| The prophet Jeremiah wrote: (Jer. 10:23) "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps"(Jer. 10:23) Because this is true, God has given us the Bible to direct our steps or lives. The Bible not only guides our individual lives but also gives guidance for the church. God's design for church government is simple, effective and protective. Let's consider church government from the standpoint of these three terms that describe the Lord's church, which we read about in the pages of the New Testament.
First, this article was inspired by a friend who recently told me that his preacher got fired. When I inquired as to the circumstances he explained that it was because he had taken the biblical stand against homosexuality and abortion. He explained that the action by church officials was being challenged by the local church and might result in the local church’s becoming autonomous.
God's design for church government is simple: 1) elders (plural) who meet certain qualifications (1 Tim. 3. ); 2) deacons, who also meet certain qualifications (1 Tim. 3); and 3) members (1 Cor. 12:12). Each church is self-governing and autonomous (1 Pet. 5:1, 2). While an evangelist may temporarily exercise a certain amount of oversight, he is not the "pastor" because a pastor is simply another name for "elder" (Eph. 4:11; Jer. 23:2; Eph 5:1,2).
God's design for church government is effective. When the church is overseen by men who meet the qualifications God has provided, that local church will contribute significantly to the accomplishment of the universal church’s purpose (Eph. 3:10-11).
God's design for church government is protective. God had the wisdom and foresight to leave centralized control out of his plan. Centralized control of church resources puts all the eggs into one basket, so to speak. It is like having one large window pane instead of several smaller ones. Picture school houses built in the early 19th century. Generally a wall in each room was largely composed of windows to let in light. These window systems were built with small window panes. If there was a stray baseball, or a rock from a vandal, the incident would not result in a total loss to the window system--only the one window pane. The application is, God can afford to lose a local church to error or other destructive devices of Satan, but the universal church must be protected, and is under his system.
Imagine what the situation would be like in the religious world if one man was allowed to seize control of all--one man who was so self-righteous that he allowed, and encouraged, others to refer to him as "Lord God" (or "that is worshipped," 2 Thess. 2:4). According to Jesus, the idea of a "Father" (earthly religious leader) on earth is contrary to God's plan (Matt. 23:9).
Local churches that are directed by an organization smaller or larger than the local church should dissociate themselves with the humanly designed organization and follow God's simple, effective and protective form of government. That is God’s plan and we do well to follow down the path he has shown to us.
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