Everything about Ecclesiastical Polity totally explained
Ecclesiastical polity is the operational and governance structure of a
church or
Christian denomination. It also denotes the
ministerial structure of the church and the authority relationships between churches. Polity is closely related to
Ecclesiology, the study of doctrine and theology relating to church organization.
History
Issues of church governance appear in the first chapters of the
Acts of the Apostles; the first act recorded after the
ascension is the election of
Matthias to replace
Judas Iscariot. Over the years a system of episcopal polity developed.
During the
Protestant Reformation, arguments were made that the
New Testament prescribed structures quite different from that of the
Roman Catholic Church of the day, and different Protestant bodies used different types of polity. It was during this period that
Richard Hooker wrote
Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity to defend the polity of the
Church of England against the
Puritans.
Use as a Term
"Ecclesiastical polity" is used in several closely related senses. Most commonly it refers to the field of church governance in the abstract, but it also can refer to the governance of a particular Christian body. In this sense it's used as a term in
civil law. "Polity" is sometimes used as a shorthand for the church governance structure itself.
Types of Polity
Though each church or denomination has its own characteristic structure, there are three general types of polity.
Episcopal Polity
Churches having episcopal polity are governed by
bishops, who have authority over
dioceses. Their presidency over the diocese is both sacramental and political; as well as performing
ordinations,
confirmations, and
consecrations, the bishop supervises the
clergy of the diocese and represents the diocese both secularly and in the hierarchy of church governance.
Bishops in this system may be subject to higher ranking bishops (variously called
archbishops,
metropolitans, and/or
patriarchs, depending upon the tradition;
see also Bishop for further explanation of the varieties of bishops.) They also meet in councils or
synods. These synods, subject to presidency by higher ranking bishops, may govern the dioceses which are represented in the council, though the
synod may also be purely advisory.
Note that the presence of the office of "bishop" within a church isn't proof of episcopal polity. For example, in
Mormonism, the "bishop" occupies the office that in an
Anglican church would be occupied by a
priest.
Also, episcopal polity isn't usually a simple chain of command.
Instead, some authority may be held, not only by synods and colleges of bishops, but by
lay and
clerical councils. Further, patterns of authority are subject to a wide variety of historical rights and honors which may cut across simple lines of authority.
Episcopal polity is the predominant pattern in
Catholic,
Eastern Orthodox,
Oriental Orthodox and
Anglican churches. It is also common in
Methodist and
Lutheran churches.
Presbyterian Polity
Many
Reformed churches, notably those in the
Presbyterian and Continental Reformed traditions, are governed by a hierarchy of councils. The lowest level council governs a single local church and is called the
session or
consistory; its members are called
elders. The
minister of the church (sometimes referred to as a
teaching elder) is a member of and presides over the session; lay representatives (
ruling elders or, informally, just elders) are elected by the congregation. The session sends representatives to the next level higher council, called the
presbytery or
classis. In some Presbyterian churches there are higher level councils (
synods and/or
general assemblies). Each council has authority over its constituents, and the representatives at each level are expected to use their own judgment. Hence higher level councils act as courts of appeal for church trials and disputes, and it isn't uncommon to see rulings and decisions overturned.
Presbyterian polity is, of course, the characteristic governance of
Presbyterian churches, and also of churches in the Continental
Reformed tradition. Elements of presbyterian polity are also found in other churches. For example, in the
Episcopal Church in the United States of America governance by bishops is paralleled by a system of deputies, who are lay and clerical representatives elected by
parishes and, at the national level, by the dioceses. Legislation in the
general convention requires the separate consent of the bishops and of the deputies.
Note that, in episcopal polity, a
presbyter refers to a
priest.
Congregational Polity
Congregationalist polity dispenses with
elders or
bishops as a requirement of church structure. The local congregation rules itself, though local leaders and councils may be appointed.
Members may be sent from the congregation to associations that are sometimes identified with the church bodies formed by
Lutherans,
Presbyterians,
Anglicans, and other non-congregational
Protestants. The similarity is deceptive, however, because the congregationalist associations don't exercise control over their members (other than ending their membership in the association). Many congregationalist churches are completely independent in principle. One major exception is
Ordination, where even congregationalist churches often invite members of the
vicinage or association to ordain their called pastor.
It is a principle of congregationalism that ministers don't govern congregations by themselves. They may preside over the congregation, but it's the congregation which exerts its authority in the end.
Congregational polity is sometimes called "baptist polity", as it's the characteristic polity of
baptist churches.
Polity, Autonomy, and Ecumenism
Although a church's polity dictates how it's governed and how its ministers figure in that governance, it need not have any implications on relationships between church bodies. The unity of the church is a
doctrine central to
ecclesiology, but since the divisions between churches presuppose a lack of mutual authority, the internal polity doesn't directly provide answers on how these divisions have been handled.
For example, among churches with episcopal polity, different theories are expressed:
Further Information
Get more info on 'Ecclesiastical Polity'.
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