Deacons, of Bethel

Question#202:"Please explain the office of Elder."

The word elder came from the Greek word, PRESBUTEROS. "Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery." (1 Timothy 4:14). All that Elder means is an aged person. The term is used naturally and religiously. To an older person naturally, the Head of a City, Head of a Tribe, or Head of a country, politically. Naturally speaking, the elders represent wisdom, knowledge and understanding. They have more experience of life.

Quote: 291 "Elder" means "the head of a city or the head of a tribe." (Rev.Chap.4.Pt.2.24.Elders 61-0101).

The same term was employed also in religion even because Israel was a religious nation. The heads of the twelve tribes of Israel were called elders. Now it slipped over to the New Testament with the same term, and when it comes to Christianity, it changes from a political to a religious recognition, and the word elder was now being used, not by your age in this life of being an old man, but your maturity in the Lord. That is why the Bible says, if a man desires to be a bishop he must not be a novice. (1 Timothy 3:1-6). Novice means 'one young in Christian faith.'

Quote: 197-2 'elders' (presbyters)… 'Elder' always has and always will refer simply to a man's chronological age in the Lord… He is more seasoned, trained, not a novice, reliable because of experience and long standing proof of his Christian experience." (Church Age Book Cpt.5).

To further prove all that I just said, in Revelation chapter four there were twenty-four elders who were twelve from the old testament and twelve from the new, which were the twelve patriarchs and twelve apostles. Do you notice that some of those men were apostles, prophets, teachers and evangelists? But here they were all called in a certain category (elders) even because they were sitting there as judges, which represents the custom of old Israel that used to judge the cases as elders, as in the case of Boaz and Ruth. So in the New Testament, as well as Old Testament time, the head of anything political or religious was termed 'elders',

The term elder addresses all the offices in the House of God. In one category, as long as you held an office and you are over something in the House of God, you were called elder. In Acts 20:28 all those offices of deacons, treasurers, trustees, bishops, pastors, teachers, evangelists, five-fold ministry and everything were referred to by Brother Paul as elders. "And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. And when they were come to him, he said unto them… Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God." (Acts 20: 17,18,28). Those were deacons and everybody who were responsible for the functioning of the churches in Ephesus.

"The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder… Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight." (1 Peter 5:1-2). Peter referred to the brethren down there and also himself as elders. John also called him an elder in Revelation 5:5. So now, although he was an apostle, he was addressed as an elder, and although a man was a deacon or an associate pastor he was addressed as an elder because those offices were given to matured men who had a little age in Christianity. That does not mean that they were eighty years of age.

John was an apostle but he referred to himself as an elder: "The elder unto the elect lady." (2 John1:1). "The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius." (3 John 1:1). He was going down in age so he preferred to called one who is old in Christianity an elder. Brother Paul in Titus 1 said to ordain elders in every city. If elder is a specific office then where are the deacons and the other ministers. Paul meant to set up preachers, deacons, helps, government, and make the church fully equipped in every city.

So the word elder is used in different categories, in both the Old Testament and New Testament, to describe the head of the church, or any other office. Down to an apostle, pastor or a deacon could be called an elder, and the same word could be applied to the pastor as the head of the local body.

"Please explain the office of a deacon? They exercise power over the pastor and the whole church."

Answer:Deacon came from the Greek word 'Dieaconus' which means a 'ministrant.' In other words, a secondary servant. Jesus said "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister." (Matthew 20:28). This is saying here that the deacons exercise power over the pastor, the whole church and nobody could tell him what to do. That's a Heresy.

Quote: "The office of deacons, as elected according to the Word of God and the manner of the Branham Tabernacle, is to act as an office of spiritual assistance to the pastors. They are to assist the pastors on all of his spiritual activities. They are given free speech in presenting to the pastors any program or benefits that would bless the general and spiritual welfare of the church. They must be apt to teach, and ready to assist the pastor or associate pastor on every duty if called to do so. They shall assist in serving communion. They shall be acting ushers in all services. They shall police the church, in keeping civil order and conduct. They shall assist in taking local offerings. They shall oversee the spiritual conduct of the church in working with the pastor and one another on spiritual problems and matters of the saints. They shall be ready at anytime to assist the need of every saint who is burdened and in need of spiritual consultation, or general welfare. They have not the right to act upon any program or promotion without agreement with one another, the pastors, or the trustees if the program they are considering doing involves church funds. They will be responsible before God for their conduct and manner of service, according to the Word of God. They shall not have meeting among themselves without the pastor or associate pastor present." (Operations of Church offices).

