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Baptist Foundations: Church Government for an Anti-Institutional Age
Ours is an anti-polity age, perhaps more than any other time in the history of the church. Yet polity remains as important now as it was in the New Testament. What then is a right or biblical polity? The contributors to this volume make an exegetical and theological case for a Baptist polity. Right polity, they argue, is congregationalism, elder leadership, diaconal service, regenerate church membership, church discipline, and a Baptist approach to the ordinances. Each section explores the pastoral applications of these arguments. How do congregationalism and elder leadership work together? When should a church practice church discipline? How can one church work with another in matters of membership and discipline? To be read sequentially or used as a reference guide, Baptist Foundations provides a contemporary treatment of Baptist church government and structures, the first of its kind in decades.
427 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2015
95 people are currently reading
325 people want to read
About the author
Mark Dever
128 books333 followersMark E. Dever serves as the senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC. Since his ordination to the ministry in 1985, Dr. Dever has served on the pastoral staffs of four churches, the second being a church he planted in Massachusetts. Prior to moving to Washington in 1994, Dr. Dever taught for the faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University while serving two years as an associate pastor of Eden Baptist Church.
In an effort to build biblically faithful churches in America, Dr. Dever serves as the executive director for 9Marks (formerly The Center for Church Reform, CCR) in Washington, D.C. 9Marks encourages pastors of local churches look to the Bible for instruction on how to organize and lead their churches. Dr. Dever also teaches periodically at various conferences, speaking everywhere from South Africa to Brazil to the United Kingdom to Alabama. Feeling a deep burden for student ministry, Dr. Dever often addresses student ministry groups at campuses throughout the country. He has also taught at a number of seminaries, including Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. Dr. Dever’s scholarly interests include Puritanism and ecclesiology.
Dr. Dever currently serves as a trustee of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; he also serves as a member of the board, vice-chairman, and chairman of the Forum for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. From 1995 until 2001, he served on the steering committee for Founders Ministries, a pastoral movement for biblical teaching and healthy church life within the Southern Baptist Convention. As Guest Senate Chaplain for two weeks in 1995, Dr. Dever opened the daily sessions of the United States Senate in prayer. He is a member of the American Society of Church History and the Tyndale Fellowship. He also held the J.B. Lightfoot Scholarship at Cambridge University from 1989 to 1991.
In an effort to build biblically faithful churches in America, Dr. Dever serves as the executive director for 9Marks (formerly The Center for Church Reform, CCR) in Washington, D.C. 9Marks encourages pastors of local churches look to the Bible for instruction on how to organize and lead their churches. Dr. Dever also teaches periodically at various conferences, speaking everywhere from South Africa to Brazil to the United Kingdom to Alabama. Feeling a deep burden for student ministry, Dr. Dever often addresses student ministry groups at campuses throughout the country. He has also taught at a number of seminaries, including Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. Dr. Dever’s scholarly interests include Puritanism and ecclesiology.
Dr. Dever currently serves as a trustee of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; he also serves as a member of the board, vice-chairman, and chairman of the Forum for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. From 1995 until 2001, he served on the steering committee for Founders Ministries, a pastoral movement for biblical teaching and healthy church life within the Southern Baptist Convention. As Guest Senate Chaplain for two weeks in 1995, Dr. Dever opened the daily sessions of the United States Senate in prayer. He is a member of the American Society of Church History and the Tyndale Fellowship. He also held the J.B. Lightfoot Scholarship at Cambridge University from 1989 to 1991.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
February 25, 2022
The basis for this book is one massive (and correct) premise, God not only is concerned that He is worshipped but also how He is worshipped. This how includes the polity (governance and organization) of His people.
In this book, the various authors look to define, defend, and offer wisdom for a Baptist understanding of polity. Edited by Mark Dever and Jonothan Leeman, the book looks at congregationalism, officers (elders and deacons), regenerate church membership, the ordinances, and relations between churches. The authors of this book look to offer nothing new but many things old and forgotten.
