The CONGREGATIONAL PRINCIPLE, namely that each member has the privilege and responsibility to use his/her gifts and abilities to participate fully in the life of the Church. We recognise that God gifts His Church with Overseers (who are called Pastors or Elders) whose primary function is to lead in a spirit of servanthood, to equip and provide spiritual oversight, and Deacons whose primary function is to facilitate the smooth functioning of the Church. This principle further recognises that each member should participate in the appointment of the Church’s leaders, and that a constituted Church meeting, subject to the direct Lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of Scripture, is the highest court of authority for the local Church.
We continue walking through the seven Baptist Principles. These principles sit at the heart of our founding documents. You can find them on our website.
Why now? Because we are updating our constitution. We have changed the section on deacons. Soon, we will consider the section on elders. Before we discuss mechanics, we need to establish the convictions that drive us. This is the fourth of those convictions. And honestly? This is probably what sets us apart as Baptists, more than anything else.
In 1644, a group of English Christians gathered to write the first London Baptist Confession. They made a claim that sounded reckless to the rest of the world. They said that the church is a company of believers who together have the authority to choose their leaders and govern their affairs. Not a bishop. Not a monarch. Not a pastor alone. The whole church. This was not democracy for the sake of democracy. It was the conviction that Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom to the entire assembly. Not to a clerical class. To Us.
As we change our constitution, this principle is not optional. We are moving to elder‑led congregationalism. That means the elders lead. They shepherd. They teach. They set direction. But the congregation holds the final authority. The elders do not run the church by themselves. The congregation does not run the church by itself. Together. The one leading, yet remaining accountable to the other. And both, under Christ. That is the biblical pattern.
Acts 15 gives us the clearest picture. A dispute over the gospel threatens to split the church. So what do they do? The apostles and elders gather. But notice. Acts 15:22 says, Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch. The whole church. Not just the board. Not just the pastors. The whole church participated in the decision. That is congregationalism. That is our heritage.
How does this shape us at Benoni Baptist Church? Soon, you will see the proposed changes to the elders section of our constitution. Let me show you how the congregational principle underscores every line.
Elders are appointed by the church. Not by me. Not by the executive. The executive identifies candidates. Then they undergo a period of testing. But then, the name goes in the notice of a general meeting. And we vote. A favourable ballot of seventy‑five percent of members present confirms the appointment. That is not a formality. That is the congregation exercising its final authority.
Elders serve two‑year terms. Then they come back to us for reappointment. Another seventy‑five percent vote. That keeps us accountable. Not to a boardroom. To the pew. To the people we shepherd.
And if removal becomes necessary? Same process. The executive recommends. But the church decides. Seventy‑five percent. We are the highest human court of appeal under Christ.
This protects us. It protects the elders. Elders are protected from congregational whim because the bar is high. Seventy‑five percent. You cannot remove an elder because you dislike a person. But the congregation is protected from pastoral tyranny because we hold the keys. We affirm. We remove. We decide.
Some of you worry about giving too much power to elders. I understand. But listen. In our new constitution, the elders do not appoint elders. The church does. The elders do not remove elders. The church does. The elders lead. But the congregation holds the leash. That is elder‑led congregationalism. That is historically the Baptist way.
So here is the question I leave with you. Will you take up your responsibility? Will you attend the general meetings? Will you read the notices? Will you pray over the names placed before you? Will you vote with conviction, seeking the mind of Christ, not your personal preference? The keys of the kingdom are in our hands. Not to wield carelessly. To wield under the direct lordship of our King.
This is not a burden. It is a gift. It means this is our church. Not mine. Not the executive’s. Ours. And when we stand to affirm an elder, or to remove one, we are doing something most Christians in history could only dream of. We are governing the household of God. Under Christ. Together.
This is our conviction. This is our responsibility. And this is our freedom.