Congregational Rule Versus Elder Rule
Most Bible-believing Baptist churches today follow an organizational system in which a pastor guides the people by means of his moral example and his preaching of God’s Word, but in which the congregation itself is the decision-making body.
This approach is well expressed by Edward T. Hiscox in his important book written in 1894 entitled, The New Directory for Baptist Churches [reprinted under the title, Principles and Practices for Baptist Churches]. Hiscox says: “The government is administered by the body acting together, where no one possesses a preeminence, but all enjoy an equality of rights; and in deciding matters of opinion, the majority bears rule.