Is the Current Church Structure Biblical? by Curtis Lee Hall

Is the Current Church Structure Biblical?

by Curtis Lee Hall

I have believed for a long time that the current structure of the 'church' is quite unbiblical! Think about it. Most churches have a board of elders, who are supposed to be the overseers (see Titus 1:5 – 9 and Acts 20:17 – 38). These elders then 'hire and pay' a pastor to run the church! He then is expected to give sermons every week, do almost all of the evangelizing, teaching, exhorting, and preaching. It basically becomes his ministry, his church, his congregation! I ask, is this at all biblical?

What kind of body can operate with just one of its parts working?

We claim we are not following a man, but the Lord. Really? Does your church change directions, and sometimes doctrines, every time you hire a new 'pastor'? I tell you true, they are very much following that man to a great degree.

Now the only other offices that seem to be recognized are associate pastors, Sunday school teachers, and worship leaders. All of these designed to compliment the 'pastorate'! Are any of these biblical according to the structure set forth in the New Testament?

Notice that NONE of the epistles written in the New Testament EVER greet or address a pastor! Strange? Wouldn't you think that when Paul, Peter, John, James, or Jude wrote an epistle admonishing the local churches that they would have addressed 'the Pastor' someplace in their writings?! Is not the pastor supposed to be the one in charge of the flock? Should not the pastor have been responsible for correcting false teaching and blatant sin in the local church? Also, notice that the Lord Jesus never addresses a pastor in His admonishments to the seven churches in the book of Revelations.

No, what we now seem to have is a priest / congregation structure. We are told by our Lord not to call any man 'father' (see Matt 23:9), but I submit to you that the term 'pastor' is used in the same spirit when we call a man by the title "Pastor". Not "brother George, called to be a pastor", but just "Pastor". We actually call a man by the title alone, such as in the phrase "did you hear what Pastor said Sunday?". Sound familiar? Do you know of a man who you only greet by the term "Prophet"? Do you call him "my Prophet" like you do "my Pastor"? Have you ever heard someone say "did you hear what Prophet said Sunday?"? Sounds a little absurd, doesn't it? Do you have your own apostle, evangelist, and teacher too? Are you afraid to call a pastor by his first name? Do you exalt him and reverence him as do the Roman Catholics their priest, whom they call "Father"? And we protestants believe we are so different.

Remember how Paul started his greetings?:

Romans 1:1