In this book, the various authors look to define, defend, and offer wisdom for a Baptist understanding of polity. Edited by Mark Dever and Jonothan Leeman, the book looks at congregationalism, officers (elders and deacons), regenerate church membership, the ordinances, and relations between churches. The authors of this book look to offer nothing new but many things old and forgotten.
May 9, 2024
An indispensable resource for understanding the historical, theological, and biblical roots of congregational church polity. As with any edited book like this one, some chapters are stronger than others, but overall, this book offers a persuasive argument that the biblical mode of church government is congregationalism. Personally, this book solidified many ideas about ecclesiology already circulating in my mind. Will recommend and return to this book in the future.
March 13, 2022
This book is more readable than the cover and the title would seem to indicate! It is truly a helpful primer for baptist ecclesiology and helps to correct cultural or contemporary understandings of baptist ecclesiology.
April 3, 2025
The subtitle of this book “Church Government for an Anti-Institutional Age” really highlights the importance of ecclesiology today. The authors provide historical and biblical references to argue the doctrines in this book as well as offering practical implications for it as well. At times the practical implications seem more oriented towards elders / pastors, but are still helpful for understanding concepts and how to apply them. I have definitely been challenged to consider more deeply aspects of what and why I believe what I believe especially related to church organization and the ordinances.
April 22, 2025
One of the best comprehensive church polity books there is. So many good chapters that give great depth.
June 16, 2018
This book is a collation of chapters from various contributors primarily centering around church polity. The book makes a strong argument for congregationalist polity. Some parts of the book are better than others and some parts I sharply disagreed with. Overall, I think it is a useful read and could help to think about some of these issues from different perspectives.
August 16, 2023
From the introduction:
“To contemporary ears, the claim that polity should shape Christian discipleship will sound strange. Too often, Christian discipleship is conceived in individualistic — by which I mean antiauthority — terms. Christians view their friends, pastors, and churches as aids to personal growth and disci-pleship, but there is a difference between pragmatic aids from which one picks and chooses and a structured accountability that binds and looses. That difference is nothing more or less than the local church. The church exists to place "fellowship" inside an authority structure.
Today's average evangelicals, however, often prefer their koinonia without politeia … We have been dramatically influenced by the broader cultural milieu that is deeply antagonistic to any authority outside the autonomous individual ... Serious and nonserious Christians alike too often fail to place our discipleship in submission to the local church and its leaders. We might enjoy casual fellowship, but we don't deliberately build relationships for the purposes of discipling, equipping, transparency, and accountability. We don't invite instruction and discipline. We don't make ourselves known to the elders so that they can watch over us. We don't consult their wisdom when making major life decisions; indeed, the programmatic structures of too many churches work against such known-ness.”
“To contemporary ears, the claim that polity should shape Christian discipleship will sound strange. Too often, Christian discipleship is conceived in individualistic — by which I mean antiauthority — terms. Christians view their friends, pastors, and churches as aids to personal growth and disci-pleship, but there is a difference between pragmatic aids from which one picks and chooses and a structured accountability that binds and looses. That difference is nothing more or less than the local church. The church exists to place "fellowship" inside an authority structure.
Today's average evangelicals, however, often prefer their koinonia without politeia … We have been dramatically influenced by the broader cultural milieu that is deeply antagonistic to any authority outside the autonomous individual ... Serious and nonserious Christians alike too often fail to place our discipleship in submission to the local church and its leaders. We might enjoy casual fellowship, but we don't deliberately build relationships for the purposes of discipling, equipping, transparency, and accountability. We don't invite instruction and discipline. We don't make ourselves known to the elders so that they can watch over us. We don't consult their wisdom when making major life decisions; indeed, the programmatic structures of too many churches work against such known-ness.”
April 7, 2022
I highly recommend this book to any and all who are looking to learn about church polity. Every Baptist pastor needs to have this on their shelves. From congregationalism to the ordinances, and the offices of elders and deacons, this book has it all, and the authors do a great job of biblically explaining each topic.
