ISBN 978-1-934741-10-8 The basic material in this leaflet originally appeared in a series of articles in theBaptist Standard in 2005. Wanting to share information about Baptist distinctives, Noble Hurley, shortly before his death in 2004, established the Jane and Noble Hurley Baptist Identity Fund to provide for publishing the series. He asked William M. Pinson, Jr. and Doris A. Tinker to prepare the articles. The financial assistance of The Prichard Family Foundation and Vester T. Hughes, Jr. enabled this series of nineteen leaflets to be produced based on the articles. Skyler G. Tinker designed and formatted the leaflets for publication. Each leaflet is for both individual and group study. The topics in this series: (1) Baptists: Who? Where? What? Why? (2) What Makes a Baptist a Baptist? (3) The Lordship of Christ; (4) The Bible as Authority for Faith and Practice; (5) Soul Competency; (6) Salvation Only by Grace Through Faith; (7) The Priesthood of All Believers; (8) Believer’s Baptism; (9) A Regenerate Church Membership; (10) Congregational Church Governance; (11) Church Autonomy; (12) Baptist Church Life: Organization, Worship, Officers, Ordinances; (13) Voluntary Cooperation; (14) Evangelism; (15) Missions; (16) Ministry; (17) Christian Education; (18) The Application of the Gospel; (19) Religious Freedom. © Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. and priesthood. Full participation by all members in the life of the church enables each to develop his or her God-given ministry qualities (Ephesians 4:1-16). Thus, congregational governance is important because it can contribute to the vitality of a church. As persons feel a sense of ownership, they are likely to be more responsible members. Congregational governance also is important for society in general and not just for a church. Participation in such governance equips people for personal participation in a political democracy. Ways to Strengthen Congregational Church Governance Several ways have been suggested to strengthen congregational church governance: (1) Strive to maintain a church membership of regenerate and spiritually mature persons. (2) Place a major emphasis on evangelism and Christian growth. (3) Pray for the healthy participation of all members in governance. (4) Educate members about the importance of congregational church governance and its relationship to other basic Baptist beliefs. (5) Teach members how a Baptist church is to be organized and function. Admittedly, churches, especially those with large memberships, may face special challenges in involving the entire membership in congregational governance. However, through including persons in groups and committees, delegating certain decisions to these groups, and holding business meetings at which all members can express themselves and vote, it is possible to maintain the basics of congregational governance. Conclusion In spite of difficulties, Baptists should strive for the goal of congregational governance because it follows the example in the New Testament of church governance and is best in keeping with basic biblical doctrines that Baptists hold dear. For further information, see cbhh.dbu.edu
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