
counsel of Ellen White, even when she vvas alive. A prime example is the
1888 conflict over righteousness by faith. The leadership at the time had
difficulty abandoning their legalism for the purity of the gospel, as Ellen
White was affirming, even though they believed in her inspiration.4 The
power of the carnal heart is strong.
In the last fifteen years of Ellen White's life, as documented in this
chapter, there were continual calis for settled pastors. Ellen White resisted,
but when her voice was stilled by death, slowly a change occurred. It needs
to be remembered that even in the first twenty years of the twentieth
century, pastors were being placed over churches in spite of Ellen White's protest.42
These pastors vvere not primary care givers—that carne later, just as in the early church.

" In 1888, two Adventist preachers, Jones and Waggoner, brought the message oí
righteousness by faith in Christ alone to the General Conference session. Ellen
White supported their position, but the leading brethren, including the General
Conference president, opposed the change in emphasis. Only persistent insistence
by Ellen White during and after the session enabled the church to fully clarify its
position in favor of the doctrine of salvation in Christ alone and not by works of
human righteousness.
1 See example on page 206 of this chapter of the San Francisco church presided over by

a pastor.
 El Papel del Clero en el Adventista Temprano 171

Without her protest, nothing could stop the change. There were no officiai
actions changing the role of clergy.41
In 1925, an editorial appear in the Review and Herald which contains a
veiled protest against the changing role of clergy:

The tables need to be served, the poor must nol be neglected, and the
machinery of the church must be kept in operation, but we cannot believe
that any modern way of preaching the gospel will be found superior to
that ordained by our Lord and worked out by His apostles under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit. May God save us from a divided ministry;
and may He save us from a di verted ministry. Both, or either, will lower
the divine standard of effectual Spirit-filled preaching, the means ordained
of God by which the salvation oí man is to be wrought.44
There is a great danger th¿it those who have been set apart tosacred ministry
in connection with this
movement, will be diverted from their grand objective, a danger that they will
leave the ministry of the word and serve tables.4 ’
But somehow we cannot repress the conviction that we have gotten
away from the simplicity of the gospel plan. We spend so much time
planning that we have little time left for the execution of our plans. And
then we have
the great fear—possibly ¡t is born of our personal
consciousness of shortcomings—that we have come to dependupon plans
and resolutions for the
accomplishment of this work rather than upon the mighty power of
God.1'1

As a result of pastors settling over churches (waiting on tables), the ministry was in danger
of being diverted from its task—the preaching of the gospel. As those who remembered
the early model died off, the traditional model became entrenched in
Adventism. H. M. S. Richards,

In examining the records of the period, the researcher has been unable to lócate any officiai
reference to the change in pastoral role.
44
F. W. Wilcox, "Danger of a Diverted Ministry," Review and Herald, vol. 102, no. 21 (May 21,
1925).
45
Ibid.
46
Ibid.
deán of Adventist preachers and founder of the Voicc of Prophecv radio program,
began his ministry in the early part of the twentieth century. In 1957, íong
after the settled pastor concept had becn entrenched in Adventism, Richards
spoke at the first H. M. S. Richards lectureship on preaching at Washington
Missionary College and the SDA Seminary. ín these lectures he refers back
 172 7

to the time when there were no settled pastors. He refers to the 1925 Revino
article quoted above, but reads into it vvhat we only surmised vvas meant:

Then he went on to write about something which I suppose is harcl

for some of us today to understand and feel about as he did. He
mentioned what he called "the unfortunate growing tendency in our
denomination toward settled pastorates." The time of too many of our
preachers, instead of being occupied with carrying the message into new
íields, is taken up in settling church difficulties and laboring for men and
vvomen who should be towers of strength instead of subjects for labor.
When I was baptized, and later became a young preacher, we looked
upon churches that had to have settled pastors over every flock as being
decadent. Most of our preachers were out on the f i ring line, holding
meetings, winning men to Christ, and raising up new churches. Then
every few months they would come around and visit the churches that
had already been established. This seemed to be, according to our view
of it, the plan of the apostolic church.

Richards confirms what was truly behind the 1925 Review article. It was
the last protest against the onslaught of the traditional model of pastoral care and settled
pastorates. Richards, later in the lectureship, gives one final protest against
the settled pastorate model. Here he quotes from an Adventist scholar that
he does not identify:

We are at the present time under great scrutiny. For instance, there
is a sensational book that has been written by a French priest who has
examined us very closely and,
I must say, rather fairly. His aim is not to criticize or to attack us, but to
t'ind out actually how it is possi ble for a French Catholic ever to become
a Seventh-day

H.M.S. Richards, Feed My Sheep (Washington: Review and Herald, 1958), 156.
Adventist.... It is significant that in analyzing the "psychology of the
sectarian," as he puts it, he said (and I am merely quoting from
memory) that when Adventists were a movement—that is, when they
had no temples and no institutions—we Catholics feared them; but
they have settled down and are organized and talk a great deal about
organization and money. In fact, the author says that Adventists resemble the
Catholics most of all Protestants, because they talk of money more than
anyone else! It ¡s a fact that when a movement ceases to movc and
settles down, not only in its organization but also in its thinking, it is
high time to watch out.
El Papel del Clero en el Adventismo Temprano 173

These somber words challenge the present-day Adventist church to

once again be serious about the reason for their existence. Adventism has
followed the general pattern of departure from the ministrv model of Jesús
and Paul, in much the same way as the early church. If Adventism keeps
following in this direction, it could eventually move into the same clergy power
struggles the early church faced in the fourth century.
In summary, Adventists first put pastors over large churches in spite of Ellen
VVhite's protests. Then, after Ellen White's death, slovvly the job
description of these settled pastors changed to primary care giver. Then
the smaller churches demanded a pastor. The change was so gradual, no
one protested. Soon the traditional model of pastoral care was entrenched
in Adventism.
It might help for us to visualize the results of adopting the traditional
model of church in the Adventist church of the twentieth century. Please
note chart 1 on the next page. It records the net increase in members per
pastor for each decade.11'

48 Ibid., 353.
The figures here are the average for each year in the corresponding decade. In other
words, this is the average growth rate per year for each year in the decade. Actual
years will be higher or lower. For the raw data used in each oí these charts, please
see appendix 1. I have used "net increase" because baptismal figures for the early
years were not kept.
 1 990- Chart 1
94 1
980-89
1970-
79
1960-69
1950-59
1940-49
1930-39
1920-29
1910-19
1900-09
1890-99
1880-89
1870-
79
1876- 14
69
Increase ¡n Members Per Pastor

As long as the church maintained the non-settled pastor model, there was
significant growth per pastor in each decade. No other decade in the
twentieth century compares with these four decades of a non-pastor-
dependent church. As the church discussed and argued moving away from
this paradigm in the 1900-1910 period, the growth rate was almost zero.
Because of Ellen White's constant labor during this period, it went up again
in 1910 to 1919. In the 1920s and onward,
the church moved toward settled pastorates and the growth rate is onlv one-third to one-fourth
of what it was when the church operated without settled pastors. Clearly, the move to settled
pastors has not accentuated the growth of the Adventist Church. It is almost as
if the more pastors that have been added, the slower the growth rate of the
church. Another factor to keep in mind in looking at this chart is that
members are not dropped from membership today as they were in the early
days. If today's records accurately reflected actual membership gain, the
contrast would be even more startling/0

" C. E. Bradíord, "Don't Miss the Harvest/' Ministry, vol. 59, December 6, 1986
(attendance figures in graph). In 1965 North American Adventist membership
El Papel del Clero en el Adventista Temprano 175

Chart 2, below, portrays by decade the number of churches for each

ordained minister in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 1

Chart 2
1990-94 1980-89 1970-79
1060-69 1950-59 1940-49 1930-39 1920-29 1910-19 1900-09 1890-99 1880-89 1870-
79 1876-69

Number of Churches Per Pastor

This does not mean that pastors were assigned to churches in the early
days. They were not. It does reveal a definite trend, beginning in the 1920s
and continuing through the 1970s, of adding pastors per church, and then
the slight reversal due to the financial minches of the last two decades. The
Adventist Church not only added more pastors,
but it changed their job description, which in turn affected the growth of the Adventist Church in
North America. It should be noted tnat this change in the job description of the
pastor took place in North America and not, for the most part, in the rest
of the world church.
El Papel del Clero en el Adventista Temprano 176

vvas 380,855 and attendance vvas 325,000. In 1985 membership stood at 689,507, but
attendance vvas only 350,000, a net increase of 25,000 over ihose twenty year.
Estimated attendance today is around 400,000 to 450,000 and membership stands at
830,000.
51 The figures are again the average for each year in that decade. For actual data see

appendix.
 7 76 Capítulo 7

Amazingly, those who did not adopt this role change continued to grow at
rates similar to that of the first four decades of the church in North America.
Chart 3, below, portrays the increase in churches per year for the decade. Interestingly, the
Adventist Church in North America was actually starting more churches per year in the decades
of the nineteenth century with less than 75,000 members than it is today

Chart 3
1990-94
1980-89
1970-79
1960-69
1950-59
1940-49
1930-39
1920-29
1910-19
1900-09
1890-99
1880-89

-10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
 7 76 Capítulo 7

1870-79

1876-69

Average Increase ¡n Churches Per Year Per Decade

with over 800,000 members. Obviously, church planting was a priority in the nineteenth
century and ceased to be so in the twentieth. What is remarkable is the fact that when the church
abandoned the lay ministry model and went to the pastor-dependency model,
there was actually a loss in the number of churches for the decade. The
decade of the 1920s is when the movement actually began for each church to
have its own pastor. The results are obvious. Adventism ceased to be a
church planting movement.
Chart 4, below, is perhaps the most dramatic. It records the number of
pastors needed to raise just one church. As long as
 El papel del clero en el adventismo 177

Adventism was a church planting movement vvith itinerant pastors whose

main job was to raise up churches, never did it take more

0 20 40 60 80 100 120
140
Chart 4
1990-94 — 1980-89 — 1970-79 —
1960-69 - 1950-59 ” 1940-49 - 1930-39 - 1920-29 - 1910-19 - 1900-09 — 1890-99 -
1880-89 — 1870-79 “
1 876-69 — _

-20

Pastors Needed to Raise 1 Church

than ten pastors to raise up one church every year. (Most years considerably
fewer than ten were required). Once the shift was made to the settled pastor
model, the number of pastors needed to raise up one church dramatically
increased, until today more than 122 pastors are needed to raise up one
church. It‘ Adventists today planted churches at the same rate as in the
nineteenth century, the following would be the number of churches planted
per year: If by the rate of the 1860s, 376 per year; if by the rate of the 1870s,
1,822 per year; if by the rate of the 188Ós, 629 per year; and if by the rate of
the I890s, 768 per year.
 178 7

The evidence is overwhelming. Church growth, as seen by the

membership increase and the churches planted, has been dramatically
impacted by the change in the pastoral role from church planter to primary
care giver. That impact has been significantly negative. The
 CAPÍTULO 8

result today is that the Church is no longer planting churches and is no longer
showing significant growth. Even more, the Church is in poor spiritual health,
in spite of all the pastors nurturing congregations.
Thus the role of the Adventist pastor has changed in this century from evangelist and
raiser of churches to primary care giver in the local church. The modern problem is
compounded by the fact that many conferences still expect the pastor to
perform both functions, but the needs of the local congregation forces the
pastor to neglect the evangelistic mándate. Only as ministry is restored to the
people can pastors move away from being primary care givers. As long as
pastors continué in their present role, the people will be robbed of the
ministry entrusted to them by God, and the North American Adventist
Church will continué to stagnate.
Interestingly, vvhile North American Adventists abandoned the New
Testament model of clergy ministry in this century, the third world, probably
because of financial reasons, continued in the biblical rnode. There, Adventist
pastors often are responsible for twenty-five or more churches and local elders do all the
pastoring. In those countries even today Adventist clergy are primarily responsible for
baptizing new converts and raising up new churches. The result is the
explosive growth of Adventism in the third world. Perhaps a recapturing of
the early Adventist model of ministry can reignite the missional organization
of the twenty-first century church.

179
 180 7

MEMBER CARE IN EARLY ADVENTISM

Without settled pastors over every church, how were early Adventist
churches maintained? We have read that they were taught to take care of
themselves, but how did they do that? This chapter will explore ways in which the
Seventh-day Adventist Church in its early years maintained good spiritual health
in the absence of settled pastors. We have already discovered that the early
Christian church gained spiritual strengtn through the small house churches
they established. Likewise the early Methodists were maintained through
the class meetings, with little clergy help.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church aróse in the mid-nineteenth
century, just as the Methodist class meeting was being replaced by the
prayer meeting. Formerly all Methodists had been required to particípate
in the vveekly class meeting, a house meeting during which people held
each other accountable for their Ufe in Christ. Now, nowever, the prayer
meeting at the church emerged as the vehicle for accomplishing spiritual
vitality. Such prayer meetings were usually held after a regular preaching Service.
It appears that the early Adventists, many coming from Methodist roots, borrowed
the idea of social meetings out of the Methodist prayer meeting as it was in
transition from the class meeting. Many of the early Adventist social
meetings were held after a preaching Service and provided opportunity for
people to share personally what the sermón said to them. This concept was
also utilized in connection with evangelistic meetings. However, many
times social meetings were held separately, rather than after a preaching
Service.
All of these social meetings seemed to be conducted in a manner very
similar to the prayer meetings of Methodism as it was transitioning from
the class meetings. W'hile the prayer meetings continued to decline in
Methodism, the social meetings became a distinguishing feature of early
Adventism as it spread around the world. There are two sources of information about
the early Adventist social meetings: the writings of early Adventist pioneers and the
writings of Ellen G. White. We will examine both of these sources to
understand the early Adventist social meetings, and then we will draw
some conclusions as to their function in the early Adventist church as it
relates to member care.
ifíO Capitulo O

THE PIONEERS OF ADVENTISM AND THE SOCIAL MEETING

Social meetings were a regular part oí early Adventist activity. As one
peruses the early edition of the church paper, Aclvent Review and Sabbath
Herald, it is obvious that social meetings were considered a regular part of
church life for most Adventists. In fact, social meetings seemed to be more
important for the early believers than the preaching Services. Preaching could
be and frequently was omitted, but the social meeting was never to be
neglected.
It is clear that these early social meetings were relational in nature. Little,
if any, Bible study occurred there. The believers did not neglect personal Bible
study, but would follow it up with a social meeting where they could share
together their life in Cnrist. The social meeting took the form of testimonies, as
believes shared with each other their struggles and victories in the Christian
life and held each other accountable for their life in Christ. Uriah Smith,
longtime editor of the Review, defined the early Adventist social meeting in this
way:
A meeting characterized by spirited and soul-cheering
testimonies, the beaming eye, the voice oí praise, the earnest
and stirring exhortation, and often the falling tear—scenes in
which faith and love fíame up anew.1

In the follow i ng quotations, one quickly catches the spirit of these early
Adventist social meetings:

Social meetings were marked with great solemnity.

Sins were coníessed with tears, and there was a general
breaking down before Cod, and strong pleadings for pardon,
and a fitness to meet the Lord at his coming. And the humble
disciples of the Lord did not seek his tace in vain. Before that
meeting closed, hundreds testified with tears of joy that they had
sought the Lord and íound him, and had tasted the sweets of
sins forgiven.
If they ever have anything to say in social meeting, besides
the ever-recurring formula, "I want to be a Christian, so that I
may be saved," they tell only of a past experience, of the joy
they had when they first believed.
Of the joy of living for God, and of walking with him by

Uriah Smith, Aclvent Review and Sabbath Herald (May 23, 1865).
 El cuidado de los miembros en el Adventismo Temprano 181

faith, they know nothing, and he who tells oí ¡l speaks a strange language
to them.
In the evening following F¡rst-day vve met for social meeting, and to
break bread. There was a spirit of labor for the church, and some who had
been bound in unbelief were set free, and were filled with peace, joy, hope
and faith. It was a glorious meeting.
Prayer and social meetings upon the Sabbath should be sustained
with spirit. A vigorous, holy energy that springs from the Christian's heart,
should mark their progress. Here from week to week the consistent
follower of the Lord delights to be found, punctually and faithfully at his
post, cheerfully bearing his part, and from a rich íund of daily experience,
he casts into the common stock his prayer of thanksgiving and
supplication, word of exhortation, song of praise, all to the edifying of his
brethren.

These statements are typical of many describing vvhat took place in the Adventist
social meeting. Clearly it was a time of sharing one's Ufe in Christ. Testimonies were
freely offered. Sins were confessed and pardon freely granted. There seemed
to be an openness in these meetings that hardly seems possible in today's
individualized society. People openly shared their hopes and dreams, as well
as their struggles. This common sharing, not of doctrinal truths but of Christian
experience, was a vital part of early Adventism.
It appears that social meetings varied, but the common elements were
prayer, testimony, words of encouragement to others, and song. The
testimonies were short and to the point. However at times some would resort
to "preaching" as part of their testimony. This often provokcd admonitions to keep
the testimonies short and to the point.

james White, Life Incidents, vol. 1 (Battle Creek, Mich.: Steam Press of Seventh- day
Adventist Publishing Association, 1868), 167. (Here James White is speaking of social
meetings during the Millerite movcmcnt.); E. J. Waggoner, "Living By Faith," Signs of the
Times, 1889, 13; james White, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 4, no. 30 (Rochester,
NY.: May 29, 1855), 236; F. W. Morse, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 22, no. 15
(Battle Creek, MI: September 8, 1863), 114.
Thus a good social meeting was concise, even boasting of having 117
testimonies in 53 minutes.7
The social meeting was such a vital part of early Adventism that many
times it was the oníy religious meeting avaílabíe to the believers. Without
settled pastors over churches the early Adventists rarely would hear a sermón,
except perhaps at camp meeting. Otherwise, they received spiritual
nourisriment from reading sermons in the weekly Review and studying the
 182 Capítulo 8

Bible for themselves.

However, when the believers met together, they always had a social
meeting. At times they had Sabbath school, but it was followed by the social
meeting rather than a preaching Service. Local elders didn't preach, they
simply led out in the social meeting. It was primarily through the social
meeting that religious lite was sustained ín early Adventism. In this way they
created community among themselves.
Mere is an ¡nspired delinearon of certain Christian
duties; duties which if properiy discharged, will make us strong in the Lord
and the power of hís might. And one of them is faithfulness in the prayer
and social meeting. Then according to thís injunction, as the church
behoíds the day of the Lord approaching they are to exhort each other in
view of it.124 125
Dear Bro. White: Could you but realize the utter loneliness of some of
the scattered brethren, situated far away from those of like faith, no one
with whom they can converse upon the all-absorbing subject of their
afílictions, no one with whom they can confidently un i te their voice in
prayer; no enjoyment of social meetings of those whose hearts unite and
burn within them as they meet and sing and pray, and tell of their joys,
their hopes, their triáis, talk of our Great High Priest, of the new heavens
and the new earth, and the sweet peace aft'orded them in obeying all the
commandments of God.126

J. N. Loughborough, Miracles In My Life (Reimpreso por l caves of Autumn Books, Phoenix,

Arizona: 1987), 88.
125
G.W.A., Advent Review and Sabbath H era Id, vol.19, no. 3 (Battle Creek, MI: Decernber
17, 1861), 20.
A. Chapman, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 5, no, 11 (Rochester, NY: 4 de abril
de 1854), 87.
El cuidado de los miembros en el Adventismo Temprano ¡83

It is clear that the early Adventista vvere not isolationists in their Christian
experience. This letter printed in an early Review reveáis the great longing of an
isolated member to have fellowship in social meetings with other believers. It vvas
difficult to sustain spiritual life apart from the fellowship of the social meeting.
So strongly did the early Adventista feel about the social meeting that it
was considered a duty for the believer to attend the social meeting regularly.6
In íact, it was one of the íirst duties they felt that Scripture had enjoined upon
them. There was no question about attendance. It may not have been required,
but certainly it was expected of every believer. Anyone who del ibera tely
absented themselves from social meetings was considered in need of spiritual
help.
A couple of examples of life in the early Adventist church is revealed by
letters sent to the Review by members describing life in their church on Sabbath.
Seemingly, they met together for prayer and social meeting. They also met together
at the commencement of the Sabbath on Friday evening and then again Sabbath
morning for a social meeting, Sabbath school, and Bible class."
In the absence of resident clergy the early Adventista were sustained
through the social meeting, the Sabbath school, and the Bible class. All of these,
of course, are small group activities. The believers participated in these
activities; they were not merely spectators. Social meetings, as we have seen,
were definitely relational times. This in spite of the fact that early Adventista
also spent much time studying the Bible to discover truth. With a heavy
emphasis on the cognitive, one might expect them to have neglected the
relational, but they did not. In fact, the regular meetings of the church dealt
more with the relational than with the cognitive. A knowledge of truth without
a sustained experience with God was anathema to early Adventists; therefore
the social meeting was of supreme importance to them. There the truth which
they had discovered was validated by a deeper experience with God. It was
not just truth for the sake of truth, but truth which led to a deeper relationship
with God that they testified to freely in the social meetings. 127 128

h
G.W.A., Advent Review, 20.
). Hoffer, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 28, no. 6 (Battle Creek, Mich.: 2 de julio
de 1861).
128
Brother Holiday, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 28, no. 6 (Battle Creek, Mich.:
2 de julio de 1861).
184 Capítulo 8

VVhen new chunches were organized, the early church leaders seem to
have been more concerned with the relational experience of believers than with
their doctrinal purity. That seems amazing to modero Adventists, but is
revealed very dearly in the following statement by early church historian J. N.
Loughborough as he defined the basis on whicn Adventist churches are to be
organized:

Where bodies of believers are brought out on the truth in new

places, we woulcl not recommend the immediate formation of a church.
In such cases let a leader be appoínted Cthis can perhaps best be done
by the evangelist when he raises up the church), and let social meetings
be continued till such time as the individuáis become thoroughly
acquainted with each other, and ascertain with whom they can have
fellowship, and who are qualified for the important duties of officers of
the church. As to the particular manner of organizing a church, when the
proper time comes, we shall be allowed to avail ourselves of the
experience of severaI ministers who have already adopted the following
plan, and testífy that it works well.'

