Speaking in general terms, there are three types of church government. There is the "Episcopal" form, where ultimate power is vested in bishops who make major decisions of doctrine and direction for the churches in their charge. Another form of church government is the "Congregational" system, where final authority for belief and practice rests with the members of the individual congregation. The third type is the "Presbyterial" form, where the power of ruling the church is vested in elected church officials, who make the major decisions on the behalf of the congregation.

      The founders of the Churches of God came to adopt the "Presbyterial" form of church polity, [7] feeling it was most consistent with Biblical precedence. Subsequent generations have adhered to the "presbyterial" system, believing it to be both wise and correct. The term "presbyterial" comes from the New Testament Greek word presbyteros meaning "elder." Elders were chosen by the members of the Early Church to be the spiritual leaders of the local churches, and in turn these elders often collectively made decisions concerning the church at large.

      One can readily see a similarity between the "Presbyterial" form of church government, and the "representative" form of civil government practiced in the majority of the local and state governments in the United States. Here, too, the larger body of voters elect officials, who then administer and legislate on their behalf. It is also worthy of note that many denominations who have practiced the Episcopal and Congregational forms of church government have in recent years moved closer to a modified form of Presbyterial polity.

      In the Churches of God, the Presbyterial polity is operative in three levels. First at the level of the local church where elected officials of the Church Council transact the church's business. Secondly, at the level of the local Conference, where an administrative council elected by the delegates makes the decisions and takes the actions that are necessary for the proper operation of the Conference. The same essential procedure takes place at the level of the General Conference, where an administrative council is elected by delegates from the local Conferences.

Local Church Leadership

      The organizational practices in local Churches of God have a strong Biblical heritage. At the same time they are tempered by a touch of American practicality. [8]

Scriptural Emphasis on the Ministry of the Laity

      In our discussion of church polity, let us not draw the misleading impression that the work of the church is exclusively the task of the elected officials. The church cannot succeed unless all its members take responsibility for its life and work. This is in keeping with the Scriptural emphasis on the ministry of the laity.

      Within the New Testament church there was little distinction between the laymen and the clergy (those set apart for special leadership.) Indeed, the Greek word laos, the word from which our term "laymen" comes, referred to all Christians. Each Christian is called to be a member of the "people of God" (laos theou.) The author of First Peter states in this way: "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were no people but now you are God's people" (I Peter 2:9-10).

      Christians are not ordinary people, they are very special. What makes them special? They have been "called of God." In fact, the New Testament word for "church" (ecclesia) literally means those who have been called out or summoned forth or assembled. What have they been called for? They have been called to do many things, but essentially they have been called to "minister" and to "serve" (diakonia).

      Perhaps some may ask: "Isn't that the job of the pastor and the church officials?" No, all Christians are equally called by God to do His will and to minister to the world on His behalf. The difference between clergy and laity has always been one of "function" rather than "calling." God may call individuals to perform certain special tasks, but His call for mankind to serve Him is the same to all.

      In what ways are we called to "serve" and to "minister"? "That you may declare the [9] wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" [I Peter 2:9]. Witnessing is one of the primary callings of the Christian. "We are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us" (I Corinthians 5:20). As God's special envoys we live in this world as representatives of the Kingdom of God and as messengers of the good news of that kingdom. God so loved the world that He sent His own Son into the world that it might be saved. "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself" (II Corinthians 5:19). It is our duty to carry on this work as God's "agents of reconciliation."

      Christians are also called to a "Royal Priesthood" (I Peter 2:5). All Christians have the right and responsibility to minister as priests. That is, to make intercession to God through Christ their High Priest, on behalf of themselves and all mankind. Christ has made us "priests to his God and Father" (Revelation 1:6). The concept of the "priesthood of all believers" is important. As Christians we need constantly to make intercession for our fellow believers, holding them up in prayer and strengthening them by personal encouragement. Thus we see that God calls us to be concerned with those of His kingdom, as well as those outside of it.

