I'm in a church where the pastor controls everything. The pastor doesn't allow the leadership to make suggestions or contribute to church matters. There are no elders, no deacons and board. The leaders don't have any idea of how the church finances are managed. The pastor makes all the decisions and wouldn't allow anyone to question him. Is this biblical? (Australia)

Without knowing the details, we feel unable to judge. However, the Bible does teach how a church should be organized. First, the congregation should study the structure of the New Testament church. All Christian members were responsible for selecting the leaders of the church. Congregations elected (by the raising of hands) the elders and traveling preachers of the early church.  

An example of election is recorded when Paul and Barnabas traveled and “in every church, after prayer and fasting, they selected Elders by show of hands, and commended them to the Lord on whom their faith rested” (Acts 14:23 Weymouth Translation). Another example was when Titus was “chosen by the vote of the churches to travel with us” (2 Corinthians 8:16-19 Weymouth Translation). We see that the whole church in Jerusalem, not just the Elders and Apostles, chose men to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:22).  Our conclusion is that the congregation itself chooses the elders or overseers of the church, and it is the responsibility of the congregation to seek the Lord’s will as to who will serve as a leader in the church.

The role of leadership in the church should not be taken lightly. In 1 Timothy Chapter 3, Paul outlines two offices in the church – elders or overseers, and deacons. The qualifications to fill these roles are mostly based on character. The congregation should follow these biblical guidelines for the type of character expected of leaders in the church.  

Apostle Peter says, “To the elders among you… Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care… not lording it over those entrusted to you but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:1-3). The ESV translation uses the words “not domineering” and the Contemporary English Version says, “don’t be bossy.”  We think the point is that the pastor, preacher, elder, or leader in the church should not dominate the rest of the church – it is the congregation that should do their best to determine the Lord’s will in the business of the congregation.

Additional Resource:
Christian Questions Podcast Episode #1039: “Have You Lost Faith in Your Spiritual Leaders?”
The dangers, pitfalls and powerful reality of Christian leadership
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CQ Rewind Show Notes