Just Read A Snoozer

I recently finished a book entitled Perspectives On Church Government: Five Views Of Church Polity. There were three congregational models, a presbysterian model and an episcopal model. The book has much to offer anyone wanting to know what are some of the current and historic views of church government. I know. This is not exactly an exciting topic. I mainly bought the book because a scholar I am an acquaintance with wrote a chapter in it. I was simply dying to know the different Scriptural reason people use to support their positions.

The chapter on the Single-Elder-Led/Congregational church by Daniel Akin had a lot of scholarly information. He demonstrated from Matthew 18 and the passage on the Priesthood of all believers why congregational polity was important. He showed how the entire congregation should be involved in the decision-making of the church.

It was a good chapter but insufficient on showing how the church is to be "set in order" when pastors may come and go at will. He overlooked key passages that deal with Elders shepherding the flock of God.

The chapter on pure Congregationalism just seemed to be a chapter that asked for trouble. Pure democracies never stand. I failed to see how new believers who bring in their carnality into decision making benefits the church. The pastor/CEO and board of whatever model was rightly criticised, but I didn't see an explanation to fix this problem.

The Bishop-Led (Episcopal) church chapter was a complete joke. Dr. Paul F. M. Zahl seemed to argue that the Anglican church history era is just too important to allow it to disappear into history. A church that supposedly unifies liberals/conservatives and whatever else has just got to be the true church. When someone explains to me how light fellowships with darkness, then maybe it will make sense.

A challenging chapter on Presbyterianism was written by Robert Reymond. He made a strong case for churches to be accountable to one another. He attempted to show that the Apostles left for us a hierarchical government in which disputes among churches could be settled in councils. In the end, the argument seemed circular to me. It also suffered problems on exegetical grounds. But he did manage to challenge some of the assumptions Congregationalists make.

Personally, I favored Dr. Whites chapter on the Plurality of Elders/Congregationalism. Mainly because I firmly hold to the Baptist doctrines of local independency and autonomy. But I enjoyed the fact that he did go to the other passages that the others ignored. He dealt with a very important part of the New Testament, "the setting in order of the church". Having been through the three ring circus of a pastor retiring, I know the many problems this causes. I see this form of government to be a little wiser, for the church does not necessarily rise or fall with a pastor.

Although the book is not exactly a Perreti novel, it is informative overall.