A PAPER PRESENTED AT A SYMPOSIUM, ORGANIZED BY CHRISTIAN COUNCIL OF

NIGERIA SAKI WEST MINISTERS' FORUM, TODAY THURSDAY 13TH OF JULY, 2023
AT HOSPITAL BAPTIST CHURCH, AJEGUNLE, SAKI BY IROKO STEPHEN FEMI PhD.

Topic: Making Ministry Work Together, An Appraisal of Multi - Staff Ministry in

Your Denominational Context.

Text: Ephesians 4: 10 - 13

[10] He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the
heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)

[11] So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the
pastors and teachers,

[12] to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be
built up

[13] until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God
and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Introduction

The work of gospel ministry is God's own ministry which he only appointed
people of his choice to serve as vessels in the ministry. God, the owner of the
ministry had put some structures on ground for the operation of the work of this
ministry; in order to check proliferation of strange doctrines and mode of
operation of the ministry. One of this structures is multi staff ministry.

Multi Staff Ministry in Bible Context:

Multi staff ministry is well established in the bible, in fact one can conclude that it
is God's choice for the operation of the work of ministry as one can hardly found a
prophet or apostle called by God that he did not give an associate that will work
with him both in the old and new testament.

1. Abraham and Lot (Gen. 12: 1 - 4)

2. Moses and Aaron (Exo. 4: 10 - 14)

3. Elijah and Elisha (1Kgs.19: 19 - 21)

4. Paul and Barnabas (Acts 11: 25 & 26)

5. Jesus and his disciples (Matt.10: 1 - 5)

Why Must it be Multi Staff? (Eph. 4: 10ff)

√ Because he that descended gave the church the teacher, evangelist, prophet,
apostles, and pastor (vs. 10 & 11) Why not only pastor? It is because multi staff is
needed for the work of ministry to be effective.

√ It is through the multi staff that we can make the saints to become perfect (vs.
12)

√ It is through multi staff that edification of the body of Christ can take place (vs.
12)

Multi Staff Ministry in the Nigerians Baptist Convention

√ Initially, multi staff ministry had its operation in the administration setting of the
convention and not in the local church ministry.

√ However, the Nigerians Baptist Convention had adopted multi staff ministry for
local churches with special emphasis that all local church should embrace it.

√ Initially, the convention embrace multi staff ministry as a mean to reduce the
number of church-less pastor but later realised that multi staff ministry is God's
standard of operating an effective church ministry.

Some Challenges of Multi Staff Ministry in the Baptist Denomination

√ Our system of church government which empower local church to decide what
she wants as regards the local church work-force.

√ Financial capacity of the local church because it is the local church that pay
salaries and wages of her staff.

√ Relationship problems between the staff, such as lack of mutual working

relationship, disloyalty, lack of respect and regards, jealousy, favouratism etc.

Solutions to the Challenges of Multi Staff Ministry in the Baptist

Below are some suggested solutions to the challenges of multi staff ministry in the
Baptist denomination;

√ Making the deaconate ministry to be more effective to fill some gaps.

√ Departmental head can be engaged for some church ministries.

√ Engagement or employment of bi-vocational pastor in taking some core pastoral

ministries in the church where there is money to call a full time pastor.

√ There should be clear job description for each staff as to avoid job collision in
the church ministry.

√ All staff must study and abide by the organogram of the denominational
ministry to avoid unnecessary rivalry in the work of ministry.

√ Every staff must deal with Mr. Flesh in order to stand against jealousy,
favouritism and all of work of flesh.

Conclusion

"But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The
LORD knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the LORD must turn away
from evil" (2Tim. 2: 19). God's standard of multi staff ministry stands firm and all
that belongs to God must find a mean of making it practicable in making our
ministry working together by all available and godly means.