      God also calls us to be concerned with ourselves. As ambassadors of God we must lead lives that would be worthy of such a high trust, and we must subordinate our own selfish wishes to the will of our Almighty King. God's appeal for personal commitment through purposeful conduct is much the same as St. Paul's appeal to the Christians at Rome, when he said, "I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2). [10]

Scriptural Classification of Local Church Leaders

      As the early church grew there developed a need to set aside people to perform special leadership functions. So the church chose those who would minister to the church, even as all Christians are called to minister to the world and each other.

      Thus church officers came into being. The New Testament mentions two classes of officers, elders (sometimes called bishops or overseers) and deacons.

      As long as there was only one Christian congregation in the world, the one at Jerusalem, the Apostles could carry the burden of spiritual leadership (although deacons looked after the administrative and benevolence responsibilities). But as the church grew they devoted most of their time as traveling missionaries, and new congregations were formed in many lands. Since the Apostles could not remain with each new group, they had to select others among the members in each locality and charge them with leadership. Thus came into being the first elders.

      The first reference to elders as chosen leaders of local congregations is found in Acts 14:23, where we learn that as Paul and Barnabas completed their first missionary journey they "appointed elders for them in every church . . . they committed them to the Lord in whom they believed."

      There are three words used in the Scriptures for this one official. "Bishop" and "overseer" are translations of the Greek word episkopos. "Elder" comes from the Greek presbyteros. Careful study of the Scriptures will prove that all of these terms refer to the same office.

      The work of the elder is the work of "overseeing" and "shepherding." He is to be to the church what the shepherd is to the flock; for it is his task to tend, feed, and lead the flock, as well as attend to individual needs. Paul reminded the elders of the church at Ephesus that the Holy [11] Spirit had made them overseers of all the flock, and as such they were to feed and care for God's church (Acts 20:28).

      Two aspects of the elder's work seem to stand out above the others: teaching and ruling. For this reason John Winebrenner divided the elders into two classes: "teaching elders" and "ruling elders." Both were called to teach and rule, but for the former the teaching function became his important work, and for the latter the ruling function became his primary task. In time the teaching elders developed into full-time pastors, and the ruling elders into those who serve as principal leaders in the local church.

      In addition to teaching, the pastor has the responsibility of giving spiritual counsel to his members and conducting worship (preaching and administering the ordinances).

      The term "ruling" in reference to the work of the ruling elder must be properly understood, It does not mean that it is duty to "boss" people around. Rather he is to rule with wisdom and compassion. His ruling itself should be a ministry.

      The Bible is quite specific in the spiritual and moral qualifications of those called to be elders (Titus 1:7-9; 1 Timothy 3:1-7). These qualifications include good character, good home life, alertness, sobriety, good behavior, hospitality, teaching skill, freedom from greediness, patience, experience ("not a novice") and good reputation with outsiders.

      The other class of officers in the early church was that of deacons. The first deacons came into being when the burden of administering charitable aid became too much for the Apostles. The early Christians were asked to select seven men of good report to be appointed to this business (Acts 6:1-6).

      The work of the deacon is "service." The deacon is called to deal with the material provisions for the church and its members. Among the duties assigned to them is the responsibility for [12] financial matters (the preparation of a budget and the raising of the necessary money) and the temporal preparations for the ordinances.

      While it is customary to think of the deacons as being assigned to the business and benevolence responsibilities of of the church, the deacons should also be concerned with the spiritual welfare of the members. The deacon should not forget that two of his predecessors were Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and Philip, who carried the gospel to Samaria and Africa.

      The qualifications for deacons are also high (I Timothy 3:8-13). He must be grace, honest in speech, not a drunkard, not greedy, have a clear conscience, have proved himself, the husband of only one wife, and a good ruler of his own house.

      Many churches have the office of deaconess, women who have been chosen to serve the church in a special way. The Scriptures tell us that women like Priscilla and Lydia devoted their lives to the strengthening of the church. Often the deaconesses are delegated the responsibility of preparing for the ordinances. They are often charged with the duties of visiting, looking after the women's work of the church, and assisting the pastor in any way that is deemed necessary. In some churches they are members of the church council.

      Today we have many important offices which were not present in the days of the early church (trustees, Sunday school superintendents, etc.). The moral and spiritual qualifications of the elders and deacons would be a good yardstick for measuring qualifications of these officers.

