Dr Paul Allen

Image via Wikipedia Congregational government is an invention and tool of the enemy of our souls to destroy the church of Jesus Christ . So there, I have said the strongest part of the message first; now some commentary. 1) Congregational Meetings Are Forums for Division: When church life is going well, the leaders of a church struggle to get a quorum for decision making. When things are going wrong, every carnal member lines up at a microphone to spew their venom and destroy the work of Christ in the church.  I saw it growing up, and I have seen it since in churches that are fighting to survive and do something courageous for their future. Good people being held hostage by bad people, minorities hijacking the majority because a set of ‘by-laws’ get higher regard than the Scriptures.  Satan does want to rip church unity to shreds like a devouring lion ( 1 Peter 5:8). He is accomplishing that again and again through a system of church government which elevates the fleshl...

Image via Wikipedia 1)  Congregational Meetings Can Be Forums for Division:  Satan will often employ many God-given gifts and institutions--from biblical marriage to civil government to biblical congregationalism--for diabolical ends.  You name it, and he'll use it to undermine leadership , to divide friends, even to present a poor witness for the gospel.  With congregationalism, for instance, Satan will use things like unregenerate church members, decades of failing to practice church discipline , and man-fearing pastors in order to make a congregation ornery. I think of John Dagg who wrote, "We concede that the independent form of church government is not adapted to ungodly pastors, and unconverted church-members" ( Manual of Church Order , 278).  Of course,  that 's true of any church order. Still, you can feel it more quickly in a congregational members’ meeting. Solutions : pastors need to do a better job teaching the gospel, conv...