In relation to church administration, take note of the following passages. The precedent here was established in the first church. First, the deacons were given full oversight of the  daily ministration [the structuring and distribution of reaching the church’s needs, except the ministering of the Word of God and directing the spiritual direction of the church]. [Acts 6:1-2] 1.  And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.  2.  Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Notice that their primary engagement was the Word of God. The ones speaking here were what we refer today to clergies. The precedent that they set here is that the primary responsibility of the clergies is the Word of God.

This is further augmented in verse three of Acts chapter six, where the deacons were appointed to be responsible for the business of the daily ministration while the apostles gave themselves to prayer and preparation for adequate delivery of the Word of God and the spiritual direction of the church. Note: What is of utmost importance here are the method of appointment and the scope of responsibility. [Acts 6:3]  Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

Notice first of all that the democratic method was implemented here in that the church body was given the responsibility of choosing the deacons. The apostles or clergies only administered the spiritual aspect of applying the final official procession. Notice also that based on Acts 6:1, the neglecting of the widows was only one of the entities that fell under the daily ministration or distribution of the services of the church. Democratic methods were established in the first church where the apostle surrendered the choosing of the seven deacons to the church body. [Acts 6:3]  Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men… [Acts 6:5] And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch.  Also notice a key democratic principle that was embedded in the process: And the saying pleased the whole multitude. This democratic principle was also supported by the phrase: Whom “they” set before the apostles. [Acts 6:6]  Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. Again, notice that the apostles only applied the spiritual procession of praying and laying on of hands.

Second, notice that the primary role of the apostles, now pastors or clergies was to give themselves to prayer and the ministry or ministering of the Word of God. [Acts 6:4]  But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. The word ministry denotes serving just as the role of the deacons who were responsible for the daily ministration in one and three. Both pastors and deacons are serving in the church which God is the CEO, owner and shepherd. Further  supporting verses are [Ephesians 5:23] For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. [Hebrews 13:20]  Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.

Notice that the apostles were not a member of the deacon body because they stated clearly that it was not expedient for them to serve table and concentrate on the ministering of the Word at the same time. They further stated that they would give themselves to prayer and the ministering of the Word. By this I am saying that the deacon body should be given freedom to make objective decisions.

Also when it comes to church administration, one of the high points that was emphasized to me in the class of church administration is that the pastor should stay away from the finances of the church.

If this is to be possible, it would mean that the pastor should not be on that committee or be the one who makes the decisions regarding the expenditure of the finances.

So the deacon body and the financial body are two of the bodies that both the pattern set by the early church and the contemporary church scholars dictate that the pastor should not be on. By this, I am saying that committees and boards do not necessarily have to have the pastor as a member of them all.

In addition, when it comes to the calling of ministers, pastor and youth ministers, the acceptable pattern among the scholars of church administration is that a pulpit committee be given the responsibility of investigating the incoming, ethical conduct, spiritual qualification and truth about grounds for their outgoing.

That committee is usually responsible for gathering and presenting their findings to the deacons and or the church, ultimately.

The potential incoming minister normally comes and preaches to the church and the people get to interact with him and decide on his final calling. Based on the democratic principles setup by the apostles in the first church, the church body also ultimately gets to decide processes and decision of the outgoing of the pastor.

In Conclusion, the church is a theocracy in that there is no poll, perspective, dialog or pressure should dictate the mandates of the church which is the Word of God. Based on the Word of God in acts five verse twenty nine, the Word of God is the only mandate for the church. [Acts 5:29]  Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men. Also based on the Word of God in second Timothy three sixteen to seventeen, it was given to the church of God to meet its every need. [2 Timothy 3:16-17] All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The church is a democracy in its operation. Acts chapter six spells that out which the primary focus of this article. In reflection of the fairness of the God that we are dealing with, He established the structure of the church and in its operation, the God of her operation established democratic principles as her method.

Is The Church A Democracy Or A Theocracy?