CHURCH GOVERNMENT. The system by which the affairs of the local church, or congregation, and of the denomination are di rected. The main principles of church govern ment are derived by various bodies of Chris tians from the New Testament. Roman Cath olics and Episcopalians, Presbyterians and Re formed, Baptists and Congregationalists, whose polities are as different as possible, all be lieve that their respective systems of church government. are derived from the Scriptures, particularly from the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles. Apostolic succes sion is of fundamental importance to the Roman Catholic, the Greek Catholic and the Anglican communion, and the teaching and practice of the Apostolic Church are, therefore, regarded by them as of binding force. Each traces its succession of bishops, and hence of ordained ministers, back through the ages to one or another of the apostles, and holds that since the time of Peter and Paul it has had an un broken succession of the episcopal order. Churches using the presbyterian or congrega tional order hold that their respective systems are in harmony with the Scriptures and insist that they have a valid ministry. They do not accept the idea of apostolic succession, and do not believe that any particular system is of divine authority, but that churches of Christ are free to adapt their polities to circumstances and conditions, provided that the procedure be orderly.
There are three more or less distinct systems of polity, or church government, generally recognized, known as the congregational, the presbyterial and the episcopal. There are, how ever, many modifications or variations of these systems. It is not always possible to determine what particular system a particular denomina tion employs. The Lutherans in the United States generally classify themselves as con gregational; some of them, however, contend that their system is presbyterial, while a few insist that it is really more nearly episcopal. In the Scandinavian countries the Lutheran is the state church and has bishops.
1. The congregational method regards the local church, or congregation, as having full control of its own affairs, and as not subject to legislative or executive direction by any denominational organization or even by the whole denomination itself. That is, each local church is a complete body in itself with in herent authority to conduct all the business ap pertaining to itself. The principles of fellow
ship and co-operation, however, come in to modify any tendency toward strict independ ency of the local church, which feels that it ought to be related to other churches of like faith and order, and recognizes that fellowship is concerned to know, when a new church is organized and seeks the recognition of other neighboring churches of the same name and order, what are its doctrines, principles and practices, and wh-i it calls a pastor, to be assured of his standing and qualifications. Hence, associations, or conferences, of contigu ous churches, and councils for recognition, or dination and installation, and hence, also, co operation in the support of denominational missionary, educational and other boards, or societies. Congregationalists and Unitarians and the various Baptist bodies, with other de nominations, accept the congregational system. Baptists and Congregationalists in the last half century have developed denominational conven tions and councils for the supervision of gen eral denominational activities.
2. The presbyterial system is government by presbyters, which is another word for elders. Presbyters (Milton said, °New presbyter is but old writ large))) are elder ministers, or teaching elders, bishops or pastors, and there are also in each local church aritling° elders, who are laymen, and with the pastor constitute the session or consistory. Control in each church is exercised through the session or con sistory; then comes the presbytery or classis, composed of pastors and elders of the churches of a district; then the synod, consisting of rep resentatives from presbyteries or classes, and then the General Synod or the General Assem bly, the chief legislative and judicial authority of the denomination. All Presbyterian and Re formed churches use the presbyterial form of government, and, strictly speaking, that of the Methodists is more akin to the presbyterial than to the episcopal polity, although they have bishops. The Methodist bishop is a general overseer or superintendent, but has no legisla tive power and is subject, under a few constitu tional restrictions, to the legislative, executive and judicial authority of the General Confer ence, the supreme governing body.