Priesthood of believers/ Overseeing of ordinances

[Sidsdad]

I am a born again Christian, a member of a Baptist church. My wife and I teach a weekly Bible study at a local nursing home. We also witness and minister to the residents and join together in singing hymns. I am not a minister but I believe in the priesthood of believers. I have started celebrating the Lord's Supper with them on a regular basis. I am planning on baptizing any of them that request it. This group is very underserved. They have no regular church services and in my opinion are pretty much forgotten. I feel as a Christian that I have the authority to oversee and lead these ordinances. Am interested in anyone's insight.

 

[Dr. Bob]

God gave ordinances for the local church to fulfill - baptism and Lord's Supper the two key you are emphasizing. Meeting for worship, preaching, study, discipleship and host of other biblical issues spill outside the churches, but still they should be under the purveyance of a church/elders.

I'm an ordained minister, but if I were preaching in a non-church location (assisted living, prison, nursing home, college) I would gain permission from the local church to baptize and serve communion. We've done that where a deacon did a Sunday School "service" on Sunday and gave him authority of the church as an "extension" to people who could not leave the facility to attend church, take communion, etc. Even when I've led tours to Israel, we had communion at the Garden Tomb, we cleared it with our home church to authorize it.

Just not the same to have John Doe dunk you in the neighbor's pool and see that as baptism. We've DONE that, but again with authority and dignity of the church. I'd be very careful of going beyond your present ministry as you described without getting oversight from the congregation. Even the apostles as missionaries were sent out by the local church to reproduce churches in other places. They didn't just wander on their own.

 

[Dr. Bob]

BTW, if you were in an area where I pastored and member of my church, I would not only say AMEN to what you are doing, I'd try to help, pray, encourage others to join. The elderly (I B 1) is the most underserved part of society. EVERY CHURCH should have or help such a ministry. Get the whole church body seeing souls that need to be evangelized and discipled, even if shut in from our normal life.

 

[Silverhair]

God gave ordinances for the local church to fulfill - baptism and Lord's Supper the two key you are emphasizing. Meeting for worship, preaching, study, discipleship and host of other biblical issues spill outside the churches, but still they should be under the purveyance of a church/elders.

I'm an ordained minister, but if I were preaching in a non-church location (assisted living, prison, nursing home, college) I would gain permission from the local church to baptize and serve communion. We've done that where a deacon did a Sunday School "service" on Sunday and gave him authority of the church as an "extension" to people who could not leave the facility to attend church, take communion, etc. Even when I've led tours to Israel, we had communion at the Garden Tomb, we cleared it with our home church to authorize it.

Just not the same to have John Doe dunk you in the neighbor's pool and see that as baptism. We've DONE that, but again with authority and dignity of the church. I'd be very careful of going beyond your present ministry as you described without getting oversight from the congregation. Even the apostles as missionaries were sent out by the local church to reproduce churches in other places. They didn't just wander on their own.

Did you forget about Paul? Granted He had the permission of Christ but I have to disagree with you on whether a Christian would need permission from a church.

If he is being led by the Holy Spirit, which it would seem that he is, then if God has put it on his heart to to baptize and serve communion then who has the right to say no?

If the local churches were concerned about serving those at that nursing home then @Sidsdad and his wife would not have to be doing so.

I commend them for stepping up to fill an obvious need.