Best Form of Church Governance

[WisdomTree]

What do you think is the best polity is for church governance?

 

[Nova Scotian Boy]

Presbyterian. Its what i clearly see in scripture.

 

[cajunhillbilly]

At the local level, Presbyterian. Clearly the local church was goverened by a plurality of elders. But the early church had bishops, who functioned to oversee and guide the local churches in his area. So overall Episcoalian goverment with plurality of elders at the local congregational level.

 

[Joseph Hazen]

We should not ask "What do we think is best" but "What form of governance is the one Christ has established for His Church?"

 

[cajunhillbilly]

We should not ask "What do we think is best" but "What form of governance is the one Christ has established for His Church?"

Got that right. That is why I believe in bishops, presbyters and deacons.

 

[Episcoboi]

As an Episcopalian, personally I prefer that the governance of the day to day affairs of the local parish community be governed by the people through elected representatives in concert with the priest, at the diocesan level through a convention or elected/appointed representatives in concert with the Bishop, and at the national and church-wide level in council of Bishops and Laity together. In other words, I prefer and Episcopal polity that is democratic and involves the laity in government and the decision making process.

 

[Knee V]

Although nomenclature shifted a few decades after Pentecost, the Church's practice has been the same since its inception.

It is certainly true that the terms "presbyter" and "bishop" were more or less interchangeable at the very beginning. However, there was a distinction of role within that group. In any given city there would be multiple presbyter-bishops. However, just as James presided over all the presbyter-bishops in Jerusalem, each city would have one presbyter-bishop who acted as sort of a "lead presbyter-bishop". After a few decades of this practice that was there from the very beginning, the church began to call those two different roles by different names. Since all of them were presbyters, they were all called presbyters. But since only one of them served as lead presbyter and acted in overseeing the entire church in that city (in harmony with the rest of the presbyters), that particular presbyter was given the title of bishop.

So what we see today in the "apostolic" churches is not something that developed later in the game. That practice has always been there, it's just that it was called something different for the first few decades. Thus I believe that that is the most sound and most biblical approach.

 

[JohnRabbit]

Ephesians 4:11-15(NKJV)
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

 

[bbbbbbb]

We should not ask "What do we think is best" but "What form of governance is the one Christ has established for His Church?"

That is the way I would have phrased the question. My understanding is that it would be presbyters/bishops and deacons.

 

[WisdomTree]

Maybe I should've phrased the question better...

 

[samcarternx]

hahahaha The church is the body of the Anointed. He is the head that wills and does the rest of the body. It is a great synergism of teamwork as His will is our will too. All the parts are placed as stones are placed by a great masterbuilder. They all work together for the edification of the whole. Wahoo whats better than that lol

 

[Zeleste]

hahahaha The church is the body of the Anointed. He is the head that wills and does the rest of the body. It is a great synergism of teamwork as His will is our will too. All the parts are placed as stones are placed by a great masterbuilder. They all work together for the edification of the whole. Wahoo whats better than that lol

You are confusing the Church of Christ with the human institution where you asist every week. The institution where you congregate is far from being governed by Christ. For starting, Christ did command us to be united... How do you think He will divide his own Church? The answer is: it is NOT his Church, but a human institution using the name.

 

[WisdomTree]

So the best form is?

 

[samcarternx]

You are confusing the Church of Christ with the human institution where you asist every week. The institution where you congregate is far from being governed by Christ. For starting, Christ did command us to be united... How do you think He will divide his own Church? The answer is: it is NOT his Church, but a human institution using the name.

who says i asist a human institution??? how united is ONE and the church is one body one mind one spirit. and there is only one of them

 

[samcarternx]

So the best form is?

hahahaha the best form is the way it is... that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are distributed according to the willer and doer of the church so it will have optimum growth and development. No organization willed by mere men can ever accomplish the will of God, even though many try.

 

[WisdomTree]

hahahaha The church is the body of the Anointed. He is the head that wills and does the rest of the body. It is a great synergism of teamwork as His will is our will too. All the parts are placed as stones are placed by a great masterbuilder. They all work together for the edification of the whole. Wahoo whats better than that lol

You are confusing the Church of Christ with the human institution where you asist every week. The institution where you congregate is far from being governed by Christ. For starting, Christ did command us to be united... How do you think He will divide his own Church? The answer is: it is NOT his Church, but a human institution using the name.

who says i asist a human institution??? how united is ONE and the church is one body one mind one spirit. and there is only one of them

hahahaha the best form is the way it is... that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are distributed according to the willer and doer of the church so it will have optimum growth and development. No organization willed by mere men can ever accomplish the will of God, even though many try.

This is about what the structure of the ecclesiology should look like not about the theology of it.

Perhaps I should've worded the question better into: what do you think is the church governance established by Christ and his Apostles?

 

[samcarternx]

This is about what the structure of the ecclesiology should look like not about the theology of it.

Perhaps I should've worded the question better into: what do you think is the church governance established by Christ and his Apostles?

hmmm that is the best.
remember the offices, apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors and teachers, are for the edification of the church and the PERFECTION of the saints.

 

[Laurabenson]

What do you think is the best polity is for church governance?

The holy spirit.

Orderly worship as described in 1 Cor 12.

 

[Joseph Hazen]

This is about what the structure of the ecclesiology should look like not about the theology of it.

Can the two be separated? Shouldn't the ecclesiology of The Church reflect the theology? I know Orthodox view the conciliar nature of the hierarchy as a reflection, in a sense, of the conciliar nature of the Holy Trinity, with the headship of the Patriarch within the synod as a reflection, again in a sense, of the Monarchy of the Father.

In fact, whether you want it to or not I think every church's ecclesiology is going to be a reflection of an underlying theology; a democratic church is going to have democracy ruling doctrine, and a church with an absolute monarch is going to have a very definite view of the nature of God formed by their ecclesiology.

That might just be an interesting side discussion though.

 

[PaladinValer]

Episcopal polity is Scriptural and historic.