Order in the Offices: Essays Defining the Roles of Church Officers

by Mark R. Brown

The second edition of Order in the Offices, edited by Mark R. Brown, is an essential guide for navigating the complexities of church governance in an era of confusion and conflict. This compelling anthology calls Christians to embrace the biblical model of church leadership, providing a convincing case for the historic three-office view of ministers, elders, and deacons. Grounded in Christ’s teachings on church government and enhanced by one revised and one new chapter, Order in the Offices offers a rich blend of theological depth and practical wisdom. The diverse essays work together to illuminate the vital importance of maintaining clear distinctions between offices, demonstrating how this framework preserves the church’s integrity and effectiveness. This book serves as an indispensable resource for church leaders, theology students, and laypeople across denominational lines who desire to deepen their understanding of biblical church structure. By returning to these foundational principles, readers will find their understanding of church governance reinvigorated and their engagement in their church’s life and mission bolstered.

Genres: Theology

278 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Peter Bringe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a helpful collection of essays defending and articulating the “3 office” view of church government, particularly on the distinction between ministers of the word and ruling elders. It is common today for this distinction to be blurred or undermined and for earlier discussions on the matter to be forgotten, and this book helps in remedying both problems.

That said, it is a collection of fifteen essays, and some are better or more convincing than others (Rayburn’s essay is an example of one of those I especially appreciated). As is noted in the book, proponents of this view differ among themselves to some degree on how they get there exegetically. One does not need to agree with any given proponent on the interpretation of every relevant passage to end up with the same 3 office view. But the advantage of this being a collection of essays is that you can see several cases for the position.

[Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://reformedforum.org/podcasts/ct...

Reformed Forum sent me a copy of "Order in the Offices: Essays Defining the Roles of Church Officers” ed. Mark R. Brown in exchange for an honest review.

The officers of the church are a gift to the church for the building up of the saints (Eph. 4:11-16). As such, it’s worthwhile to explore the exact number and nature of these offices. In the Reformed churches (Presbyterian and Dutch), this has led to a debate: are there two offices (elder, deacon) or three offices (minister, elder, deacon)? Order in the Offices is the definitive book defending the three-office view of the church.

This book collects 15 essays from theologians, living and dead, exploring this issue. These essays are rich, thought-provoking, and well-argued and organized. I was already leaning in favor of a three-office view, but this book sealed the deal for me. Reformed Forum has done the church a great service by publishing all of this wonderful content in one place.

I recommend this book. It will be profitable not only to church officers, but also to students and laymen. After all, if you attend a church I’d think you’d want to know what the Bible says about how church is supposed to be run. As someone aspiring to the office of minister, I hope my fellow members of consistory/session are familiar with this book (and if not, I’ll encourage them to change that). I also don’t think this book is only profitable to those in the Reformed world. Even if you disagree with the book’s central thesis, it will help you to become familiar with the arguments for the three-office view. So, as you can see, this is a respectable volume with broad reach and applicability that every Christian would do well to study.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful on the exegesis and precedent for three-office. Not all essays are of equal value, but many are superb.

[Alex]

Only read Edmund Clowney's chapter on "A Brief for Church Governors". An edifying read.