Acts 20:28 Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has placed you as overseers to shepherd the church of God, which He obtained through His own blood.

11:27  And in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

The Elders

Taking Care of the Church and Bearing Responsibility
for the Administration of the Church

The primary responsibility of the elders is to take care of the church and bear responsibility for the administration of the church. The administration of the church is the elders’ responsibility, whereas the co-workers in the church simply work in coordination with the elders to build up the church in a locality. The co-workers should not touch anything related to administration. If they do, they go beyond their duties and infringe on others’ authority.

Teaching and Shepherding God’s People

The elders should not only bear responsibility for the administration of the church, but they also need to teach and shepherd God’s people. In the matter of teaching and shepherding, although the elders may not be weak, sometimes they are not able to meet all the needs related to shepherding and teaching; hence, there is a need for the co-workers to release the word and help with teaching and shepherding. The co-workers should be given the opportunity to do as much as they are able in spiritual matters, such as teaching and shepherding, and the elders should give them the opportunity to fully develop their function so that the serving ones can learn to function as well.

Bearing the Responsibility for and Serving in Only One Locality

The elders of a local church should bear the responsibility for and serve in only one locality (Acts 14:23a; Titus 1:5). They should never interfere with nearby churches that are smaller; it is dangerous to do so.

The Co-workers

Laboring in Spiritual Matters in Coordination with the Elders
to Build Up the Church, the Body of Christ

The co-workers labor in spiritual matters in coordination with the elders in order to build up the church; this is a clear principle. On the one hand, the elders should never be self-content, thinking that because they are elders, they have no need of the co-workers. This attitude is wrong. On the other hand, while co-workers are laboring in various places, they may see that an elder is not so capable or may be lacking in experience and insight. Even if this is the case, it is wrong for co-workers to go beyond their duties and labor in place of the elders. At times the co-workers may feel that they cannot do much spiritually because the elders do not fellowship with them; this concept is also incorrect. Although the elders are responsible for the administration of the church, they do not necessarily need to fellowship with the co-workers. Even if this is the case, the co-workers still need to bear spiritual responsibility.

Being Sent by the Lord to Do a Spiritual Work in Other Places

The co-workers may be sent by the Lord to do a spiritual work in other places, just like the prophets and teachers in Antioch. When the co-workers go to other places to do a spiritual work, the church may send them off with prayer and later, when the co-workers return, gather the saints for fellowship and a report.

Taking Care of the Needs of All the Churches

Unlike the elders who bear responsibility for and serve the church in only one locality, the co-workers take care of the needs of all the churches. In other words, although the co-workers may live and serve in one locality, they also take care of other churches according to the need. (Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 2: Leading the Saints to Practice the New Way Ordained by the Lord, msg. 16)

The Elders and Co-workers Needing to Have Thorough Prayer together

First, the elders and co-workers must have thorough and long-term prayer. It is best if they pray in the morning; this is the foundation, the base, of their service. The more they pray, the stronger and more open they will be in spirit, the more they will be in harmony another one, and the more they will be one in spirit. This is the genuine coordination. Whatever they do should first come out of the spirit of prayer.

Being Learned in the Truth and Able to Teach People

Second, the co-workers should begin their work locally. They should be instructed in the truth so that they are able to teach others. The elders also should know the truth; they should understand that although they are responsible ones, they will not be able to teach others unless they themselves have a clear knowledge of the truth. However, if the elders’ spirit is not strong and they are not clear concerning the truths, it will be difficult for them to fulfill their function.

Finding Ways to Perfect the Saints

Third, the elders must know how to perfect the saints. In addition to paying attention to those who currently minister the word, the elders should also attend to some other useful ones who have a capacity for ministering the word and gradually bring them into the coordination, one or two at a time over a period of months. After bringing them into the coordination, the elders should help them in three ways: they should lead them to pray together and be blended in spirit, they should teach them to study the truth, and they should gradually give them opportunities to speak a message, preach the gospel, or speak a brief word in the district group meetings. After their speaking, the co-workers can give them a critique. In this way they will be able to train and raise up others.

The Exercise of the Spirit Requiring Patience
and the Paying of a Price

Furthermore, we all need to pursue in life by exercising our spirit. The true pursuit in life hinges on the exercise of the spirit. Although we are lacking in the pursuit of the truth, we are lacking in the exercise of the spirit even more. We must be diligent to have more exercise in a practical way. We should renew our pursuit of the Lord and our dealing with the Lord, and we must consider it important for us to come together to pray with the co-workers. At the same time, the elders should also come together to pray, and eventually both the co-workers and elders should pray together. To this end, we need to be patient and pay the price. (CWWL, 1965, vol. 4, “The Way of the Lord’s Recovery”, msg. 16)