Church Polity Is Like Stretching [The Everyday Pastor – Ep. 8] [Video]

Church polity is like stretching. It seems boring until something tears—and then you wish you’d devoted more time to it. Despite their differences (Matt Smethurst’s a congregationalist and Ligon Duncan’s a Presbyterian), both agree Scripture has a lot to say—more than many evangelicals assume—about how a local church should be structured. This is an underrated topic, and pastors impoverish themselves by not giving careful attention to it. 

In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan explore why church polity matters and its overlooked biblical importance.

📝ON THIS VIDEO:
00:00 Introduction and Ligon’s school radio DJ days
3:11 Defining church polity
7:05 Theological foundations of church polity
9:39 Challenges and importance of church membership
11:32 Teaching church polity to congregations
19:12 Plurality of elders and leadership dynamics
23:50 Addressing church governance issues
29:47 Conclusion and final thoughts

🔗MENTIONED:
“Authority: How Godly Rule Protects the Vulnerable, Strengthens Communities, and Promotes Human Flourishing” by Jonathan Leeman: https://a.co/d/bucGJLw?tag=thegospcoal-20

———

🎁 Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let’s Build Together: Donate Today at https://tgc.org/together

📫 SIGN UP for exclusive content and updates for pastors: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/pastors/#subscribe

🎧 Don’t miss an episode of “The Everyday Pastor” with Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan!
▫ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-everyday-pastor/id1772922853
▫ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2oCDMJFvOI5P3yB2RlKhJy

✅ SUBSCRIBE:
▫ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thegospelcoalition
▫ TGC Updates: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/newsletters/