by Rev. Joda Collins
There is absolutely no evidence in Scripture that church government should be democratic. None. There is not one decision (found in scripture) in the church or regarding the (any) church that was made by the democratic vote of the membership. There is not one verse in the Bible that instructs any church to have a democratic vote that determines the direction of the church. I have a one-million word book that addresses every supposed place in the Bible where some might think democratic-rule in the church is or is implied, and I destroy those assumptions. You can find that book at
http://www.lulu.com/shop/joda-collins/a-kingdom-based-church/hardcover/product-11777921.html . I cannot reproduced it here.
"The...idea of the church being a democracy...is not...in the Bible.
Dr. Adrian Rogers, Kingdom Authority, Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2002.
"The church is not...a democracy."
Dr. Paige Patterson, Who Runs the Church? Four views on Church Government, Zondervan Publishers, 2004.
"The Kingdom of God is a kingdom....not a democracy!"
John Bevere, Under Cover Video (Introduction), Thomas Nelson Incorporated, 2002.
A common saying is that it takes 10-years for a pastor to gain the confidence of the church membership so he can be an effective leader. That is not true. It takes about 10-years for a pastor to orchestrate the church so the power of the democratic vote is destroyed. He does it one step at a time, over time, until the power of the church democracy exists only in the minds of the less-informed and the word democracy is found only in the written Constitution of the church and not in the day to day function of the church.
To keep the illusion of democracy some pastors allow democratic vote on things that do not matter much and things he knows will be voted on in the way that is right.
Church democracy stinks. It violates the holiness of the Church, destroys pastors and their families, irreparably damages the people and reputation of the church, kills effective ministry, runs people away from the church for the remainder of their lives, and perverts the Word of God. It is a compound sin that should never be tolerated. The "all in favor say aye" is not a sin if the only goal is formality or a statement of consensus, but ruling (running/operating) the church by democratic vote is a big, big sin.
I find it a crying shame that instead of announcing that the Church is not a democracy and fixing the problem, most democratically-run churches have to damage a long line of godly pastors until one is sharp or healthy enough to endure 10-years of democratic hell before the church has a chance for success. Sacrificing pastor after pastor on the alter of democracy until a pastor can endure 10-years of democratic rule before destroying democratic rule, is a crying shame.
If church democracy is not biblical, then what form of church organization and leadership is biblical?
"Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to them -- continually recognizing their authority over you...." Hebrews 13:17. Amplified Version.
If you want overwhelming evidence that democracy as a form of church government is sin just read my book. It is 543 pages and so far no one I know of who has read the book now supports the democratic process of church government; they find it repugnant -- a slap to the face of our Lord. Get the word "democratic" out of your church constitution and get that practice for church rule out of your church.
Rev. Joda Collins
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/jodacollins
I make no claim that anyone else agrees with me.
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