II. In the Local Church

The New Testament reveals and describes two types of offices in the local church: elders and deacons or deaconesses. A local church is led and governed by the elders in that church, and practical church matters and needs are addressed by the service of deacons and deaconesses, as Witness Lee explains:

In the local church there are two kinds of offices—the elders and the deacons and deaconesses. (2159)

A. Elders

The New Testament reveals that one of the two offices in a local church is the eldership. Witness Lee points out that elders, who are charged with the leadership and care of the local churches, are not elected by popular vote, but rather appointed by the apostles based on their spiritual maturity.

In the church certain brothers serve as elders. In the first local church, the church at Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), there were elders taking care of the government of the church (Acts 11:30; 15:2, 4, 6, 22; 16:4; 21:18). Eventually, elders were appointed in every church. Thus, there were elders in the church in Ephesus (Acts 20:17). The New Testament reveals that the elders were not voted in by their congregations, but were appointed by the apostles according to their maturity of life and were charged by the apostles to care for the leadership and the shepherding in the churches. (2159-2160)

1.	Being Overseers in the Local Church
2.	Taking the Lead in the Local Church
3.	Teaching in the Local Church
4.	Shepherding the Local Church
5.	Not Lording It over the Church but Being Patterns of the Flock
6.	Taking Care of the Finances in the Local Church

Witness Lee refers to the book of Acts concerning the appointing of elders in every church by the apostles to care for the leadership and shepherding of each local church. The elders were not voted in by a congregation, but appointed based on their maturity in the divine life to oversee the flock of God.