This was evidently the plan of organization throughout the nineteenth

century and even into the tvventieth century. Here again the social meetings
seem to have been the primary religious Services for the Adventist believers.
Before a church was organized it was important that the members know each
other relationally, and the way to accomplish this, according to
Loughborough, was to have social meetings.
The practico of holdíng social meetings continued even after organization.
These meetings were not just for maintemance of the local church in the
absence of a preacher. Early Adventists bemoaned the fact that the Battle Creek
Church was missing many blessings because they relied on preachers' sermons
rather than on social meetings::"

Loughborough, The Church, 126.

" The Battle Creek church, the denomination's largest, had several clergy residing there and
ulilized their Services regularly to preach, even though they did not have a settled pastor.
(See provious chapter.)
The church at Battle Creek needs these preachers less than any church
in the State, from the fact that it has more active members than any other
church in the State, many of them of long experience and sound judgment.
We sometí mes preach to them, but often feel when done that a social
meeting would have been better. And it is frequently the case that, when
we return from spending a Sabbath with some other church, we are told
 El cuidado de los miembros en el Adventismo Temprano 185

that the brethren enjoyed an excellent meeting, the best in several

Sabbaths. Novv what is the use for us preachers to get in the way of these
experienced, living members?"

One can only wonder what would happen in churelies today if old-
fashioned social meetings were held instead of preach i ng Services. In early
Adventism, clergy were needed for the establishment of new believers. Oíd time
believers did not need to be constantly preached to. The social meeting with its
testimonies, prayers, sones, and words of mutual encouragement, was able to
sustain the faith far better than sermons by the denomination's best preachers,
oven at Battle Creek.
The practice of holding social meetings prevailed not only at the local
church level, but was also a vital part of all Adventist gatherings, even General
Conference sessions. Examination of the General Conference daily schedules
for the early days reveáis that time was set apart for social meetings as a part
of the regular business and devotional agenda." Even in these large gatherings
social meetings were a necessity. Believers had to have time apart from
business and theology to bond their lives together in Christ. To facilítate more
testimonies in these large gatherings, the congregation was divided into
various groups.13
This brief examination of the pioneers and the social meeting reveáis that social
meetings were considered vital for early Adventists. They were the means of
sustaining the spiritual life of the believers in the absence of preachers in the
local church. It seems clear from the evidence examined that early Adventists
were as concerned for fellowship as they were for doctrine. While the
distinctive doctrines were preached in an evangelistic setting, the converts
were quickly taught to conduct social meetings to bond together relationally.
Early 129

129Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 20, no. 8 (22 de julio de 1862), 60.
General Conference Bulletin, 32nc* Session (Lincoln, Nebr., 21 de febrero de 1897), 144.
Este es sólo un ejemplo de muchas reuniones de la Conferencia General.
Ibídem.
18b Capítulo 8

Adventists maintained a beautiful balance between the relational and the

cognitive, while modern Adventists seem to be majoring in the cognitive and
neglecting the relational. Perhaps it is time for modern Adventists to
rediscover tlie balanced lite of the cognitive and the relational. Perhaps it is
time for fewer sermons and more fellowship.

ELLEN WHITE AND TETE SOCIAL MEETING

Perhaps no one has written more about the earlv Adventist social meeting
than Hilen VVhite. She not only participated in these meetings, but gave much
counsel on how they should be conducted. The nearly three hundred
references in hcr writings to these meetings give us a fairly accurate picture of
lite in the early Adventist church as regards the social meeting.
Hilen White confirms the other pioneeres concepts of social meetings, but
she gives more insights into Lhem. To Ellen White, the social meeting was
primarily a testimony Service, where brief testimonies vvere given about one's
spíritual joumey:

We then had a social meeting, Many testimonies were

borne and many confessions made well wet down with tears.
It was a profitable meeting.11
The five o'clock social meeting this moming was the best
we have had. brother was on his knees confessing to brother;
there were broken hearts, tears, forgiveness, and rejoiclng. We
expect to see more of the salvatíon of Cod ere this meeting el
oses,11

From these experiences it is evident that the social meetings consisted of

more than testimonies. It was a time when confession was made, as well.
People felt open enough to share their problems and confess the sins which
they had committed against other members of tlie church. It is quite evident
that the Holy Spirit w'as the major motivator behind these confessions, and
that the setting of the social meeting allowed the Holy Spirit to be manifested
in greater measure than in preaching Services. Today we think of having an
appeal at the end of the sermón; in those days the appeal was the social
meeting, 130

" Ellen C. VVhite, Manuscribí 29 (1887), 267.

1:' Ellen G. VVhite, "The Southern California Camp Meeting," Signs of the Times (6 de

mayo de 1880).
 Cuidado de los miembros en Earíy Adventism 187

where all who desired had opportunity to sha re and respond as the Holy
Spirit impressed their hearts.
The social meeting was of such importance to early Adventism that when Ellen White
traveled to Europe in 1885 to 1887 and discovered that the Europeans had not been
introduced to such meetings, she immediately proceeded to initiate them in
order to create spiritual life in the church there. She felt that the social meeting
was the best place where they could be "trained and educated to be witnesses
for Christ."16
Ellen White considered the social meeting vital to the spiritual life of the
church. She could not imagine the church without such meetings. The
expansión of the church in which she personally participated always included
conducting the social meeting. But the social meeting consisted of more than
confession. It was also a time when believers shared together their life in
Christ, with its joys and sorrows. This was done for their own encouragement, and
the encouragement of others:

We had a good, profitable social meeting, then this afflicted sister

spoke to me about her son they had buried a few weeks before, dying
without hope, and the sorrow and grief she had felt.
You can see from this text that the burden of the social meeting does
not rest upon one individual, but upon all.
We are to speak one to another.
At every social meeting many testimonies were borne as to the peace,
comfort, and joy the people had found in receiving light.
In our next social meeting, nearly all who bore testimony expressed
their thankrulness to God for the
blessings which they had received the day before. Some stated that for the
tirst time in their lite they could say that they knew that their sins were
forgiven. This was indeed a precious Sabbath to those assembled to
worship God on this encampment.131 132

Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, 251; ídem, Manuscript 32 (1894), 3-5. Esta
es una referencia a la introducción de Ellen White a las reuniones sociales cuando visitó
Australia en la década de 1890.
132 Ellen G. White, Manuscrito 83, (12 de agosto de 1893), diario; ídem, "Responsabilidad
individual en la Iglesia", Adviento Revievv y Sabbath Herald (22 de octubre de 1889);
ídem, Fe y Obras (Nashville, Tennessee: Southern Publishing, 1979), 82; ídem, "The
Southern California Camp Meeting".
 Ifífí Capítulo 8

These descriptions indícate clearly that Lhe social meetíng was a time of sha ring
the joys and sorrows of Ufe. It was a time when people íelt open enough to
share the details of theír Uves and to testify of their hope in Christ. As a result
of these relational meetmgs vvhere people shared so intimately, many for the
first time in their lives left with the as su ranee of sins forgiven.
Many times a social meeling was conducted at major Adventist events,
such as camp meeting and General Conference session. It was perhaps at these
events more than the local church social meetings that Ellen VVhite was a
major participant. At the 1888 General Conference session when the church
struggled so deeply with the tssue of righteousness by faith, many of the
leaders openly opposed Ellen VVhite's ringing endorsement of salvation in
Christ alone. The feelings ran deep and the leaders were divided, It was in the
social meeting at five-thirty one moming when the tíde began to turn in favor of a new
experience with Christ. Listen as Ellen VVhite describes the scene:

In the moming all nature seemed to be fuII of joyfulness. We

assembled at half past five for social meeting. The Spirit of the Lord was in
our midst. Many stated that they carne to the meeting with hearts as hard
as stone, but as soon as they opened their lips to contess their faith in the
love of Jesús, the light carne in and their hearts were melted and subdued
with the love of Jesús.
One brother said he would bear his testimony for he knew' it to be right,
buf he had no feeling. But his heart was broken; he fell upon the Rock and
he was so impressed with the love of Jesús that he wept aloud. Ministers
bore testimony that when they carne to the meeting they were coid and
Iheir hearts hard, but when by faith they confessed to God their backsliding
they knew Jesús forgave their sins and they were happy, newly con verted,
and they now bear a testimony that is íree and joyíuL
As I presented the goodness, the love, the tender compassion of our
heavenly Father, I felt that the Spirit oí the Lord was resting not oniy upon
me but upon Lhe people. I ighl and freedom and blessing carne to rhe
hearers and there was hearty response to the words spoken. The social
meeting that foliowed evidenced that the Word had found lodgment in
the hearts of the hearers.
Many bore testimony that this day was the happiest oí
 Cuidado de los miembros en el Adventismo Temprano 189

their lives, and it vvas ¡ndeed a precious season íor we knevv the presence
of the Lord jesús was in the assembly and that to bless. I knew that the
special revealing of the Spirit of God was for a purpose, to quell the doubts,
to roll back the tide of unbelief which had been admitted into hearts and
minds. K

The social meeting was what enabled these early Adventists to develop
community among the believers. These relational meetings, where little Bible
study occurred, enabled them the opportunity to share and confess, to
encourage and to be encouraged. The social meeting appears to have been the
glue that held these early believers together. They could tolérate differences
among themselves because they knew that they were fellow pilgrims in the
journey. They were not afraid at times to admit that they were wrong. When
they found themselves out of harmony with each other, it was usually through
the social meeting that harmony was restored. The social meeting torced them to deal
with differences between each other rather than to harbor those differences.
The social meetings were such a vital part of Adventism that Ellen White
constantly counseled the church to ntake certain that these occasions of
relational fellowship were not neglected. In fact, she even went so far as to
declare that a Christian is one who is active in social meetings, thereby
indicating that one who does not attend the social meetings is not really a
Christian:

A Christian is a Christlike man, a Christlike woman, who ¡s active in

God's Service, who is present at the social meeting, whose presence will
encourage others also. Religión does not consist in works, but religión
works; it is not dormant.
And let every one who ñames the ñame of Christ have a testimony to
bear in social meeting.''*

Clearly, Ellen White felt that the social meeting was of utmost importance
for the Christian. She knew nothing of an intelectual

,K Ellen G. White, The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 1 (Washington, DC: The Ellen G.
White Estate, 1987), 284; ídem, "Looking Back at Minneapolis," Manuscript Releases,
vol. 12, 183.
Ellen G. White, Letter 7, 1883, quoted in SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 935; idem.
"Individual Responsibility in the Church."
 130 Capítulo 8

Christianity that was all head knowledge. The Christianity of Ellen VVhite was
a balance between mind and heart, between the cognitive and the relational.
Throughout hcrmínistry, and especially in the post- 1888years, we find that
Hilen VVhite conslantly labored for believers to develop a relational
experience with Christ, Tbis she did primarily through the social meeting. The
only way to develop the relational life is to live in community with other
Christians who hold each other accountable for spiritual grcwth. That's why
Ellen VVhite was so insistent that the church conduct regular social meetings.
So important were the social meetings to El Jen VVhite that she often
suggested ít would be better for the church to Ieave off the preaching
Service and conduct only the social meeting. It was all right to have a social
meeting without preaching, but it was not all right to have preaching
without the social meeting;

If fewer words of human wisdom, and more of the words of

Christ were spoken, if there were fewer sermons, and more social
meetings, we would fínd a different atmosphere pervade our
churches and our camp meetings. Seaspns oí prayer should be held
tor the outpouring of the Holy Spirit*20

In addition, Ellen VVhite counseled that conducting social meetings

should be a part of the training of younger ministers. Thcy al so would be
helpful in training God's people to work tor Him.'1 The social meeting, with
the requirement of sha ring one's life in Christ among the believers, was seen
as an absoluto necessity for developing the ability Lo work for the Máster. One
could not be expected to be in volved in the work of God outside of the
support of the community where that person shared his life in Christ. To
Filen VVhite's mind, míssionary activity aróse out of the relational sha ring
that occurred in the social meeting,
A person's testimony of their life in Christ in the social meetings not only
strengthens the faifh of the person giving the testimony, but al so enables
others to rekindle their faith. Ellen White continuallv labored against the
notion that the local church needed the constant attention of the p rea che r in
order to su r vi ved" In fact, she repeatedly

1<]
Ellen G. VVhite?, Manuscript Rcloascs, vol- 2, 21,
J
' Ellen C. Wftíte, "Uhor al the Camp-Meetings/' The Sígns of the Times, May 17, ] 88.1.
See chapter 7.
 El cuidado de los miembros en el Adventismo Temprano 191

counseled that just the opposite would occur if the church became preacher
dependent—she felt that the church would become filled with "spiritual
weaklings." ' Life in the local church is to be maintained not by preaching
Services, but by the relational social meetings:

Let every one consider the valué oí the social meetings, and let
not large or small compan ¡es oí believers think that they cannot
have an enjoyable season unless they are entertained by a preacher.
Where this dependence on the minister exists, the people fail to
obtain that vigorous religious experience which they so much need
wherever their lot may be cast. If the minister alone does all the
witnessing, then those who have newly come to the faith become
dwarfed and sickly for lack oí opportunity to use their spiritual
muscle. They have need to learn how to testify, how to pray, how to
sing, to the glory oí God: but failing to do this, they have only a one-
sided experience.133 134

It is through the social meeting that the members attained the experience
needed to feel free to testify for their faith in the world. Perhaps this is the
reason that so few Christians share their faith today. They do not have the
regular experience of sharing their faith in the safe environment that the social
meeting provided. The loss of the social meeting has not only affected the
quality of the relational life of the church, but it has also greatly affected the
witnessing potential of the church in the larger community. As we discovered
in an earlier chapter, the Bible establishes that the sharing of faith always
occurred in community. Early Adventism accomplished community in the
same manner as did the New Testament church.
Ellen White has described the social meeting for us; she also has given
counsel on conducting these meetings in such a manner that they do not
become boring. She was vitally concerned that the social meeting be spiritually
alive as the people shared with one another. Testimonies offered were to be
short and positivo. They were not to take place on the spur of the moment;
they required preparation. The one in charge was not only to plan the meeting,
but to make certain that it did not get out of hand, with one person
monopolizing the
meeting or people giving dry, formaiized testimonies. The social meeting
was to be spiritually alive. It was not to be a time of complaining and
sowing seeds of darkness.135

n
Elena G. White, Testimonios, 7:19.
134
Elena G. de White, "Testigos de Cristo", Adviento Revievv y Sabbath Herald, (10 de
septiembre de 1895).
Ellen G. White, "La santificación a través de la obediencia a la verdad", Signs of the
Times (16 de marzo de 1882); ídem, "La obra cristiana", Revista de Adviento y
Sabbath Herald (10 de octubre de 1882); ídem, Obreros del Evangelio, 171; ídem,
192 Capítulo 8

In large social meetings, Ellen White counseled that the congregation should be
divided into smaller groups so that everyone vvould nave an opportunity to
speak. A leader was to be appointed o ver each group. She even counseled
paren ts to help make the social meeting of high interest to children.2h The
lambs of the flock were to be a part of the community of faith in the social
meeting. Finally, Ellen White was concerned that the prayers offered in the
social meeting be short and to the point, and filled with spiritual life:

In social meeting, prayer should be offered so that all

may be edified; those who take part in this exercise should
follow the example given in the Lord's beautiful prayer for
the world. This prayer is simple, clear,
comprehensive, and yet not long and spiritless, as the prayers offered
in public sometí mes are. These spiritless prayers might better not be
uttered; for they are a mere form, without vital power, and they
fail to bless or edify.

Ellen White gives one final insight into the Adventist sodal meetings.
They were a part of the evangelistic process. Today we would never think
of using a testimony meeting as a part of a public evangelistic event, yet
Ellen White indicates this is precisely what the early Adventists did. People
brought into the church were to be both intellectually informed and
relationally connected. Here again is the balance that is so often noted in
Ellen White's counsel. The sodal meetings which were conducted during
the evangelistic meetings were used to help people make decisions to
follow Christ:
Aíter the discourse there was a social meeting and many
testimonies borne, but I íelt that souls were in peril.
Souls were undecided and I urged that those who were not fully on
the Lord's side should make decisions that day—should break the
chains of the powers of Satan and be wholly the Lord's"

Social meetings "do more than preaching to ripen off the work."?M
Ellen White also testified that the social meetings were a regular part of
Adventist corporate gatherings in the early years. As mentioned by other
Adventist pioneers, the social meeting was the regular meeting of the church
vvhen no preacher was available. And even if a preacher was available, there

"Los discípulos de Cristo son uno en él", Revista de Adviento y Sabbath Herald (12
de noviembre de 1889).
Ellen G. White, "Incidentes de la Reunión del Campamento de Michigan", Signs of
the Times (19 de octubre de 1876); ídem, "El Nuevo Corazón", Revisión de Adviento
y Sabbath Herald (14 de abril de 1885).
27
Ellen G. White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Studenls (Mountain Vievv, California:
Pacific Press, 1943), 243.
 El cuidado de los miembros en el Adventismo Temprano 193

was usually a social meeting. This happened in both large and small churches:

On the Sabbath the t'evv friends here assembled in Edson's parlor

for a Sabbath-school. There are four families—twelve persons in
all—who usually meet for worship. Edson conducís the Sabbath-
school when he ¡s at home. After Sabbath-school they either have
a Bible- reading or a prayer and social meeting. This is as it should
be.30

Edson White, Ellen's son, was a preacher. Yet in this small church, he did
not preach when so few were present. Sabbath school was followed by a social
meeting. That was the rule. And Ellen White declares that is as it should be.

