Knowing Church Government
Sunday Seminary—14
Know What You Believe. Believe What You Know.
In 1950, Harvard sociologist Robert Bales studied what he called “zero-history groups”—small groups of people who had never met before and were given a task. His research showed that even random groups naturally develop organization and leadership. It’s part of being human to organize around a shared purpose. Likewise, as believers, God has revealed that his church ought to be organized according to his Word. Belgic Confession, article 30 says,
We believe that this true church ought to be governed according to the spiritual order that our Lord has taught us in his Word.
Knowing church government means the Word of God provides for orderly church government.
Pulpit of Saint-Pierre cathedral, Geneva, Switzerland.
Order in Offices
Article 30 says the church has structure, and that structure is expressed through three offices:
Ministers or Pastors: Their task is to preach the Word and administer the sacraments. Through this, true religion is preserved, and true doctrine is passed on.
Elders: Their task is spiritual discipline—correcting evil, guiding godliness, and encouraging faithfulness.
Deacons: Their task is practical care—helping the poor and comforting the afflicted.
A well-ordered church is like a well-oiled machine. Each officer in these three offices has its role, dividing spiritual and tangible tasks, ensuring everything is done decently and in order (1 Cor. 14:40).
Order in Elections
How are these offices filled? Article 31 teaches orderly elections: officers are chosen by the congregation, with prayer, and in accordance with Scripture.
Example in Scripture: Moses appointed 70 elders (Exodus 18), and the congregation elected seven deacons (Acts 6).
Avoiding illegitimacy: Church offices cannot be bought or self-appointed. The practice of simony—buying ecclesiastical office, as in the case of Simon Magus or the bishop Martin Luther was under—violates God’s order.
Internal and external call: God calls officers inwardly, but the church provides confirmation externally. This ensures certainty of calling.
Ministers and elders all share parity as under-shepherds of Christ, the one universal bishop. Congregations should honor and respect them (Heb. 13:17), supporting their labor without grumbling or division.
Order in Worship
The Word of God also calls for orderly worship. Article 32 teaches that officers should maintain structure in the body of the church, guarding against deviation from Christ’s commands.
Focus on God’s ordinances: Baptism and preaching, the sacraments and the Word, are to be faithfully administered.
Reject human innovations: Sixteenth-century abuses, like five extra sacraments, veneration of relics, indulgences, and pilgrimages, were rejected because they imposed human laws on consciences.
Order is not about trivial preferences but about maintaining unity and obedience to God’s Word. Expressions of joy or solemnity are acceptable if they honor God and his Word.
Participating in this Structure
The Word of God provides for orderly church government. Christ has gifted the church with three offices—pastors, elders, and deacons—each with distinct tasks. These offices are to be entered into through prayerful, biblical elections, not human ambition or corruption. Worship and church life are to be ordered according to God’s Word, maintaining harmony, unity, and faithful obedience.
Value church structure. Respect the offices Christ has established. Participate actively in the life of your congregation, submit to its godly authority, and embrace the order God has provided. By doing so, we honor Christ, grow in holiness, and ensure the church fulfills its mission faithfully in the world.