October 26, 2022
A good book on the distinctives and history of baptists. It has good coverage of those who suffered and were exiled for baptizing believers, congregational governance, and autonomous churches. A great explanation for the responsibility of believers to exercise the keys of the kingdom of God.
October 28, 2025
Solid all around. This is a must read for every Baptist to understand why we believe what we believe and what it means to be a Baptist. I am grateful for the diversity of contributors and for both the historic and biblical depth each subject was treated with.
March 12, 2019
An excellent overview of Baptist polity. Would recommend to anyone interested in a Baptist understanding of the church, the ordinances and other Baptist distinctives.
June 6, 2021
Underrated for sure
June 12, 2022
A thorough and academic overview of Baptist ecclesiology. It’s essentially, the biblical and historical textbook for the polity of 9Marks.
April 18, 2020
This is a very helpful resource to a studious individual wanting to learn the foundational arguments for baptist theology of church structure: baptism, communion, elders, deacons, congregationalism, etc. It is contains very thorough arguments for each topic, but the breadth of each issue is confined by its limited treatment of one chapter.
December 30, 2015
Best Chapter: "A Congregational Approach to Unity, Holiness, and Apostolicity: Faith and Order" by Jonathan Leeman-- While this textbook doesn't contain much that is new, particularly those familiar with 9Marks, this chapter is an exception. The chapter is well written and advances the conversation regarding what a local church actually is, and how local churches relate to each other in light of the biblical call to unity with the very real problem of doctrinal disputes.
Honorable Mentions:
Introduction--Why Polity? By Leeman
The Biblical and Theological Case for Congregationalism by Stephen J. Vellum and Kirk Vellum
Practical Issues in Elder Ministry by Andrew Davis
A Congregational Approach to Catholicty: Independence and Interdependence by Leeman
I'd recommend this book for those looking for a reference guide on particular topics related to Baptist ecclesiology or college level ecclesiology or Baptist classes. For most people, I think I would rather just point them to one of 9Marks books that aren't textbooks.
Honorable Mentions:
Introduction--Why Polity? By Leeman
The Biblical and Theological Case for Congregationalism by Stephen J. Vellum and Kirk Vellum
Practical Issues in Elder Ministry by Andrew Davis
A Congregational Approach to Catholicty: Independence and Interdependence by Leeman
I'd recommend this book for those looking for a reference guide on particular topics related to Baptist ecclesiology or college level ecclesiology or Baptist classes. For most people, I think I would rather just point them to one of 9Marks books that aren't textbooks.
December 6, 2015
Great volume. Mark Dever's short history of the leadership roles in the Church is extremely valuable. Same thing for Thomas White's discussion on Church discipline. Most doctrinal sections are New Covenant Theology driven.
February 2, 2016
A fantastic volume about the structure of Baptist life, worship, and government.
December 11, 2019
An excellent presentation of Baptist church polity. I highly recommend
August 10, 2023
I definitely recommend this book for pastors, aspiring pastors, and curious church members. The foundations of Baptist theology are worth recovering!
June 9, 2018
This is one of the most difficult reviews I've ever written on a book, I think. There are sections in this book that are absolutely the best I have ever read on the subjects. The general arguments for congregationalism, keeping a Gospel focus in the ordinances, church membership and discipline, elders and deacons and even the explanation of the independency and yet interdependency of churches are well above average. Oftentimes a book written on these subjects only offers legal aspects of these subjects without ever answering the question "so what?". This book is not like that. This book delves much deeper and keeps the Gospel at the center of all that we do in a congregation.
That said, there is an assumption made throughout the book that a universal church exists and has direct instruction in the Scripture. Certainly no one would deny that individuals in churches are members of a larger group--the elect, the family of God, etc. However, the treatment of the supposed universal church in places takes away from the wonderful sections relating to the polity in local churches--oddly enough, polity being something that a universal, invisible body cannot have. There were also a few hints of replacement theology that were unnecessary and probably will cause some to reject the good contained in this book.