ELLEN WHITE AND SMALL GROUPS

While the early Adventist social meeting was not always a small group,
the dynamics of the meeting itself had all the elements of what most people
today define as a small group. Modern small groups may 136 137

^ Ellen G. White, quoled in D.A. Delafield, Ellen G. White in Europe, 1885-1887

(Washington, DC: Revievv and Herald, 1975), 307. w Ellen G. White, citado en Arthur White,
Ellen G. White, vol. 4: The Australian Years, 1891-1900 (Washington: Review and Herald,
1984), 104.
315
Ellen G. White, "Notes of Travel, Kansas City, Mo", Advent Review and Sabbath Herald,
(14 de octubre de 1884).
137 Ibídem.
 194 Chapler 8

vvell be one of the best avenues to a recovery of the relational element in

modem-day Adventism. Eilen White's counsel on the social meetings is extensive.
Likewise, she spoke fairly often of small groups. That term not being in popular usage in
her day, Ellen White rarely used it. She did, however, talk about the concept, and she
referred to these small groups instead as "small companies." The meaning of the
tvvo terms is identical. Her most emphatic statement on small companies is
this defining word from God:

The íormation of small companies as a basis of Christian effort

has been presented to me by One who cannot err. It there is a large
number in the church, let the members be formed into small
companies, to vvork not only for the church members, but for
unbelievers. If in one place there are only two or three who know the
truth, let them form themselves into a band of workers. Let them
keep their bond of unión unbroken, pressing together in love and unity,
encouraging one another to advance, and gaining courage and strength
from the assistance of the others. Let them reveal Christlike
íorbearance and patience, speaking no hasty words, using the talent
of speech to build one another up in the most holy faith. Let them
labor in Christlike love for those outside the fold, forgetting self in
their endeavor to help others. As they work and pray in Christ's
ñame, their numbers will increase; for the Saviour says: "If two of vou
shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall
be done for them of My Father which is in heaven." Matthew 18:1
9.32

Having read most of the latest books on small groups, this authof has b>een unable
to find a better definition of small groups than this one by Ellen White. She declared
unequivocally that the idea of dividing the church into small companies was given
to her by One who could not err. That, for Seventh-day Adventists, is a divine
authentication of small groups. Nothing could be clearer than the ringing
endorsement which Ellen White gives to small group ministry. She then goes
on to define what should happen in small groups and indicates that they
should concern themselves with evangelism, 138 prayer, Bible study, mutual
encouragement and care, and that above all they should build community.
This one statement should put to rest any misgivings that any Adventist might
have about small group ministry. Ellen White could not have stated her case
more clearly. The Adventist church is to be builton small group ministry. If
there are large churches, they should divide into small groups. If there are only
tvvo or three in the church, they still should form a small group. The fact that

138 Elena G. de White, Testimonios, 7:21-22.

*Elena G. White, "Los seguidores de Cristo serán misioneros", Advent Review and Sabbath
Herald, (8 de enero de 1895).
 Cuidado de los miembros en el Adventismo Temprano 195
she advocates small groups for even tvvo or three believers indicates that the
purpose is not simply to create smaller units, but that the small group
organization creates community.
When a church is built on small group ministry, it no longer needs a clergy
person to be in control. As members care for themselves, the clergy are free to
reach new people and raise up new churches. The small groups provide a basis
for ongoing nurture and care which is far
superior to clergy care:

God's work is to be done in his way and his Spirit. In various

places small companies are to consécrate themselves to God, body,
soul, and spirit; and laying hold oí the throne of God by faith they
are to work zealously, keeping their souls in the love of God. The vital
current of his love will make ¡tself felt, and will be recognized as from
heaven in the good works of his people. Those little companies who
know the truth, with one voice should bid their minister go to the
lost sheep of the house of Israel. Each one should seek to do
individual work for another. Not one who has tasted the goodness,
the mercy, and the love of God, can be excused from
working for the souls of others.’ ’

As church members carried on their life in small groups, they would build
a community that would keep them strong in the faith. They would not need
a preacher to sustain their spiritual life, because that spiritual life would be
strengthened in the community. Thus she invited them to beseech their pastor
to go work for others. Note that the reason she gave as to why they did not
need a settled pastor was the formation of the small companies, or groups.
 19 6 Chapler 8
The counsel to form the church into small groups was repeated in many of
the books and articles written by Ellen Wnite, whicn reveáis that this was not a passing
thought with her, but a major concern. Each of these references repeats the thought that this
idea was given to her by "One who could not err."34
Ellen VVhite also spoke favorably of the practice in larger meetings of
breaking the congregation into various small groups for prayer and mutual
encouragement. She did not discourage large meetings. She enjoyed them, but
she felt that something was missing if the small group element was not
included. 3
Ellen White also foresaw the day when, because of persecution, the large
church would no longer exist, and the only way that the church would be able
to survive would be in small groups.M Christian history has proven that to be
true in the past, and has even held true in the present, as it was discovered how
the church survived Communism. The only way was through the small group
house church.
Some of Ellen White's strongest statements on small groups relate to their use as a basis
for evangelism. She did not advócate "solo" evangelism, but, as in the New Testament times,
evangelism was to be accomplished out of a community base. Therefore it is not
surprising that she talked so much about small companies as a basis for
evangelistic work.

In New York there should be several small companies

established, and workers should be sent out. It does not follow that
because a man is not ordained as a preacher he cannot work for God.
Let such ones as these be taught how to work, then let them go out
to labor. On returning, let them tell what they have done. Let them
praise the Lord for His blessing, and then go out again. Encourage
them.
A few words of encouragement will be an inspiration to them.ir 139 140

4
Ellen G. VVhite, Servicio Cristiano, 72; ídem, Evangelismo, 115; ídem, Ministerio de
Bienestar, 107; ídem, Registro de la Conferencia de la Unión Australasia, 15 de agosto
de 1902; ídem, Registrador de la Unión del Pacífico, 9 de octubre de 1902; ídem, Revisión
de Adviento y Sabbath Herald, 12 de agosto de 1902.
r
' Ellen G. White, "Sanctitication," Signs of the Times (23 de octubre de 1879).
140
Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, 350.
"Elena G. White, Evangelismo, 389.
 Cuidado de los miembros en el adventismo tártaro 197

Note that Ellen White advocates small groups especially for large city
work. The workers, whom she considers to be lay people as well as clergy, are to
form small groups as the base from which they work. When they come back from tneir labor
they are to report to the community (small group) that sent them out. She saw small groups
as an excellent way to make certain that people did not become burned out in
ministry, but instead received the support needed to sustain them. The small
group itself was to be a ministering unit:

Christ sought the people where they were and placed before
them the great truths in regard to His kingdom. As He went from
place to place, He blessed and comforted the suffering and healed
the sick. This ¡s our work. Small companies are to go forth to do the
work to which Christ appointed His disciples. While laboring as
evangelists they can visit the sick, praying with them and, ¡f need be,
treating them, not with medicines but with the remedies provided in
nature.141
Places that are unworked might ha ve been entered, and souls might
have been reached by the truth. Small companies of workers, under
the wise generalship oí consecrated teachers, should be going forth
into needy fields. Whenever this work is taken up in earnest, careful
movements will need to be made. '

Ellen White had a very bala need view of small groups, as seen in the
earlier definítion. Hers was a very comprehensive understanding of groups. It
included not only evangelism, but also meetings for Bible study and prayer.
Like the New Testament church, Ellen White saw that real church exists in
community, with Bible study and prayer being conducted in small groups.
Let small companies assemble in the evening, at noon, or in the early
morning to study the Bible. Let them have a season of prayer, that
they may be strengthened, enlightened, and sanctiíied by the Holy
Spirit. This work Christ wants to have done in the heart of every
worker. lí you yourselves will open the door to receive it, a great
blcssing will come to you. Angels of God will be in your assembly. You
will feed upon the leaves of the tree oí life.
What testimonies you may bear of the loving acquaintance made with
your fellow workers in these precious seasons when seeking the
blessing of God. Let each tell his experience in simple words. This will
bring more comfort and joy to the soul than all the pleasant
¡nstruments of music that could be brought into the churches. Christ
will come into your hearts. It is by this means only that you can

Soy
Ellen C. White, Counsels on Health (Mountain View, California: Pacific Press, 1951), 501.
w
Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 175.
 198 Capítulo fí

maintain your integrity.5"

She envisioned these small companies meeting at different times in the day
rather than all at once, just as modern small groups do. Furthermore, while
Bible study is to occur in these groups, the above quotation makes it very clear
that Bible study is only a small part of the activity of the group. There is also
time for prayer, for testimonies, for sharing of life in Christ. In fact, the meeting
described above sounds very much like the social meetings discussed earlier.
The point here is that Ellen White advocated that these things be done in small
companies, not just in large meetings.
Ellen White talked in greater depth on prayer in the small group setting.
She felt that the small group was the natural place for people to pray together.

Let the Los Angeles church have special seasons of prayer daily
for the work that is being done. The blessing of the Lord will come
to the church members who thus particípate in the work, gathering
in small groups daily to pray for its success. Thus the believers will
obtain grace for themselves, and the work of the Lord will be
advanced.142 143
The Lord has promised that where two or three are met together
in His ñame, there will He be in their midst.
Those who meet together for prayer, will receive an unction from the
Holy One. There is great need of secret prayer, but there is also need
of several Christians meeting together, to unite with earnestness
their petitions to God.
In these small companies Jesús is present, and the love of souls is
deepened in the heart, and the Spirit puts forth His

142
ElenaG. de White, Testimonios, 7:195.
143
Elena G. de White, Evangelismo, 111.
 El cuidado de los miembros en el Adventismo Temprano 199

mighty energies, that human agents may be exercised ¡n regare! to

saving those who are lost.12

prayers being answered and the Holy Spirit being poured out. The end
As a result of small groups praying together, Ellen White saw

result of
all this for Ellen White, then, were not small groups for the sake of
praying
in small groups was the saving of souls. Small

osmall groups. They were an instrumentality that brought Christians together

for the reception of the Holy Spirit, which unleashed the power of heaven to
win souls to Christ.

VVhy do not believers feel a deeper, more earnest concern for

those who are out of Christ? VVhy do not tvvo or three meet
together and plead with God for the salvation of some special one,
and then for still another?
In our churches let companies be formed for Service. Let different
ones unite in labor as fishers of men. Let them seek to gather souls
from the corruption of the world into the saving purity of Christ's love.41

It is the church meeting together in small companies, pleading with God,

that unleashes the power of Heaven. Believers are here counseled to pray for
the salvation of lost persons and to solidt the small group to continually plead
with Heaven for their salvation, until such ones come to faith in Christ. The
power of prayer in the small group cannot be underestimated. It is really the
life of the group. It is these prayers ascending to God through the centuries
from believers meeting in small groups that God notices in the judgment.41
In addition, Ellen White even advocated that small groups be used in the publishing
work, as well as in Adventist school and educational work. Small groups were not
restricted to the church. Small groups were a comprehensive plan that should be found in
every branch of the work of the church. It is the basis upon which ministrv is to be
conducted. To Ellen White, small groups were not just a program of 144 145 146

144
Fichero C. White, Lift Him Up (Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1988), 358.
Elena G. de White,
Teachers, Testimonios,
and Students, 7:21. Australasian Union Conference Record (Julv 31,
311; idem,
146
Filen G. White,
1899), 6. "Serán míos, dice el Señor de los ejércitos/' The Signs of the Times, (23
de noviembre de 1904).
4
' Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, 98; idem, Counsels to Parents,
200 Capítulo fi

the church, they were the major organizing principie of the work of the
church. To havea church without small groups operating in it was anathema
to tillen White, for the church is to be built on small groups.

CONCLUSIONS ON MEMBER CARE IN EARLY ADVENT1SM

Life in the early Adventist church was maintained simply through small
groups and social meetings. Members were well cared for. They did not rely
on a pastor to care for them, but according to the New Testament model,
provided mutual care for each other. The early Adventist church was
organized as an indigenous church, where the members cared for each other
in small relatíonal groups and the clergy was free to evangelizo and plant
churches.
The early Adventist social meeting, the heart of this member care plan,
was very similar to the Methodist prayer meeting that was developing out of
the dass meetings at the time of Adventism's beginning. Thus, it is safe to
assume that the basic structure was borrowed from the Methodists, sanctioned
by Ellen White, and then made a vital part of Adventist ecclesiology. The
regular mention of these meetings in the early Revienes and the extensive
mention of them in the writings of Ellen White and other pioneers testifies that
they were a vital part of early Adventist life.
The social meeting and small groups served to meet the relational needs
of the early Adventists. It was a time when people could be open with each
other, without judgmentalism. They felt safe to share their problems and seek
the help of others, knowing they would receive help without condemnation.
The openness which these believers shared, soevident in these social meetings,
seems strange to Adventists today when most Adventists, like most other
Christians, hide behind their masks. Certainly there was some hiding going on
among these early Adventists, but there was defínitely more openness than in
the church today.
The social meetings and small groups were not primarily Bible studies.
They were meetings where people shared what was happening in their
personal and spiritual lives. Their purpose was not to convoy knowledge, but
to help members to share community. Iheir fundtion was edification, not
instruction. In a chapter entitled "Social Meetings," Ellen White clearly defines
the purpose of these meetings as a place to share thoughts and feelings:
What is the object of assembling together? Is it to inform God,
to instruct Him by telling Him all vve knovv in prayer? We meet
together to edify one another by an interchange of thoughts and
feelings, to gather strength, and light, and courage by becoming
acquainted with one another's hopes and aspirations; and by our
earnest, hearttelt prayers, offered up in taith, we receive refreshment and
vigor from the Source of our strength.
 Cuidado de los miembros en el Adviento TempranoJsm 201

These meetings should be most precious seasons and should be

made interesting to all who have any relish for religious things.u>

Every indication from the vvritings of Ellen White is that the purpose of
social meetings was to deal with the relational area of people's lives. She saw
these meetings as absolutely essential for the life and health of the church. They
were the means by vvhich early Adventists maintained their faith. They did
not have the "disadvantage" of listening to a preacher every Sabbath; therefore,
they were forced to develop their own communal spiritual life, apart from clergy
interference. The result was a very spiritually healthy church.
When one examines early Adventist church life, it is evident that it was
patterned by design on the model of early New Testament worship. Like the
New Testa Fríen t church, early Adventism supported itself without regular
preachers in the local church. Their church was a community based on
fellowship rather than on doctrine alone. Certainly Ellen White was the major
influence in keeping the early Adventist church in harmony with the New
Testament church's balance of the cognitive and the relational.
After the death of Ellen White in 1915, social meetings gradually faded
from practice and were replaced by the prayer meeting. Eventually Adventist
churches began to pattern their Services after those of other Protestant churches and clergy
were appointed over the congregation. Soon the prayer meeting degenerated.
Instead of a time for people to pray and sha re testimonies, it became another
time for the pastor to preach or give a cognitive Bihle study, followed by a
season of prayer. In most churches the relational element was entirely lost. An
unbalanced emphasis on the cognitive and eventually even a fear of the
relational replaced the beautifui balance of early Adventism. The biblical plan
of both member care and clergy role were lost. These
4Í>
Ellen G. White, Testimonies, 2:578.
tvvo concepts go together. With a primary-care pastor over churches,
the relational small group became unnecessary and even a hindrance to the
work of the clergy.
In prophetic visión Ellen VVhite saw a great reviva] taking place at the end
of time in God's church. When that revival occurs the church will once again
assemble in small groups to seek God:

In the church there was a revival of the missionary spirit. An

earnest desire to learn how to work for the Lord was shown. Small
compames gathered for prayer and Bible study. All moved forward
with harmonious action. Believers went to places where the people
have no opportunity to hear the Word of God and gathered the
children for Sabbath School. Efforts were made to help isolated tamil
¡es. Plans were laid for these families to meet with other families for
Bible study. Thus the way was opened for the light to shine forth from
 202 Capítulo 8

the worcl of God.47

Revival fires! How desperately the Church today needs such a revival.
How then daré the Church resist entering into small group ministry? It is
unthinkable for God's church at the cióse of human history to endeavor to
carry on its ministry apart from a small group emphasis. One of the results of
revival is meeting together in small groups to pray and encourage each other.
There can be no genuine revival witnout such meetings.
Ellen White has given the Adventist Church a ringing endorsement of
small relational groups meeting together for prayer, Bible study, testimonies,
mutual encouragement, and care. All of these small group experiences result
in believers' working for others in evangelism. To oppose a small group
ministry in the church is to reject the counsel that God has given the Seventh-day
Adventist Church through the pen of Ellen White. It is time to restore the relational
meeting once again as a vital part of the Adventist weekly experience. The time
has come for weekly relational small groups to be added to the Adventist
calendar, and not only added to the calendar, but to once again become a vital,
dominant element of Adventist vvorship. Only thus can Adventists be faithful
to Scripture, to Ellen White, and to our Adventist heritage. 147

147
Ellen G. White, "A Cali to All Our People", The Indiana Repórter, 25 de febrero de 1903.
 - CUARTA PARTE -

A MODEL FOR A MISSION-ORIENTED ADVENTIST

OR CONFERENCE BASED ON BIBLICAL AND
HISTORICAL ROOTS
 - CAPÍTULO 9

RETURN TO THE B1BLICAI.

AND H1STORICAL ROOT5

The Seventh-day Adventist Church originated wilh a strong mission

orientation. Ail the resources of the early Adventist church were dedicated to the
furtherance of the message. The f i nances, the personnel, the time and efforts of
the church—all were mission-driven. As the church has grown, it has continued
to have a strong mission emphasis, especially in the world church, consistently
maintaining a growth rate of 7 percent a year. However, the North American
División of the church, Uke the European and Australian componente
consistently has a growth rate of around 2 percent or less.
[t is the thesis of this díssertation that a major reason for a much lower growth
rate in North America is the adoption of the traditional model of the pastor. The author
recognizes that societal iníluences play a role in the lower growth rate, but feels
that many times societal reasons are used as an excuse for lack of growth, when
growth would be possible if the church regained the New Testament model of
pastoral ministry. Evervr división of the world church that is using the traditional
model of pastoral ministry is showing slovv growth, whereas those using the
New Testament model continué to reveal outstanding growth pattems. The
author's personal pastoral experience has validated to him that church growth
rafes in North America can equal those of the third world when the New
Testament model of the pastor as trainer/equipper is put in place.1
The research documented here indicates that the clergy role which developed
during the New Testament period was primarily that of itinerant missionaries or
supervisors. Apostles were the guardians of purity in doctrine and overseers of the
churches, vvhile the traveling elders were responsable for raising up new churches.
These appear to be the only paid clergv in the early church. Clergy were not
primarily care-givers, but their function was to extend the church and this is the
purpose for which they were paid, not to baby-sit existing Christians.

The author has used the trainer/equipper model in every church/district that be has pastored.
In each case the church experienced growth rales of 10 percent or more. The trainer/equipper
model was implementcd more completely in later churches than in earlier onos, but
embryonically it was always there, and growth rates equaled the third world.

