A good friend of mine and I have had a good debate today about whether my church (LifePoint) is actually governed by the Presbyterian form of government. The answer to that question is "yes" because the congregation at my church does not carry any kind of vote when it comes to making decisions. BUT LifePoint is not like a traditional Presbyterian church that is made up of a Session, Presbytery, Synod, and General Assembly. So to clarify any questions, we are not a Presbyterian church in the sense of how one might think of a traditional Presbyterian church, but we have a Presbyterian form of governance in its simplest sense.
My friend also asked why I like this form of government. In order to answer that, I have to say that every form of government has its own positives and negatives. Without trying to get into any major debate (because that's not the goal of this blog), let me explain a few thoughts. I like the way our church governs by choosing 9 elders (each serving a 3-year term with 3 rotating off each year). The process of choosing elders includes a lot of prayer and discernment by the current elder board and pastors. The goal is that we have spiritual leaders leading the congregation rather than whoever shows up to vote. There are downfalls to this system, too. For instance, members of the congregation tend to feel less connected with the vision of the church if the elders and pastors do not do a good job of sharing it with them. For this system to work well, there needs to be strong communication with the congregation and a group of godly elders. The elders also must be connected with the congregation and be aware of the congregation's needs.
What are your thoughts?
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