When I went to Kansas City for seminary in 2020, I held to “elder-rule” polity. This can mean, among other things, that pastors have the authority to act unilaterally in adding or removing members from a church.

Fortunately, I think for many Christians the experience between elder-rule and elder-led churches feels inconsequential. As Andy Naselli writes,

“A healthy and humble elder-rule church may look similar to a healthy and humble elder-led church because those elders are involving the congregation as they should.”

In other words, in healthy elder-ruled churches, elders seek to act in unity as a whole church in major decisions. So it can look a lot like an “elder-led” church, even though it isn’t on paper.

A pivotal moment for me came in 2021. A brother asked, “Who holds the binding and loosing keys of the kingdom—the congregation or the elders?”

That question arrested me and set me down a path of study. I argued for elder-rule polity with some humble seminary friends. They gently pushed back.

Some key questions emerged:

• When Jesus says, “Tell it to the church” (Matthew 18:17), does that only mean telling it to the elders? Or does this eventually require telling it to the gathered congregation?
• What does “refuses to listen even to the church” mean in that same passage?
• What spiritual significance does the assembly in 1 Corinthians 5:4–5 have for binding and loosing? What about the “majority” in 2 Corinthians 2:6–10?

Another question that fascinated me: How do I make sense of local churches that, for some providential, temporary reason, lack any officers? Do they not possess the keys of the kingdom? Do they not still have the responsibility of binding and loosing? Do they not exercise a kind of authority when adding their first pastor?

Eventually, I came to share Jonathan Leeman’s view of elder-led congregationalism:

“The congregationalist’s basic contention is that the authority which belongs to the congregation is of one kind, and the authority which belongs to the elders is of another kind. The congregation’s authority pertains to the foundation or very existence of the church as an eschatological embassy of Christ’s kingdom. The elders’ authority pertains to the function of the church—they lead life together within the community, including in the church’s use of the keys.” (“Putting in a Good Word for Congregationalism”)

In 2020, I would have argued (in essence) that the elders distinctly possess the keys, either directly from Christ or delegated from the congregation.

In 2025, I now believe that the congregation has the binding and loosing keys of the kingdom to add or remove members from a local church, expressing the mind of Christ as a unified body.

Elders shepherd the flock in exercising this responsibility but do not act in its stead.

I love my non-Baptist “Bible church”, Anglican, Lutheran, and Presbyterian friends in Christ. Many pastors of non-Baptist polity gently shepherd their churches in expressing the mind of Christ as a unified body. But I think the best way to represent that reality at the level of ecclesiology (in church government) is by finally deferring to the local church. It is the gathered local church which finally expresses a majority decision in admitting or removing members or officers.

Polity notwithstanding, I join my non-baptist brothers in celebrating the significance of the weekly gathering of saints. Something remarkable is happening in the cosmic theater of heavenly powers. Angels watch in amazement.

We approach the throne of Christ together. Christ – who alone is head of the church – is gathering and governing his people by his word.

Further reading:

• Don’t Fire Your Church Members: The Case for Congregationalism, by Jonathan Leeman – a biblical-theological case for elder-led congregationalism
• Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership, by Alexander Strauch – a wonderful book that gives a case for elder-rule polity