Retired Ordained Ministers, Church Of The Brethren: Fill & Download for Free

Very briefly as it would take a different form than Quora to fully respond to this question. My answer, being what I think the more biblical one, gets me into trouble with those holding the current conventional position. The care and feeding of the flock of God is not a one-man job.There are two offices within a local assembly, Bishop and Deacon. Their qualifications are laid out in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 3. The Bishop is the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of the assemble and Deacons his assistance. Their function is to see to the care of the physical needs, not to the exclusion of spiritual needs but the Pastors are the spiritual feeders of the flock. The more Pastors the better.Acts 6:1-4 KJV And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3 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. 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.The physical needs of the brethren need to be cared for. The widows and fatherless seen to. Someone needs to know all the members and their needs and to prioritize them as to most in need for the assembly to aid each other. This is what the Bishops and Deacons are for as well as seeing the bills get paid, etc.The qualifications for these men and for pastors require them to be elders. Elders as used in the Scriptures always mean elder in age. These are not paid positions. The men should be retired and financially able to support themselves having time to give and a desire to do so. The office of Bishop is not a calling it is a desire, a desire to work for and help the assembly.1 Timothy 3:1 KJV This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.Acts 20:17–28 KJV And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. …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, which he hath purchased with his own blood.Titus 1:5 KJV For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:1 Peter 5:1-3 KJV The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.The other classifications, preacher, teacher, evangelist, are callings to all that will study and equip themselves to do the job.2 Timothy 4:5 KJV But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.These positions are not limited to being carried out in the assembly of believers.Everyone who is saved is called to minister the word of God to all those they come in contact with.Romans 10:14 KJV How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?Every saved individual is called to preach the word in some form or fashion. That is the first calling you have. Naturally, one can not preach what he does not know. So to answer this first call requires preparation. Study.2 Timothy 2:15 KJV Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.Once you begin studying you can begin ministering the word as you come to know and understand it. The first part of your first calling is to study God’s word and apply it to yourself. Live a life that will compliment your testimony of faith toward God, then witness to all you have the opportunity to do so.If you will faithfully attend to your first calling God will take note and begin to use you in specific witnessing. That is once God knows you have studied and know somethings and will open your mouth to witness then he will bring you into contact with those he wants specifically witnessed to. It may be someone who has been praying to him for light or some old drunk whose wife and little congregation have been praying God to have mercy on him for ten years. Regardless the Lord will have their hearts prepared to hear at a certain point and needs to bring someone he knows will open their mouth and preach the word on cue.Timothy 4:2 KJV Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.If you prove yourself faithful in this then the Lord will use you as he deems fit. Doors will open for you in whatever direction the Lord desires for you to go. But you have to be careful for there are many corrupt reasons men desire the leadership in a congregation and they can deceive themselves."...the acquisition of such absolute command over the consciences and understanding of a congregation, however obscure or despised by the world, is more truly grateful to the pride of the human heart, than the possession of the most despotic power, imposed by arms and conquest on a reluctant people".“History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire"Edward Gibbon, Esq.Paul speaking of blood-bought saints supposedly serving the Lord states:Philippians 2:21 KJV For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.If you are faithful, doors will open. All you have to do is walk through.1 Corinthians 4:2 KJV Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.The word reverend as used in the Bible is not an office of the Church nor the title of any man. To call yourself such is to demand others bow down to you.Psalms 111:9 KJV He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.Hebrews 12:28 KJV Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:Esther 3:5 KJV And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.There is much more that could be said.

