Ecclesiastical polity
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Ecclesiastical polity |
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Ecclesiastical polity is the government of a church. There are local (
History
Questions of church government were documented early on in the first chapters of the
During the
Types
There are four general types of polity:
Episcopal polity
Churches having episcopal polity are governed by
Bishops may be subject to higher ranking bishops (variously called archbishops, metropolitans or patriarchs, depending upon the tradition; see article Bishop) They also meet in councils or synods. These synods, subject to precedency by higher ranking bishops, may govern the dioceses which are represented in the council, though the synod may also be purely advisory. In episcopal polity, presbyter (elder) refers to a priest.
Churches governed by episcopacy do not simply adhere to a chain of command. Instead, some authority may be held by synods and colleges of bishops, and other authority by lay and clerical councils. Patterns of authority are subject to a wide variety of historical rights and honours which may cut across simple lines of authority.
Episcopal polity is the predominant pattern in
Connexional polity
Connexionalism is sometimes identified as an organization, while other times as relationship or theological principle.[7] The United Methodist Church defines connection as the principle that "all leaders and congregations are connected in a network of loyalties and commitments that support, yet supersede, local concerns."[8]
A minority of Methodist denominations use another non-connexional form of government, such as the Congregational Methodist Church.
Presbyterian polity
Many
Presbyterian polity and the Presbyterian tradition are not identical. Continental reformed churches (e.g. Dutch) can also be described as presbyterian, with a few key differences. Continental churches that historically follow the Church Order of Dordrecht (1618/1619) will, in general, consider their levels of government "broader" rather than "higher" courts.[12] Additionally, the reformed classis is a temporary, delegated body, so the minister is firstly a member of his congregation as opposed to the standing presbytery.
The
Congregational polity
The number offices in the church generally ranges from two (elder & deacon) to four (pastor, teacher, ruling elder & deacon) in congregational churches.[15]
Churches with congregational polity include
Historic statements of congregational polity include the Cambridge Platform, Savoy Declaration, Saybrook Platform and Second London Confession.
As a "self-governed voluntary institution",[citation needed] it could be considered a type of religious anarchism.
Other forms
Other religious organizations, for example Seventh-day Adventist, Jehovah's Witnesses, The Salvation Army, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are unique. Some have hierarchies similar to an episcopal polity, but may be more complex, with additional levels. Leaders are not always called bishops, in some cases they have secular-like titles such as president or overseer. The term bishop may be used to describe functionaries in minor leadership roles, such as a leader of an individual congregation; it may also be used as an honorific, particularly within the Holiness movement.
Polity, autonomy, and ecumenism
Although a church's polity determines its ministers and discipline, it need not affect relations with other Christian organizations. The unity of a church is an essential doctrine of ecclesiology, but because the divisions between churches presuppose the absence of mutual authority, internal polity does not directly answer how these divisions are treated.
For example, among churches of episcopal polity, different theories are expressed:
- In Eastern Orthodoxy, the various churches retain autonomy but are held to be unified by common doctrine and conciliarity, i. e., subjection to the authority of councils, such as ecumenical councils, Holy Synods, and the former standing council, the Endemusa Synod.
- The Supreme Pontiff(Pope).
- In Anglicanism, the churches are autonomous, though the majority of members are organizationally united in the Anglican Communion, which has no governmental authority.
Plurality and singularity
A plurality of elders is considered desirable in some (esp. reformed) traditions, preferring two or more officers in the local church. The contrasts with singular models often found in Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches, or the "pastor/president" system of some
Conversely, one minister may serve in two roles. A pastor with two churches may be said to have a "dual charge". In the Church of England, two or more otherwise independent benefices may be 'held in plurality' by a single priest.[17]
See also
- Hierarchy of the Catholic Church
- Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses
- Polity of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
References
Footnotes
- ^ a b Doe 2013, p. 118.
- ^ Foakes-Jackson 1909; McGrade 2013, p. xxxii.
- ^ Hooker, Richard (1954). Morris, Christopher (ed.). Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity. Vol. 1. London: J. M. Dent & Sons. p. 297. Cited in Becic 1959, p. 59.
- ^ "Bishop". Merriam-Webster.com. 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- ^ Dowley 2002, p. 646.
- ^ Doe 2013, p. 122.
- ^ "The many meanings of connectionalism". United Methodist News Service. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ "Connection". Sharing God's Gifts: Glossary of United Methodist Terms. United Methodist Church. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
- ^ Doe 2013, p. 123.
- ^ Doe 2013, pp. 123, 150–151.
- ^ Doe 2013, pp. 123, 151.
- ISSN 2413-9467.
- ^ a b The Cambridge Platform (PDF). 1652 [1649]. VII.6.
- ^ The Cambridge Platform (PDF). London. 1652 [1649]. VI.1.
- ^ Dexter, Henry Martyn (1865). Congregationalism:. University of California Libraries. Boston, Nichols and Noyes. p. 67.
- ^ Strauch 1995; Viola & Barna 2008.
- ^ "Glossary of key terms". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
Bibliography
- Becic, Marilyn Jean (1959). Richard Hooker and His Theory of Anglicanism (PDF) (MA thesis). Chicago: Loyola University. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- Doe, Norman (2013). Christian Law: Contemporary Principles. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-00692-8.
- Dowley, Tim, ed. (2002). Introduction to the History of Christianity. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Fortress Press.
- ISBN 978-1-58734-073-4. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- McGrade, Arthur Stephen (2013). Introduction. Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity: A Critical Edition with Modern Spelling. By ISBN 978-0-19-960491-3.
- Strauch, Alexander (1995). Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership (3rd ed.). Littleton, Colorado: Lewis & Roth Publishers.
- Viola, Frank; Barna, George (2008). Pagan Christianity: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices. Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House. Archived from the original on 2 July 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
Further reading
- Cragg, Gerald R. (1975). Freedom and Authority: A Study of English Thought in the Early Seventeenth Century. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Westminster Press. ISBN 978-0-664-20738-0.
A study of religious authority (especially pp. 97–218) as well as the secular authority of the state. - Henderson, Ian (1967). Power without Glory: A Study in Ecumenical Politics. Richmond, Virginia: John Knox Press (published 1969). ISBN 978-0-8042-1497-1.
A study of the conflict and prestige of episcopal church authority with other forms of church polity as they affect inter-Christian relations and ecumenism.