Theology & Philosophy of Polity and Leadership

Leadership is essential to the life, purpose, and mission of the local church. The pastor is the one that is called to provide the ultimate leadership of the church, regardless of the church polity.[1] The Bible is clear in in its basis for biblical leadership. The entire of history of God’s dealings with Israel by developing leaders throughout the Old Testament (Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, etc.). The New Testament spells out God’s design for leadership for His church. The apostles were the first individuals that were designated for leadership in the church. They were ordained by the authority to lead and make judgments among the people (Matt. 10:1-42; 18:18-20).[2] Acts 20:17 lays out pivotal information that is required for New Testament leadership, noting that the “Spirit made them overseers” in verse 28. As a whole, the church has received special exhortations that reference the treatment of church leaders. Both leaders and congregants are to realize the balance between leader and “subjector” (Heb. 13:17). The leaders are to hold their positions of authority with in a spiritually effective way. In align with this, the people are to live a life of respect, obeying, and praying for those in leadership. “…leadership is one of God’s gifts given for the sake and welfare of the church’s life and mission.”[3]

Throughout the New Testament, spiritual leaders are depicted as shepherds of God’s flock. As a shepherd is to lead in correcting behavior, comfort in trying times, lead the flock, and protect them from harm. Shepherds are sometimes without status, as the pastor is to be a “slave” for the Lord Jesus Christ (Mk. 10:44). Leadership in the local church is to be “servant leadership” in pursing their attempt to stay humble and selfless in church leadership. As 2 Tim. 2 discusses, the rigors of leadership are understood to promote the ideas of self-labor, sacrifice, and hardship. Leadership within the local church requires diligence, initiative, patience, and perseverance.[4] The blessed reward for being a servant will reach the anticipated rewarded for rendered service.

Polity and leadership in the local church should be centered around a church government, elders, lead pastor (teacher), and deacons. Therefore, the biblical offices found within the local church are elders (overseers) and deacons. However, all final earthly authority is to rest upon the assembled congregation. The order for the local church government is to be ordered as Christ (Col. 1:17-18a), directed by the Scriptures (1 Tim. 3:16-17), congregational governance (1 Cor. 14:33, 40), led by lead pastor and elder (1 Tim. 5:17; Tit. 2:1-10), served by a deacon board (Acts 6:1-6), and edified by the members of the congregation (1 Cor. 14:3-4). Biblical leaders work together for the continuance to push for a faithful, evangelical ministry within the local church.

Oversight of the local church is to be firmly conferred upon an Elders Council that is constructed of a minimum of three individuals. The office of elder is to be held only by a biological male, as qualified and instructed by Scripture in 1 Tim. 3:1-7 and Tit. 1:6-9. This individual is to be a hard worker and must be willing to equally contribute to the ministry and outreach of the local church. The elders are to be laymen, church members that are not to concurrently serve as deacons. In keeping with the teaching of Scripture, the elder board is to undertake the distinct opportunity to shepherd the “flock” by devoting their time to prayer and the ministry (teaching and preaching) of God’s Word (Acts 6:1-6; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; 5:17; Tit. 1:5-9; Jas. 5:14; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). The elder board is to have authority over church ordinances, church discipline, church services, church administrative business, church membership, shepherding and serving, and all other responsibilities related to pastoral care. If an elder violates any conduct code related to their duty, they are to be disciplined in accordance with Matt. 18:15-20 and 1 Tim. 5:17-21. After teaching and ruling of others was instituted in Acts 20:20-35, the elders ruled the church through the example that they lived, in addition to the other leaders.[5] Noting early church tradition, the number of elders that was required for each church was to be different based on the size of the church, noting the attendance.it was Morgan Edwards that proposed the “three ruling elders” of the church.

The lead pastor (teacher) is to hold the responsibility of teaching and preaching the Word of God in the corporate church setting also. Furthermore, the lead pastor is to meet the qualifications outlined in Scripture that pertain to church membership and the office of elder. With regard to the lead pastor’s formal office, there is clearly no biblical distinction between “pastor” and “overseer.”

The office of a deacon is detailed in Acts 6:1-7 and 1 Tim. 3:8-13. These individuals are to give themselves to the service of the church, possessing particular gifts of service and are qualified to serve, as mandated by Scripture. The office of deacon is founded on the care of temporal needs of church members and to attend the needs of the church for public worship. Furthermore, these individuals are to submit to the spiritual authority of the elder board and their ministries of prayer and the Word. They must work to maintain the physical health and unity within the church body. These individuals are to provide encouragement to the members of the church. Benevolence money is to allotted for their service and care of the body. In addition to their contrition to local church ministry, the deacons model Stephen’s faithfulness in testifying about the Lord (Acts 7).

[1] McArthur, Pastoral Ministry: How to Shepherd Biblically, 229.

[2] Ibid., 230.

[3] James E. Means, Leadership in Christian Ministry (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1993), 96.

[4] Ibid., 243.

[5] A. D. Gillette, Minutes of the Philadelphia Baptist Association, 1707 to 1807: Being the First One Hundred Years of Its Existence(Springfield, MO: Particular Baptist Press, 2002), 141.