I am thankful to have read this book. There is much good here. I just fear some would be unlikely to read it all because of the complaints in the previous paragraph. That said, nobody that I know of is putting out better information for local churches today than 9Marks. I have read many of their books and have always closed it with a better understanding of what a local church is to be. And, despite its shortcomings (in my mind, at least), this book is no different.
That said, there is an assumption made throughout the book that a universal church exists and has direct instruction in the Scripture. Certainly no one would deny that individuals in churches are members of a larger group--the elect, the family of God, etc. However, the treatment of the supposed universal church in places takes away from the wonderful sections relating to the polity in local churches--oddly enough, polity being something that a universal, invisible body cannot have. There were also a few hints of replacement theology that were unnecessary and probably will cause some to reject the good contained in this book.
I am thankful to have read this book. There is much good here. I just fear some would be unlikely to read it all because of the complaints in the previous paragraph. That said, nobody that I know of is putting out better information for local churches today than 9Marks. I have read many of their books and have always closed it with a better understanding of what a local church is to be. And, despite its shortcomings (in my mind, at least), this book is no different.
November 30, 2015
How should the local church be structured? Has God given us a blueprint in the pages of Scripture that we are to follow, or has He left it up to us to decide what we think works best? Is there even such a thing as a correct polity, or form of church government?
These are all very important questions, and questions which deserve careful treatment to arrive at a biblical answer. And a new book edited by Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman does just that. The book is titled, Baptist Foundations: Church Government for an Anti-Institutional Age.
The book seeks to develop a full-orbed Baptist ecclesiology (doctrine of the church), looking to Scripture as the final and ultimate source of authority, as well as looking to history, to our Baptist heritage over the centuries.
As the subtitle of the book suggests, we live in an age that is quite anti-institutional or anti-authoritarian. Any hint of authority, polity, or official structure is an immediate turn-off to much of our culture today, including our church culture. In his forward to this volume, James Leo Garret Jr comments on this:
“The twentieth century was not the finest epoch in Southern Baptist history with respect to ecclesiological practice. As urban churches increased in numbers of members, stress was placed on church efficiency. In the admission of members, there was less care and greater laxity, which corrective church discipline was abandoned and the use of church covenants became less frequent” (ix-x).
Though the culture at large, and our church-culture as a subset and byproduct of that larger culture, may have an anti-instiutional bent to it, the writers of this volume (and myself) are absolutely convinced that God has given the local church to be His representative on Earth, and in the pages of Scripture He has given explicit and clear blueprints as to how that church is to look. That does not mean that every church must follow a cookie-cutter mold. Surely there is room for difference, character, rural vs urban, etc. But the basic blueprint of the church, the basic elements that constitute the church, should be there, and in the way in which God has laid them out in Scripture.
So what are those elements? What topics do the contributors of this book address?
(1) Congregationalism
The first topic addressed by chapters 1 and 2 is congregationalism — that is, the people that make up the church have the final authority in the church. There is a chapter devoted to a historical look at congregationalism followed by a chapter looking at the biblical and theological case for congregationalism.
(2) The Ordinances
Next, the ordinances are discussed. The two ordinances that the Lord has given to the Church are those of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The 5 chapters written on the ordinances are by two of my former Seminary professors at SBTS, Shawn Wright and Thomas Schreiner. After Wright discusses some preliminary issues for understanding the ordinances, both Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are looked at from a biblical standpoint (Schreiner) and then from a historical and theological standpoint (Wright).
(3) Church Membership and Discipline
Up to this point in the book there is not much controversial content among Baptists. What follows, though, on a strict regenerate church membership and corrective church discipline, will likely be a source of controversy among various groups of Baptists. However, this is probably the area of Baptist ecclesiology that needs the most thought and work in SBC churches. There 2 chapters focused on church membership, and one on church discipline — all three of which are very helpful and will help give the reader a biblical and theological framework with which to think about these two topics.
