OPERATING A CHURCH WITHOUT A PASTOR (8)

0. Introduction

a) Can a church start WITHOUT an "ordained" person, be they a Pastor, Priest or Minister, present to lead the group? Are there certain functions and ceremonies within the church that should only be performed by those who receive a salary to serve? Below are several common practices and services that Christian churches commonly perform and how they can be handled by small groups and fellowships.

1. Representing the congregation to others

a) When a congregation works with other groups on a joint evangelistic project, or when it negotiates a lease for a building in which to meet, its pastor usually represents it. He also usually writes on behalf of members who may want to home school their children, avoid vaccines, miss school or work for religious reasons, and other issues. What happens when a congregation does not have a pastor? Either the whole congregation, or the elders can authorize someone on behalf of the church to act in whatever way is needed. One person may be good at negotiating leases, another may be good at evangelizing, and another may be good at dealing with state laws. Most governments and individuals will accept the written or oral representation of an individual who has a document signed by the church members or elders authorizing him or her to represent the church congregation. 

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