Church Polity

Note: Let me just say at the outset that this is more of a question than a statement. It is NOT "Thus saith the Lord."

Most of the churches (perhaps all?) I've been to most of my life have been "congregational" in terms of church polity. That is, the congregation decides. The membership will gather and vote. Who will the pastor be? Who will serve in the various capacities such as elder (if they have them) or deacon or committees or whatever? What will our rules and policies be? How will we operate? There is a leadership team of some sort, but they typically simply make suggestions and the final authority falls on the members. A nice sort of democracy.

I wonder where it came from? You don't find it in the Bible. Now, it's true that when we read in Acts 6 when the office of deacon was instituted that it "pleased the whole gathering" (Acts 6:5). It appears that the "whole gathering" was involved in the choice of the original seven deacons, but they were "ordained" by the Apostles (Acts 6:6). When they sent Paul and Barnabas out, they did it "with the whole church" (Acts 15:22). On the other hand, in Acts 20:28, Paul indicates that the leadership -- the "elders" or "overseers" -- were made overseers "by the Holy Spirit." Paul sent Titus to Crete to appoint elders (Titus 1:5) without any reference to getting buy in from the church there. What is going on?

Scripture talks about church leadership. First, foremost, and absolutely undisputed, Christ is the head of the church (e.g., Col 1:18). There is a role in the church termed alternately "elder" and "overseer" ("bishop" in KJV). In 1 Peter 5 "the elders among you" are linked to the term "shepherd" (1 Peter 5:1-2) which is translated "pastor" in Ephesians 4:11. (In fact, in most translations the Eph 4:11 reference is the only time "pastor" is used in the Bible.)

What do we know about this group? It would appear that "elders" and/or "overseers" are to be the "shepherds." They are to exercise oversight (1 Peter 5:2) and lead by example (1 Peter 5:3), with Christ as their example (1 Peter 5:4). The rest of the church is to "be subject to" that leadership (1 Peter 5:5). Paul commends the "elders who rule well" (1 Tim 5:17). It looks more like an authority than an advisory group. Further, elders are always referred to in the plural, making a congregation with a single "elder" (or "overseer" or "pastor") an apparent unbiblical anomaly. Elders are not elected; they are appointed (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5). They have specific character requirements (1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). They are the spiritual leaders and are especially the preachers and teachers (1 Tim 5:17). (Others may preach and teach as well (e.g., Acts 13:1), but they are to be the primary preachers and teachers of their congregation.)

What else? In Acts 15 we find an example of a "Council." A Council would be called to consider a particular problem. In this case it was the Judaizers. "Should we circumcise or not?" A matter of theological importance. The text then says, "The Apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter" (Acts 15:6). In this Council, then, it wasn't the congregation or "the staff" or "a group of people" that made up the Council. It was Apostles (we no longer have these) and elders. So while the concept of the Council is biblically present, this kind of Council is still predicated on elders.

The Declaration of Independence assumes that governments derive their just power from the consent of the governed. The American Constitution begins with "We the people." Abraham Lincoln believed that the government was "of the people, by the people, for the people." These are all very noble and useful in human government. They are not, however, applicable to a church. Christ is the head of the church (Col 1:18). The church is not a democracy; it is a theocracy. When we read things like, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account" (Heb 13:17), how do we come to "Let's vote on it"? When Scripture uses terms like "leaders," "be subject to," and "rule," how do we conclude "Let's see if the congregation will approve it"? Is this an effect of American democracy leaking into the church where it shouldn't really be? Is it something worse, like "I think Christianity should be a democracy and God ought to listen to what we have to say"?