Ecclesiastical polity
Ecclesiastical polity is the way a church runs. It says who the leaders are, like pastors and deacons, and makes rules for them. There are some rules for the local church and other rules for groups of churches.
Christians decide how the church should run based on what they think the church is (ecclesiology). There are three main ways:
- Episcopal - where bishops are in charge pastors, and pastors are in charge of churches.
- Presbyterian - where many pastors get together and make decisions for their churches.
- Congregational - where local churches and their pastors make their own decisions.
Ecclesiastical Polity Media
The apostles Peter and John laying hands in ordination. Illustration, 1873.
A diagram of episcopal polity.
An Anglican deacon, bishop and priest. Priests are usually former deacons in episcopal polity.
The ordination of Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury, 1784.
A diagram of presbyterian polity according to The Form of Presbyterial Church Government (1646).
Cathedral churches like St. Andrews were incompatible with the presbyterian polity taught by John Knox. This statue stands in St. Giles, still called a cathedral despite no longer serving as an episcopal seat.
A diagram of congregational polity according to the Cambridge Platform (1648).
"Deacon Samuel Chapin", who held office in congregational First Church in Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The LDS (Mormon) Church is governed by a President and Quorum of Twelve Apostles.
