This month, we shall be discussing “Church Polity”.The word, ‘polity’ is often used in church administration matters. Some people misconstrue the word as ‘politicking’, but polity is not the same as politicking.
Polity has its root in Latin and it is a variant of the Greek word politeia meaning, ‘form of administration’ or a system for governing an institution’.In our case, church polity refers to the system for administering a local church or assembly. You can read more related posts on our church ministry page of the site.
Introduction
The word church, according to Baptist doctrine, is a community of baptized believers in Jesus Christ who have voluntarily covenanted to worship and serve God together. There is a need for a system that caters for the proper running of the community and ensures accountability and evaluation.
Besides, the Church has gifts of ministry in administration and leadership to manage her affairs(Romans 12:7;1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11-14;1 Timothy 3:1; Titus 1:5, and so on).
In this article, we shall be looking at the major forms of church polity in practice. We shall examine how they emerged and the main churches practising them.
Why Church Polity?
As discussed earlier, church polity describes an ecclesiastical governing structure and process of administration put in place in the local church (or Christian organization) for driving specific goals.
‘Church’ here is either understood as a community of transformed persons, ‘called out one or a specific historic Christian institution could also mean the universal body of Christians.
Meditate
Church polity became more important as we saw the ministry of the church beginning to expand in the New Testament. A typical reference was the mild crisis that occurred in Acts of the Apostles chapter 6. The management of conflict in that early period was a typical reference to the administration of affairs of the church.
It also revealed how the church quickly addressed that which may stunt the mission of the church as led by the twelve apostles. Furthermore, Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:4-5;14:40 instructed the Corinthian church on discipline and orderliness(regulation or organization), an indication of the need to administer the affairs of the church appropriately.
Meditate
The following are a few of the reasons for church polity:
- To ensure that the goal of the gospel is not ruined by personal conflict Peter 5:1-3;
- To foster unity among the brethren towards the central mission of the church-Acts 6:1-7;
- To ensure that conflicts/crises are quickly nipped in the bud-1Corinthians.5:4-5;6:1ff;
- To make major decisions that may affect the life and ministry of the church and members 13:1-3;
- To ensure things are done properly and orderly-Acts 15:6-20;
- To check excesses and put indiscipline at bay-Matthew 18:15-20;1 Corinthians 5:1-13.
Episcopalism
Episcopalism is the oldest and most structured form of church-governing polity. It maintains a hierarchical administrative structural approach in governing the churches and their operations.
Contemporary major churches operating episcopalism are Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, and Episcopal churches. Meanwhile, there are present-day moderations to its operations and has been variedly adopted in contemporary Pentecostal and other emerging churches.
This week, we shall take a look at what the Catholic church’s polity means, its manner of operations, and the merits and demerits of this system.
What is Episcopal Church Polity?
The Episcopal form of church government holds that Christ as the Lord and Head of the Church has assigned the governance of the body/Church to an exclusive body or order, led by Peter the Apostle(Matthew 16:17-19)and successively the bishops (in the history of the church) who are successors to the apostles.
Sometimes, the authority exercised by James the Apostle (the Lord’s half-brother in Jerusalem Church is equated as precedent for the Episcopal form of government(Acts 15).
Meditate
Therefore, the Episcopal Churchilod recognizes bishops, presbyters, and deacons in hierarchical order as the custodians of church authority and government. Some of the practitioners took the bishops as heirs and acted in apostolic roles including the intermediate roles of Timothy and Titus in the Pastoral Epistles (Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23).
In the account of history, episcopalism was the form of polity practised by the Roman Catholic Church, which consequently became the heritage of the Church of England(Anglican)/Episcopal churches.
The reformation of the Church in the Middle Ages brought the Episcopal church under the Monarchy of England as head of the church, where it was named the Anglican Church.
Meditate
Its structure of administration runs from the top down. The ladder of leadership and the method gave little or no room for the congregation to be part of the administration of the church. The Church of Nigeria(Anglican)operates on seven(7)levels of hierarchical order for the devolution of authority.
This begins with the Station(the local church), followed by the Parish, the District/Deanery, the Archdeaconry, the Diocesan, the Provincial, and the Church of Nigeria. Today in Nigeria, some Pentecostal churches have also embraced this form of governance and administration.
How is Episcopal Church Polity Practised in the Churches of Nigeria?
The Church of Nigeria(Anglican)and the Methodist Church of Nigeria are the major practitioners of the Episcopal form of church governance. We shall focus on the Church of Nigeria(Anglican) for our study. In practice, each diocese has a unique form of internal administrative structure for its affairs.
The churches in the diocese of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican) are the smallest unit of administration where the decisions of the General and Diocesan Synods, Archdeaconry Board, Parishes, and Provincial Church committees are implemented.
Meditate
The local church is the level where the daily administration of the church occurs; though the smallest, yet most important component of the church.
The local congregation has the Vicar as the spiritual chairman of the Parochial Church Committee Parish Priest and spiritual head of a parish council, having authority over the archdeaconry and the church. governance of the local churches.
Meditate
The District Chairman comes next in as the senior. He heads a District Church Council and deals with assessments from parishes. He oversees the church dues, pastoral and education work for the district.
Next in line of authority as a deacon is the lead of the eatery board and internal, finances, opportunities, budgeting, and other matters beyond the local churches in the archdeaconry.
The Lord Bishop oversees a diocese board. He deals with evangelistic and pastoral works, Christian education, financial matters, salaries of staff, conditions of service, and other matters. The final authority in the line of administration for the Anglican church in Nigeria is the Primate and his council.
Merits of the Episcopal Church Polity
- Rulership is attested as historical.
- Leadership rests in the hierarchy for prompt decision-making and governance.
- Unity of the structure and one-line leadership from the top down encourages the economy of action.
- There is room for doctrinal unity, control, and sustainability.
- There is speed in doing the Lord’s work.
Demerits of the Episcopal Church Polity
- The scriptural claim for historical support of episcopacy is not clearly defined.
- The system is too formalized and disengaged from the members.
- It places more emphasis on the office and not the individual serving in the office.
- Not much attention is accorded to Jesus Christ as the Lord of his church, but human personalities hold offices.
- The hierarchical form of church government chokes initiative and hinders growth.
- This form of government can hinder the active search for truth.
- Church mission is seen as owned by the clergy and not members.
- checked because of the corrupt tendencies of human beings. It can lead to political and social abuse of power when it is not
Meditate
Let members of the groups share the differences they could make out of the Episcopal form of church government and the congregational approach to church administration.
The Episcopal form of church administration was modified by the Church of England in a bid to break away from the Roman Catholic background.
Meditate
Even then, the current processes have been modified to suit regions and people in the body of Episcopal churches worldwide. In all its forms, however, it has held to the hierarchical leadership for churches and agencies.
This is workable, as long as it does not obstruct the central purpose of keeping orderliness in the administration of churches and sustaining doctrinal unity for believers’ growth in faith.
No one church is better than the other by the identification of its structure because all structures are generated by men from the Scriptures. The genuineness of the driving motive for its formulation is what matters most.
Prayer
May church leaders be guided by the Holy Spirit to direct the church appropriately.
Post-Group Activity
Search the New Testament and write a few passages that seem to support this system of church government.
