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Church Polity? Really?

 | Mark Dever • Ligon Duncan • Mez McConnell
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There is no shortage of books and conferences and blogs and even movements on the church. But how often do we hear talk of church polity? If anything, many avoid the topic. After all, church government is said to divide Christians, not unite them. Why pay any heed to it at all? Is it that important for the average Christian and for Christian discipleship? If so, how? Does the Bible speak decisively in this area? And if we think it does, how firmly should we hold our convictions when other Christians disagree?

​Mark Dever (PhD, Cambridge University) is a pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., the president of 9Marks, and a Council member of The Gospel Coalition. He is the author of many books, including Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. He and his wife, Connie, have two children.

Ligon Duncan (PhD, University of Edinburgh) is chancellor and CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary, president of RTS Jackson, and the John E. Richards professor of systematic and historical theology. He is a Board member of The Gospel Coalition. His new RTS course on the theology of the Westminster Standards is now available via RTS Global, the online program of RTS. He and his wife, Anne, have two adult children.

Mez McConnell is the senior pastor of Niddrie Community Church. He is the director of 20Schemes, a church-planting and revitalization initiative in Scotland. He is also co-director of the Acts 29 initiative Church in Hard Places. Mez is the author of numerous books, including The Creaking on the Stairs: Finding Faith in God Through Childhood Abuse (Christian Focus) and Is There Anybody Out There?: A Journey from Despair to Hope (Christian Focus). He’s married to Miriam and has two daughters. You can follow him on Twitter.