(4) Elders and Deacons
And if the chapters on church membership and discipline did not spark enough controversy, this next part on elders and deacons is sure to. The reason — the contributors argue consistently for a plural elder church leadership, as opposed to a typical “senior pastor” single-elder model. While there is a resurgence of biblical understanding related to the roles and responsibilities of elders and deacons among some Baptist churches — which results mostly in a correct understanding of Scripture’s model of plural elder leadership — there is still much work to be done. Most SBC churches still function with a “single-elder” model with a senior pastor, alongside a board of deacons (who act much more like elders than deacons), resulting in much confusion. Because of the decades of confusion on this topic, this section is the largest in the book, comprising of 7 chapters.
(5) The Church and Churches
Finally, the book looks at how Baptist churches can strive for both unity among each other, as well as how they can cooperate with other churches for the work of the ministry.
This book is an important contribution to the subject of ecclesiology, particularly Baptist ecclesiology. The contributors are all Baptists, and represent a variety of seminaries and churches. It is not a particularly short book (almost 400 pages), nor is it a particularly easy book to read. However, it is not intended to be a leisurely read that you might sit down before bed and read a few pages. Rather, it is a book meant for study, for pastors, seminary students, and members interested in the right order of the church from a Baptist perspective. As such, it is a good book and a helpful addition to help us recover a biblical ecclesiology for Baptist churches.
In accordance with FTC regulations, I would like to thank B&H Publishers for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
These are all very important questions, and questions which deserve careful treatment to arrive at a biblical answer. And a new book edited by Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman does just that. The book is titled, Baptist Foundations: Church Government for an Anti-Institutional Age.
The book seeks to develop a full-orbed Baptist ecclesiology (doctrine of the church), looking to Scripture as the final and ultimate source of authority, as well as looking to history, to our Baptist heritage over the centuries.
As the subtitle of the book suggests, we live in an age that is quite anti-institutional or anti-authoritarian. Any hint of authority, polity, or official structure is an immediate turn-off to much of our culture today, including our church culture. In his forward to this volume, James Leo Garret Jr comments on this:
“The twentieth century was not the finest epoch in Southern Baptist history with respect to ecclesiological practice. As urban churches increased in numbers of members, stress was placed on church efficiency. In the admission of members, there was less care and greater laxity, which corrective church discipline was abandoned and the use of church covenants became less frequent” (ix-x).
Though the culture at large, and our church-culture as a subset and byproduct of that larger culture, may have an anti-instiutional bent to it, the writers of this volume (and myself) are absolutely convinced that God has given the local church to be His representative on Earth, and in the pages of Scripture He has given explicit and clear blueprints as to how that church is to look. That does not mean that every church must follow a cookie-cutter mold. Surely there is room for difference, character, rural vs urban, etc. But the basic blueprint of the church, the basic elements that constitute the church, should be there, and in the way in which God has laid them out in Scripture.
So what are those elements? What topics do the contributors of this book address?
(1) Congregationalism
The first topic addressed by chapters 1 and 2 is congregationalism — that is, the people that make up the church have the final authority in the church. There is a chapter devoted to a historical look at congregationalism followed by a chapter looking at the biblical and theological case for congregationalism.
(2) The Ordinances
Next, the ordinances are discussed. The two ordinances that the Lord has given to the Church are those of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The 5 chapters written on the ordinances are by two of my former Seminary professors at SBTS, Shawn Wright and Thomas Schreiner. After Wright discusses some preliminary issues for understanding the ordinances, both Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are looked at from a biblical standpoint (Schreiner) and then from a historical and theological standpoint (Wright).
(3) Church Membership and Discipline
Up to this point in the book there is not much controversial content among Baptists. What follows, though, on a strict regenerate church membership and corrective church discipline, will likely be a source of controversy among various groups of Baptists. However, this is probably the area of Baptist ecclesiology that needs the most thought and work in SBC churches. There 2 chapters focused on church membership, and one on church discipline — all three of which are very helpful and will help give the reader a biblical and theological framework with which to think about these two topics.
