The administration, management, rule, direction, control, command and supervision of any organization depend entirely on its system of government. The church is no exemption in this matter.  There is need for a good and correct kind of government if the church is to thrive as an institution of noble cause in these last days. Some churches have turned into a political arena, giving opportunities for the enemy and self-centered manipulators to gain control of the ministry simply because there was no proper system of governance in place. The resulting status is obvious; loss of zeal, perpetual divisions, diversion from God’s purpose, church splits and innocent casualties. My concern is the scriptural validity and practicality of various forms of church government. The key to identify the form is not who is at the pulpit, or who holds the money but who is the real decision making power.

The Centralized Form of Church Government
In the central form of church government, the pastor is appointed and regulated by the directions and rules of the central council. This is because the central council has to a large extent authority, influence and power over the running and ordinances of the local congregation. This kind is usually one with elongated history and is typical of denominational main line churches.

The Presbyterian Form of Church Government
The Presbyterial form of church government comes from the Greek word “presbuteros” which means elder. Unlike the central form of church government were the pastor is appointed and regulated by the directions and rules of the central council, the Presbyterian form of church government is one where the local church is governed by a board or panel of elders which has ultimate and absolute authority over every aspect of the church. These elders are either appointed or elected, and they represent the interests of the rest of the congregation in church business meetings. This includes the appointment and work of the pastor. Therefore, the pastor may or may not be a member of this board. This kind of government is common among churches that are denominational or autonomous in nature.

The Congregational Form of Church Government
This is a democratic style of government where the church members or congregants vote to elect their pastor and the church board to administer the affairs of the church. In this form of government, it’s neither the central council nor the board of elders who has the final authority but it is the majority that rules as church’s administrative business is carried out in congregational meetings in which everyone has an equal vote. Congregational churches usually form their own policies without reference to other churches or associations and each local church is independent (autonomous) of other churches, except for loose types of associations with other churches just for fellowship. These include Baptist groups, Congregationalists and most independent bible churches.

The Pastoral Form of Church Government
This form of church government is totally different from the central, Presbyterian and congregational forms of government mentioned above. Actually the first three are entwine though different in form yet you cannot achieve one form of government without a direct or indirect influence of the other two forms. In the pastoral form of government however, only one person is in authority. This person in authority may not be a pastor in his primary call, but his precedence is considered pastoral in that the pastoral function has a more dominant role.
Unlike the congregational form of government where the pastor and the board of elders are accountable to the people, in this form of government the ‘pastor’ is directly accountable to God from whom he receives commands. He runs the ministry according to his depth and knowledge in God with a more localized vision, and a calling to raise a church in a particular place and time. He is responsible for the appointment of a board of elders and deacons co-laboring in consultative and advisory capacities.

The Apostolic Form of Government
The apostolic form of church government is dynamic and vibrant due to its Patriarchal and Theocratic nature. The major characteristic of this form of government is that the word of God reigns supreme, revelations from above chat the course and the leader is directly accountable to God first, then to the people. Life and drive are clearly seen in churches with this type of government as it is an extension of the pastoral form of government with a revolutionary mandate. Furthermore, the spiritual authority in this form of government is derived very much from the ministerial calling of the person at the helm of leadership. Hence, he must be one raised and equipped for the job and for the hour. As such, he ought to show evidence of the apostolic call over his life.
Much of this is because of an outward thrust and pioneering or restoration cutting edge needed for this form of government to be effective and maintain its relevance. It is this edge that causes revolutionary impact and can either be of a new movement or a work of extensive scale, or even both. Therefore, the leader here is a commander with a mandate and extended vision which is usually cross-cultural or global, but not always. He usually presides over a council of elders comprising of fellow ministers that has a direct call and anointing for the thrust, covering the five fold ministry in varying degrees. The leader is usually called the senior pastor with different ranks of anointed pastors and leaders working with him. The term ‘pastor’ here may mean spiritual leaders with diverse ministries.

WHICH IS THE RIGHT FORM OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT?
Or what then is the right form of church government? Watch this space for more Radiant Church Insights.