Do you see how Brother Branham put it in here? I was talking about cottage meetings. Brother Branham knew the danger of that thing so he said "don't let these deacons even have meetings by themselves. The pastor or the assistant pastor got to be there." Why? Brother Branham knew those spirits, and he knew that it will divide the church. I don't have any such mistrust in our deacons here. These men have proven themselves. I am just answering this question here.

The first time we heard of in the Bible was after the outpouring came. There arose a murmuring amongst the Grecian women. They had a problem about not getting their food and drink in time. Then the Bible said "Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word." (Acts 6:3-4). So they chose out these men who had received the same article of Pentecost. These men were full of the Holy Ghost and they gave them the privilege to share out food for the quarreling women. This proves how the believers were endued with the Holy Ghost and Power. When that great outpouring comes people will still be grumbling and they'll still be fussing about the pastor, about the ministry and this and that.

The Bible said that this deacon must be apt to teach. One of the seven was Stephen. He went down there and found it convenient to give a great message, and the Bible said, "Then there arose certain of the synagogue… disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake." (Acts 6:8-10). And he raked them down and he died as the first martyr.

One of those deacons was Phillip the Evangelist. He was apt to teach, and the Bible said that this deacon being full of the Holy Ghost went down to Samaria and cast out demons left and right, worked miracles, signs and wonders of all kind, and, after he left there an angel picked him up, took him to a certain place, he baptized a eunuch and the angel picked him up and he was nowhere to be found. (Acts 8:5-8, 26-40). Now that's the operation of a Bible deacon, invested with what they received on the day of Pentecost; the full power of the Holy Ghost. He can preach the Gospel and he must meet all the requirements of 1st Timothy chapter 3 and Titus1.

His duties are to keep order in the church: he is a policeman. He must also attend to the spiritual welfare of the saints under the direction of the pastor. He must work with the pastor and the associate-pastor. He is responsible for communion, he is an usher and he takes care of food and raiment. In other words, he is an all-rounder for anything that the pastor wants him to do. If the church is not cleaned he picks up a broom and starts cleaning it. If the pastor says go and meet this certain person and speak to him, he goes over there. He's working under the direction of the pastor. If the pastor says to go and try to bring a message tonight, he goes and starts bringing a message. That's a Holy Ghost apostolic deacon.

With all the powers that are invested in this deacon to work along as a pal with the pastor, this deacon has no power over the pastor, he has no power to act on his own in any program in the house of God without the sanction of the pastor. He cannot tell the pastor what to do in the house of God because the pastor is the full and complete authority in the house of God.

Quote: 1199-63 And now to the pastor, to our Brother Neville, at this time. Remember, he is the full head of the church. Brother Neville has the right to exercise any authority that the Holy Spirit would , tell him to say, in other words. In the church, he has the right to anything that God wouldlead him to do. He also has the right over his deacon board. He can change the deacon board, the trustees, or pianist, or any other office in the church that he desires to change, feeling led by the Holy Spirit to do so. And whatever he does, I will recognize it, as he (I believe) to be a godly man. I will recognize it to be of the Lord, and will sanction the same, therefore it gives him the authority then to operate the church the way he feels led to do it. Now, or, any office in the church, that he desires to switch positions of people, for he has the authority to do that. (Church Order 58-1006).

Now when you have more than one deacon, you have what we call a deacon board; and this deacon board in organization tries to run the church as the soul authority of the church through "Democracy" by getting the people together and saying, "Do you vote for that?" In other words, "Should the women wear pants? We put a vote on if the women should wear pants." Yes! "Should they wear mini-skirts? Do you want this pastor who just corrected us on the Word of God?" The deacon comes up there and throws out the pastor for preaching the Bible. Now that's a deacon board from hell, and that same system they want to bring under this message. That's a heretical deacon board, and Brother Branham encountered that in his day and suffered very much:

Quote: 187"I've seen good pastors turned away from churches, because the deacon board said, "Now, look here, reverend… we never hired you to come here and blast at us all morning. We've set the time of twenty minutes; the bell rings, and you better be through."… I'd like to have the privilege of telling them what I think about them, and what the Word says about them." (Unfailing Realities Of God 60-0626).

Quote: 336-276 "Somebody around this country somewhere is guilty of writing some cards to move Brother Neville out of this pulpit. You're going to have to settle that with me… It said the something about the deacon board. The deacon board has not one thing to do with that pastor. No, sir. The congregation in full has all the authority. It isn't... A deacon board's just a policeman here in this church, just to keep order and so forth. But when it comes to rules, the whole church has to say so." (Hebrews Chapter 7 Pt.2 Church Order 57-0922).

