When the Church Becomes a Corporation
The local church was never meant to operate like a corporation. Yet, that’s exactly what we’re seeing more and more — churches run by boards, councils, committees, and procedural rules instead of the collective voice of the body under the headship of Christ.
The Biblical Pattern of Church Authority
What happened to the simple, Spirit-led church described in the New Testament? In Acts 6, when a need arose, “the multitude of the disciples” was called together (Acts 6:2). The apostles didn’t hand the matter off to a board or a committee — they called the church collectively. The Scripture says, “the saying pleased the whole multitude” (Acts 6:5). The body made the decision together.
The Corporate Drift
Today, we’ve traded that biblical order for something man-made. We’ve borrowed from corporatism and called it “organization.” We’ve let Robert’s Rules of Order take the place of the rule of Scripture. Business meetings now sound more like board meetings, and the Spirit’s leadership is often replaced by motions, amendments, and votes.
Let’s be honest — it drives many of us nuts. You can feel the difference when the Spirit should be moving freely among the brethren, yet someone says, “Point of order!” The life drains out of the room, and what could have been a time of unity becomes a procedural debate.
The Role of Pastors and Deacons
Deacons and pastors are gifts to the church — not governors of it. Their calling is to serve, guide, and build up the body, not to rule over it. The authority rests in the local church collectively — the assembly of believers gathered under Christ. Anything that mutes that voice or replaces it with parliamentary process has missed the New Testament pattern.
A Body, Not a Business
Paul wrote that the church is “the body of Christ, and members in particular” (1 Corinthians 12:27). Every part matters. Every member has a voice. The health of a local church depends not on its bylaws, articles of incorporation or committees, but on its obedience to the Word of God and its willingness to follow the Spirit’s leading together.
Returning to the Simplicity of the Church
The church doesn’t need to act more like a corporation — it needs to act more like a church.