Counseling:

There are no scriptures which say that brethren must go to a "pastor" or "elder" for counsel. There are none that say the advice of church leaders is God's advice. There are numerous scriptures that promise answer to humble prayers seeking God's will. The Bible also says: "Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established" (Prv 15:22). People need to listen to a variety of wise advice and pray to make a wise choice. It can be dangerous if someone believes that all they need to do is counsel with any one "minister" and they will "receive God's will". They will tend to look around for a "minister" who will agree with what they want to do. Many bad marriages have begun because one "minister" approved them and the couple did not make themselves responsible to obtain a multitude of advice. Rather than blindly following one counselor, people must realize that they are responsible for finding multiple good counselors and then making the best decision from their advice.

Funerals:

The Bible does not record anyone preaching a funeral message. It mentions burial customs, people mourning for the dead, and people gathering together after a death, but does not mention a specific "funeral message" or who must preach it. The Bible contains many verses on the resurrection of the dead, the rewards given to believers and God's great love and mercy. Mature believers should be able to read these scriptures to comfort those gathering after a death. In the USA, an "ordained minister" does not perform any legal function in connection with a death or a funeral.

Removal of sinful or disruptive members:

There are times when the congregation must ask a member to leave (1Cor 5:1-5). Paul makes it clear that this should be done when the congregation is assembled (1Cor 5:4). The whole procedure for doing this is described in Matt 18:15-17 (see page 20). A pastor is not required for this, only a concerned believer empowered by the Holy Spirit to start the process and a congregation willing to carry out their duty.

Representing the congregation to others:

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.