205
 20b Capítulo 9
Care fnr the members was to be a mutual experience in the congregation. By
exercisirig care for each other the members would grow spirituaüy and would
remain spiritually alive. Counsel regarding member care is always addressed to
laiiy, never to dergy. Tne only care-related clergy function in the New Testament
was the responsibility of lay leaders. They were to supervise the care of local
churches. These lay elders and deacons were not dergy; they were appointed by
the clergy and were responsible to the clergy but they were lay people whose
responsibility was local and lay,
The result of the New Testament approach was that Christianity spread
throughout the Román world in one generation. However, in
subsequent centuries the local elders aspired to enter the clergy, and eventually did.
By the Middle Ages the parishes were looked over by clergy who were paid to
care for the flock. Under this model, the members" chief responsibility was to pay
for the clergy and to watch them work, After one Lhousand years of history, this
model was hard to diffuse, even in the light of the Protestant Reformation, and
therefore most Protestant churches inadvertently accepted the traditional model
of the church.
The eariy Adventist Church, in seeking to return to the New Testament
biblical role, created an organizational System similar to the missional New
Testament model. The eariy Adventist church was unique among Protestant
bodies in limiting its clergy to oversight of múltiple congregations and giving
priority to church planting. This State of affairs continued for the first fifty to sixty
years of Adventist history. The reason for this arrangement was twofold: first, it
provided adequate personnel to enable the church to prociaim its message
everywhere. Second, allowing members to care for each other created a much
healthier church than when the pastor was the primary care giver.
In the first two decades of the twentieth century the Adventist church
abandoned the New Testament model, under the vigorous protests of Ellen
VVhite and A. G. Daniells, Over the next four decades the church created a pastor-
dependent model whieh is not significantly different from most Protestant bodies
today. Fortunately, there stdll remadns a strong desire on the part of many laity
and clergy in the Adventist church to recapture the mission spirit that once
possessed Adventism, bul most do not know how to do it.
 Vuelve a la Biblia! y a Histórica! Raíces 207

WHY ADVENTISM SHOULD RETURN

TO A MISSION-DR1VEN CHURCH

At the heart of re-creating the New Testament model of ministry is the re-
creation of the mission-driven church. The reason for the existence of this model
of non-pastor dependency is understood only from the perspective of the Great
Commission. The Great Commission is the heart and soul behind the
organizational structure of the early church and earlv Adventism. Unless the
backbone of the Great Commission is the re, the lay-empowered church can never
be redeveloped in this generation.
The early church sought to make disdples who lived in absolute obedience to
the lordship of Christ in their lives. Likewise, the Adventist mándate demands a
high level of disdpleship which centers not only in a relationship vvith the risen
Christ, but also in the hope of the soon-coming Christ. Adventist evangelistic
methodology therefore must center in making the kind of disciples mandated by
the Great Commission and the three angels' messages. This methodology must be
of longer term than that which most of Protestantism ha ve traditionally
conceived the evangelistic process to be. Preparation for baptism and
membership in the Seventh-day Adventist Church must be in harmony with the
cali of Jesús that people first of all be made disciples, and then be baptized. After
baptism, they must continually be taught so that they are self-sufficient in their
spiritual life, and not dependent on a paid clergyperson.
In the Adventist understanding of disdpleship, it would be raro for a person
to walk down the aislé, profess Christ, and be baptized the same day. Discipleship
implies a long process of gestation. It may mature rapidly, but discipleship implies
solid biblical teaching as preparation for baptism. Adventist evangelistic
methodology must allow people sufficient time to develop the relationship
needed to become a disciple of Jesús. Jn the next chapter we will suggest an
evangelistic methodology in harmony with the Great Commission.
If the Seventh-day Adventist Church professes to be a true rhurch of Jesús
Christ with a special, unique message to give to the world in this last generation,
then it must return to being a Great Commission church. A mission mind-set must
once again grasp not only the leadership of the church, but the laity as well. This
mission mind-set will then cause the church to make the needed changes so
necessary to fulfill the Great Commission.
WHY ADVENTISM MUST RETURN TO A
BIBLICAL ROLE OF CLERGY
The need to return to the New Testament model, and to perhaps totally abandon the
traditional model, should be a primary concern for the North American Adventist
Church. The reason for this is threefold: theological, evangelistic, and
nurtural.
 208 9

The first reason for a return to the New Testament model is theological.
Adventism is a biblical movement. Its roots are grounded in Scripture, and
Adventists claim that all their beliefs and practices must arise out of Scripture
and have a biblical basis. Yet the role of the pastor as primary care giver in
the local church is not biblical. The New Testament demands an evangelistic
clergy, not a care-giving clergy. Fulfillment of the Great Commission is the
mándate of Christ Himself to the clergy. Thus there is a strong theological
basis for abandoning the traditional model of the pastor as primary care
giver.
Secondly, the traditional model must be abandoned if we are committed to the
evangelistic advance of the church. In most local Adventist churches today the clergy's
time is spent on the care of existing members. There is no time in the local pastor's
schedule for evangelistic activity. The result of all this is that most pastors are
giving only lip Service to evangelism in any form because of the huge
pressure they feel from their members to provide the care and oversight
needed for the local congregation. Conferences are extending themselves to
their financial limits in attempting to provide pastors for the churches. There
is little interest in planting new churches, even though conference presidents
see the need for them. The reason given is that there is no money to provide
a pastor for the new church, ñor is there money available to send a pastor to raise
up a new church. If Adventism is going to reach the cities of North America, it
must embark on a huge church planting strategy. Tu accomplish this, the pastors must be
released from pastoral care and once again assume an evangelistic role as their primary
function.
Thirdly, a return to the biblical role of the pastor is essential for the health
of the congregation. It is ironic that the more pastors that have been placed
over churches, the sicker the churches have become. A. G. Daniells'
"prophetic" insight in 1912 that this would be the result of putting settled
pastors over churches has proven true. Today, the average Adventist is
considered to be in good standing in the church as long as they pay ti the to
support the clergy and attend the Sabbath
morning Service to vvatch the clergy's weekly performance. This State
of affairs ¡s pathetic. It is unhealthy and is resulting in weak Christians.
Furthermore, one pastor cannot provide adequate care for the members of the
congregation. Today there is one clergyperson for every two hundred and thirty-six
members. This ineludes all vvho are in administra tion and in lines of work other
than the local pastorate; excluding them would make the ratio much higher. It is
impossible for one person to provide adequate care for two hundred and thirty
people. It simply can't be done. No wonder Adventist pastors are suffering from
overload and frustration. The argument of this paper is not that members should
not be cared for; they must. The argument is that this care must not be supplied
by clergy, but by laity. Therefore, we must develop a new structure in the local
church to provide adequate care for members. Members provide better care
 Volver a las raíces bíblicas e históricas 209

anyway. Therefore the abandonment of the traditional model and adoption of the
New Testament model should result in a much healthier and more evangelistic
church in North America.

WIIY ADVENTISM NEEDS TO RETURN

TO A BIBLICAL ROLE OF MEMBER CARE
Because of Adventismo biblical roots, as mentioned earlier, the church must
also develop a plan of member care that is biblical. The church cannot simply
abandon the clergy role as primary care giver without placing a biblical plan of
member care in its place. Both biblically and historically, we have discovered the
small group to be the basis of all church organization.
The church is not to be constructed like a Corporation. It is not to be managed
by one person at the top. it is to be divided into small groups where leacíership is
dispersed and lay people are empowered. The hierarchal structure that exists in most local
churches with a pastor in charge needs to move to a more "circular" plan of
organization. The pastor will exist, but as an equal. Actually, in many small
congregations a pastor may not even be necessary. Instead, as in the early
Christian and the early Adventist church, the believers will be taught to maintain
spiritual life without the help of clergy. The clergy will then be free to do the work
commissioned for them by Christ: evangelize and plant new churches.
The biblical model that we have examined does not indicate that we must
add small groups as another program in the already crowded
 2 JOC Capítulo 9

agenda of the church. Many churchés havc attempted to do this and it has
Éatled. When it is done in this way, small groups become popular for awhile but
quickly die, beca use they are noL seen as the organizing principie upon which
the vvhole church is to be founded.
To be faithful to our biblical and histórical Heritage, Adventista must
completely restructure the local church so that small groups become the major
organizing principie. Small groups cannot be opüonaL Yet in most chu relies toda
y they are considerad so. Worship on Sabbath morníng is considered "theevent"
that all believers should attend each week. In the new model the large worship
Service on Sabbath morníng is more apt to be optionab That would be a more
biblical model of church than the one Adventists are currently opera ti ng under.
The church must ha ve a trained laity. Pastor s must train their members for
ministry in harmony with their spiritual gifts, work themselves out of a job. and then
go on to plant new church es. This biblical picture of the clergy is one that needs
to be re cap tu red by the modern Adventist church. 1 low is the local church
maintained in this new paradigm without a settled pastor? By adopting the
biblical pattern of small groups. That is how the New Testament church and the
earlv Adventist church were maintained in this para digna. If it worked for them,
it should work for usT even in the sophisticated tvventv-first century.
what would the small group church look like? It would not be dependent on
large buildings for its exístence. In some a reas, it might actually be a house church
that is not connected organizationally to any church, It is a church by ítself. In
larger a reas, a local church might consist of many small groups. They might or
might not have a bu i Id i ng. They might rent a buflding for the times when they
bring all tht> small groups together. The buílding is ©ptionai because real
ministry will occur not in the large meeting of the church, but in the small groups.
In this case, the church would be more like that of the early Adventists, who met
regularly in small group social meetings, and then occasionally, perhaps at camp
meeting time, would come together as a larger group. In the church of the futuro,
this coming together might not be as large as some of our present camp meetings,
but all the small groups in one particular city, whatever their number, might
gather in one large group.
In this biblical twenly-first century Adventist church, people would ¡oin the
church through a small group. The small group would evangelizo, nurture, and
then SuppOrt people in their ministry in the wíirld for the V1 áster. People would
brmg others to the small group to be nurtured as they were nurtured. Today
people enter the church through the impersonal front door of the large worship
Service, As n rcsult, they do not build relationships and enter into corrí mu ni ty.
Tn the church of the futo re, peopie would enter the church through relationships
in the small group.
What will this church look íike? Jhe next chapter will attempt to develop a
model fashioned after the bíblica] model that has been developed throughout this
Vuelve a la Biblia! y a Histórica! Raíces 21 1

paper and reviewed in this chapter, Xt will be a model where clergy have returned
to their position as evangelizers and churdi planters and members provide care
for each
other, just as in the New Testament and early Adventism. It wiil be a mission-driven
church, a church with a passion for los! people. This passion for the lost will lead
them to restructure the wray they do church in order tu fulfill the Great
Commissiort and bring lost people lo the place where they become authentic
disdples of the Lord Jesús
CllTÍSt.
 - CAPÍTULO 10 -

A MODEL OF CHURCH STRUCTURE

BASED ON BIBL1CAL AND HISTOR1CAL ROOTS

VVith seventy to eighty years of history in the traditiunal model, it will be

difficult to change how Adventists "do church." Yet change is absolute!y
necessary if Adventists are to be loyal to their bíblica] and histórica] roots and
prepare a people who are truly discipled and ready to meet their retuming Lord.
However, this reformation will not and must not happen overnight. To
immediately abandon the traditional mode! would place Adventist churches in
disarray. The members do not know how to provide care for each other, and the
resolt of a rapid shift would be the loss of manv members. That is unthinkable.
The shift must be gradual,
VVhat would this new kind of church look like? Over the next several pagos
we will explore five areas: disciple-making in this newr kind of church, local
church structure, pastoral role, member care, and possible conference structure.
In this chapter we will attempt to create the ideal situation, whereas in the
following chapter we will explore ways tí> move in the direction of the ideal.
While we may never fully reach the ideal, we should at least be working in this
direction.

D1SC1PLE MAKING IN THE NEW MODEL

At the foundation of this model must be the insatiable desire to develop the
kind of disriples that Jesús desired to produce when i le gave the Great
Commission. This model of church cannot be built on lukewarm professors of
Christ; it must be built on those who are willing to enter into radical discipleship
with Jesús. Therefore the model has to begin with the end product that we hope
to achieve. Lhe way we evangelize affects the end product. Therefore, our
evangelistic methodology must be reflective of our ultímate end product. This
may mean an examination and change in our evangelistic process.
The Adventist understanding of the evangelistic process is probably best
enunciated by Ellen White:

The world needs today what it needed nineteen hundred

years ago—a revelation of Christ. A great work ol reform is
demanded, and it ís only throngh the grace of
213
 214 Capítulo W

Christ that the vvork of restoration, physical, mental, and spiritual, can
be accomplished.
Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people.
The Saviour mingled with men as one who desirecJ their good. He
showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their
confídence. Then He bade them, "Follow Me."
There is need of coming cióse to the people by personal effort. If less
time were given to sermonizing, and more time were spent in personal
ministry, greater results would be seen. The poor are to be relieved, the
sick cared for, the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted, the ignorant
¡nstructcd, the incxperienced counseled. We are to weep with those that
weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice. Accompanied by the power of
persuasión, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work
will not, cannot, be without truit.

Ellen White here lays down what through the years has been the
Adventist basis for mission methodology in the world. It has not always been
followed, but most realize that this is the heart of Adventist evangelistic
methodology. While preaching a message of end-time restoration, the
church is not to neglect to minister to the physical needs of people. This is
not the social gospel, but a gospel that results in meeting the felt needs of
people in order to gain their confidence so that the church earns the right to
share the gospel with unbelievers.
The gospel, according to Ellen White, is not to be shared outside of a
relationship. That's why the church needs to place more emphasis on
meeting the needs of the people around them. Adventists have attempted to
do this, but in so doing have seemingly made more "healthy sinners" than converts to
Christianity. Many times Adventists have won the confidence of people and developed a
trusting relationship with them, but then failed to share the gospel. As a result, the
Church has not reaped from their felt need evangelism. Church members
fear, falsely, that they will damage the relationship if they share Christ. Yet
that need not happen if the gospel is shared with tact and in an attitude of
acceptance. 148
At times, Adventists have separated felt need evangelism from
proclamational evangelism. Instead, the model church needs to see that one
íeeds the otner. As people's felt needs are met, they can be introduced to the
proclamation of the gospel and be led into the beginning of discipleship. However, it is
impossible to lead people into discipleship if church members fail to capitalize on the
confidence gained by ministering to people's felt needs. Otherwise, Adventist
felt need evangelism is simply another ñame for the social gospel. As George
Hunter has suggested:

Indeed, probably more people have been liberated from disadvantage

and oppressive conditions through discipleship than through social reform

2
George Hunter, 83; 137.
Un modelo de estructura eclesiástica basado en los principios bíblicos e históricos de
Koots
215

campaigns.
In other words, the church is called to be an extensión of its Lord's
incarnation, compassionately responsive to the needs of hurting people.2

The model church must be felt needs oriented. Furthermore, the structure, to be noted
in the next section, must be supportive of transitioning secular people whose felt needs
have been met, into the world of the church. The current structure would
probably aliénate most unchurched people, for there is no easy way to
assimilate them.
Adventists must also be careful that their evangelism does not degenerate
into simply filling the needs of people. There comes a time when these people
must be invited to begin the disciple-making process. Otherwise the Church
is unfaithful to the Great Commission:

We need to keep this in mind in a day when "the mission of the

Church" is sometimos rcduced to mere dialog, to Service projeets or to the
fight for social justice.
We are not denying the rightness of any of these worthy
programs. We íully recognize them as necessary to the true and
essential outworkings of the gospel. But they are no suhstitute
for the diffusion of the salvation expedente and for the
incorporaron into a fellowship of those who have experiencecl
salvation/ 149

149
Tippett, 12.
2/6 Capítulo 10

Having reached people through their felt needs, Ellen White indicates Lhat
the discipler is to spend much more personal time with people than sermón Lime.H
It is more irnportant for the discipler in this model church to build a solid
relationship with the person than to preach to them, give them Dible studies, or
invite them to listen to an evangelistic sermón. This does not rule out the above;
it simply indicates that relationship building is the most importan! task of the
discipler.
Ellen White does not exdude the cogrdtive presentaron of truth, but asserts
that the cogniLive truth of the gospel can only be prosentcd in the context of a
relationship with the person whom one is seeking to distiple. That's why she
States that "accompanied by the power of
persuasión, the power of prayer, [and] the power of the love of God" the work of the
discipler will not be without fruiG This suggests a methodology that is personal,
where people are loved and accepted, as well as a presentation of cognitive truth
that persuades people to become disciples of Jesús.
This statement also suggests that part of the Adventist methodology of
evangelism is intense prayer for the unconverted, which is reflective of
community involvement in praying for the unconverted. More can be
accomplished by prayer than by Human effort. It is so easy for Adventists to
depend on the great human methodologies that they have concocted for sharing
the gospel, and to neglect the power of the Holy Spirit which is essential to
convict and convert, and which is unleashed through the prayers of God's people.
“As one studies case histories of growing churches there is one
recurring factor—they are all praying churches."6
The cognitive presentation of the message of salvation and
díscipleship must always remain a featured part of Adventist evangelistic
methodology. There must be no compromise of the message in this model
church. The cognitive message which Adventists feel called to present for the
purpose of bringing people into díscipleship with Jesús Christ will indude the
following:

1. Salvation by grace alone,

2. Acceptance of Jesús as Savior and Lord. 150 151

150
Filón White, Ministerio de Fomento, 143-144.
151 Ibídem.
Gibbs, 130,
/\ Modelo de estructura de la iglesia basado en la Biblia y las raíces históricas 217

3. Assurance of salvation and ultímate victory through Christ's final

work of judgment in the heavenly sanctuary.
4. The hope of a literal resurrection of the body at the second coming rather
than an immaterial spirit existente after death.
5. A message of total res tora tion, physically, mentally, and spiritually accomplished
through the cali to clean up the mind, the message of healthful living, and
the truth of developing a deep relationship with Jesús through
Sabbath keeping.
6. An understanding of prophetic truth, as illustrated through the
apocalyptic prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. These prophetic
truths create the urgency for entering discipleship in preparation for
the coming of our Lord.

If one compares the six points listed above with the understanding of
"disciple" as illuminated by Jesús and elaborated in the three angels'
messages, it becomes clear that the Adventist message is uniquely crafted to
produce the kind of disciple that Jesús envisioned. The Adventist problem has been that
these truths have all been presented independent of each other and not seen as a part of
the discipleship process.
lt is upon the understanding of these six basic concepts of discipleship
that people are to be invited to be baptized and become a partof the
Seventh-day Adventist Church. Acceptance of these points clearly indicates
that people are serious about becoming disciples, that they recognize Jesús
as Lord of their lives, and that they are vvilling to forsake all to follow Jesús.
Traditionally the Adventist evangelista presentation of this cognitive
message has occurred in an evangelistic meeting of five to seven weeks'
duration.152 153 It is more of a teaching ministry than a prophetic ministry,
which is more in harmony with the understanding of "disciple" that we
have earlier defined, This teaching
ministry cannot be neglected in the model church.
However, this is only the beginning of the disciple-making process. At
this point people may be baptized, but they must now entera life of constant
leaming about Jesús, which is the final part of the Great Commission. They
must learn all that Jesús has commanded us so that they can become
independent and able to disciple others. It is at this point that Adventist
methodology in North America has failed.

152
Véase el capítulo 1.
Las reuniones B se celebran normalmente cuatro o cinco noches a la semana.
2 18Capítulo 10

Adventista have assumed that if people accept Lhe cognitive message, the rest
of disdpleship will automatically follow without intentional effort. The result
is the production oí hcad Christians rather than heart Christians. They know
the truth, but do not know the Truth?
Adventista nave done a íairty good job vvith the front door of the church;
thousands of people enter into membership every vear. However, many do
not progress in their disdpleship beyond the pre- baptismal instruction. In
most churches there is no intentional plan for further disdpleship. This, no
doubt, is a relie of the past vvhen most Americans vvere Christians, so one
could assume basic Christianity vvhen people joined the church. With
secularism dominating the American scene today and with most new converts
entering the church with an unchurched background, it is imperative that the
model church develop an intentional disdpleship plan for those newly come
to faith in Christ.154 155'1
Rick Warren has suggested a four point disciple-making plan. He utilizes
the symbol of a baseball diamond. First base involves a conuniLment to Christ
and to church membership; second base involves growing in Christ and
developing the spiritual disciplines; third base involves a discovery of one's
gifts and placement in ministry; and Home píate involves a commitment to the
mission of Christ and involvement in winning others. His goal is for everyone
to hit a Home run and to not leave anyone on base.156
YVarren's example is a good one for Adventista to build on as they develop
the model church. Adventists do extremely well with íirst base, a fairly good
job with home píate, a weak job with third base, and no attempt at second base,
Therefore, Adventist disdpleship must begin with developing second base.
Qnly as second base is developed will people be able to move on to fullv
develop third base and home píate. This means that intentional efforts must
be put forth Lo help people develop the spiritual disciplines. No longer can it
be assumed that people know how to pray and study the Bible for themselves.
If the goal is to have independen} Christians without a pastor, then new converts
must be taught how to live a spiriLual lite. Otherwise Adventists are only

"Juan 14:6.
1,1
Mike Rogele, (La muerte de la Iglesia) (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), 57-8Ü.
155
Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), 144,
145.
Hechos 13:2-3; 1 Tim. 4:14; Hebreos 6:1-2; Hechos 8:14-17; Hechos 19:1-6. Estos textos
indícan una práctica en la iglesia primitiva de imponer las manos sobre los nuevos
convertidos, Símbolo que los ordena para el ministerio de los miembros de la iglesia.
Aunque no es una práctica normal en el adventismo, el autor ha encontrado que esta
práctica es extremadamente útil para que la iglesia pueda hacer del ministerio de los
laicos una prioridad en la iglesia local... Para una discusión más detallada sobre la
imposición de las manos sobre los nuevos convertidos, véase el libro publicado por el
autor Revolución en la Iglesia (Fallbrook, Calií.: Hart, 1993), 79-88.
2 18Capítulo 10

teaching people to depend on the spiritual nourishment they receive from the
pastor on Sabbath morning. The
Un modelo de estructura de la Iglesia basado en la Biblia y la Historia! Raíces 219

Church can never be rid of pastor dependency unless they first teach the
people how to live the spiritual life.
This teaching may be in the form of a seminar, but the best teaching will
be individual disciple-making. As one discipler teachers a new convert how to study the
Bible and pray, that person can share what has worked in his or her own life. This
nurturing of spirituality may also be done in a smali group. The way that it is
done is not as important as the fact that it is done. The model church must
be intentional here.
Having developed basic spiritual life, as Warren suggests, a person is
then ready to move on to the other bases. This ongoing discipleship should
consist of the following areas, all building on the development of the
spiritual life that has now occurred:

1. People should immediately be placed in a smali, caring group. This

should be done immediately after conversión, if one is not already in
such a group. It is in the smali group setting that the spiritual life can
be taught and developed. Since the church is educating people for
mutual care, then smali group involvement
is indispensable.
2. People should be ordained into ministry at the time of their baptism
through the laying on of hands, as taught in the New Testamenté
People must enter the church with the understanding that Christ has
called them into ministry. They must view their baptism as ordination
into ministry, and not merely a Symbol of forgiveness of sins.
3. People must be led to discover their spiritual gifts. However, they
must not only discover their gifts, they must also be placed in a
ministry in harmony with those gifts. Ministry opportunity must
220 Capítulo 10
not be restricted to the minis tries of the church. Ministries in the world
also must be consi dered legitímate for Christians.11
4. People must be led immediately to identify their extended family and
begin the disciple-making process within the networks that have now
been opened by their coming to Christ. One is not a disdple til! one is a
disdple maker. The model church musí not allow its new converts to
simply sit and be nurtured. It must put them to work immediately in
reaching others. The best way to be discipled is to distiple others. This
is where the author would disagree somewhat with Warren.M The
disdpler inust not wait until bases two and three are fully completad
befóte beginning work on borne píate. Working to reach others actnally
will enhance bases two and three,
5. People must be taught not to depend upon the visitation of the ordained,
salaried pastor or the sermons from such a pastor as the so urce of their
spiritual life. They must have tile in themselves. Therefore the model
church should not expect people to listen to more than one sermón a
week, unless the re are unusuál circumstances. In same cases there may
be severa! weeks without a sermón. Since most Christians spend most
of their "church" time listening to sermons and attending committees,
they have little time for actual ministry. Since time is límited, time needs
to be freed up so Christians can become in volved in ministry. One of
the besl ways to free up time is to limit the number of sermons people
listen to. This would place the Adventist church in fuII harmony with
Ellen White, who advocated far less sermón dependency even in the
early Adventist church.

Lnaddition to these personal approaches to evangelism, the model

Adventist church Lhat is faithful to the Great Commission and the three
angels' messages will also be engaged in the following activities:

1. The church will be attempting to reach people in various cultural

groups by modiiying its approach, so that they become all things 157
to all people in order that they might bring them to Christ.1* In thc
hcritagc of Wesley, it will do things that it may be uncomfortable with for the
sake of reaching people. It will not compromise its faith, but it will relate
differently to various kinds of people:

Charles was a cultured poet and musician with high church aesthetic
tastes, but he shelved his preferences, condescending to write hymns to

El mejor recurso adventista para el descubrimiento y ministerio de gilí es Conexiones

de Bruce Bugbee, Don Cousins y Bill Hybels íLincotn, Nebr: Tiource de Adviento. 1996).
Es una versión adventista de "NetWork" de Willow Creek.
Sr.
Warren, 145 años.
Una Modestia de la Escultura de la Iglesia Basada en la Biblia y la Historia! Raíces 221
the tunes of lowbrow drinking songs being sung in England's public
houses!
And John, after thirty-three years of open-air field preaching to the
unchurched, confessed that "to this day field preaching is a cross to me.
But I know my commission and can see no other way of 'preaching the
gospel to every creature.'"158 159 160

2. The church will place a priority on making disciples. That priority will be
manifest in the budget, in the time of the pastor, and in the time of the
members.

If it is to be the church, it must be Christ's church. And if it is Christ's

church, then it is to be for all people. Then it carries within it a passion
for those outside. Never can it be said by a member, "We are too large
already." The question is not how cozy "our" fellowship is but how well
we are completing the mission to which we have been called. The
"movement and the magnificence" are not ours but his.1
Wesley would have the ordination standards for clergy serve the
aposto!ic mission of the church. Indeed, the church's whole organization
is supposed to serve that mission.... Furthermore, Wesley would remind
us that, when Methodism was a contagious movement, the preachers
were strategically appointed to advanee the
apostolic goals oí the movement and not essentially to be rewarded
through advancements or better parsonages.

3. The church that is serious about fulfilling the Great Commission will
also place a priority on planting new churches. The command of Jesús
compels the church to be continually planting new churches among new
people groups. The Great Commission and the three angels' messages
demand it. To take this seriously means thal every church should be
considered unía i th ful to its task if it has not reproduced itself at least
every decade. The only exception should be small rural areas which do
not have a large population base. Even here, however, the church should
be multiplying.

4. Growing churches that are faithful to the Great Commission and are
truly making disciples will no longer need a paid clergy person over the
congregation. That congregation will free its pastor to plant new
churches and thus basten the spread of the gospel to the world. Pastors
of such churches will have trained their laity so w'ell that the pastors

158
1 Cor. 9: 19-23.
George Hunter, 45 (citado en /ournal, 6 de septiembre de 1772).
r
C. Wayne Zunkel, Church Growth Under Fire (Scottdale, PA: Heraid Press, 1987), 173.
222 Chdpier 10

will have worked themselves out of a job. As Dr. D. James Kennedy

observed, it is more important to train a soul-winner than to win a soul.VÍ

The elements listed in this chapter are consístent with, and an outgrowth
of, the theologv espoused in the first section. If Adventists truly beíieve that
God has called them to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord, a people
who are truly disciples, them their methodology will indude the areas
enumerated here. There may be various ways in which these elements can be
accomplished by various churches, but no element can be left out if the church
is to fulfill what God has asked it to accomplish in these closíng days of earth's
history. The model church envisioned here encompasses all of these elements.
Seventh-day Adventism is a mission movement. it is founded, grounded,
and nurtured in a mission mentality. As the Church has grown and matured,
the danger of losing this mission mentality has increased. For this to happen
at this time in her history would be disastrous. God has not called the church
to tailure, He has called it to the faithful accomplishment of mission; 161 162

George Hunter, 60-61.

162
Kent R. Hunter, 81 años, reprimiendo al Dr. D. James Kennedy de Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Un modelo de estructura de la iglesia basado en Bíblica! e Histórica! Raíces 223

The New Testament images of the church do not speak against

structure, organizador», or buildings. These images do
emphasize, however, that the church is more. It is a living
organism. It can IDO healthy or sick. It can die. It has a living Lord
who is in charge. Growth and reproduction are ongoing functions
of an organism. Church growth is natural. It is supematural. The
church is alive!163

The church is alive! It is alive and well at the end of the twentieth century,
but it does need some readjustments to kcep it alive. It must never depart
from its theology of mission if it is to remain a living church. It must forever
remember that it is in the disciple-making business. Northing else should
ever be allowed to consume the time and attention of God's church. The
imminence of our Lord's advent calis the church to faithfulncss in this hcr
final hour. It is the hope of this author that this mission mándate will
enable the church to make the needed organizational changes suggested in
the next section.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE MODEL CHURCH,

1NCLUDING PASTORAL ROLE AND MEMBER CARE
The structure of the mission-centered, disciple-making model church will
embrace the ideal of non-pastor dependency and mutual care of existing
Christians, as has been developed in this paper. The structure will then
support the mission of the Great Commission rather than being a hindrance
to the accomplishment of Christ's mission. Since non-pastor dependency and
mutual member care are inseparably bound together in this model, both will
be considered in this section.
Movement to this model will necessitate the development of a new
structure at the local church level: the small group. The small group
movement has not captured the imagination of most Adventists, in spite of
many attempts to move in this direction. There are two basic reasons for this
stagnation: the individualism of Americans and the continued use of the
pastor-dependency model. The first reason is societal, and the church can
only edúcate people into biblical community. The second is a structural
problem that will need to be
dealt with by the church. Since the pastor is seen as the primary care
giver, the members do not feel the need to be involved in a small, caring group. It is the
contention of this author that it will be impossible to implement the small group strategy
of ministry in the Adventist Church until the Church has accepted the New
Testament model of clergy as trainers/equippers and the laity as the
performers of ministrv.
j

163 Ibídem, 60.

224 Capítulo W

Another problem that faces Adventists in the implementation of small

group ministry is that many Adventists fail to see the need for relational
groups. They feel that small group meetings should provide a cognitive
experience. The Adventist mind-set is that if one does not learn something,
it is not worthwhile. Adventists will need education regarding biblical and
Ellen VVhite counsel for the development of the whole person, spiritually,
inteUectually, physically, and socially. Early Adventism met these needs
though the social meeting.
Many Adventist experiments in small groups have failed because the small groups
were seen as just another program added to the existing programs of the church. As a
result, people became overburdened and discouraged with small groups. In
order to move into the new paradigm of the New Testament model, it will
be necessary to organizea small group church and not simply offer small
groups as another option in the church. It is impossible to join a small group
church without belonging to a small group. The entire life of the church
originates in the small groups. It is small group-based, rather than program-
based. This is the model delineated by Ralph Neighbour.164 Its
organizational structure is outlined somew'hat as the meta church model
by Cari George.165
In the small group church, care giving is the responsibility of the cell
groups and not the pastor. This frees the pastor to nurture the small group
leaders and be involved in evangelistic activity. If these groups are to provide care, they
must be relational, and not another exercise in intellectual attainment. Adventist
membership is over- preached to and over-educated already. To most
Adventists today, the chief religious activity' is passivc: listening to a
sermón or seminar, which is promptly forgotten. The small group cannot
be simply added to the other multitudinous duties already carried by so
few members. These members must be relieved so that they can have time
for caring.
What does the cell-based church look like? Since the cell is the basic building
block of all organisms, a church cell must be the basic building block of church
life. In a program-based church, it is possible to attend the weekly worship Service
and not be involved in any other programs of the church. In a cell-based church that
is impossible.
The cell-based church is organized around its cells. The cells may meet together
periodically for worship, but the life of the church is in the cell meeting, not the
worship Service. The weekly home or office cell group meeting allows time
for worship, life-sharing experiences, accountability, et cetera. From the
strength gathered at such meetings, the cell members sponsor various
ministries. For example, God may lead one cell group to sponsor a
recovery group for alcoholics. Another group might sponsor a divorce
recovery group. The choice of the particular ministry would be based on
the interests of the cell group members and the needs in the community.
164
Vecino,
¿a dónde vamos desde aquí?
165
Ceorge, Prepare su iglesia para el futuro (Grand Rapids: Revell, 1991).
Un modelo de estructura de la iglesia basado en Bíblica! e Histórica! Raíces 225

The group may at times sponsor an event, such as a stress seminar, but
must alvvays follow it up with a permanent ministry to stressed people.
Its objective is to move these people into its regular cell meetings. The recovery group
is an additional meeting each week or month. It may not be attended by all the cell
members, but it is the chief ministry function of that particular cell.
As the cells grow and multiply, the new cell may wish to sponsor a new
ministry or to assist the parent cell in the continuation of that particular
recovery ministry. In this way the ministry may grow or the ministry of
the church may expand into new arcas. Since no cell has more than one
ministry, people will no longer get burned out, because the church will not
be trying to expand its ministries by utilizing the same people. Ministry
occurring in the cells offers unlimited expansión of ministries without
burnout.
As people from the recovery groups move into the regular cell
meetings and begin to show interest in Christ and the church, one of the cell
members who has the gift of evangelism begins personal Bible studies with the
individual or invites the person to an evangelistic meeting or Prophecy Seminar, where
the individual will be taught the message.2 However, the person's nurturance
in the faith occurs primarily in the cell.
The cells in a cell-based church are totally mission-driven. All cells
must reproduce a new cell, preferably every year. Cells that stay

Prophecy Seminar is an evangelistic seminar used in (he Adventist church to (each

people (he basic (ruths of Christianity and Advendsm.
22 6 Capítulo 10

together without multiplying soon degenerate into naval-gazing groups

and become leaches on the church. The philosophv of multiplving all
groups much be agreed upon before the cell begins.
Ir» the structure of the model church, there will need to be a support base for the
group leaders. This will necessitate ongoing training of existing and new small
group leaders. This would be one of the responsibilities of clergy in this
model. In a large area where there are many small groups, a resident clergy
person would need to be involved in an ongoing training and oversight of
the many small groups, and be in charge of múltiple small group meetings.
This large gathering could occur vveekly, monthly, or quarterly. It would
not matter, since the small group and not the large gathering is the life blood
of the church.
The above scenario would maintain a settled pastor, but would change
the role and relationship to churches to be more in line with biblical
community and Adventist heritage. While residing in one area, the pastor
would primarily be seen as functioning over groups rather than performing
weekly ministry and care for members.
In these large areas with múltiple small groups, the church may wish to develop
a support structure similar to that which Moses developed under Jethro,
where there were leaders of tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands. The
leader of ten in this model would be the small group leader, the leader of
fifties would be a lay person who would supervise five small group leaders,
the leader of hundreds would supervise ten small group leaders, and the
leader of thousands would probably be the clergy person who would
supervise and train the leaders of fifty and hundreds.166
Ralph Neighbour offers still another way to organizo the small group
model, and there may be others.'1 The purpose of this work is not to explore
deeplv these organizational plans. Others have adequately done that. The
purpose of this work is to lay out clearly the fact that the small group cell church is a
model that best encompasses Adventismos biblical and histórica! heritage. The
author does not mean that the small group model is the only one that could
do this, but of the current models being suggested, it seems to come dosest
to Adventism's roots. Each local church will need to decide how it will go
about recreating the relationally-based, non-pastor-dependent church.

George, prepara a tu iglesia para el futuro y la revolución de la iglesia de Corning.

Ambos libros delinearon el modelo jethro.
’’ Vecino, ¿a dónde vamos?
 Un modelo de estructura de la iglesia basado en las raíces históricas de Bíblica! 227

The point here is that the small group must be the center of its organization.
The Ufe of the church must be centered in the small group.
What happens in the small groups? Biblical churches organized around
small groups vvill be relational. Members may and should study the Bible in the small
groups, but relational issues will not be neglected. In fact, relational issues will be
a major part of the life of small groups. In this sense they vvill be like the early
Adventist social meetings. At that time churches did not have regular
preachers. Instead, believers met together for a Bible study in Sabbath school
and then had a social meeting that was totally relational. Small groups in the
biblical church of the future will likewise spend time in God's Word.
Adventists can never neglect the study of the Bible. The church must not
abandon Bible study in an attempt to become relational, but neither can the
church abandon the relational aspect in its attempt to be biblical. To do so
would be unbiblical!
Two scenarios are suggested for life in the small group. The first Ls of a
church that has its own building and meets there everv Sabbath. Members are encouraged
to spend time studying the Word in Sabbath school classes. These may consist of
two or three small groups who meet together for a larger Sabbath school class.
These groups might have multiplied from one original group, and the
Sabbath school class provides a time when they can come back and
fellovvship together. The groups then assemble in the sanctuary for Spirit-
filled worship. Since they have been vitalized through the small group
ministry, the worship Service vvill be more praise-oriented as the believers
praise God for the spiritual life they have in Christ and with one another. A
sermón may be preached, but on many Sabbaths members of the various
groups will share what is happening in their spiritual lives as a result of time
spent in their small groups. Visitors usually will not attend the worship Service
for their first contact, but will enter the church through the group. Thus, there usually
would be few first-time visitors on Sabbath morning.
The life of this church really occurs in the small groups. Group
membership in this church is not optional. As Ellen White indicated, a
Christian is one who is in attendance at social meeting.167 If that is so, it is
hard to imagine a person being a Christian and not being involved in a small
group.
The small groups of this church meet during the week in members'
homes. During the hour and a half to two hours that they spend together, the
members share food in a get-acquainted time and talk about what has happened
in their lives over the past week. People are open with each other. There is accountability.
One member has previously mentioned that she has been struggling with anger
at work, so at this meeting another member gently asks her how the struggle
is going. There is no thought of embarrassment, but only a feeling of trust,
knowing that fellow pilgrims in the small group are vitally interested in the
members' spiritual development.
167
Elena G. de White, Carta 7, 1883.
228 Capítulo 10

After sharing their life of the past week, the believers will spend time
praying together for each other and for the salvation of lost people. These
will not be perfunctory prayers, but earnest, heartfelt prayers that reveal the
depth of their mutual experience in Christ. There may be some time for Bible
study in the small group mccting, but if so, it will be of a relational rather
than cognitive nature. Cognitive Bible study is reserved for Sabbath school.
In the small group meeting the emphasis is on what the Bible says to us
personally. Here the believers apply the Bible to their daily lives.
Sometime during this weekly small group meeting there will be a
discussion of the group's collective ministry. They may share what they are
doing individually, but each small group will have a ministry that they share
collectively. Perhaps the group conducís stress management classes as their
ministry. Time is given to organize and plan for that ministry.
Perhaps someone has come to the group for the first time. He or she has
probably been brought to the group by another member. Time will be taken
to develop a bond with this individual. As that person continúes to come to
the small group, the discipleship process will begin and the individual will
be invited to share in the group's experience on Sabbath morning. Eventually that
person will accept Christ as Savior, be discipled by the group, and be baptized into the
fellowship of the group.
This scenario has looked at group life as it could exist in a contemporary
church which owns a building. It will take a massive reorganization of the
church to accomplish this, but if Adventists are truly serious about returning
to a bibücal model, this type of church will need to be created.
In the second scenario the church has no building large enough that all
the believers can meet together. In fact, this church is not interested in having
such a building, because the life of the church is bound up
completely in the srnall group. This church may comprise many small groups
meeting in homes in the city; it just does not have a building. l'he groups may
meet in a rented faciiity every Sabbath; or they may come together for a combined
worship experience only once a month or once a quarter. This model vvould be more like
early Adventism's small churches and camp meetings.
Sabbath morning finds these groups gathering in varíous homes alí over
the city, just as in Jerusalem of oíd. They spend their time together studying
the Bible in their home Sabbath school. Then they have a sharing time, similar
to the social meeting of early Adventism, where they share their life in Christ.
Children are not neglected; they are made a vital part of the group experience.
The meeting usually ends vvith a fellowship meal where they break bread
together as did the early disdples. There may at times be a communion
Service right there in the small group on Sabbath morning or at another time
when they meet together.
In addition to the Sabbath morning small group, there would usually be at
least one other small group meeting during the week. Here the activities would
resemble those described in the fírst account. The difference between these
 Un modelo de estructura de la iglesia basado en Bíblica! e Histórica! Raíces 229

two sccnarios is what happens on Sabbath morning. In the first, the believers
still assemble jointly in a church structure large enough to accommodate a
large gathering. In the second, this meeting together of the múltiple groups
is not as necessary. Spiritual life is sustained almost exclusively in the group
life. Only occasionally do all the groups come together.
Both of these scenarios would require a resident pastor who vvould be
responsible to provide ongoing training for both current and new small
group leaders. The pastor vvould meet regularly with the small group leaders
to make certain that their groups remained spiritually healthy. The pastor
would also be responsible for the weekly, monthly, or quarterly combined worship
Service.
In the current institutional church the pastors spend most of their
time just keeping the machinery rolling with all the programs the church
operates. They also spend considerable time ministering to the needs of the
individual members. Since member care in the new model has been returned
to its biblical base in the small communitv-based
y
group, much of the pastor"s time should be freed up. This new time allotment
must be used in two ways. First, pastors must spend more time with group
leaders, and second, they must spend significant time starting new groups,
an activity that would be similar to planting new churches. The focus of the
new groups would be new believers. These
230 \N - 0

new groups would be made by multiplying existing groups and forming new
groups through evangelistic activity.
Pastors in this model would be held accountable for the multiplication of
their groups. Therefore, much of their time would be spent training leaders
of the new groups of the ever-expanding church. The pastor's key function
would then be empowering the leaders and the formation of new groups.
Rather than attempting to harness power, the pastor would be continually
releasing power to the group leaders. Only as lay leaders are empowered can
the church really become the true church of Jesús Christ.
In this model there may be places where there is onlv one group in a given
town. In the oíd model, it was diíficult to even think of starting new work in
these small places, because the church could not afford to pay a pastor to care
for it. The current problem of múltiple small churches that rarely grow, yet
require the outlay of thousands of dollars to maintain, would be solved.168
Many of these small churches are actually small groups already. Some smaller
churches could be turned into two or three small groups. These groups could
exist in the fashion of scenario two described above. There could be a pastor
of all the isolated groups in a given area—in some places an entire State.
These churches would exist without a settled pastor, as did the early
Adventist churches, maintaining spiritual vitality through their group life
wilh regular "social meetings." Perhaps quarterly or even monthly the district
pastor of this large district of isolated groups would bring all the groups
together in a certain región of the district to help the members feel part of a
larger body. However, the real life of the church would be in the small
groups. In the present small church situation, a pastor may be placed over
two or three churches with up to sixty or a hundred members between them;
whereas in the new model the pastor may be responsible for fifteen to twenty
churches. Yet the members would receive better care as they followed the
biblical model of caring for themselves, and their evangelistic potential
would increase because the pastor would be free to start new groups. In this
way it would be possible to have a "church/' defined as "a body of believers
meeting together," in absolutely every small community in the world.
In organizing an Adventist cell-based church, it is important that it be
built on an Adventist understanding of church. This is best expressed by
Ellen White's classic definition of true education:
True education means more than the pursual of a certain course of
study. It means more than a preparation for the lite that novv is. It
has to do with the vvhole being and with the whole period of
existence possible to man. It is the harmonious development
of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers. It

■7
En el Sistema de Iglesias Adventistas, donde a cada pastor se le paga por la conferencia
un salario igual, tres iglesias de veinte miembros cada una podrían costarle a la
conferencia entre $40,000 y $50,000 por año.
Un modelo de la estructura de la iglesia basado en la Biblia y la Historia! Raíces 231

prepares the student for the joy of Service in this vvorld and
for the higher joy of wider Service in the vvorld to come. 0
An Adventist understanding of the church must involve all three arcas
of instruction. We ha ve done well with the physical aspect through our
health emphasis; we have done an excellent job with the mental
development through our strong educational program of Bible studies and
Sabbath school. We have not done as well with the spiritual and social part of education.
Relationships have been weak and we do not know how to hold each other
accountable spiritually. That's why Adventism's biggest challenge will be
the redevelopment of the relational small group.
The three-legged stool of the Adventist outlook on true education—
physical, mental and spiritual (social)—lost one leg when the social meeting
disappeared. Adventist churches desperately need small groups tocíay to
put the three-legged stool back together. Hovvever, in putting so much
emphasis on relational small groups, Adventists must be careful not to lose
their physical and mental emphasis. The church must not become simply a
great relational club. The genius of Adventism has been its balanced
approach to life. Today the Church has over-emphasized the cognitive (mental) area.
This has created an imbalance. If small groups were added and the Sabbath school
dropped, it would create another imbalance.AJI three areas must receive
equal attention if church members are to be truly educated for eternity. 169 170
Asoné reflects on the structure briefly outlined here, it isapparent that
all activities in the cell-based church originate and revolve around the cell.
That's vvhy it is impossibie for a person to join a cell-based church without
joining one of the cells.

CONFERENCE STRUCTURE IN A CHURCH

BUILT ON THE BIBLICAL/HISTORICAL MODEL
The cell based structure will require some restructuring of local
conferences, since no longer will as much time be spent in supervising
pastoral problems in local churches or seeking to find a new pastor for a
church. It should also be realized that entire conferences vvould not move
at once into the new model. Therefore, both models vvould be operating in
a conference at the same time. Hopefully, the new model eventually will
become the predominant one.
Once a cell structure is in place in small rural churches, these churches
could be organized into groups of fifteen to twenty churches. The conference would then
appoint the pastor of the district, who would now act as a mini-conference

169
Ellen G. White, Education, (Mountain View: Pacific Press, 1903), 13.
170
La Escuela Sabática también puede necesitar atención. Esta no es una súplica para
mantener la Escuela Sabática tal como está, para asegurarse de que al pasar a grupos
pequeños, no se pierda lo cognitivo y se cree un desequilibrio.
232 10

president, responsible for overseeing these churches, nurturing their cell

leaders, and evangelizing these communities. This model is almost identical
with the early Adventist organizational structure. In this setting, as in early
Adventism, the local head eider, who would occupy the position of the
former pastor, should be appointed by the conference rather than being
elected by the local church. This would ensure that the church/group
would remain loyal to the denominaron.
These lay pastors would be under the direct supervisión of the district
supervisor (clergy). The district supervisores main responsibility would be
to oversee the lay pastors of the churches in the district. He should meet
with them on a regular basis. They, in turn, would meet with the cell group
leaders in their small churches each weck. Extra training would need to be provided for
these lay pastors, especially in preaching, if preaching is to continué on a regular
basis. Of course, since niost small churches now have a satellite dish, they
could beam down a preacher each vveek. However, having regular "social
meetings" each week would be better than having a preaching Service.
By combining the small churches into larger, self-sustaining districts,
the monetary savings in pastoral salaries should be used to place clergy into
church planting situations. This would result in a great boom in church
planting, especially if it were concentrated in the major
A Model of Church Structure Based on Biblical and I Ustorical Roots 23
3

metropolitan areas and if the new churches were started on the basis of the
New Testament model.
One of the discouraging aspects of modern ministry for the new
seminary gradúate is that usually their first pastorate is a small, static, rural
church. Since the first years of ministry are so formative, it is imperative that
the new minister catch the spirit of a growing Adventist church. Therefore,
in this model, seminary graduates could be placed in church planting
situations.171 This would create a vvholc new dynamic in the young clergy
entering denominational Service.
When young ministers are placed in these dying rural situations, they
become discouraged with cnurch growth and develop a mind-set that
assumes growth is not possible today. As a result, they are not able to grow
churches, even when they move out of small rural areas. It would be much
wiser to place young ministers in metropolitan communities to raise up new
churches. Here there is a much greater chance that they will catch a visión
of a soul-winning church than they would in the small rural church. The
money saved by the combination of districts would be used to support the
church planting teams in these major metropolitan areas that are currently
neglected for lack of funds. This would also enable the conference to return to a biblical
model of ministry, where evangelism and church planting once again
become a "team" effort and people no longer perform solo ministry.
As pastors are freed to do what earlv Adventist pastors did—raise up
new churches—the members of the churches should rejoice that the
kingdom of God is increasing and that the local church is healthier and
happier when caring for itself. Yet this can only be accomplished as the
members of the small churches are re-educated into the biblical and Ellen
White counsels regarding the clergy function. This new model will be
difficult to mándate because of the strong feeling in existing churches of the
need to have their own pastor. However, as the members are re-educated
and see conference administrations moving in harmony with God's counsel,
they will cooperate.
Because of the resistance and financial clout that may be encountered in
the larger churches, it might not be worth the struggle to transition them.
Some churches will be in the traditional model until they die. Conferences
will need to continué providing pastors to these churches, but even here
there should be education into the new model

Currerfi'ty aVi s'tuóerfrs ¿íi 'dne 'dne 'tth Tnedfugica'l Seminary are eáucaceó 'm
'fne rdie ui pastor as trainer/equipper. Todos son requeridos, también, para tomar
cursos de trabajo en la plantación de iglesias. El seminario los prepara para este tipo
de ministerio.
 234 10

of at least allowing the pastor to be a trainer/equipper rather than a primary care

giver.
Even in the new model some larger chunches may need clergy over their
large numbers of small groups, as mentioned earlier. However, their job
description must be "evangelistic overseer" instead of "caring shepherd." In a
metropolitan area or large church, the multitude of small groups would be like
having twenty-five small churches in the small group model just discussed. Cari
George's Jethro model would fit here.'1

SUMMARY
Adventist biblical and histórica] roots demand a model of church that is not
pastor dependen t, one where members provide mutual care for each otner as
they go about fulfilling the Great Commission. The model described in this
chapter envisions a church organized a round discipleship, cell groups who
provide member care, and pastoral coverage limited to the pastor being primarily
a trainer of group leaders and a facilitator between the groups. The pastor would
then mainly be involved in church planting teams. New churches raised up
would be disdpled for non-dependency. A mission mind-set would control the
churches, and the Great Commission would quickly be fulfilled. 172

172
George, prepara tu iglesia para el futuro.
 - CAPÍTULO 11

HOW TO RETURN TO THE

BIBLICAL/HISTORICAL MODEL

Is it possible? Can a whole denomination turn around and becorne a

mission-driven church whose structure truly supports its mission? Can it be a
reality? Is it possible to change the job description of the pastor, so that the
pastor once again becomes a trainer/equipper, evangelizer, and church
planter? Is it possible for members to reassume their biblical role of providing
mutual care for each other?
The kind of church described in the previous chapter seems far from the
way we do church currently. Yet, as this study has shown, it is the biblical
model of the church as community and evangelizing agency. Not only does
the New Testament advócate and practice this kind of church, but, fortunately
for Adventists, the early pioneers also modeled and practiced this relationally
built, evangelistic church. It has not been hundreds of years since Adventists saw this
church in action, as it would be for other denominations. There is only a seventy-
five year history of apostasy in their ecclesiology. Therefore, it should be
easier for them to return to the biblical model of church.
The faet that the biblical model of a relational church is so strongly rooted
in Scriptureand in Adventist history should move the present- day church of
Jesús Christ to turn every stone necessary to come back to the biblical model
of church. The way may not be easy. In fact, it is apt to be quite difficult.
Resistance will be great. Obstacles will be placed in the way. It may not be
possible for all churches to move back into this biblical model. The resistance
will be too high for some. Some will move faster than others. But movement
in the direction of re- establishing the relational Adventist church must begin,
and must begin nozo.
Recreating this kind of church does not mean that Adventists are to copy
exactly the organizational structure of either the early church or early
Adventism. Those structures clearly were geared for the times in which they
lived. But we can gather the principies from those times and recreate a church
based on those principies. What, precisely, are those basic principies? The
pastor as trainer/equipper, evangelizer, and church planter; mission as the
top priority of the church; and members being truly discipled and providing
mutual care for each

235
23bCapítulo II

other. These are the basic principies that vvere enunciated in the model
created in the previous chapter.
How can Adventists move in this new direction? In this chapter
directivos for the entire church vvill first be examined, then specific
situations, such as planting new churches in the new parad igm,
transitioning existing churches, and dealing with resistant churches, vvill
be considered. The counsel given here, obviously, is general. Uitimately,
each local situation vvill be handled differently.

EDUCATION INTO THE NEW MODEL

Basic to the implementation of the New Testament role of dergy Ls

the education of the members and the establishment of a cell-based ministry
in the local church. Only when this has been implemented can the church
seek to recover the New Testament model. To implement without first
educating the clergy and membership vvould bring disastrous resistance
to this implementation. It should not be torced on any congregation,
but the churches should cry out for it to be implemented because they
see its clear biblical mándate.
keepers to the
The education needs to begin with the clergy; they are the gate-
churches in the current ministry context. Nothing will happen in the
churches without their sanction. However, many clergy are frustrated at
the stalemated situations, and are grasping for anything to help them
change the status quo. This should accelerate their acceptance of the
biblical mándate. Presentations at pastors' meetings in the conferences will
begin the process of educating the clergy into the new paradigm.
However, more than this will need to occur if the re is to be any lasting
effect. Conferences vvho sincerely wish to move in this new direction will
need to ask for commitment from the pastors. Those who commit should
form a support group for accountability and problem-solving.
It needs to be strongly emphasized that without staunch support at the conference level,
pastors vvill soon feel too isolated to continué the implementation. The pastors need to know
that the conference leadership is behind them as this new concept of ministry
is implemented. They at times will need the conference to "take the
heat" for them.
To edúcate the pastors and not the laity would result in great resistance
as the pastors attempt implementation. The pastors will provide education
in the local church as the process of implementation
How to Return to the Riblical/Historical Model 23
7

begins. YVe will talk about that later. However, there also needs to be general
education through the various church papers. Articles in the Adventist Revieiv,
Ministry, and the various Union papers will begin to change the climate on this
issue in many minds.1 The book Revolution in the Church by the author has had
wide distribution throughout North America and has created widespread
interest in changing the role of pastor and laity.2 Continued distribution of
this book is an excellent way to waft the winds of change throughout the
church.

PLANTING A NEW CHURCH IN THE NEW MODEL

The easiest route to the new paradigm is to establish new cell churches.
Here one does not ha ve to overeóme the tradition of the existing church; from
its inception the members can be educated in the biblical model of the cell
church. As these models of the new paradigm
begin to grow and prosper under the blessing of the Holy Spirit (and prosper
they will, for God will bless His church as it seeks to return to a biblical model of doing
church), existing churches will be encouraged to copy their model.
Each conference could begin by establishing one cell-based church. This
new church could become a role model of the new paradigm for that
conference. It would not ha ve the history of the traditional model to
overeóme, and therefore would not be pastor dependent. It would be essential
that this new church be cell-based, rather than a program- based church with
small groups.

' The Adventist Review is the general church paper for Seventh-day Adventists. The íirst
issue of each month is sent free of charge to most Adventists in North America.
Other issues are subscription based. Since this is such a major change in the way
Adventists do church, articles should appear in the monthly free Review, where most
members will be informed, as well as in the "Cutting Edge" issue and others. Ministry
is a monthly clergy magazine which is sent free of charge to all Adventist clergy.
Each of the nirie unions in North America has a paper which is sent free of charge
to all members in that unión; this would also be a good place for articles.
Burrill, Revolution in the Church. The book deais with the priesthood of all believers
and the need for all members to be involved in ministry in harmony with their
spiritual gifts. It also introduces the pastor's job description as a trainer/cquipper.
It does not deal with the depth of change needed as outlinecl in this presentaban.
It is basically an introduction to this subject.
 238 Capítulo 11

A successful model in a conference would stimulate other churches to

reorganize after the new model. As these new churches grew and became larger,
the pastor's main task would be to foster and oversee these groups and
evangelize lost people.
In these new churches, no cell group should be allowed to start without a group leader and an
apprentice leader. The apprentice leader's job will be to lead a new group when the cell
multiplies in six months to a year. Three months before the groups multiply,
tvvo new apprentice leaders should be chosen for each of the new groups that
will evolve in the next three months. In this model, new leadership must
constantly be trained and developed. This would be a primary responsibility of
the clergy. If groups are allowed to start without the appointment of apprentice
leaders, the group will soon degenerate into navel-gazing and will not grow and
reproduce on a regular basis. With this structure for mutual care and
evangelistic outreach in place, the church will be able to grow' larger without
additional pastors. This structure would be difficuít to put in place in an existing
church, but should be easier in the newly planted church, provided the new
members are immediately educated into the new paradigm.
could quickly be
Without a history of the Middle Ages paradigm, the new church
educated into this new model. Thus, the start of the new cell-based churches
holds out the brightest hope for the implementation of this paradigm. If most
new churches are started in this model and the Church inaugurates an
aggressive church planting movement, the majority of churches in North
America soon would be operating in this model and it would become the
predominant way that Adventists do church.

TRANSITION1NG AN EXISTING CHURCH

INTO THE NEW MODEL
institutional church. They
Traditional Adventist churches are caught in the life of the
were organized in that fashion. It is the only life they have ever known. None of
the members who are alive today remember Adventism from the days of the
relational church. The present church is primarily program based and
departmentally structured, with youth, Sabbath school, Pathfinders,
Community Ser\Tice, worship, et cetera. The new paradigm is a church where
the small group is the organizing principie upon which everything in the church
is based.
 How lo Return to the Bib/ical/Historical Model 239
How can churches transition from being program based to becoming cell
based? Not by tearing down the oíd. The oíd is meaningful to a lot of people.
Their whole spiritual life has been ministered to in the traditional institutional
church. They fail to see how the new could be better. Therefore, these people
wül give great resistance to a dismantling of the existíng local church structure. Jesús gave us
some excellent counsel on transitioning from the oíd to the new when He talked about not putting
new wine in oíd wineskins:

No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an oíd

garment; othervvise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the
new will not match the oíd. And no one puts new wine into oíd
wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be
spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into
fresh wineskins (Luke 5:36-38 NASB).

Jesús' counsel is appropriate for us today. If we attempt to change the present

church into the new paradigm, we run the risk of destroying both the new wine and the oíd wine.
The transition has to occur slowly for existing churches. Existing churches may never fully
transition to the biblical model. Let them alone. Eventually they will die, says
jesús. Instead, we must pour most of our energy into establishing new
wineskins. Sometimes the new wineskins will need to be developed within the
existing church. In other words, instead of eliminating the oíd way of doing
things, add the small group cell structure alongside the existing structure.
Eventually this "new wine" will take hold and become the whole, while the "oíd
wine" slowly dies. But if we should seek to completely elimínate the oíd in order
to create the new, Jesús indicates that we will destroy both.
Too many pastors have made the mistake, when they leam new ways of doing
things, of rushing home to initiate it in their churches. Quickly they discover that the members are not
as enthusiastic about the change as the pastor is, and opposition mounts. The pastor becomes
discouraged. The proposed change is dropped and the church sinks even
lower into the doldrums of the institutional church.
How much better it is to disturb as little as possible the accustomed ways of
doing things in the church. Introduce the new idea and let it exist side by side
with the oíd. That is the only way to transition an existing church. Even this may
not work in some churches. In that case, just let the church continué in the oíd
way. Spend time creating entirely new wineskins. Some churches will inove
partially in this direction. That is fine. The Adventist Church i.s not on a time
schedule. They must give the Holy Spirit plenty of time lo work. When Cod
brought Israel out of Egypt, it took Him forty years to transition Israel out of
Egyptian hierarchical thirtking and establish them upen the bíblica! model. And
it took even longer for Egypt to get out of the people. The Church is not Moses,
but they serve the same God as Moses did. Hopefully, it will not take forty years
for the present generation. Hopefully these people will not ha ve to die in the
wilderness. God needs leaders today who will be the new Moses to lead God's
240 Capítulo 1 1

people out of Egypt and into the promised land.

If pastora during their tenure ín a church are able to transition o ni y
partially, they can be thankful that at least God has enabled the church
to move in the right direction. The most importan! prioritv is for the existing church
to restore relational meetings, even though it may never totally develop the oell
church model. In some churches these relational meetings may not even be in
the forin of small groups. Relational times can be introduced into large group
events. However, the relational issue cannot be optional, The way the church
can accomplish relational ministry may be optional, but the church must become
relational or it will have ceased to be tlie church of Jesús Christ.
Recognizing that primarily it is easier and perhaps wiser to start new
churches in this paradigm, there yet may be times when a church desires to
transition completely to the cell model. How is that transition accomplished? As
slated above, it moves slowly. New vvine isnoL poured immediately into the oíd
wineskins, First, new wineskins must be created in the existing church.
The pastor may wish to begin vvith discussions among the elders or
the church board. Leadership must be brought on board first. If the leadership
of the local church is not behind the movement to transition the church to the
biblical parad igm, it is not going to happen, no matter how skiílful the pastor
may be. The leadership could begin by discussing Revolution in the Church. In the
process of the discussion, they could be asking how they could implement these
changes in their church. A skiílful and wise pastor will not just tell the leaders
what to do and how to do it, but will listen to their suggestions for
implementation and follow' many of those suggestions.
With leadership supporting the movement, the next step is to hcTp the
entire congregaron see the need for the change in paradigms. Sermons on the
role of laity, the role of the pastor, the relational church, et cetera, would need to
be preached on a regular basis. "Town Hall" type meetings could be held where
members could discuss vvith leadership how to implement the changes in their
church. None of this can be torced. It must be done from a great desire to return to biblical and
historical roots.
Many times pastors are so keen to implement the organizational changes
that they faií to see the need to introduce the changes into the minds of
individuáis first. That is why they meet with so much resistance. The steps here
outlined to create "buy in" by both leadership and membership cannot be
emphasized too strongly. How'ever, there is another factor that is often
overlooked in the attempt to bring this organizational chango. A mission mind-
set must first be established.
To suggest to a local church a change in clergy function whereby members
care for each other instead of the pastor being the primary care giver wrill create
a mild earthquake in most churches, unless the pastor has first established a mission
mind-set. The priority of the Harvest and of reaching lost people and bringing them to
 Cómo volver al modelo bíblico/histórico 241
Christ has to be fully reestablished in the minds of the church members prior to
the introduction of any organizational change. Sermons on the Great
Commission and a focus on developing a disciple-making track, as suggested in
the previous chapter, are essentials to the implementation of this model.
This model makes sense only in the setting of the evangelistic, disciple-
making church. Therefore, the establishment of a mission mentality must be
given top priority in the implementation of the model in the local church.
Discussion of, or even mentioning, the new model must be done only after a
mission mentality has been established in the minds of most of the church
members. Too often it is assumed that this mind-set is there. This cannot be
assumed; it must be established. Only then can the pastor begin to establish the lay-
empowered church.
Once it is established that a mission mind-set is functioning in the local
church, the first area of implementation would be the re- establishment of the
role of laity as the performers of ministry and the clergy as the trainer/equipper.
This is the area that Rcvolution in the Church covers and is just the first step in the
implementation of the total model. Only after the church has begun moving
toward the goal of having all members involved in ministry would the second
part of the model, cell groups, be introduced.
 242 Lhaptcr /1

To establish small groups before the church has developed the ministry of
the laity would result in the small groups being only appendages to the
institutional church. They would be weak and nurture-oriented, and would
never become the orgariizing principie of the church. Instead, they would soon
die out and then the church members would declare that they had tried small
groups and they did not work. However, if the lay ministry model is developed
first, and the people see that the pastor is the trainer/equipper of the members
ministries rather than the primary care giver, then the need for small groups to
provide member care and to facilítate the ministry of the laity becomes apparent.
In this context, small groups will become a necessity and it will be easier to move
into the model where cell groups are the organizmg principie upon which the
church is based.
As the cell group structure is developed in the churches, the pastors are
treed from care giving and spend most of their time establishing nevv groups
(church planting) and facilitating the existing groups and their ministries. It will
then be an easier step to the estabíishment of the model discussed in the previous
chapter.
The above scenario is a way to transition both large and small churches. One
would hope that transition would be faster in the smaller churches, since fewer
people would need to be brought into the process. Yet the resistance of the small
church may be even greater than the larger church. It is here that the conference
may have to make some hard derisions, from a purely financial perspective. Can
a conference continué to supply pastors to such small congregaLions? Instead,
they may need to accelerate this process by creating much larger districts,
Perhaps they will begin by merging two districts to create districts of four or five
churches, and then eight or ten churches, until finally they have districts of fifteen
and twenty churches. A district of fifteen churches should be easier to manage
than one with only three or four churches. If a pastor has three or four churches,
members may stil! expect the same coverage they would if the pastor had only
one or two churches. However, if the pastor has fifteen churches, evcryone
knows the same coverage is impnssible. That would forcé churches to assume
more responsibility and move back into the biblical model, which would make
tliem more open to being taught to care for themselves without having a settled
pastor.
To implement the above program would be risky, because many smaller
churches would feel alienated and would attempt to use political power to curta
¡1 the movement But if we are serious about returning to the biblical model, risks
will need to be taken. Some
presidents could lose their jobs, but re-creating the mission-driven church
must be made a priority. Even this transition should move slowly, and
patience should be exercised. Due process vvill need to be followed in nelping
the small church accept its responsibility to care for itself, but leadership will
need to be inflexible in the direction it is seeking to lead the small churches.
Cómo volver al modelo histórico-biológico 243

As districts are combined, the salaries saved could now be used to plant churches among
unreached people groups. Another way to
acceierate this change in the small district is for the pastor of the three- or four-
church district to start planting other churches in the district. He thereby
would be increasing the size of that district. Some of these new churches may
be in small communities and have only one cell, but would be established in
the member-care model. Since the same pastor is responsible for the district,
the conference has not increased a salary, but it has increased the number of
churches in the district. Thus the tithe and membership base is increasing
without increasing the financial outlay. Members of the existing church will
be more likely to accept more responsibility, knowing that their pastor is now
serving
more churches.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT EXISTING CHURCHES

WHICH DO NOT WISH TO TRANSITION

lt is regrettable but certain that many existing churches will not desire to
transition to the new model. Jesús' counsel is, do not pour new wine into them;
let them die. Cari George has indicated that the cell concept will be a key
characteristic of the churches that survive into the twenty-first century. Most
of the others will die.

In a nutshell, what is the fundamental active ingredient in

the church of the future? Growing cells led by volunteer ministers are the
fundamental building block. Everything else can be rationalizecl around
that one concept/

What should be done about existing churches that refuse to change? They
must be allowed to continué in the oíd paradiem and not be forced into the
new mold. However, the conference will have to make tough decisions about
pastoral coverage for such churches. The 1 George, The Corning Church Revoiution, 313.
least a conference can do is to attempt to match a pastor who does not wish
to transition with such a churcn. The worst scenario would be to give a church
a pastor who begins leading it to the new model, and then replace that pastor
with a traditional, institutional pastor who will undo all that the previous pastor
did.
Yet the issue involved here is not as simple as leaving such churches alone. VVhat
they are doing is unbiblical and contrary to the counsel God gave the Adven tist
Church through the inspired pen of Ellen White. Can the Church at large
allow such churches to continué in disobedience to the Lord? Of course, they
must first of all be convinced that they are living in disobedience. That should
not be too difficuit when one considere the abundance of counsel in the Bible
and in the writings of Ellen White, as has been set forth in this paper.
 244 Capítulo 11

At the very least, all churches should move from the pastor dependency
model to having a pastor who is a trainer/equipper. "Every member a
minister" should be a requirement, not an option, for any church. Therefore,
the first stages of transition should be attempted in all churches and the steps to
follow are the same as those outlined above for the churches that are transítioning. The
resistant churches simply would not return all the way. Instead they will spend
considerable time helping people discover their spiritual gifts and finding a place of
ministry in the church.173
Organizationally, these churches should begin moving toward permanent
placement in ministry in harmony with giftedness instead of utilizing the
nominating committee. The traditional nominating committee selects people
for every conceivable ministry in the church, with no understanding of
people's giftedness. Instead of having a slate of ministries and officers to fill,
the traditional nominating committee should become more people-centered.
They should examine people's gifts, interests, and abilities, and seek to place
them in ministry accordingly, regardless of whether or not they fill all the
slots. Training would then be provided for these people and the expectation would be
that all members would be involved in ministry. In order for this to happen, a mission
mind-set must first be established in these churches.
It is conceivable that some churches would not desire to move even this far.
In that case, the pastor would be wise to not spend a lot of time trying to buck
the resistance. Instead, the pastor should move out into the community and
create a new church that would be started in the new paradigm. The pastor would
continué the minimal Services 4 Burrill, Rcvnlution in the Church.

" Mallison, 9, citando a Lawrence O. Richards, A Face for the New Church (Granel Rapids:
Zondervan, 1970).
Mallison, 9 años.
How to Return to the Biblical/1 listorical Model 24
5

needed in the existing church so the members remain happy, but in the
meantime he would be creating a new community in that city which would be
more biblical in practice. If a church is not willing to change, let it alone. Don't
waste valuable pastoral time on it. Create something new. Nothing forbids a
pastor trom doing that.

RESUMEN

This chapter has examined implementation of the biblical-historical model

developed in this paper. It has suggested that transition be slow but delibérate.
The easiest path is to create entirely new churches in the new model; transition
existing churches where they desire transition; and allow existing churches who
do not desire to transition to continué in the existing rnode. The author has
suggested a process of education and "buy in" by both leadership and
membership as a church transitions into the biblical paradigm.
Transition may not progress as rapidly as desired, but pastors should be happy
as long as they see progress being made to move the church in this new direction. The church
is a mighty ship; the larger it is, the more difficult it will be to turn it around and the longer it
will take. Patient endurance will be needed, but Christ, who is head of the
Church, is leading, and His followers must obey. The relational, lay-
empowered, non-pastoral dependent, mutual-caring community of believers,
known as the church, must be reborn.
The apostle John stated it so clearly at the end of the first century when he
declared that we preach this message of cognitive truth so that people might
have fellowship with us, as we ha ve fellowship vvith the Father and His Son.5
The basic need of humanity has not changed in two thousand years. God is still
calling out a people who will live in true community and thus demónstrate to
the world the transforming nature of the community that God has called into being.
Christians can no longer live in isolation; they are called to live in community.

To learn to trust, and to become trustworthy—to learn to

love, and to become loving—we must become deeply involved
in the I¡ves of others, to whom we commit ourselves ¡n Christ. To
develop this kind of relationship we need to sha re ourselves
with others, and they need to 1
 24 6 Capítulo J 7

share themselves with us. All of this demands time. More than
this, it requires a face-to-face relationship. A relationship we
can have only with a few othcrs at one time. And thus a church
is torced to move to a small group structure.*
We are called to live out our Christian life in community.7
This is the cali of God at the end of the twentieth century. We have
followed long enough the pattern of the institutional church originated by
Constantine in the fourth century. It is time to create a church built on biblical
foundations. The Adventist church has constructed what they believe to be a
clear platform of biblical truth, but now they must also create a clear platform
of biblical practice. It is not sufficient to simply believe the truths of the Bible;
those truths must be lived out by those who believe.
Not only must these truths be lived out in people's Uves, but God also has
called the church to live their lives in community with others. Sadly, we have built our
church on American individualism rather than on biblical community. It is time to forsake
American individualism in favor of establishing biblical community that truly disdples all
people and thus fulfills the Great Commission.
 - CAPÍTULO 12 -

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

This dissertation has sought to establish a model for the Adventist Church Ln the
twenty-first century that has been arrived at through an understanding of the biblical
artel historical heritage of the Adventist church. From the biblical and
historical evidence, the author has proposed a model of church that is non
clergy dependen!, lay based, cell based, and mission driven. The conclusions
llave been approached through four sections.
The first section has examined the mission basis of Adventism; the thesis
being that only as the church recovers its mission consciousness can the rest
of the model be enacted. That mission has been shovvn to be rooted and
grounded in the Great Commission. The giving of the Great Commission was
found to be the basis upon which Christ called His church into being. The
product of that commission is disciples, which were defined as people who
have completely submitted to the .vk*rd.sh\r* -CfajURt A»? Xhesir Aijuns
ICtay' xbindshyr» ,\v
.al'
aspeets of their being—their physical, mental, and spiritual natures.
It has been shovvn that a Great Commission consciousness was the
backbone of the New Testament church organization. Every aspect of its
organization was designed for the accomplishmenl of the mission of Christ—
to make disciples of all people groups. As a result of its focus on mission, the
structure served the mission of the church. Its resources were invested into
reaching new people for Christ and planting new churches that were
indigenous and self-sustaining, without clergy dependeney. Because reaching
the lost was its top priority, the early church was willing to make any
necessary changes that did not compromise its faith, in order to reach people.
They simply followed the pattern of their Lord, who had incarnated ITimself
into Jewish culture.
The Adventist understanding of mission has accentuated the Great Commission
through an understanding of the three angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-12.
Adventists see these as their special message to give to the world. The ultímate
result of giving these messages is that people are prepared for the advent of
the Lord, restored physically, mentally, and spiritually to the image of Christ
through His indwelling power. It is a message that is to be rooted and
grounded in the gospel of free grace, with obedience being evidence of the
lordship of Christ in the life.

247
248 12

Part 2 searched the New Testament for a biblical understanding of

pastoral role and member care. The various New' Testament terms for
clergy w'ere examined to discover if any of them suggested the role of the
pastor as primary care giver. No such role was discovered. Instead, it was found that
the clergy role in the New' Testament was primarily apóstolic and evangelistic. Clergy
either administrated, evangelized, or planted new churches. Clergy were not hired
simply to care for existing Christians.
An investigation into member care in the New' Testament church in
the absence of localized clergy over churches revealed a biblical paradigm
of mutual member care. New Testament passages dealing with member
care are always addressed to all believers, never to a hired person. The
basis of mutual care giving is found in God's original plan for humanity
in Edén, where God created humanity for togetherness instead of isolation.
A brief study of community in the Oíd Testament, as wFell as in the New,
revealed a God who works in and through community, a God who expects
His church, likewise, to exist in community with each other and even to
evangelize in community. Jesús, it was discovered, began the church as a small
group. The result was that the New Testament church, as a result of the direction given
it at Pentecost by the Holy Spirit, established not an institutional church, but a small-
group, house-based church. Having examined the multitude of New
Testament passages on community, it was discovered that the nurture of
the church is best provided by members caring for each other. Removing
mutual member care from the church would rob the members of that
which God gave them for their spiritual health and vitality.
Part 3 examined the role of the pastor and member care as it existed in the
early Adventist church. From the time Constantino fully established the
institutional church in the fourth cenlurv to the rediscovery of a community-
based church in the Metlioc.38Píi.VVJÍ «Al of the eighteenth century, the church
abdicated the community basis of its organization, both in pastoral role and member care.
As a result, the church organization which developed was totally foreign to the New
Testament concept of providing mutual care and having an evangelizing
clergy. Then followed the establishment of the clergv- dependent church and
baby-sitting pastoral role that most churches still follow'.
Under the inspired guidance of Ellen White, Adventists, many of
whom initially sprang from Methodist roots, recreated the New Testament
non-pastor dependent church. An examination of the writings of many of
the Adventist pioneers, and especially Ellen White,
Resumen y Conclusión 249

reveal a delibérate attempt to create a church that was not pastor dept?ndent.
The entire church structure, including its fin anees, was organized to support a church
planting movement. Local congregations did not pay pastors, since pastors did
not serve local congregations. The local churches were taught to care for
themselves and to pay their tithe to support the clergy, who continued to
plant churches in new people groups. For members to be dependent on clergy
for their spiritual Ufe was alien to early Adventism. Ellen White declared that
members of such churches needed to be born again and rebaptized!
In an organizational structure without settled pastors, established
churches were taught to care for themselves. Newly planted churches were
likewise taught to have Ufe in themselves; they were discipled, just as Jesús
had commanded. The main tool early Adventists used to accomplish this
ministry of mutual care and independence from preachers was the "'social
meeting." These testimony-type meetings enabled the believers to share their faith with
each other each week and to hold each other accountable for their life in Christ.
Churches were relatively small, and very little preaching occurred. Most
preaching took place at the annual camp meeting, whose yearly assemblies
enabled the believers to sense that they were a part of something much larger
than their small local church
All churches, it was discovered, were to be organized into small
companies, regarctless ót sizeTfc’lien V^fiite 1deciare1u,1tnát,,tne concept ói
organizing into small companies was given to her by One who could not
err. Indeed, that same Jesús established the New Testament church on the
same basis.
The final section of this paper proposed a model for the Adventist church
todav that incorpora tes the principies discovered in this reflection on Adventism's
biblical and historical roots. It reveáis a desperate need on the part of Adventism to be loyal
to its biblical and historical roots by developing a practice that is in harmony with
Scripture, just as it has developed a strong biblical theology. This return to
Adventism's roots must be driven by three factors: the need lu be faithful to
Gcripture and to the counsel of Ellen White, the need to be faithful to its mission,
and the need to adequately nurture its believers. Therefore, present-day
Adventism must return to a more biblical view of the role of the pastor and to
a biblical plan of mutual member care insteaci of clergy dependeney.
The model proposed in this dissertation envisions a church centered on the
making of reai disciples rather than just church members, one that is culturally
relevant yet uncompromising on
biblical truths, and a church that is centered in church planting rather
than the nurture of the saints. This model is to be cell based, with nurture
occurring in the small groups that are the organizing prindple upon which
the church is structured. With members being taught to care for
themselves and every member involved in ministry in harmony with their
spiritual gifts, the pastor's chief role will once again become that of church
250 hapler 12

planter and evangelizer. Church planting envisioned starting new groups

as well as new churches. In this model, a cell is a church by itself, whether
or not it is connected organizationally at the local level to other churches.
Smaller churches were to be organized into districts of fifteen to twenty
churches, vvhile localized pastors would be found in larger metropolitan
areas. Yet in each scenario their job description would be changed to
trainer/equipper/evangelizer/church planter.
Finally, a plan was briefly suggested as to how the Adventist church
could return to this model of ecclesiology that is more in harmony with its
biblical and historical roots. The best way, it was suggested, would be to
plant new churches in the new model. Older churches would be difficult
to transition. A plan of transition was suggested for those churches that
wished to move to the new paradigm. That plan envisioned a slow process
that involved leaders and members owning the change process. Resistant
churches, it was indicated, should be left to die if they refused to change.
However, at least an attempt should be made to move them into a less
pastor- dependent mode by transitioning the pastoral role to that of the
trainer/equipper instead of primary care giver. Their spiritual health
warranted movement at least to that initial stage. Other strategies
suggested involving pastors of resistant churches in planting new
churches in the new paradigm in the same communities as the resistant
congregaron, thus ensuring the existence of the church after the demise of
the church that refuses to change.
Having examined the biblical and historical roots of the mission-
centered Adventist church, it is concluded that a niajor attempt should be
made to move the church in this new direction. It is not an option for
Adventism. It cannot choose either to follovv or not follow this plan. The
biblical and historical roots of Adventism demand the lav- empowered,
mission-driven, non-clergy dependent, cell-based church. To fail to return
to these roots as the Church moves into the future is to be disobedient to
Christ. That is unthinkable for the Adventist Christian. Therefore,
whatever the cost, movement in the direction of the community-based
church must begin. God has waited long
enough for Adventists to rediscover their mission-based organization. It is
time to begin nozo.
 —APPENDIX —

NORTH AMERICAN DIVISION

GROWTH STATISTICS
RSHIP
MEMBE INCREASE INCREASE
INCREASE IN ORDA1NED
APPENDIX 1
YLAR MEMBERSHIP
CHURCHES
ORDAINE
D 1*1 K CHURCHE PASTORS

PASTORS ORDAINE S TO
D RAISE ONE
PASTORS CHURCH
1867 4320 160 28 N/A N/A N/A N/A
1868 4475 159 32 155 4.84 -1 -32.00
1869 4900 167 33 425 12.88 tí 4.13
1870 5390 179 37 490 13.24 12 3.08
1871 4490 185 34 -900 -26.47 6 5.67
1872 4839 292 49 349 7.12 107 0.46
1873 5801 235 50 962 19.24 -57 -0.88
1874 N'A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
1875 7842 334 67 2041 30.46 99 0.68
1876 9894 390 93 2052 22.06 56 1.66
1877 11308 470 102 1414 13.86 80 1.28
1878 12747 528 114 1439 12.62 58 1.97
1879 13777 577 140 1030 7.36 49 2.86
1880 14984 615 140 1207 8.62 38 3.68
1881 1 6345 61 1 143 1361 9.52 -4 -35.75
1882 16548 630 159 203 1.28 19 8.37
1883 16712 649 153 164 1.07 19 8.05
1884 17912 683 161 1200 7.45 34 4.74
1885 19721 711 170 1809 10.64 28 6.07
1886 22087 758 196 2366 12.07 47 4.17
1887 24156 833 198 2069 10.45 75 2.64
1888 24045 839 204 -111 -0.54 6 34.00
1889 26666 883 299 2621 0.77 44 6.80
1890 27031 930 198 365 1.84 47 4.21
1891 28438 971 196 1407 7.18 41 4.78
1892 30254 994 207 1816 8.77 23 9.00
1893 33298 1036 221 3044 13.77 42 5.26
1894 38024 1094 245 4726 19.29 58 4.22
1895 41951 1191 260 3927 15.10 97 2.68
1896 45534 1276 263 3583 13.62 85 3.09
1897 48318 1369 292 2784 9.53 93 3.14
1898 50288 1403 322 1970 6.12 34 9.47
1899 53206 1470 343 2918 8.51 67 5.12
1900 62636 1867 358 9430 26.34 397 0.90
1901 63521 1877 410 885 2.16 10 41.00
1902 58272 1884 408 -5249 -12.87 7 58.29
1903 60431 1944 453 2159 4.77 60 7.55
1904 61756 2058 478 1325 2.77 114 4.19
1905 65186 2100 492 3430 6.97 42 11.71
1906 66378 2109 515 1192 2.31 9 57.22
1 1907 1 64515 1 2058 486 1 -1863 -3.83 -51 1 -9-53 1
1908 65074 1890 i518 I 559 1.08 , -168 -3.08

253
254 Apéndice

APPENDIX MEMBE RSHIP INCRE INCRE

1 ORDAI PER ASE ASE
YEA MEMBERS CHURCHE NE ORDAIN IN ORDAI
D NIT)
R HIP S
PASTO INCREA E D CHUR PASTO
RS SF PASTORS CHE RS
S TO
1909 65122 2063 517 48 0.09 173 RAISE
2.99
1910 63917 2014 534 -1205 -2.26 -49 ONE
-10.90
CHURCH
1911 65284 1994 534 1367 2.56 -20 -26.70
1912 65946 1973 504 662 1.31 -21 -24.00
1913 67268 2006 589 1322 2.24 33 17.85
1914 72015 2054 555 4747 8.55 48 11.56
1915 77735 2113 582 5720 9.83 59 9.86
1916 76646 2167 613 -1089 -1.78 54 11.35
1917 87222 2216 650 10576 16.27 49 13.27
1918 91972 2251 687 4750 6.91 35 19.63
1919 95645 2254 708 3673 5.19 3 236.00
1920 95877 2217 708 232 0.33 -37 -19.14
1921 98715 2235 704 2838 4.03 18 39.11
1922 101129 2243 749 2414 3.22 8 93.63
1923 102791 2226 750 1662 2.22 -17 -44.12
1924 106941 2250 818 4150 5.07 24 34.08
1925 108802 2239 836 1861 2.23 -11 -76.00
1926 110422 2240 848 1620 1.91 1 848.ÍX)
1927 112276 2222 850 1854 2.18 -18 -47.22
1928 113737 2229 669 1461 2.18 7 95.57
1929 117771 2249 905 4034 4.46 20 45.25
1930 120560 2227 935 2789 2.98 -22 -42.50
1931 127787 2258 915 7227 7.90 31 29.52
1932 135637 2285 981 7850 8.00 27 36.33
1933 143777 2345 1000 8140 8.14 60 16.67
1934 151216 2375 1026 7439 7.25 30 34.20
1935 157507 2423 1026 6291 6.13 48 21.38
1936 161271 2480 1043 3764 3.61 57 18.30
1937 164490 2508 1033 3219 3.12 28 36.89
1938 171214 2552 1051 6724 6.40 44 23.89
1939 177341 2590 1086 6127 5.64 38 28.58
1940 185788 2624 1122 8447 7.53 34 33.00
1941 191333 2623 1230 5545 4.51 -1 -
1942 197215 2658 1308 5882 4.50 35 1230.00
37.37
1943 201111 2675 1336 3896 2.92 17 78.59
1944 206908 2696 1427 5797 4.06 21 67.95
1945 212514 2713 1447 5606 3.87 17 85.12
1946 220122 2740 1508 7608 5.05 27 55.85
1947 228179 2750 1647 8057 4.89 10 164.70
1948 235460 2794 1687 7281 4.32 44 38.34
1949 243193 2833 1717 7733 4.50 39 44.03
1950 250939 2878 1843 7746 4.20 45 40.96
1951 260185 2901 1908 9246 4.85 23 82.96
1952 268533 2955 1991 8348 4.19 54 36.87
1953 275733 3016 2084 7200 3.45 61 34.16
1954 285777 3027 2149 10044 4.67 11 195.36
1955 293448 3041 2344 7671 3.27 14 167.43
Estadísticas de Crecimiento de la División Norteamericana 255

