Biblical Models of the Equipping Ministry
There are several biblical models from which there is much to learn regarding the equipping ministry concept. None of these models provides every detail needed for effective church administration. Each of them contains concepts with which good church administration is highly compatible.
The Jethro-Moses Model
An early biblical model, already
mentioned in the introduction, is one given to Moses through consultation with
his father-in-law, Jethro. It is recorded in Exodus 18:13-27.
Careful study of the passage reveals many helpful administrative in-sights.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge
the people: and the people stood about Moses from the morning unto the evening.
And when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What
is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone,
and all the people stand about thee from morning unto even? And Moses said unto
his father-in-law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: when they
have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between a man and his neighbor,
and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. And Moses’
father-in-law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt
surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for the thing
is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. Hearken
now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God be with thee: be thou for
the people to God ward, and bring thou the causes unto God: and thou shalt
teach them the statutes and the laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they
must walk, and the work that they must do. More-over thou shalt provide out of
all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain;
and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers
of fifties, and rulers of tens: and let them judge the people at all seasons:
and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every
small matter they shall judge themselves: so shall it be easier for thyself,
and they shall bear the burden with thee. If thou shalt do this thing, and God
command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people also shall
go to their place in peace. So Moses hearkened to the voice of his
father-in-law, and did all that he had said. And Moses chose able men out of
all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of
hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And they judged the people at
all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they
judged themselves. And Moses let his father-in-law depart; and he went away
into his own land (ASV).
Moses was not able to get all the needs of the people met. People
were waiting from morning until evening to see him. Some doubtless went away at
the end of the day not having reached Moses. They might have gone away angry.
Jethro showed good judgment in his approach to Moses. He asked
questions first, and later offered answers. He asked Moses what he was doing
(“to the people”) and why he was trying to do it alone.
Moses gave a simple, obvious answer about what he was doing.
He seemed confused about why he was trying to do it alone. “The people come
unto me” (v. 15). Inept administrators still try to explain their predicament
like this. Some wouldn’t want it any other way. And Moses, man that he was, reached
for the most religious sounding reason he could honestly give for his problem:
they come to me “to inquire of God” (v. 15). This was true; but subsequent
developments confirm that much if not most of what was going on was simple
arbitration of differences between a man and his neighbor (v. 16).’ Other men,
with the qualities given in verse 21, could do most of this arbitrating. They
later did. Jethro bluntly told Moses that what he was doing was not good. He
also told him why it was not good: Moses and the people would surely wear away.
The implication is that the people’s needs would continue to go unmet. The job
was too heavy for him. He could not do it alone.
Jethro Prescribed an Equipping Ministry for Moses
Jethro admonished Moses to listen to his counsel. He invoked
God’s presence with Moses (v. 19) and the authoritative command of God (v. 23)
that Moses follow the counsel. Here are the major points of the prescription.
1. Pray for them: Moses was to represent the people before God. He was to bring
their causes to God. This seems to be a way of saying he was to pray for them
and their problems. 2. Teach them the guidelines: Moses was to teach the
people the statutes and the laws. These were to be their guide-lines, as
policies, procedures, and rules.
3. Show them the way: Moses was to show the people the way wherein they must walk.
Since they had the pillar of cloud and fire for their physical direction, this
admonition must refer to Moses showing them their life direction, as spiritual
counselor.
4. Show them the work: Moses was to show the people the work they must do. Their
work was to become a nation to be used for God’s redemptive purposes. The work
was their challenge from God. It was to provide much of the motivation for
their struggle to become the kind of instrument as a people through whom God
could work. Their work was for them the “program.”
5. Organize the people into manageable groups: Moses was to organize the people
into manageable groups. The pattern was to have groups of thousands, which, in
turn, would have groups of hundreds. The hundreds groups were sub-grouped into
fifties, and the fifties into groups of ten. This was their organization
design.
6. Choose qualified men to lead each group: Moses was to see that qualified men
were provided “out of all the people” to be placed over each unit of the
organization suggested. The ‘job qualifications” are impressive. These leaders
were to be able, God-fearing, truthful, haters of unjust gain. Their span of leadership
was reasonable—each man could be expected to cover his assignment effectively.
7. Give the chosen leaders continuing authority: Moses was to let the chosen leaders
of the groups judge the people at all seasons. Their authority was not limited
to any season. No one would benefit by waiting for a different season for his
arbitration to be handled. This arrangement would expedite the solving of
disputes and avoid a loaded docket. It would be an exception to the statutes
and laws which would not be decided by these judges. This pinpointed
responsibility both for the people and for their leaders.
8. Have leaders decide routine matters: Moses was to have the chosen judges
decide “every small matter.” These were the routine kinds of problems which
were covered by statutes and laws or which were of limited magnitude. This kind
of problem was to be solved on the lowest possible level of the organization
structure—at the point nearest the problem itself —where the facts of the issue
were most readily apparent.
9. Bring “great matters” to the chief leader: The people and/or their judges were
to bring to Moses “every great mat-ter.” These would be matters of large
importance which were not satisfactorily dealt with under the statutes and
laws. These were the exceptions. Moses was to judge these. He was to manage by
exception, a management concept which has been articulated in this century by
some as though they invented it.
One who wonders how a man like Jethro could be the source of
such keen insights should consider at least two factors.
First, there seems to be sufficient evidence that God was initiating this
counsel.
Second, each suggestion Jethro made is filled with the kind of practical wisdom
which might come from any objective, intelligent, thoughtful person who was not
so caught up in busyness that he couldn’t take time to think through the problem.
Jethro’s advice to Moses was not mysterious, not in a
language foreign to Moses, and not without many evidences of “common sense.” It
was instrumental in helping Moses to move from being a mere hardworking leader
with a following’ to being an effective administrator in his time. The promise
Jethro made to Moses as the results of installing this model of ministry are
worthy of consideration in any era.
He declared that it would be easier for Moses, the chief
leader. Moses needed that relief. Jethro said that others (“they’’) should bear
the burden with Moses. This news should have been well received. He said that
Moses should endure. A good administrator should last longer. He concluded that
the people should go to their places in peace—implying that their needs would
have been met! This is what it’s all about.
The language of the last verse in the passage allows for the interpretation
that Moses might have detained Jethro until the plan could be successfully
initiated: “And Moses let his father-in-law depart.” But the departure came
after Moses had done all that Jethro had said. Moses, great though he already
was, was not so “great” that he could not learn rapidly from his father-in-law.
Perhaps one measure of greatness is the willing-ness of one to learn what one
should, regardless of the source, as long as it is honest and right. It would
be easy to point out some untimely aspects of the Jethro-Moses model
in applying it to democratic leadership in a church.
The times have afforded some changes in situational factors
which would make some of the model unsuited to the church. But a model does not
have to be a perfect model in order to be instructive. For Moses’ needs in his
times, the counsel of Jethro was relief from a seemingly impossible situation.
Much of the wisdom could be suited to our time and used with great profit.
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