Today we examine the different styles of Church Leadership, their Biblical examples, and how to determine the best practices.
Church Leadership
What styles of Church Leadership have been employed over the years? Primarily most churches use at least a derivative of one of the following:
- Episcopal – From the term episkopos, meaning “overseer” or “bishop”. A hierarchal-autocratic system meaning selections are made from the top down. Bishops oversee multiple churches and appoint priests or elders in each who have local authority.
- Presbyterian – From the term presbuteros, meaning “elder”. A hierarchal-representative system meaning selections are made from within. Multiple Elders are appointed from within and have local authority.
- Congregational – A local democratic method where the congregational body has the local authority through majority votes. These churches usually appoint a pastor to teach and lead, but authority lies with the congregation body itself.
Which is the most Biblical? How detailed are the scriptures in detailing our church governments? Does it matter? These questions and more are discussed in today’s study.