(4) Elders and Deacons
And if the chapters on church membership and discipline did not spark enough controversy, this next part on elders and deacons is sure to. The reason — the contributors argue consistently for a plural elder church leadership, as opposed to a typical “senior pastor” single-elder model. While there is a resurgence of biblical understanding related to the roles and responsibilities of elders and deacons among some Baptist churches — which results mostly in a correct understanding of Scripture’s model of plural elder leadership — there is still much work to be done. Most SBC churches still function with a “single-elder” model with a senior pastor, alongside a board of deacons (who act much more like elders than deacons), resulting in much confusion. Because of the decades of confusion on this topic, this section is the largest in the book, comprising of 7 chapters.
(5) The Church and Churches
Finally, the book looks at how Baptist churches can strive for both unity among each other, as well as how they can cooperate with other churches for the work of the ministry.
This book is an important contribution to the subject of ecclesiology, particularly Baptist ecclesiology. The contributors are all Baptists, and represent a variety of seminaries and churches. It is not a particularly short book (almost 400 pages), nor is it a particularly easy book to read. However, it is not intended to be a leisurely read that you might sit down before bed and read a few pages. Rather, it is a book meant for study, for pastors, seminary students, and members interested in the right order of the church from a Baptist perspective. As such, it is a good book and a helpful addition to help us recover a biblical ecclesiology for Baptist churches.
In accordance with FTC regulations, I would like to thank B&H Publishers for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
November 20, 2017
Excellent book in Ecclesiology. It is written similar to a Systematic Theology text book, yet the topics flow seamlessly from topic to topic, covering congregationalism, the ordinances, membership and discipline, church leaders, and the independence and interdependence in the church. The book is highly readable, easy to understand, filled with Scripture, and enriched by the historicity in some of the topics. The book seeks to restore the importance of church polity in an age of independence, or as the title suggests, church government for an anti-institutional age.
March 27, 2018
This book, edited by Dever and Leeman, is now my go to resource for understanding all things related to the church. Though it is not comprehensive, it sets forth a clear and biblical explanation of church membership, discipline, officers, ordinances, governement etc. This is a book that I pray I will take fellow elders/deacons through in a future ministry. I recommend all who desire to lead in a church to read this book.
January 10, 2020
A cogent survey of Baptist polity and ecclesiology. This work will assist anyone in their attempt to understand what it means to possess Baptist catholicity, operating according to its uniquely evangelical stances on the nature of the new covenant community in Christ and how it directly manifests itself in the formation of His church.
January 8, 2018
As is typical for a collection of essays by various authors, some chapters were better than others. However, on the whole, this is a helpful book for understanding the components of church function from a Baptist perspective.
December 28, 2018
This is wonderful!
I read this book for one of my classes and came away from reading the book loving the bride of Christ more. It is thorough explanations of what the church needs to be and how she should act. This should be read by every church leader!
I read this book for one of my classes and came away from reading the book loving the bride of Christ more. It is thorough explanations of what the church needs to be and how she should act. This should be read by every church leader!
October 21, 2022
very helpful
Growing up in a baptist church, I didn’t know some of the trench work of baptists. This is a huge help in understanding most of the reasons we do things the way we do, and more, why we need to protect the things we do.
Growing up in a baptist church, I didn’t know some of the trench work of baptists. This is a huge help in understanding most of the reasons we do things the way we do, and more, why we need to protect the things we do.
April 16, 2025
Baptist Foundations is exactly that, a book laying out the foundational elements and beliefs of the Baptist tradition. This is a good wokr for anyone looking at polity and wanting to understand the Baptist tradition and its distinctives within the Christian community.
May 29, 2018
Fantastic. Worth the money for Wellum and Leeman’s chapters alone. But each is worthwhile reading.
September 27, 2021
I'm not a Baptist, so there's much that I disagree with here. However, the discussions about the need for church polity, discipline, etc. are pretty good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews