Who holds authority in the church? Obviously, Jesus is the Head of the church (Ephesians 1:22-23. Colossians 1:18). He is the Lord and is the Chief Shepherd of the church (1 Peter 5:2-4). But the record of Scripture shows that God delegates authority to humans – to governments, to husbands, to parents, and to masters. The question, more specifically posed, is “To which humans has God vested the authority of the church?” There are a variety of models of church governments (AKA ecclesiastical polity) – pastoral authority, congregational vote, denominational rule, deacon-led, elder rule, or hybrids thereof (there are more formal names, but these need less defining).
Wrestling with obscure issues is one of the thrills of church planting. I strive to lay a foundation that most closely reflects the Biblical command and precedent because it is where we stray from God’s instruction that we create the most significant problems. In this post, I will present the Scriptural basis for rule by a team of elders (i.e. pastors).
The Design of Elder Rule
Let’s be frank. In the Bible, churches were ruled by ordained elders (pastors); deacons were not authoritative decision-makers but servants; congregations didn’t vote; churches were autonomous not ruled by a central church; and churches were self-governing not ruled by a denomination. Some of these unbiblical models were formed as man’s solution to pastoral failure, but it is never safe to usurp authority from the place where God has placed it. These models have resulted in problems of greater magnitude than the original problem they sought to prevent.
The names of elders. The Bible applies three names to the same office of church leader.
- Elder indicates a spiritual MATURITY. This is the name that is used most frequently in Scripture yet is the most misunderstood. He is NOT a deacon, an old person, or a faithful lay person elected to a decision-making council. An elder is an ordained pastor.
- Pastor indicates a shepherd’s CUSTODY. Pastor literally means shepherd (stemming from the same word as pasture), who is to lead, feed and protect the flock. Ironically, the title most commonly used modernly is used least in Scripture. The title is only used once (Ephesians 4:11); of 17 of the 18 times the Greek word is used it is translated shepherd. The term shepherd (pastor) is used interchangeably with elder in 1 Peter 5:1-4.
- Bishop indicates a sober RESPONSIBILITY. Meaning “overseer,” bishop is used in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, and Philippians 1:1 (which names both offices of the church). As the name implies, he is to govern the church. Contrary to its use in high church, a bishop in the Bible is the leader of a local church – not a position over multiple churches. The term bishop is used interchangeably with elder in Titus 1:5-7.
The plurality of elders. God did not intend for a church to be governed by a single pastor but by a team of elders (pastors). When God turned to the Gentiles following the stoning of Stephen, the church at Jerusalem was ruled not by apostles but by a team of elders (Acts 11:30. 21:18). Paul’s church plants were led by a team of elders (Acts 14:23. Acts 20:17. 1 Timothy 5:17-20. 1 Thessalonians 5:12).
The leader of elders. It is natural & inevitable that there be differences and disagreements within the team of elders, and there is a need for a leader of leaders – one who has the final say. Acts 15 perfectly describes the Biblical working of a team of pastors. There are tough decisions to be made. They each speak and hear one another. Finally, one elder (James the brother of Jesus) gives the sentence (Acts 15:13-20). This design is implemented through pastoral-team authority with a lead pastor who has the final say. In our church’s bylaws, the lead pastor carries 49% of every vote, and the remaining pastors carry a combined 51%.
**BONUS – As a church plant, I wanted to reflect the external authority Paul retained in the churches he planted – in person and by letters he dealt with false doctrine, false teaching, sin, restoration, and even removed sitting elders. We did this by allowing one of two specific people to be an external elder – the pastor of our mother church or the church planter (should I leave).
The Error of Elder Rule
An increasingly prevalent error is for churches to employ the Biblical model (Elder Rule) with unbiblical definitions. Let me explain… I recently had a conversation with a fellow-believer from a nearby church. He passionately described the disasters he’d experienced with deacon-led churches and excitedly told me how the church was changing their bylaws to be ruled by a board of elders. Knowing the typical pitfalls, I pressed on who the elders were; some would be former deacons; others would be Sunday School teachers or members of other boards. My dear brother is going to be in worse shape than ever. In effect, he has duplicated a deacon board and compounded the problem by attributing the title “elder” to non-pastors. Before he gave authority of elders (pastors) to unordained men (deacons); now he gives the authority & title of elder to unordained men.
The error of “elder rule” is that the title elder is misdefined. Because myriad heresies are born of misdefinition of Biblical terms, it’s imperative to allow the Bible to define itself. And elder is a pastor. To avoid confusion, I often use terms like pastor-led, pastoral authority.
Your thoughts:
What experiences have you had with the different church governments?
What benefits or problems did that style of polity bring?