There isn't any deacon board could tell the pastor what to do. The pastor with the congregation makes the decision on any matters in the house of God. The congregation doesn't decide whether I have to preach against pants, or preach against any kind of heresies. No, that is my business with the Lord. Other matters they are involved. So this is the same system they are trying to bring into the house of God. It cannot work, that's an organizational spirit, and any church in the message that is running under those conditions is an organization. When you let a deacon board tell the pastor what to do and when the Pastor tries to establish something in the house of God, they want to put it on a vote, my brother it's dead organization, and it should not be done. The deacon board is not over the money or nothing like that.

"Please explain the office of treasurer? Some think that they should have control of all the funds and not the pastor."

Answer:Absolutely not! In the Old Testament we had treasurers. In the New Testament Judas was the treasurer but Jesus directed the spending. "Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly…For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor." (John 1:27-29). So the treasurer has no business over that money; he cannot spend one penny without the direction of the pastor. He is the one to keep the funds.

Quote: "The responsibility of the treasurer is to provide an exact account of the financial status of the present funds in the treasury. This report is to made available to the pastor or the board of trustees, upon their request of such a report. No other office in the church may have access to this information. He may obtain such information from the trustees report given to him by the treasurer. The treasurer shall sit in on every trustee meeting to take notes and minutes of actions taken by the board of trustees. He has not the authority to convey or acknowledge the financial status information to any acting office in the church but the pastor or board of trustees. He shall not be a consultant in spiritual matters, nor is it of need that he should attend meetings of the deacons. Unless asked to by the pastor." (Operations of church offices).

"Please explain the office of the trustees, as the pastor obeys him."

Answer:The trustees are the businessmen of the church to protect the church's finance. That means that he is there to make sure that the money is spent wisely, but he is under the direction of the pastor. He has no power over the money to make any decision whatsoever of how to spend that money. If that pastor walks up one day and says to give this man ten thousand dollars, that trustee must not open his mouth; that treasurer must not open his mouth. The pastor has the full authority. That's the power that is invested in that shepherd. God trusts the shepherd with the souls of the people and he trusts him with his money. They have no power over the pastor.

Quote: "The body of men, shall govern the welfare of the church as a business group. They are elected to protect the church in it's finicial matters, it's business investments, the supervision of it's properties, and it's expenditures. They shall strongly consider every move of progress, step by step, which involves church funds. For they shall be responsible to keep the church from indebtedness, and the saints from burdens that are too great to bear financially. In the undertaking of any project, regardless what it is, they are to bring the matter to the pastor, consultation by the pastor, consultation by the pastor only for every financial project the church wishes to invest or engage itself therein is absolutely required." (Operation of Church offices).

That's Elijah has spoken and he said, "That's the function of the trustees. They have no power over the money; they are the businessmen of the church."

"Please explain the office of bishop? Some say no other ministry,

Answer: The word bishop comes from the Greek word, "e-p-i-s-k-a-p-o-s, and it is translated to mean "overseer" or "superintendent". "This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work."(1 Timothy :1). Now there are variations of bishops. You could call the pastor a bishop because he is an overseer of the local body; you could call a man who is over several churches a bishop, and you could call another man who is over many assemblies a bishop. That will be a general overseer. Brother Paul was a general overseer of many churches, pastors and preachers, and Brother Branham fully declared himself as the general overseer of the Branham Tabernacle.

Quote: 754-47 Quote: 754-47 "Paul… the general overseer of this whole group of churches throughout Asia." (Taking Sides With Jesus 62-0601). (Taking Sides With Jesus 62-0601).

Quote: 354-9 "And as the general overseer of the church, I must see that it's kept Scripturally, everything right on the Word." (Placing Of Deacons 58-0720e).

Similar quotations can be found on: "Total Deliverance 59-0712, Key To The Door 62-1007 and Marriage and divorce 65-0221m." I want this to be a sheep's manual, to examine the ministers and determine who is a shepherd and who is a hireling. With this effort, I am trying to take straight down from the five-fold ministry, right down to the deacon, bring it down to the operation of gifts, bring it right down to the general operation of the entire church and right down to the janitor. When it falls into a man's hand he could operate a church and it becomes a manual to him. He could look back and see what to do here, what to do out there, how to do this and how to do the next. We are going to support this with the scriptures, with Brother Branham's words and we are going to put it where not a man moves from that. If it falls into sheep's hands, they got to know who they are sitting under.