Who Runs the Church?: 4 Views on Church Government (Counterpoints: Church Life)

Churches have split and denominations have formed over the issue of church government. Yet while many Christians can explain their particular church’s form of rule and may staunchly uphold it, few have a truly biblical understanding of it. What model for governing the church does the Bible provide? Is there room for different methods? Or is just one way the right way?In Who Runs the Church? Four predominant approaches to church government are presented by respected proponents: • Episcopalianism (Peter Toon)• Presbyterianism (L. Roy Taylor)• Single-Elder Congregationalism (Paige Patterson)• Plural-Elder Congregationalism (Samuel E. Waldron). As in other Counterpoints books, each view is followed by critiques from the other contributors, and its advocate then responds. The interactive and fair-minded nature of the Counterpoints format allows the reader to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each view and draw informed, personal conclusions.

• Perspectives on Church Government: Five Views of Church Polity
• Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck--Why Some Thrive Despite Them All (Good to Great)
• The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict
• The First Epistle to the Corinthians, Revised Edition (The New International Commentary on the New Testament)
• What Is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission
• HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict (HBR Guide Series)
• Sojourners and Strangers: The Doctrine of the Church
• Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology)
• Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity
• Who Rules the Church?: Examining Congregational Leadership and Church Government