April 17th, 2025
by Dr. Spencer Plumlee
by Dr. Spencer Plumlee
On April 27 we will have one of the most consequential votes in our church’s storied history. Founded in 1886, this church has had a continual gospel witness in this community for over 130 years! By most estimates, this predates the formation of the town of Mansfield itself. During this entire time, the church has been known as “First Baptist Church.”
After a season of prayer and discussion, we are asking the congregation to consider changing the name of the church to “Christ Fellowship Church.” Over the past several months, our elders have sought to make a case for this in a number of different ways. Simply, we believe the word “Baptist” is confusing to people we are trying to reach as it doesn’t communicate who we are. A new name that is more theologically rooted is our elder’s unanimous vote for a better way forward.
From the beginning of this process, we’ve made it clear that ultimately this will be up to the congregation. The vote at the end of this month is more than just trying to build consensus, it’s reflective of our biblical conviction about the authority within our church resting with the congregation. We call this biblical perspective “congregationalism.”
Today, I’d like to make the case for congregationalism. As we are just days away from this vote, I pray this post helps you think a little more carefully and clearly about the weight of your vote.
Biblical Case for Congregationalism
The Bible talks about the church in two forms: universal and the local. The universal church is the redeemed of all the ages. The local church is a group of baptized believers who covenant to accomplish the Great Commission through the preaching of the word and the administration of the ordinances. Some of the earliest references to the church in the New Testament are in the gospel of Matthew where we see Jesus speaking of the church in both it’s universal and local forms. When, for example, Jesus says he will “build” his church, he’s speaking about growing the number of the universal church and strong healthy local churches.
What I’d like you to focus on is Jesus’ words about the “keys of the kingdom” in Matthew 16:17-19:
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven
The church is built on the truth that Jesus is the Christ. As such, Jesus builds His church. We don’t build his church and he doesn't build our church. Christ creates, sustains, and propels His people forward by His own power and might. But He also entrusts a type of authority to the church called the “keys of the kingdom of heaven.” This is an earthly authority that has a heavenly impact. What is this authority? We get a clue in Matthew 18:15-18:
“If your brother sins against you, go tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he won’t listen, take one or two others with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established. If he doesn’t pay attention to them, tell the church., If he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like a Gentile and a tax collector to you. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.
This passage describes how a church is to deal with the unrepentant sin of a church member. After a private and group warning, an unrepentant member is to be brought before the entire church and confronted. All of these steps are designed to help this person repent of their sin and submit to Christ. But, in the tragic event that someone is unwilling to do this, the church is to remove this member from the church, treating them as non-believer (“Gentile and a tax Collector”= non-Christian to Matthew’s audience).
Notice that the language Jesus uses in Matthew 18:18 is the exact same language he used in Matthew 16:19 above: “whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.” Jesus is entrusting the church with the authority to affirm someone’s faith through accepting them into membership (binding), or removing this affirmation by removing them from membership (loosing). The key word is affirming. The church does not save someone as faith in Christ alone saves. But the church does have the authority to affirm someone’s faith.
But please notice the location of this authority: the congregation. The gathering of believers are the ones removing the unrepentant person and as such are the ones who carry this authority. This is no small thing. Every time we vote in a new group of members into our church, you are exercising the authority of affirmation. When our church disciplines someone, removing them from membership, we are exercising this authority as well.
Congregational authority to receive and remove members appears to create a pattern in the New Testament in other places that reinforces congregational authority in other matters. For example, concerning the formation of deacons in Acts 6, notice how the congregation is actively involved:
The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” This proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert from Antioch. 6 They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
Now if anyone would have authority just to make decisions it would have been the apostles! These were men who had been with Jesus and been subsequently divinely commissioned by him to bear witness to HIs resurrection. But instead of just making the decision, they appeal to the church. Moreover, they not only have them engage with the idea but also on the selection of the leaders, immersing them into the decision making process.
We believe the church is to be governed by congregational rule because the congregation has the keys of the kingdom. These keys vest an authority in them they are to exercise with great humility and prayer, but it is an authority that ultimately rests with the congregation.
How have we sought to live out this truth at FBC Mansfield?
Congregationalism at FBCM
Our church family exercises congregational authority by voting in four key areas:
Voting on Members. Consistent with the Matthew passages above, our church votes on receiving and if necessary removing members. Over the last year and half we’ve been in the midst of “operation cleanup,” getting our membership rolls to reflect reality. We want those who are listed as members to be people who are actually engaged in the life of our church. This helps us know who we should be ministering to and who we should miss if they are gone. At different points, we’ve brought names to be “voted out” before the congregation. The heart behind this has been to ensure that we have a clear sense of who we are. Whether it’s been removing members through this process or the normal receiving of members in a quarterly meeting, the congregation always votes.
Voting on Leadership. