It is evident that the elders need to put in practice some principles of ministerial team in order to facilitate the fulfillment of their functions. Unless there is a clear discernment of the applications of the principles in practice, the ministerial team will not develop its full potential of blessings for the elders of the church.
The elder should have team spirit
The apostle Paul wrote to a group of leaders of the church of Philippi and exhorted them to have team spirit, "... whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel" Phil.1: 27.
The expression combating unanimous, in the original text, appears in only one word:
sunathleo that was an athletic term. The prefix sun means "together with" and athleo is a verb from which the word athlete comes. The Greek word literally means, "Work together as a team, combat together with someone" (A Linguistic Key to the Creek New Testament, p. 548).
The principle that governs the work as a team is well demonstrated in different sports. A team with average talents that works together can defeat, with frequency, a winning team that lacks the team spirit.
The team spirit depends on three features
1) Spirit of meekness. The spirit of meekness does not try to affirm the ego. It flows together with the other ones. Instills to the individual a discrete and moderate tone. Meekness is not a weakness, but strength under control. The strength is controlled by the person's spirit that has subordinated to the desires of the team, not looking for personal recognition. In Titus 3:2 we read: "To slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men." The person who lacks the spirit of meekness will be continually frustrated during any efforts that are accomplished by the team and will think his ministry is not sufficiently appreciated.
The translation of the Greek word "meekness" is proates. This term was used in the secular Greek to indicate the art of taming or breaking in wild horses (Barclay, New Testament Words, p. 241). In the midst of the mountainous terrain of Greece, wild horses gallop in the canyons and open spaces. Those horses were captured and tamed for the use of the Greek army. The cavalry was the principal force in Alexander the Great's conquests.
Like the cowboys of the west in the USA, the horseman saddled the wild horse, which tried by all means to throw the horseman off the saddle. It does not want to be told what to do. If the horseman was able to stay on the horse until it was exhausted, the animal would turn into a "tame" or "broken" animal.
It does not loose its strength, but it has been put totally under control. He worked well with the horseman and with other horses to do useful work, that none of them could do by themselves.
The head pastor is the "horseman" of God. He ought to "break" any member independent of the team. He should confront him, instruct him and stay with him until he is willing to participate in the efforts of the team.
2) A spirit of submission. A submissive spirit does not demand, but submits to the efforts of the team. It is not dominating or presumptuous. It desires that the team is successful even if the work is not done as he would have done it. That's why Eph.5:21 says: "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." Submission is not oppression. The individual style and the creative capacity of a member should not be eliminated. It does not have to be transformed into a robot to have a spirit of submission.
3) A humble spirit. The humble spirit recognizes the need to support and to help fellow workers, to accomplish the work at hand. Peter says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" 1 Peter 5:5.
Instead, the proud spirit promotes the ego or the personal interests. It tries to demonstrate its own abilities and strength. It denies, in theory or in practice, the need to depend on others to fully accomplish an objective.
Characteristics of a team spirit
1) The team spirit does not impose its own desires in doing things as the only way that produces results.
2) The team spirit sacrifices personal ambition to benefit the goals of the group.
3) The team spirit finds satisfaction in the accomplishments of the church and its group of leaders, and not only in individual accomplishments.
4) The team spirit finds joy in contributing to the success of the pastor of the church and its leaders.
5) The team spirit submits to the leadership as a total unit.
6) The team spirit can say "us" most of the time instead of "me."
7) The team spirit does not get offended for insignificant things, but submits its autoaffirmation to the purpose of the team.
The member of the team should cultivate a spirit of unity with the rest of the members
The church in Corinth is an example of the devastation that could occur in the local congregation when unity is not practiced. Serious divisions affected the church in Corinth. Some said they were Paul's, others confirmed fidelity to Cephas, others went after Apollo's and also there were followers of Christ who rejected the other leaders, 1 Cor.1:12-13.
Consequently the apostle Paul wrote: "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought" 1 Cor.1:10.
The word "division" comes from the Greek term schisma and it was used in the classic Greek to refer to the rips or tears in a garment. These divisions were tearing the garment of the church in Corinth. Paul said to this church and its leaders that all should speak the same thing, think the same way, and are of one accord.
How is it possible for a group of leaders to carry out the mandate of working as a team? The answer is for the pastors not to surround the team with complaisant men, of weak personalities, afraid to express their own ideas or opinions. This would only form a group of puppets, which would constitute a weak team that would not provide support and balance for the pastor and other members.
Working with your pastor in a ministerial team
In group discussions, the members of the team have the right and the responsibility to provide ideas and to express their own point of view. The pastors should give place to the ministry of support from their collaborators. These usually are professionals that have information and special discernment. They should feel free to discuss and discern in relation with the subject that is in analysis or in debate. But when the team or the pastor has taken a decision, the members of the group must accept that decision as if they themselves had proposed it. Even when a member of the team thinks that he is correct, if the group decides to take a different direction, the member that is in disagreement could say: "Very well, if this is the decision of the team, then I will submit to it and will support it so that it will produce good results." Then, when the members of the team go out of the meeting session, they are truly united in a same mind and accord.
Consequently, one of the major trials for a team member who differs with the decision of the group is to confront the members that ask: What do you think of the recent decision taken by the board? Do you believe that is the direction the board should go?
Even if the individual members of the team can feel privately that the decision adopted for the team was wrong, even then, for the spirit of loyalty, they should support the decision taken. They should say to the rest of the members: "The team took this decision and I will support it totally. All together we'll make it work well and produce the expected results."
When the team of directors is unified and of the same accord, it produces a major impact on the members. When they attack certain decision adopted by the leadership, not only are they opposing the pastor or an individual member of the team, but the entire group.
Juan Calderonnes Souza writes from Puebla, Mexico, where he is a church elder. Translated by Antonio A. Rios.
