You may or may not be familiar with the various doctrines of church government around Christianity. In fact, you probably are somewhat familiar, but just never have thought of it that way. Here is a list of a few of them;
- Episcopal
This form of church government took root in the 2nd century. The authority for the local churches is invested in a bishop/elder/pastor that governs the local church or multiple local churches. All authority flows, supposedly, from Christ through the bishop/elder/pastor. He is in charge of the deacons, church members and in the case of Episcopal, Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches there are multiple layers of bishops presiding over cities, counties, states, nations and regions. The bishop/elder/pastor is the supreme head in all matters of the church. Of course, this form of church government can often lead to widespread corruption due to its hierarchical, territorial and authoritarian means of executing this supreme headship of the bishop/elder/pastor.
- Congregational
This format of church government was evidenced in the early church when all believers had a right to vote in the leadership and cast votes for the decisions of their local church. This form of church government usually maintains a Pastor as well as a group of elders/trustees/deacons. But the ultimate authority of the church lays within the full voting authority of the laity. The members of the congregation, who pay their tithes and offerings to the church, make voting decisions about the annual budget, church programs and leadership appointments. It can lead to division within the local church and church splits, but corruption can be more easily avoided because of the added accountability. The congregational format typically does not have district elders or bishops over multiple local churches. Congregational churches are governed only internally.
- Presbyterian
This is a church led by a group of elders. The elders are voted in by the congregation, but they then make all decisions for the local church. The congregation has limited say in the day-to-day decisions of the local church. The budget, church programs and everything else are vested in the elders of the local church. Presbyterian churches are often governed by other presbyters or elders outside of the local church who are in charge of various districts, who answer in turn to a main group of elders over the entire denomination.
As you are reading this you can probably see a little bit of each of these church government formats are instilled into the teaching of Brother Branham. The congregation votes in the trustees, deacons, pastor and associate pastor. The pastor is in charge of all the programs of the church; preaching, song leadership, Sunday school, etc. He is in charge of the deacons, associate pastor and trustees. Yet he is also only one vote on the trustee board. The pastor is in sole charge of the administration of the tithes and the trustees are in charge of the rest of the funds. The deacons are to have a budget as well, which is administered by the treasurer of the trustee board. Like the Presbyterian format, once the offices are voted in the congregation has little say other than to vote them in or out of office. Like the episcopal format the pastor is in charge of all the programs of the church. And like the congregational format the pastor can be voted out of office by the local church congregation and the church is governed internally, not by any kind of outside power structure.
Sadly, there are many churches who call themselves Message churches, but in fact they hold to an Episcopal church format like Roman Catholics or Anglicans and all power is vested into the pastor. There are trustees and deacons, but they are treated simply as employees of the pastor, to be used to accomplish his own purpose, instead of important members who have a vote that is equal to the pastor. This is where the spirit of antichrist begins to creep in and manifest in the form of Nicaolaitanism. The laity are conquered by a spirit on the pastor and the power of God is taken out of the church and the people become mindless drones, simply to feed the spirit which is on the pastor. God help us and deliver all of his elect from the spirit of Nicaolaitanism.