by Evan Bartholomew Introduction Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” (Luke 17:1–6) Unfortunately, sin is an inevitable reality within the family of God. As Scripture states above, “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come.” Brother will sin against brother, sister against sister, husband against wife, wife against husband, church leader against church member, church member against church leader, and so on. This unavoidable truth requires that disciples “bear with one another and forgive one another” (Colossians 3:13). Because of the frequency and volume of sin that will occur in our relationships, which will likely span decades, governing the church biblically requires an extra measure of faith. The church will never be immune to sin. Yet when it occurs, it is imperative that we—the Restored Church Worldwide—hold to clear biblical principles and exemplify both compassion and conviction. A foundational Scripture that provides a blueprint for dealing with sin in the church, commonly referred to as church discipline, is Matthew 18:15–17: If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault—just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that “every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15–17) Sadly, church discipline is an area in which Restoration Movement churches have historically lacked unity, both in conviction and in

by Mike Patterson, D.Min. Introduction The Church is the body of Christ, and its health depends significantly on the spiritual wellbeing and maturity of its leadership. In the past, many churches, including the one from which we have split, have suffered under corrupted leadership environments, often due to a failure to appoint biblically qualified leaders. As Restored Church Worldwide (RCW) seeks to rebuild and thrive, we must return to the biblical model for church leadership. The Bible outlines specific qualifications and guidelines for appointing leaders. 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, containing the qualifications for overseers/elders, have been mainly ignored in the “Discipling Movements.” Interestingly, right after going over the qualifications for overseers and deacons, Paul writes to the evangelist Timothy: “Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.” 1 Timothy 3:15 For Paul, appointing biblically qualified leadership was essential for how God’s household conducts itself and the foundation upon which it is built. If RCW hopes to be a lasting movement, we must emphasize what has been devalued for so long and restore New Testament Christianity. This paper aims to (1) establish the descending order of ecclesiastical roles laid out in Ephesians 4:11–12, (2) highlight the critical emphasis on family and personal character in leadership qualifications, (3) exegete the qualifications of Titus 1 and 1 Timothy 3, and (4) propose a practical appointment strategy grounded in Scripture and spiritual discernment. NOTE: This paper will not focus on the role of “deacons,” which I also believe needs to be restored in the RCW and will be the focus of another article. The Descending Order of Ephesians 4:11–12: Understanding the Overlapping Roles “And He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11–12 These five roles functioned to build and equip the early Church. Though apostles and prophets laid the foundation (Ephesians 2:20), evangelists, shepherds (pastors), and teachers remain active and necessary for church leadership today. We propose a descending order model based on lists in scripture, usually descending from first importance to last, where each leadership role encompasses