Who appoints men to be preachers?
Question:
Thank you very much for helping not just me but also the churches where there is a slight misunderstanding on this Evangelist subject. Please bear with me in coming to you again, for I want to understand clearly.
You said in Preachers:
Ordination
The idea of ordination is to choose or appoint a man for an office, such as Titus appointing (or ordaining) elders (Titus 1:5). Denominations use ordination papers to state that a man is approved by the denomination to preach their doctrine. However, the true church's only headquarters is in heaven. Christ is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:23) and it is Christ who has authorized or appointed the duty of an evangelist (Ephesians 4:11).
Still, the question remains: Does it take the designation of another man to make a fellow a preacher? The apparent answer is "no." Since "No one is mentioned in the New Testament as being selected for the role." Does it mean that anyone can be an evangelist? Who made them either ministers or evangelists are the men or elders and other evangelists?
I understand that preacher, minister and evangelist can be used interchangeably, I am right? Here locally, there are evangelists who can plant new churches and go around from one congregation to another edifying the churches. They have their home church and elders, but they go around to do ministerial work.
Lastly, I would like clearly understand how we go about nowadays ordaining preachers, evangelists, and ministers. How do we choose the evangelist?
Thank you brother for your help.
Answer:
Any man can decide to preach, just as you could decide to be a woodworker or a mechanic, or a programmer. It does not require another person to designate that you can do the job you decide to work at. However, I would not pay a mechanic who did not show evidence of knowing how to repair my car. My paying him doesn't make him a mechanic. My payment is in appreciation for the service he has done. If he does a poor job, then it is my right to not use him again.
In the same way, churches will not support a man who doesn't show evidence of knowledge of the Bible and the ability to do the job of a preacher. Their paying a man to preach doesn't make him a preacher, it is a demonstration that they appreciate the work he is doing as a preacher. "The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him" (Galatians 6:6). If a man shows himself unfit to preach, then a church will decline to support his work.
And, yes, you are correct, there is no distinction between minister, preacher, or evangelist in the Bible. These are just different words for the same job.
If a church would like a preacher to work with them, then they will ask a preacher who they think is suitable to come to their area and labor. If they don't have someone in mind, they might ask if any preacher is willing to consider their area as a place to work. After talking with each other about the work and the area, if both the church and the preacher are agreeable, then the church supports the preacher as best it can while the preacher moves to their area and teaches the gospel. If the local church is unable to support a preacher fully, the preacher may ask other congregations for support in his work. Usually, these are congregations familiar with the preacher and know of his ability to teach the gospel.
