You Don't Get A Vote!

You will not find a Congregationalist church government in the Bible. God has ordained specific people with governmental authority in the church, and they are the senior pastor and the elders. A healthy church government is senior pastor-led, elder-governed, staff and volunteer-run and congregation-owned.

"Well, if we own it, we ought to have a say in how it functions!"

Show me that in the Bible.

Where does it say in the Bible that you get a vote on an associate pastor?

Where does it say in the Bible that you get a vote on hiring or firing the senior pastor?

Where does it say in the Bible that you get a vote on the carpet, or changing a lightbulb, or how much we spend on missions, or what the order of service is, or what kind of music we sing, or who can be raised up as a leader?

In fact, where does it say in the Bible that you get a vote on ANYTHING?

"Well, what about Acts 6:1-6?!"

Okay, let's look at that...

Oka, so in vv1-2, the widows of the Jews weren't being fed, and so there was a complaint about it (already sounds like church, don't it?). So the Apostles told everybody what was going on, but that it wasn't their job, saying "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables."

Notice what happens next:

Acts 6:3–6 NASB

3 “Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4 “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. 6 And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.

Acts 6:3-6 (NASB):

[3] “Instead, brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.”

[4] “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

[5] “The announcement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.”

[6] “And they brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.”

Alright, let’s exegete this properly, huh?

Acts 6:3 NASB

3 “Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

“Therefore, brethren, select from among you...”

Okay, so you get to nominate. Does it say you get to vote on what they do or that you get to vote to put them in charge?

Absolutely NOT.

“Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom *WE* may put in charge of this task.”

The people were not voting on putting these people in charge, it was still in the hands of the apostles!

“What about v5?!”

“The announcement found approval with the whole congregation”

That word “approval” is the Greek word “areskō,” and it means “favor,” or “pleasing.”

It means they found it pleasing, not that they gave their “approval.”