Bishop's Adjutant, Armour Bearer

The Adjutancy was established in 1970 by an African American Pentecostal Bishop named J. (Jessie) Delano Ellis, II, while serving in The Church of God in Christ. Bishop Ellis saw the need to create a “corp of men” (later women were included) to serve those significant areas that would provide an “assist” to the Supreme Leaders of the Church, namely the Bishops. Later, with the increasing growth of the Office of the Apostle (some believing that this office is the highest ranking spiritual office in the Body of Christ), apostolic adjutants were also added to the corps of generals.

PROTOCOL: Many pastors now have adjutants because they have erroneously COPIED from higher ranking officials, often desiring the servitude and honor given to these high ranking officials, but not understanding the concept and protocol of such. Because an adjutant is assigned to the highest ranking official of the church in general, pastors should not have adjutants, but assistants, aids, deacons, and "armour bearers" (if they understand that terminology and what it REALLY means).

Adjutants are reserved for duly consecrated and ordained Episcopates (Bishops and Apostles with a Bishopric or Apostolic See).

The term Adjutant was not developed or established by Bishop J. Delano Ellis. The term is an old one most often used in the military. What exactly is an adjutant? Many people in the church have ignorantly copied this term, thinking that it is only someone who carries the pastors bags, drives them around, or is a "gopher" for them.

Let us look at the etemology of this word:

Adjutant \Ad"ju*tant\, n. [L. adjutans, p. pr. of adjutare to

help. See Aid.]

Hence, and adjutant is:

A helper; an assistant.

• In the Military, it is: A regimental staff officer, who assists the

        colonel, or commanding officer of a garrison or regiment,
        in the details of regimental and garrison duty.

•     an officer who acts as military assistant to a more senior officer

• Adjutant is a military rank or appointment.

• In some armies it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies it is a rank, which normally corresponds roughly to a Commonwealth Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.

   The Adjutant General -  (Military), the principal staff officer of an army, through
whom the commanding general receives communications and issues military orders.

It is from this principle that Bishop Ellis derived the term and office of the adjutantcy.

However, it is nothing new within the Church, particularly the Catholic Church, and some churches in the East. In fact, Catholic Bishops already had such a designation --that is COADJUTOR--which is also an aid or assistant to a high ranking official. In Catholicism, the coadjutor is an assistant to a Bishop. The term means "co-worker", "assistant", a "helper", "aid" or "supporter".

A coadjutor is one who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose.

Thus, a coadjutor does his or her ministration so that a high ranking official may finish his or her designated work. This is precisely what, by principle and function, an adjutant does.

In Protestantism, it is "adjutant", and in Catholicism, it is "coadjutor:--same office, same function, same qualities and characteristics.

Within the Adjutancy, is the need to exercise the greatest tact, piety, dignity, timeliness, confidentiality and non-familiarity. This role also required that of maintaining the best social relationships with peers and superiors. Currently, at the Pentecostal Church of Christ, where Bishop Ellis serves as Senior Pastor, there are two main facets of the Adjutancy.

The primary role an Adjutant in the church (especially in Pentecostal circles) is to sanctify the leader in the eyes of the people (as Joshua and Caleb did for Moses), create a positive atmosphere for the leader and the people, and to oversee the vestments of all Priests and Levites.

Within the Adjutancy as developed by Bishop Ellis, there are four divisions, the first being the Verger who is responsible for the processional cross and the torches (when needed), and for the transportation of the Shepard staff. Secondly, the Adjutant Chamberlain is responsible for the care and selection of the Episcopal Vestments, maintaining the Episcopal Chamber and for the color coordination with the Ecclesiastical year. Third, the Adjutant is responsible for the escort and assist of the Bishops, Overseers and/or the executive guests. The last division is the Adjutant Apostolic.