Today’s sermon is part of our ongoing series on the Law, and this time we will talk about Church Polity, which means the way we govern the church. We chose this topic because in previous sermons, we’ve highlighted some key Presbyterian distinctives, particularly our dual emphasis on Word and Sacraments. Now, if we were to add a third key distinctive to Presbyterianism, it would be the way we do polity—church government.
The name “Presbyterian,” from the word Presbyter, literally means “church elders.” This tradition comes from the early Scottish missionaries, and today, Presbyterians are also known as “Reformed” in other parts of the world. Both Presbyterians and Reformed churches share a similar approach to polity. Since we have been reflecting on authority and power structures through the lens of the Law, today we’ll extend that reflection to how power operates in the church.
My sermon will be structured in this way. First, we must understand what is the church[i]. Then we understand the role of church leaders. Finally, then we can discuss how we can design church polity so that church leaders can fulfill what the church is supposed to be.
Let’s begin with the foundational premise: the church is the body of Christ. We find this truth in Ephesians 1: 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. 22 神使万有服在他的脚下，又使他为了教会作万有之首； 23 教会是他的身体，是那充满万有者所充满的。
Our Lord Jesus Christ has been given supreme authority over the world. The church, as the body of Christ, is meant to fully manifest Jesus to the world. The world cannot see Jesus, but they can see him through the church. In other words, the church is called to proclaim and exercise the kingship of our Lord Jesus Christ. This aligns with the Old Testament prophetic visions of the Messiah and the future Jerusalem, such as in Isaiah 2, where all nations stream to God’s holy city to learn His ways.
But doesn’t it seem like fantasy, especially during the time of Paul’s writing when the church is like a mere speck of dust in the Roman empire? Actually, Paul knew all along this vision of the church is an already-but-not-yet concept. We say that the church has already achieved its vision in this sense: Christ is already supreme over all the earth, including the church. He is already sitting on the heavenly throne at the right side of God. The church is already fully empowered with such divine authority, as Jesus said in Matthew 18: 18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 18 “我实在告诉你们，凡你们在地上所捆绑的，在天上也要捆绑；凡你们在地上所释放的，在天上也要释放。
But we cannot deny the “not-yet” dimension of the church. In fact. we knew from the beginning that the church’s maturity would be a work in progress. Paul explains this in Ephesians 4: 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 11 他所赐的有使徒，有先知，有传福音的，有牧者和教师， 12 为要装备圣徒，做事奉的工作，建立基督的身体， 13 直等到我们众人在信仰上同归于一，认识 神的儿子，得以长大成人，达到基督完全长成的身量。
This is our second premise: the role of church leadership is to equip the body of Christ so that it matures and fulfills this vision. While the church is already empowered with divine authority, much work remains for each generation of church leaders. The apostles, prophets, and evangelists of the first century had played their part in preserving the true Gospel, and it is up to the pastors and teachers of every church till today to ensure that the flock put such faith in praxis. Our task as church leaders is to equip the congregation to fulfill its calling. Since we have been trying to do this for almost 2000 years, I think it is fitting to do an honest assessment of ourselves as the church.
Historical Reflection: The Church’s Struggle with Power
My verdict is that we must acknowledge that the church has often fallen short of this high calling. I’m not talking about the early church, which was insignificant within the vast Roman Empire, nor the church today, whose influence is often politely acknowledged by secular governments at best. I’m referring to the church at the height of its political power during the medieval ages. You can argue that that would have been the best time to display to the world God’s governance at its best, and demonstrate how flourishing society can be when God is the final word.
Yet during that period, many church leaders, from priests to bishops, became corrupted by power and wealth. Many lived lavish sinful lives while the flock they were supposed to equip suffered in extreme poverty. This wasn’t true of all, of course, but enough that it fueled the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. People were disillusioned by the spiritual and moral decay they witnessed in the church’s leadership. Even during the French Revolution[ii], one of the societal pillars that crumbled was the church, which had become a symbol of the abuse of power.
So, when I hear people express outrage at how religious symbols, like the Last Supper, are mocked in modern contexts—such as during the opening of the Paris Olympics—I’m not shocked. In countries like France, the church had long lost the moral authority to demand respect due to its historical failings.
Reformers like John Calvin saw clearly that the church had a problem in leadership, especially with the corruption of power. If the shepherds were blind, no wonder the flock was lost in the wilderness. But if those in high places of the church hierarchy were given unquestionable authority, how could any transformation be done?
