Democratization of the Church

[corinthpastorbob]

We pastors like to think of ourselves as accountable only to God, but it's not true. As a pastor, I am accountable to my congregation. Not as individuals, but as a group (and through formal channels), they have a right to inspect and evaluate whether I am skilled, hardworking, and trustworthy.

We forget that this system of the leaders being accountable to the congregation was invented in America. Nathan Hatch called it "The Democratization of American Christianity" in a book by that title. Americans created (or at least refined and institutionalized, if you count the English Independents and Separatists) congregational polity in contrast to the episcopal and presbyterian systems of our spiritual ancestors. We decided the people are in charge of the church - not the hierarchy, and not even "the board."

That means, like it or not, I do have 900 bosses. In a sense, anyway. And that is occasionally very frustrating. But it also is a great reminder of my own limitations and inadequacies - a great antibiotic for the bacteria of pride that grows so freely in the petrie dish of my heart. My bosses do see in their own job description the duty to knock me off my pedestal.

I'm reminded of what Winston Churchill said, "Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried." The same can be said of the democratization of the church.