Which raises the interesting question: how were churches supposed to be governed in New Testament times; and how should they be organized today? There have been three broad answers to these questions: the episcopal model (rule by bishops); presbyterianism (rule by elders) and congreg- ationalism (a supposedly more 'democratic' system, where each local congregation governs its own affairs). Notice that the church in Antioch did not consult anywhere else when Paul was added to their staff, nor when Barnabas and Paul went forth as missionaries. By then, five people were named as leaders in that church (Acts 13:1). Further, when Barnabas and Paul set up churches, they appointed elders, and urged local pastors like Titus to do the same (Titus 1:5) - a task a modern 'bishop' would have the power to do. So, in brief, the answer to the church government question is: there wasn't a timeless blue-print given to the early church; indeed combinations of all three models are probably necessary and wise in the church today. Leon Morris says, wisely: 'A consideration of the evidence leaves us with the conclusion that it is impossible to read back any of our modern systems into the apostolic age. If we are determined to shut our eyes to all that conflicts with our own system we may find it there, but scarcely otherwise. It is better to recognise that in the New Testament church there were elements that were capable of being developed into the episcopal, presbyterian, and congregational systems and which in point of fact have so developed. But while there is no reason that any modern Christian should not hold fast to a particular church polity and rejoice in its values, that does not give one licence to unchurch others whose reading of the evidence is different.' (14)

Decision-making processes.

Once the Holy Spirit had communicated this move to the church, and they had prayed about the matter, the decision to go ahead was made without fuss. In a church that's alive there may not be an absence of disagreement, or even of conflict, but issues are settled amicably. Probably the leaders and church at Antioch agreed unanimously to this missionary idea. Unanimity is nice, and should be sought wherever possible. But in a 'fallen world', sometimes the legalistic quest for unanimity can lead to 'rule by the crank'. One person can be the odd-person-out, and can hold up the whole process if allowed to. Now that doesn't mean that occasionally this one person may not be right, but that's generally the exception.

Decision-making has cultural overtones. In a tribal setting where the life of the group is vested in one individual leader, he (or she) may decide for the group, and the rest are willing to go along. In an 'oligarchy' a small group decides. In a democracy, everyone wants a say. Sometimes the last two modes are combined, where a congregation vests in a small group the power to make certain decisions between members' meetings. All these three general methods of 'government' are appropriate in different cultural settings. Probably we should search for a combination of all three: with the necessary checks and balances to ensure that individuals and small groups don't accrue to themselves too much power. In the long run, the acid test is whether the whole church 'owns' the decisions made.

Discuss: (1) Get someone to research your denomination's history in the area of 'church government'. To what extent has your church inherited a model which is no longer appropriate? What changes would you suggest? (2) Discuss frankly the issue of 'power' in your church. Who or what group wields power, with what outcomes?

Further Reading: Ray S. Anderson, Minding God's Business, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986; James D. Anderson and Ezra Earl Jones, The Management of Ministry, San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1978; C. Peter Wagner, Leading Your Church to Growth, Ventura: Regal, 1984; Edward Schillebeeckx, The Church with a Human Face, London: SCM, 1985; Lyle Schaller, Effective Church Planning, Nashville: Abingdon, 1979; Lyle Schaller, Looking in the Mirror: Self-Appraisal in the Local Church, Nashville: Abingdon, 1985; Leon Morris, Ministers of God, London: IVF, 1964.