What kind of government do you use in you church, and how is it biblical? Do you vote?

IPHC church government is a combination of episcopal and congregational. An "episcopal" form of church government places greater emphasis on personal and organizational accountabiility and unity. A "congregational" form of church government places greater emphasis on congregational identify and independence.

The New Testament does not specifically give "one" perfect model of church government. The episcopal and congregational models are hinted at in the New Testament.

IPHC is episcopal in the sense that we have bishops (conference superintendents) and a presiding bishop (the General Superintendent) and that local churches and ministers are accountable to the local conference. We are congregational in that local churches and pastors have great leeway in determining the Lord's ministry for that local church.

IPHC does allow "voting" in its form of government. The Biblical background for this is in Acts 1:23-26. You have there a mixing of "appointment" and "casting lots", a form of "voting" as "they gave forth their lots" (1:26).

The issue of "voting" in IPHC churches is not about modern democracy but rather about determining what persons the Lord has set forth as leaders for a given period of time.

Doug Beacham
Executive Director
World Missions Ministries