This past week I had one of those so called ‘lightbulb’ moments; though at my age they tend to be more like the new bulbs that seem to take an age to actually brighten up!

Immersed as I continue to be in the whole issue of church leadership and the role of elders and deacons, I was preparing to preach on 1 Timothy 3:8-13 this morning, with Acts 6:1-7 as a contextual background. I was reflecting on how far most congregational and baptistic churches have deviated from the biblical model, and on the need for reformation and a return to the scriptural norm, and realised, or at least became more aware of the fact, that most of these churches have simply never been taught Scripture on this subject.

I come across men going into ministry, having completed theological and biblical training, who haven’t studied this subject. How many men being considered by their local church for leadership, especially as deacons, are first given some teaching on the role they are expected to fill and their relationship as deacons to the elders? Precious few I would suspect.

One of my goals in my final years of ministry is to chip away at that ignorance in any way I can.