APPEND1X MEMBf RSHIP INCREA

1 ORDAIN INCREA SE
PER
YEAK MFMBERSH CHURCHE
S
E
ORDAIN 5E ORDAIN
IP 0 INCRF IN ED
PASTOR E PASÍO
ASF D CHUR
S CHE Kb
PASTORS S T0
1956 299984 3066 2390 6536 2.73 25 95.60
RAISf ONE

1 957 308695 3103 2480 8711 3.51 37 67.03

CHURO 1

1958 318939 3139 2512 10244 4.08 36 69.78

1959 325882 3166 2627 6943 2.64 27 97.30
1960 332364 3197 2860 6482 2.27 31 92.26
1961 N/A 3223 3731 N/A N/A 26 143.50
1962 343664 3261 2822 11300 4.00 38 74.26
1963 351048 3298 2897 7384 2.55 37 78.30
1964 361878 3326 2928 10830 3.70 28 104.57
1965 370688 3335 2497 8810 3.53 9 277.44
1966 380855 3339 2405 10167 4.23 4 601.25
1967 391014 3356 2592 10159 3.92 17 152.47
1968 401972 3383 2552 10958 4.29 27 94.52
1969 413811 3398 2626 11839 4.51 15 175.07
1970 426295 3401 2680 12484 4.66 3 893.33
1971 439726 3423 2759 13431 4.87 22 125.41
1972 454096 3471 2792 14370 5.15 48 58.17
1973 470622 3501 2892 16526 5.71 30 96.40
1974 486601 3540 2962 1 5979 5.39 39 75.95
1975 503689 3601 2993 17088 5.71 61 49.07
1976 520842 3673 3106 17153 5.52 72 43.14
1977 536649 3729 3210 15807 4.92 56 57.32
1978 551884 3850 3293 15235 4.63 121 27.21
1979 566453 3932 3369 14569 4.32 82 41.09
1980 585050 3994 3416 18597 5.44 62 55.10
1981 604430 4043 3545 19380 5.47 49 72.35
1982 622961 4116 3121 18531 5.94 73 42.75
1983 642317 4194 3136 19356 6.17 78 40.21
1984 660253 4341 3543 17936 5.06 147 24.10
1985 676204 4306 3206 15951 4.98 -35 -91.60
1986 689507 4352 3285 13303 4.05 46 71.41
1987 704515 4399 3331 15008 4.51 47 70.87
1988 715260 4450 3314 10745 3.24 51 64.98
1989 727561 4506 3271 12301 3.76 56 58.41
1990 743023 4542 3285 15462 4.71 36 91.25
1991 760148 4557 3291 17125 5.20 13 219.40
1992 776848 4597 3362 16700 4.97 40 84.05
1993 793594 4609 3320 1 6746 5.04 12 276.67
1994 807601 4642 3420 14007 4.10 33 103.64

The above statistics have been gleaned from the General Conference
Department of Archives. Early figures are somewhat sketchy, based
primarily upon reports in the Review and Herald. The statistics report
increase in membership, rather than baptisms, and increase in churches
rather than churches started, because the data on baptisms and new
churches did not exist for the early days. The author
 25 6 Apéndice

wishes to acknowledge the assistance of Peter Cincala in compiling the basic

data. All calculations are the responsibility of the author. It Ls from this data
that the diagrams in chapter 7 have been constructed.
 - BIBLIOGRAFÍA -

SECTION I: BOOKS
Abbott, Rev. T. K. International Critical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and to the
Colossians. Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 1897.

Alien, Roland. The Spontaneous Expansión of the Church. Grand Rapids:

Eerdmans, 1962.

Anderson, Leith. Dyingfor Change: An Arresting Look at the Mezo Realities

Confronling Churches and Para Church Ministries. Minneapolis: Bethany
House, 1990.

. A Church for the 21s* Century. Minneapolis: Bethany House,

1992.
Anderson, Ray S. Ministry On the Fireline: A Practical Theology for an Empowered Church.
Downers Grove, 111.: InterVarsity Press, 1993.

Arnold, Jeffrey. The Big Book on Srnall Groups. Downers Grove, 131.:
InterVarsity Press, 1992.

Bailey, Keith M., conip. The Church Planter's Manual. Harrisburg, Pa.:
Christian Publications, Inc., 1981.

Banks, Robert. PauTs Idea of Comrnunity. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrikson

Publishers, 1995.

Barna, George. User Friendlx/ Churches. Ventura, Calif.: Regal Books, 1991.

. Evangelista That Works. Ventura, Calif.: Regal Books, 1995.

Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics 3, Doctrine of Creation. Trans. G. T. Thomson.

Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 1958.

Bruner, Frederick Dale. Mattheiv, Vol. 2, The Churchbook. Dallas, Tex.: Word,
1990.
2.57
Bugbee, Bruce, Don Cousins and Bill Hybels. Connections. Lincoln, Nebr.:
Advent Source, 1996.
 258 Bibliografía

Burrill, Russell. Revolution in the Church. Fallbrook, Calif.: Hart Research, 1993.
Butler, George I. Replies to Eider Canright's Attacks on Seventh-day
Adventists. Battle Creek: Revievv and Herald, 1888.

Cheney, Charles L. Church Planting at the End of the Twentieth Century.

Wheaton, 111.: Tyndale House, 1991.

Cho, Dr. Paul Yonggi. Successful Home Cell Groups. Plainfield, N.J.: Lugos
International, 1981.

Costas, Orlando. Líberating News: A Theolog}/ of Contextual

Evangelization. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989.

Cremer, Hermán. Biblico-Theological Lexicón of New Testament Greek. Edinburgh: T. and T.

Clark, 1895.

Delafield, D. A. Ella 1 G. White in Europe, 1885-1887. Washington, D.C.:

Revievv and Herald, 1975.

Dudley, Roger L. and Des Cummings, Jr. Adventures in Church Growtk

Washington, D.C.: Revievv and Herald, 1983.

Edwards, Rex. Every Believer A Minister. Mountain View, Calif.: Parific Press,
1979.

Galloway, Dale E. 20/20 Vision: Hozo to Create a Successful Church with Lay
Pastors and Cell Groups. Portland, Ore.: Scott Publishing Company, 1986.

George, Cari F. Prepare Your Church for the Fu ture. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1991.

. The Corning Church Revolution. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1995.

Gibbs, Eddie. I Relieve in Church Growth. London: Hodder& Stoughton, 1992.

Gorman, Julie. Community That Is Christian: A Handbook on Small Groups.
Wheaton, 111.: Víctor Books, 1993.

Hesselgrave, David. Planting Churches Cross Culturally. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980.

Howe, Alien H. The Challenge of Church Growth: A Symposiutn. Ed. Wilbert R.

Shenk. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1973.

Hunter, George G. 111. To Spread the Power: Church Growth in the Wesleyan
Bibliografía 259

Spirit. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1991.

________ . Church for the Unchurched. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996.

Hunter, Kent R. Foundations for Church Growth: Biblical Basics for the Local
Church. Corunna, Ind.: Church Growth Center, 1994.

Icenogle, Gareth W. Biblical Foundations for Small Group Ministry: Ati Interfiational
Approach. Downers Grove, 111.: InterVarsity Press, 1994.

Kruse, Colín G. Nezo Testament Models for Ministry: ]esus and Paul. Nashville:
Thomas Nelson, 1983.

Lefroy, William. The Christian Ministiy: Its ürigin, Constitution, Nature, and
Work. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1890.

Logan, Robert E. Beyond Church Growth: Action Plans for Developing a

Dynamic Church. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1994.

Loughborough, J. N. Miraclcs in My Life. Reprinted by Leaves of Autumn

Books, Payson, Ariz., 1987.

________ . The Church: Its Organization, Order and Discipline.

Washington: Review and Herald, 1907.

Mallison, John. Grozving Christians in Small Groups. Sydney, Australia:

Anzea Publisher, 1989.
Malphurs, Aubrey. Planting Growing Churches for the 21bi Century. Grand
Rapids: Baker Book House, 1992.

Mannoia, Kevin W. Church Planting: The Next Generaticm. Indianapolis: Light and Life
Press, 1994.

McBride, Neal F. Hozo to Lead Small Groups. Colorado Springs: NavPress,

1995.

McGavran, Donald A. Understanding Church Grozvth. Grand Rapids:

Eerdmans, 1990.

McNamara, Roger N., ed. A Practical Cuide to Church Planting Cleveland,

Ohio: Baptist Mid-Missions, 1985.
260 Bibliografía

Mead, Loren. The Once and Fu ture Church. Washington: The Alban
Institute, 1991.
Mellor, E. Priesthood in the Light of the Nezc Testament. London: Hodder and
Stoughton, 1876.
 BíblicaJografía 261

Montgomery, James H. Down 2000: 7 Mili ion Churches to Go. Pasadena:

William Carey Library, 1989.

Neighbour, Ralph W., Jr. Where Do We Go Froni Here? Houston, Tex.: Touch,
1977.
Newbigin, James E. Lesslie. The Open Secret: Sketches for a Missiomry Theology. Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978.

Ogden, Greg. The New Refonnation. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1990.

Patterson, George and Richard Scoggins. Church Multiplication Guide.
Pasadena: William Carey Librarv, 1993.

Peck, George and John S. Hoffman, eds. The Laity in Ministry. Valley Forge,
Pa.: Judson Press, 1984.

Petersen, Jim. Church Without Walls. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1992.

Ramseyer, Robert L. The Challenge of Church Growth: A Symposiim. Wilbert R.

Shenk, ed. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1973.

Redford, Jack. Planting New Churches. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1978.

Regele, Mark. The Dcath of the Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.
Richards, H.M.S. Feed My Sheep. Washington, D.C.: Revievv and Herald,
1958.

Schweizer, Eduard. Church Order in the Nezo Testament. Naperville, 111.: Alee
R. Allenson, Inc., 1961.

Shenk, Wilbert R. ed. The Challenge of Church Growth: A Symposium. Scottdale,

Pa.: Herald Press, 1973.

Slocum, Robert. Maximize Your Ministry. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1990.

Spence, H. D. M., and Joseph Exell, ed., The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 20. Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977.
Sullivan, Bill M. Ten Steps to Breaking the 200 Barrier. Kansas City, Mo.: Beacon
Hill Press, 1988.
Tippett, Alan R. Church Growth and the Word of God. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970.
 262 Bibliografía

Towns, Elmer. Getting a Church Started. Lynchburg, Va.: Church Growth

Institute, 1985.
Van Engen, Charles. God's Missionary People: Rethinking the Purpose of the Local
Church. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1991.

Volz, Cari A. Pastoral Life and Practicc in the Early Church. Minneapolis;
Augsburg Fortress, 1990.

Wagner, C. Peter. Your Church Can Grozv. Ventura, Calif.: Regal Books, 1976.
__________ . Church Growth: State of the Art. Wheaton, 111.: Tyndale House,
1986.

________ . Strategies for Church Growth. Ventura, Calif.: Regal Books,

1987.

________ . Church Planting for a Greater Harvest. Ventura, Calif.: Regal

Books, 1990.

Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.

Watson, David Lowes. The Early Methodist Class Meeting. Nashville: Discipleship Resources,
1987.

White, Arthur. Ellen G. White, Vol. 2, 3, 4 and 6. Washington: Review and Herald, 1984.

White, Ellen G. Education. Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press, 1903. .

Acts of the Apostles. Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press, 1911.

________ . The Great Controversy. Washington, D.C.: Review and
Herald, 1911.

________ . Fundamentáis of Christian Education. Nashville, Tenn.:

Southern Publishing, 1923.
________ . Desire of Ages. Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press, 1940.

________ . Christ's Object Lessons. Washington, D.C.: Review and

Herald, 1941.

________ . Ministry ofHealing. Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press, 1942.

________ . Comiséis to Parents, Teachers, and Students. Mountain View,

Calif.: Pacific Press, 1943.
 Bibliografía 263

________ . The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials. Washington, D.C.: The

Eli en G. White Estate, 1948.
________ . Evangelism. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1946.

________ . Gospel Workers. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1948.

________ . Testimonies for the Church. Vols. 2, 6, 7 and 9. Mountain View,
Calif.: Pacific Press, 1948.

________ . Comiséis on Health. Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press, 1951.

________ . Medical Ministry. Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press, 1963.

________ , Faith and Works, Nashville, TN: Southern Publishing

Association, 1979.
________ . Lift Hitti Up. Washington, D.C.: Reviewr and Herald, 1988.

White, James. Life lncidents. Vol. 1. Battle Creek, Mich: Steam Press of
Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association, 1868.

Yoder, John H. The Challenge of Church Growth: A Symposium. Ed. Wilbert R.

Shenk. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1973.
Zunkle, C. Wayne. Church Groioth ilndcr Firc. Scottdale, Pa.: I lerald Press, 1987.

SECTION II: ARTICLES AND MISCELLANEOUS

Advent Review and Sabbath Hcrald. July 22, 1862.
Brovvn, Víctor R. "An Analysis of the Role and Functions Fxpeeted of a $DA
Pastor as a Basis for Negotiating an Intentional Ministry." D.Min. ProjecL
Report, 1977.

California State Conferencie Minutes, Third Annual Session, October 1-

10,1874,

Daniells, A. G. Ministerial Instituto Address. Los Angeles, CA, March 1912.

Chapina n, A. Advent Review and Sabbath Hcrald, April 4, 1854.

General Conference Bulletin. February 21, 1897 and April 21,1901. G.W.A.

Advent Review and Sabbath Hcrald. December 17, 1861.

 264 Bibliografía

Hoffer, J. Advent Review and Sabbath Hcrald, July 2, 1861.

I loliday, Brother. Advent Review and Sabbath Hcrald, July 2, 186L

McClure, Alfred. "Planting and Harvesting," Review and Herakí,
December 5, 1996.

Mor se, F. W. Advent Review and Sabbath Hcrald, September 8, 1863.

Mustard, Andrew G. James White and SDA Organization, Berrien Spríngs, Mich:
Andrews Uníversity Press, 1987.

Seventh-day Baptist Sabbath Recordar, December 28, 1908.

Smith, Uriah. Advent Review and Sabbath Hcrald, May 23, 1865.

Starr, G. B. Article in the Wabash, Indiana, Plain Dealer, October 1, 1886.

 Bibliografía 265

Waggoner, E.J. "Living By Faith." Signs ofthe Times. 1889.

VVhite, Ellen G. "Incidents of the Michigan Camp Meeting." Advent Review and Sabbath
Herald. October 19, 1876.

________ . "Sanctification." Signs ofthe Times. October 23,1879.

________ . 'Sanctification Through Obedience to the Truth." Signs of the

Times. March 16,1882.

________ . "Christian Work." Advent Revieiv and Sabbath Hercild.

October 10, 1882.

________ • "Labor at the Camp-Meetings." The Siyns of the Times. May

17, 1883.
______ . Letter 7. 1883.

------- . "Notes of Travel, Kansas City, Mo." Advent Review and

Sabbath Herald. October 14, 1884.

_____ • "The New Heart." Advent Review and Sabbath Herald. April

14,1885. r

_____ . Manuscript 29, 32, 83. 1887.

_____ • "The Necessity of Connection with Christ." Advent Review

and Sabbath Herald. May 7, 1889.
______ • "Individual Responsibility in the Church." Advent Review
and Sabbath Herald. October 22, 1889.

------- . " I he Disciples of Christ Are One in Him." Advent Review and
Sabbath Herald. November 12, 1889.

_____ • "Followers of Christ Will be Missionaries." Advent Review

and Sabbath Herald. January 8, 1895.
------- . "Go Ye Into All the World." Advent Review and Sabbath
Herald. June 11, 1895.
_____ . "Witnesses for Christ." Advent Review and Sabbath Herald.
September 10,1895.
______ . Australasian Union Conference Record. July 31, 1899.
 266 Bibliografía

_____ . "An Appeal to Our Ministers" General Conference Bulletin,

Battle Creek. April 16, 1901.

_____ . "The Work in Greater New York." Atlantic Union Gleaner.

January 8, 1902.

_____ . "A Cali to All Our People." The Indiana Repórter. Februarv 25,
1903.

________ . "They Shall Be Mine, Saith the Lord of Hosts." Signs of the
Times. November 23, 1904.
__________ . "Our Duty As Parents." Advent Review and Sabbath Herald.

March 7, 1907.

________ . Important Testimony.

________ . The Kress Collection.

________ . Loma Linda Messages.

________ . "Looking Back at Minneapolis." Manuscript Releases.

________ . Manuscript Releases. Vol. 1, 2, 9,17 and 21.

White, James. Advent Review and Sabbath Herald. Vol. 4, No. 30. May 29, 1855.

________ . Conference Address. Advent Review and Sabbath Herald. June

9, 1859.

________ . Reviere and Herald. April 15,1862.

Wilcox, F. W. "Danger of a Diverted Ministrv." Review and Herald. Vol. 102,

No. 21. May 21, 1925.
 RECOVERING AN ADVENTIST APPROACH TO
THE LIFE & MISSION OF THE LOCAL CHURCH
A Dissertatiort Submitted to the Faculty of the School ofTbeology
Fuller Theological Seminary

nother thought-provoking book Irom Russell Burrilh aurhor of

Revolution in the Church, Radical Disciples for Revolutionaty
Churches> and The Revolutionized Church of the 21st Century. Burrill
challenges the status quo and forces us to take another look at how we “do church.'’ This is the
major scholarly work, submitted to Fuller Theological Seminary, that Burrills ground-breaking
books are based on.
“Dr. Burrill discovers in rhe New Testament a church that was condi-
tioned by its mission mándate. The focus of its mission strategy was church
planting. T he clergy were itinerant preachers. They planted non-pastor-
dependent congregations rhat grew and multiplied under lay leadership. The
result was a rapid spread of Christianity over the then-known world. . . . until
the early decades of the 20th century Seventh-day Adventist ministers were
essentially itinerant evangelists and church planrers, not care-givers in local
congregations. Member care was the responsibility of each congregation. . . .
During that period the Adventist Church experienced its fastesr race of growth.
Dr. Burrill calis upon the Seventh-day Adventist Church to recover its mission-centered
biblical and historical roots. But this does not imply an indiscriminate effort to turn the dock
back. With sensitivity and realism,
Dr. Burrill suggcsts a strategy that also makes room for those who may be unable
to fully understand the issues at stake."
From the foreword by Werner Vyhmeister, Dean, SDA
Theological Seminary, Andrews Universiry
Also available by Russell Burrill . . .
-J Revolution in the Church
—I Radical Disciples for Revolutionary Churches J The Revolutionized Church of the 2Jsr Century _)
Rehindling a Lost Passion

Cali 1-800-487-4278

Han Books 02
A Ministry of liart Research Center
4íTQ7
ISBN 1-878046-49-7 ADVENTIST
COVE* Aít D«»ECTiON 4 OESiGN EO GUTHERO muSIÍA^ONS. NATHAN G«EÉNE BOOK CENTtfl
1
Ellen G. White, Ministry of Healing (Mountain $19.99
View, Calif.: Pacific Press, 1942), 143-144.
1 John 1:1-3.