Churches today have many different forms of government, and church government has been a debatable topic in the evangelical world. My goal is to explain what the Scripture says about church government. Christ did not just establish the church but also gave us instructions on how to shepherd and care for the local churches (Matthew 16:18-19). However, at the outset, it must be said that the form of church government is not a major doctrine like the Trinity or the deity of Christ. Although there is one form of church government that is more consistent with the teaching of the Scripture than others, each form has its strengths and weakness. Therefore, the leadership of each local church must use their wisdom to choose the form of church government that is most consistent the Scripture and brings the most benefits to the church.
Jesus, head of the church
First, I want to make it clear that regardless of the form of church government, a biblical local congregation must acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the head of the church and its supreme authority, and our role as shepherds is to take care of the flock that God has given to us.
Autonomous local churches
Second, the local church must be autonomous, free from any external authority or control with the right of self-government and free from the pressure of any hierarchy of individuals or organization. In Titus 1:5, Paul left Titus in Crete so that Titus could put order into the church and appoint elders in every town as Paul has directed. Paul delegated the authority and even the responsibility to the local congregation to govern their churches themselves. Paul didn’t interfere with the decisions of the local churches but allowed them to make their own decision. Also, local churches are free to cooperate with other churches but should do so at the discretion of the elders in keeping with biblical principles.
Plurality of elders
Third, the form of government that is most consistent with the Scripture is the plurality of elders. According to the New Testament, a local church is to be governed by spiritual leadership that consists of two main offices-elders and deacons.
As numerous passages in the New Testament indicate, the words “elder”, “overseer”, and “pastor” all refer to the same office. They are men who have the aspiration to the office of overseer (1 Timothy 3:1-7). They all must satisfy the qualification listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and in Titus 1:6-9. All three terms are used interchangeably in Acts 20. As a local church, we must make sure that we select qualified men who has the aspiration for the office to be our pastors or elders of the church. They are to act as shepherds of the flock of God and to watch for the souls of the local church. In addition, pastors and elders must be able to divide the text correctly and able to preach (2 Timothy 2:15).
Deacons
The position of “deacon” was one of servant leadership to the church. The position of deacons is separate from the office of elders. In Acts 6, the deacons were appointed to meet the need of the local church so that the elders and pastors could devote their time to teaching and studying. The word deacon in Greek means “servant.” The qualifications for deacons are the same with the ones for elders except being able to preach. Perhaps, it implies the deacons some administrative responsibilities in other activities of the church except preaching. The deacons are to serve the immediate of the church so that the pastors could devote their time to teaching.
The New Testament also indicates that each local body of believers is to be cared and shepherded by a plurality of God-ordained elders. The only pattern that is consistent with the Scripture is the plurality of elders. In Titus 1:5, Paul left Titus in Crete and instructed him to “appoint elders in every city.” In Acts 20:17, Paul addressed “the elders of the church” in Ephesus. Indeed, in every place in the New Testament where the term “elder” is used, it is plural.
Qualified men
Even though the plurality of elders is the most biblical form of church government, we should also need to be aware that it only works if we select qualified men for the position. Many churches have selected unqualified men to be in the office, and as the result, even though it is the plurality of elders, their churches suffer. The form of plurality of elders is only effective, if the church selected the men that are biblically qualified according to the Scripture. Each pastor and elder must be aware that they hold the highest honor to serve as the shepherds of the flock of God but also, they are under stricter judgment than others.