The early reformers returned to the bible for inspiration, and this is my third premise: the solution to the corruption of power is the priesthood of all believers. The biblical foundation of this principle is found in 1 Peter 2: 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 9 不过，你们是被拣选的一族，是君尊的祭司，是神圣的国度，是属 神的子民，要使你们宣扬那召你们出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德。
This principle means that power in the church is not concentrated in the hands of a chosen few but is shared by all who are in Christ. During the medieval era, the church believed that the clergy were like the priesthood class of ancient Israel, acting as the channel between God and the congregation, or laity or lay people. But the priesthood of all believers meant that there is no demarcation between clergy and laity. We are all priests—each of us is set apart to reach God directly and to be a channel of His grace to the world. The reason for the principle of priesthood of all believers is because of our union with Christ.
As Peter explained in 1 Peter 2: 4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 4 要亲近主，他是活石，虽然被人所丢弃，却是 神所拣选、所珍贵的。 5 你们作为活石，要被建造成属灵的殿，成为圣洁的祭司，藉着耶稣基督献上蒙 神悦纳的属灵祭物。 In short, we are all living stones of this spiritual house, because Jesus is the living Stone chosen by God. This also explains why we pray in Jesus’ name; we baptize in Jesus’ name; we consecrate the Holy Communion in Jesus’ name. It is because we derive our priesthood status when we are in union with Jesus Christ, the High Priest sitting at the right side of God.
Historical Reflection: Priesthood of all believers
Over the past four centuries of Protestant tradition, we can see the relative impact of this principle of the priesthood of all believers across the different denominations. On one end of the spectrum, we have the Anglicans and Lutherans who have maintained a hierarchical church government. At the other side of the spectrum, we have the countless independent churches. Most of them have a very flat hierarchical structure, and even though those churches with the long traditions like the Baptists and the Quakers are themselves connected by association, each local church still maintains a high degree of independence. With the hindsight of more than 400 years, I think we can see the pros and cons of each type of church organizational structure. Those that are more hierarchical are more united, but it would be relatively harder to keep those at the top in check. Those with a flatter structure give more independence to each local church and each member, but it would be harder to keep everybody in check. Simply put, since it is the priesthood of all believers, there will always be a church leader who believes, I can break away and set up my own church and worship God in whichever way I deem to be right. That how you end up with the churches you see today.
Presbyterian Polity in Practice
As, for us Presbyterians, I may be biased, but I think we have the right balance. Today, in our Presbyterian polity, the principle of the priesthood of all believers is expressed through shared leadership and active participation. We elect our leaders, but each church member also maintains the responsibility to engage in the life and governance of the church.
Now, let’s understand how Presbyterian polity functions in our church today.
The Presbyterian Church is representative at every level. Congregations elect leaders to serve on the Session, which oversees local church matters. These Sessions, in turn, elect representatives to attend Presbytery and Synod meetings. This structure ensures that while leaders are empowered, the congregation retains the authority to make major decisions, especially at Annual Congregational Meetings (ACMs).
Calvin suggested four offices for church leadership: doctors to study theology, pastors to teach the congregation, elders to govern and exercise church discipline, and deacons to manage finance and take care of the needy. Today, we adapt these roles to fit our context. For instance, at Jubilee, the church leadership work collectively, and many times our roles of teaching and governance can interchange. But we also appreciate a clearer division of responsibility, and so lately, we finetune our structure with pastors focusing on more on teaching and care, and elders and deacons supporting governance, finances, and ministry development.
Practical Steps for the Congregation
As part of the Presbyterian community, here are some key ways we can all contribute to the life of the church:
- Take our ACMs seriously: Read the ministry and financial reports, and choose leaders wisely. Your vote matters.
- Serve in ministry and zone committees: The church functions through active participation. When every voice is heard, we ensure representation, but things only move when there is involvement.
- Keep Christ’s Kingship in focus: We sometimes get caught up in conflicts over trivial matters, forgetting that our ultimate mission is to witness to the world the kingship of Christ. Let us strive to reflect Christ in our passionate spirituality and loving relationships.
Conclusion: Our Call as the Body of Christ
To sum up, the church is the body of Christ, called to reflect the reign of Christ to the world. Church leadership exists to equip the body to reach maturity, and as priests, each of us shares in the responsibility to lead and serve. As Presbyterians, we express this shared authority through elections and active participation in the church’s governance.
By the grace of God, we believe that the body of Christ will eventually reach full maturity one day. Let us be a community where Christ’s reign is visible, where our governance reflects His justice and love, and where each one of us takes seriously our role in building His kingdom. Let’s hope that one day people will look at us and see passionate spirituality and loving relationships. And because they see the beauty of God, they bow down in worship to Him.
