We have discussed in this blog my belief that the wineskin of the New Testament church is made up
of believers who have particular characteristics. These Christians have 1.) become as little children of their Father, Jehovah God (Matthew 18:2-5). They 2.) walk fully “walk in the light” together (James 5:16; 1 John 1:5-10), confessing their sins to one another, freely and openly. I firmly believe that THE BIBLICAL CHURCH will eventually naturally, spontaneously and unconsciously (NSU) result as these believers do so! They WILL 3.) EVENTUALLY BECOME A PARTICIPATORY CHURCH, rather than simply an observational one!
If that is the case, what will this church look like if you were to drop in? They are on a journey, as we all are, so it probably won’t yet be as I just described. Today in America, we are in the process of discovering these truths that will produce this biblical church. Generally today our churches are mired in one of three major, functioning systems , each one with its scriptural support. Here is a summary of each system:
1. The sole proprietorship model for church
The first of these systems is the “sole proprietorship” model. In this system, one man, the “pastor,” takes the responsibility for the church as if it were HIS BUSINESS. He makes all final decisions, though he may have a staff of “associate pastors.” He may or may not have a council of advisors called “elders” or “deacons” who may be involved in decisions on financial matters, but the pastor makes all ultimate “ministry” decisions. He preaches the sermons, and, along with his professional staff, does the bulk of the ministry that occurs.
Independent churches are often structured in this way, with the pastor as the sole proprietor, sometimes even owning the church building himself. His son frequently will take over the family business, becoming pastor when Dad retires.
The members of the church are like customers who come on Sunday to purchase what the pastor, the sole proprietor, has to sell–excellent music, a good sermon, and a warm greeting at the door as they leave. A gifted, dynamic sole proprietor can be very successful in terms of the size of his business, as he can attract large numbers of customers because of his gifts (excellent preacher, gifted pastor, outstanding administrator, etc.).
He may have a number of employees on his staff, but the church is invariably IDENTIFUED WITH HIM. He is the focus of the church ministry. It is “his” church. Those who attend purchase what he has for sale with their tithes and offerings. This has traditionally been called EPISCOPAL church government and structure, from the Greek word episcopas, meaning “overseer.” In terms of civil government, this episcopal form of government corresponds to a monarchy. Denominational examples of this model are the Catholic, Orthodox, Episcopal, Anglican, Methodist and Four Square denominations, among others.
2. The stockholder-officer model
In the “stockholder-officer” model of church government, church members are not only customers, but they are also stockholders with a stake in the success of the company. They have both authority in, and responsibility for, the functioning of the church through the officers they choose.
This is called PRESBYTERIAN church government. The church is ruled by officers (Gk., presbuteros – “elders”), who are chosen by the people. Theoretically, all final decisions are made corporately by those representatives. This is the pattern used by our founding fathers to establish the United States federal government as a republic.
Traditionally, in a denominational setting, there is extra-local authority: a presbytery (elders from several churches), and a synod (representatives from several presbyteries).There is also a general assembly (a periodic meeting of representatives from all the churches in the denomination). This yearly meeting certifies pastors, settles local disputes and unifies the denominational vision and direction of all the local churches. Property is often owned by the national denomination, not the individual local church.
The elders of the local church are like the company officers who run the company at the discretion of the stockholders, the church members. The denomination often qualifies young men who want to preach as a profession with seminary training to be special, full-time teaching or preaching elders. They are traditionally called “pastors”, who are paid to preach and do the bulk of the ministry, as opposed to the other elders (non-professionals) who are called “ruling elders.”
This makes the presbyterian system, in terms of its ministry, indistinguishable in a practical sense from the episcopal; the ministry focus is on one man, the teaching elder, along with the other “professionals” (salaried) on his staff, with the ruling elders, as “laymen,” serving as his helpers and ministry “advisors.”
Final decisions on the local level, particularly non-ministry decisions such as those relating to financial matters, are made by the ruling elders, making this form of church government similar to a republican civil government. However, extra-local bodies such as presbyteries and synods have authority over local assemblies as well, particularly in matters of church doctrine, overall church direction, church discipline, etc. In the presbyterian model, local churches are not completely autonomous.
Many who follow a presbyterian form of church government believe that unless church government is in place, with a functioning, full-time teaching elder, there can be no local church; church is seen to be ultimately the elders, not the congregation; i.e., no government–no church. Presbyterian and most Reformed churches follow a model like this.
3. The partnership model
The final model of church government is the partnership model, or CONGREGATIONAL church government. All church members are partners, each with equal authority in church affairs. This authority is generally exercised by voting, with all church members, including children who have been baptized and are church members, having one vote. Decision-making is democratic–the majority rules, indicating that congregational church government corresponds to a civil democracy.
Traditionally in congregational churches there is no extra-local authority that can exercise sanctions. Each church is autonomous. Denominational participation is voluntary, an association of like-minded churches, with no extra-local structural authority.
The church members are all partners in the business (the local church)–having an equal say in all final decisions; decisions determined by the time-honored, democratic method of voting. The church calls a pastor, who is hired by a majority vote of the church to be the minister. He serves at the discretion of the congregation, and is generally responsible for making the ministry of the church happen, just as are the pastors and teaching elders in episcopal and presbyterian governed churches. He too may have a large staff of paid professionals, called associate pastors, but the senior pastor is the final decision-maker in terms of the ministry. Examples of congregational church government are all Baptist, Congregational, and most independent Bible churches.
This has been a bird’s-eye view of the main three forms the church has taken as we have, gradually and subconsciously, begun to view church as a business here in America. Next week I want to reorient our thinking to look at church as a vital weapon in God’s hand to rule over the earth!
