Who Runs the Church?

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.

Steven B. Cowan (MDiv; PhD) is associate director of the Apologetics Resource Center in Birmingham, Alabama. He is adjunct professor at Southeastern Bible College, Birmingham Theological Seminary, and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Stanley N. Gundry is senior vice president and editor-in-chief of the book group at Zondervan. With more than thirty-five years of teaching, pastoring, and publishing experience, he is the author or coauthor of numerous books and a contributor to numerous periodicals. Paige Patterson (Th.D., New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary) is president of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. Dr. L. Roy Taylor is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. He has served as a Presbyterian Churches in America (PCA) pastor for sixteen years, as a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary for ten years, and as stated clerk of the General Assembly of the PCA since 1998. He has written various article and is the author of several books, including Four Views on Church Government (Countperpoints series, Zondervan). He and his wife, Donna, have two children and five grandchildren. Peter Toon (Ph.D., Oxford University) is rector of Christ Church, Biddulph Moor, Diocese of Lichfield, in the Church of England. Samuel E. Waldron is currently a Ph.D. candidate in systematic theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.

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.

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.

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