Development and Direction of Local Church Leaders

      The church must be on a constant lookout for new leaders. Lay leaders are the untapped resources of the church. Their latent talent is mostly unused because so few adults have learned [13] what they are called to do, and how they should do it. This hidden power must be released if the local church is to go forward.

      The pastor in his role as "shepherd" of the flock assumes a major share of the responsibility for recruiting and training local church leaders. However, he should be assisted in this important task by the key leaders of his church.

      The development of leaders can best be seen as a natural part of leading "new babes in Christ" to increasing Christian maturity, following the Scriptural admonition to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:19). Each new member should be encouraged to take an active part in some phase of the life of the church. Besides being aided in his Christian growth, the being "faithful over little things" will prepare him for the role of leader.

      While some are "born" with a natural flare for leadership, it is more often true that leaders are "made." Each church should have a workable plan for training leaders and giving opportunity for leadership. The good leaders must develop slowly, for the potential leader grows in ability and confidence by holding positions of increasing responsibility. In any church there are many such positions. If not, create some new and useful ones for the church members who have the ability but no opportunity for leadership. The more busy hands there are, the more work can be accomplished for God's kingdom.

      There are three dangers involved in developing leadership. First, that we do not spend enough time developing potential leaders and workers, and thus weaken the potential strength and growth of our congregation. Second, we must be careful not to put into positions of great leadership people who are not adequately prepared for them, for we are only inviting them to fail. Likewise, there are a few people who, because of mental and psychological makeup, are just not capable of being more than "followers." [14] We must be careful not to thrust these people into positions that overwhelm them. Third, we must be careful that we do not "spread our leadership too thin." A person can do two or three jobs better than he can five or six. Many churches overwork certain individuals by pressing upon them a multitude of important tasks. The usual result is that most of them are not done well.

Relation of the Local Church to the Local Conference

      By 1830 John Winebrenner recognized the need for organization beyond the local church, and an "eldership" of the Churches of God in eastern Pennsylvania was formed. Establishment of more churches over a wider area, especially as the pioneers moved westward, resulted in the formation of several other local elderships. Today we have some seventeen Elderships or Conferences including: East Pennsylvania, 1830; Ohio, 1836; West Pennsylvania, 1844; Indiana, 1846; Iowa, 1848; Michigan, 1850; Illinois, 1853; Texas and Arkansas, 1857; Maryland and Virginia, 1872; Missouri, 1881; Kansas, 1881; Oklahoma, 1892; West Virginia, 1894; Arkansas and Oklahoma, 1896; California, 1948; India, 1953; Pakistan, 1953.

      The pattern of the Council at Jerusalem (Acts 15) suggested a basis for such an association. In the beginning an Eldership was strictly composed of elders (pastors or teaching elders, and ruling elders) chosen to represent the various churches or circuits. In recent years the representation has been broadened to include laymen who are not necessarily elders, women delegates and youth delegates. Therefore, they are now called conferences. [15]

      The conferences meet annually to transact business and to gain spiritual strength. Conferences do much of their work through an Administrative Council elected to serve during the year. The Administrative Council is composed of Commissions, such as Church and Pastoral Guidance, Ministerial Training and Ordination, Missions and Church Development, Evangelism, Stewardship and Finance, and Christian Education.

      The benefit of the local conference are many. By associating together it is possible to provide a more adequate and responsible ministry for all churches. The annual eldership provides the inspiration of fellowship and the exchange of ideas. It protects against divisiveness, and it makes co-operative projects possible.

Relation of the Local Church to the General Conference

      As the number of local elderships grew and as the Churches of God covered a wider geographical area, the need for a higher form of co-operation became apparent. In 1845 the three existing elderships sent delegations to Pittsburgh, and the General Eldership was formed. In time the General Eldership, now called General Conference, was to provide a way to work together for churches as far apart as California and India.

      Each local church is a member of the General Conference through its local conference. The General Conference meets once every three years, and ministerial, lay and youth delegates are chosen by the various conferences. Each conference is entitled to a delegation the size of which is determined by the total number of members of its churches. [16]

[CNO 7-16]