Pastors
A pastor is a qualified man who is called into the Office of the Public Ministry and is a servant of the Word of God, and of the Congregation.
God calls qualified men to serve congregations by means of His divinely established office of the Public Ministry. During the apostolic times, Jesus called and sent the disciples directly (immediately) as apostles and teachers to establish His Church on earth, thus establishing the Office of the Holy Ministry (Mark 3:13-19; John 20:22-23).
Today, God’s call of qualified men into the ministry (1 Timothy 3:1-7) is indirect (mediated) through His Church, specifically through local congregations.
Our Lord, as a God of order (1 Corinthians 14:40) has ordained that each local church should have within it the public ministry of the Gospel, and therefore pastors, so that the gospel may be proclaimed and people brought to and sustained in faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:14-17). Through the public ministry of the Gospel, the Word of God and Sacraments are administered publicly within the congregation.
Congregations who are members of the Australian Evangelical Lutheran Church are blessed to be served by Pastor Peter Ziebell. He has been faithfully serving congregations in the AELC as a pastor since 1998.
For any man who believes that he may be being called into the Office of the Public Ministry, please reach out and contact the AELC to learn more about the Seminary of the AELC and our doctrine.
Lay Servants
God also blesses others within the body of believers with gifts and talents, and desires the well-ordering of the local congregation (1 Corinthians 14:40). Each member congregation of the AELC is blessed to have leaders within the congregation, who, as members of the laity, assist the weekly functioning of the congregation. The wider AELC organisation and each member congregation thanks these servant leaders for their roles and their valued contributions, week in and week out.
Recognising God’s order, there is a distinction between a man called into the Office of the Public Ministry and a general member of the congregation (laity). This distinction is not in regards to their value before God or in their salvation, but in relation to their roles within the church. Members of the laity are restricted from exercising certain aspects of the Office of the Public Ministry, in line with God’s good order.
Furthermore, also recognising God’s order, there is a distinction between males and females, not in their value before God or in their salvation, but in relation to their roles within the church. As such, the Scriputral principles of Ephesians 5:22-33, 1 Timothy 2:11-14, and 1 Corinthians 14:33-40 must be upheld according to God’s order.
We thank and encourage participation and service of both men and women within the congregation, while abiding by God’s design, as stated above.
We thank laymen and laywomen who serve and provide support for each congregation and for fellow believers. We thank chairmen, vice-chairmen, elders, secretaries, treasurers, layreaders, Sunday School teachers and volunteers, child safety organisers, church cleaners, musicians and organists, groundsmen and women, and all those who help out in the church office and all other area. We thank them all their service to the Lord, to the congregation, and to each other.