Yes. Skeptics will argue that the U.S. Constitution’s freedom of religion amendment opened the floodgates for all the weirdo kook-driven factions to come out of the woodwork. Latter-day Saint scholars, however, will argue that it was this very freedom of religion that allowed God to restore His church to the earth.The Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists were both tied to the William Miller movement, and even though Ellen G. White praised and even defended Miller’s calculations, neither religion maintained ties to it today. The Christian Science faith was more tied into the philosophical aspects of the New Testament than the others and never claimed to be the church or Jesus Christ.One thing Judaism and first-century Christianity had in common was witnesses. Many people saw Moses call down the plagues on Egypt; saw Moses part the Red Sea and speak to God on Mount Sinai. So too did many see Jesus Christ heal the sick and blind, even raise the dead and some 300 saw Jesus after he was raised from the dead.In the first-century church, authority was conveyed by Jesus, himself, who said, “Foryou have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you.”So also was Mormonism. Many saw Joseph perform some of the same miracles Jesus did such as healing the sick. They saw the weather turn against their enemies, and they saw quail that landed in their camps when they were starving as what happened in the camps of Moses. Every transmission of authority happened with Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, the first elder. And when the Lord gave the church a vision on the resurrection and the state of the dead, it was given to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, a former Cambellite minister. Shared manifestations and visions never happened with the other faiths of the 19th Century. But they did happen with the ancient church and with Judaism. And other apostles and prophets in Mormonism, so-called, also had visions and revelations.In keeping with the law, which states, “In the mouth of two or three witnessesshall every word be established,” the Lord did not restore authority without atleast one other person being present: In this case, Joseph Smith and OliverCowdery. Cowdery had an impeccable reputation in his community.One can reject them, of course, just as some people reject ancient Judaism and first-century Christianity, but how did Joseph Smith convince his people to deceive so many people? And not one witness ever reneged on what he experienced.A veil was drawn over the pulpit on April 3, 1836, and Joseph Smith recorded: “In the afternoon, I assisted the [others] in distributing the Lord’s Supper to the Church, receiving it from the Twelve, whose privilege it was to officiate at the sacred desk this day. After having performed this service to my brethren, I retired to the pulpit, the veils being dropped, and bowed myself, with Oliver Cowdery, in solemn and silent prayer. After rising from prayer, the following vision was opened to both of us.” Joseph and Oliver received the keys of the gathering of Israel from Moses, then the keys of of sealing from Elijah the prophet, who told them: “Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.” See Malachi 4:5–6.They also testified of Jesus Christ, who appeared to accept the temple in his name:22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.25 And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son whom the Father loved and who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son,26 And was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over him—he was Lucifer, a son of the morning.27 And we beheld, and lo, he is fallen! is fallen, even a son of the morning!28 And while we were yet in the Spirit, the Lord commanded us that we should write the vision….There also were other miracles, such as the miracle of the quail, who flew into the camps of the starving saints in 1846 (a miracle that happened in the Old Testament camps of Israel). The rescue company has reached the Mississippi River, where they find the refugees without adequate clothing or food. Awaking the morning of Oct. 9, the refugees and rescuers are astonished to find flocks of quail lighting in the camp.“This ‘miracle of the quail’ nourishes them both spiritually and physically, preparing them for the journey west,” said Brandon S. Plewe, a historical cartographer who has used maps, graphics and timelines to help him make sense of the epic pioneer trek westward. In 1849 there was the miracle of the seagulls and the crickets. Said Apostle Orson Pratt: “…we cried unto the Lord in our afflictions, and the Lord heard us, and sent thousands and tens of thousands of a small white bird. I have not seen any of them lately. Many called them gulls, although they were different from the seagulls that live on the Atlantic coast. And what did they do for us? They went to work, and by thousands and tens of thousands, began to devour them up, and still we thought that even they could not prevail against so large and mighty an army. But we noticed, that when they had apparently filled themselves with these crickets, they would go and vomit them up, and again go to work and fill themselves, and so they continued to do, until the land was cleared of crickets, and our crops were saved. There are those who will say that this was one of the natural courses of events, that there was no miracle in it. Let that be as it may, we esteemed it as a blessing from the hand of God; miracle or no miracle, we believe that God had a hand in it, and it does not matter particularly whether strangers believe or not.”The state of Utah subsequently made the seagull its state bird. When one views the quail, then the seagulls, they can dismiss it. But the LDS faith is built on faith and prayer. One can dismiss any of the miracles of the Old and New Testaments, and the miracles of the latter days; yet we feel compelled to say it’s of God, and that’s what God does for His people. His hand is always over them. So that’s one of the chief differences between the other 19th Century churches and Mormonism. We have apostles and prophets who commune with God. If church leaders don’t have revelation from God, then those churches are blind guides leading the blind! ۞—

Not in my country! We work together, often worship together and respect each other. I have preached in Baptist, Presbyterian, Congregational, Fellowship of Evangelical Congregational Churches, Brethren, Methodist, Independent and Mission churches, and in our Christian Hotel have welcomed all of these, plus Anglicans. Roman Catholics, and Pentecostals. What may have happened years ago no longer applies now. Neither does “status” I’ve taken Communion services as a lay person and had an ordained minister act as a deacon in distributing the bread and wine, and spoken in front of a retired Bishop and a Precentor from a Cathedral. We are all one in Christ Jesus.