EKKLESIA
Within this assembly known as the Church, the question of leadership has always been an issue, almost since its inception. We all agree that Christ is the head of the Church and we are the body, but how does that work itself out logistically and administratively here on the earth? Who should act as the governing authority? What type of government system should be used? Should pastors be charged with leading the congregations or should the elders shoulder the responsibility of leadership? Do we even need an overseeing body at all or should the congregation just police itself? Perhaps the strangest question of all is; did God deliberately leave this question unanswered so that we have the flexibility to incorporate the system that works best for our individual churches?
Unfortunately, this dilemma has been the downfall of many church organizations over the centuries, as infighting and petty disputes have divided fellowships over their loyalty to either the; bishops, the elders, or the congregation. It is abundantly clear that some sort of government system be established if the ekklesia is to be led successfully. However, the New Testament is not absolutely firm about what form of government is to be mandated or if there is a mandate at all. This contentious issue has been well documented throughout church history and certainly won’t be resolved by this blog entry, but here are the basics. In addition to the 'congregational' model, which was established much later in church history, and has little support in Scripture, two predominant forms of leadership clearly stand out in the New Testament: The Bishop led or Episcopal model, and the Elder led or Presbyterian model. However, it is not entirely clear who is to lead who, due to these terms being used interchangeably on several occasions in Scripture. Another form of church government that has emerged in recent years is often referred to as the, Theocratic or 'Moses' model, which was instituted by God in the Old Testament. The idea being that: just as Moses was called out by God to lead and shepherd His people, and the elders of Moses were appointed to assist him in ministering to the flock of Israel, the Christian pastor is now working under this same principle of God’s calling upon his life. He is recognized by the congregation as God’s anointed instrument to lead the church, with his elders offering assistance, guidance, and accountability.
Regardless of your denominational background and theological leanings on this subject, we must all admit that each of these systems of government can and have been very successfully implemented in the church throughout the years, and sadly each of them have failed miserably as well. A church governed by a council of elders has the potential of reducing the role of a pastor to that of a hireling with catastrophic results. The Presbyterian model is often plagued by in-fighting among elders who cannot agree with each other concerning various decisions in the church, and they become mired in division and indecision. Congregationally led churches take the problems of the Presbyterian model to a whole new level where even more people are involved in the decision making process, and they are prone to being overrun by carnally motivated Christians who are not being led by the Holy Spirit, but by their selfish agendas, with equally catastrophic results. Episcopal and Theocratic model churches can be devastated by lone wolf leaders who become prideful, arrogant, and power hungry due to a lack of accountability and over blown egotism left unchecked. They wield supreme authority in "their" churches, and cleverly ensure that their sovereignty is never capable of being subjected to scrutiny of any kind.
The weakest link, common in all of these systems is obvious: human beings are involved! I have attended many different types of churches over the years, where each of these leadership models was being utilized, and some were working effectively, while others were not working at all. Many pastors are great teachers, but not necessarily good leaders, while others would make better drill sergeants in the Marine Corps than pastors. I've known elders that were merely yes men, cherry picked by the pastor to avoid the appearance of a lack of accountability, but would never stand up to the pastor if the need arose. I've witnessed groups of like-minded, kindred spirit elders who were in one accord with each other, and wouldn't even consider making a decision unless they all agreed. Other so called elders, in name only, couldn't agree with one another on any issue, if their lives depended upon it.
So it could be that God in His infinite wisdom has left this issue of leadership unresolved in scripture for this very reason. Perhaps He has left these options open to us in order to give us the flexibility of incorporating what works best for us, given the personalities, gifts, and callings of the individual members that He has brought into our local body of believers. One thing is for certain; if the saints involved in the leadership of a church, be it elder, pastor, or congregationally led, are not walking in the Spirit, yielded to the Lordship of Christ, humbly submitted to each other, and loving each other as clearly defined in scripture; it will be a disaster!
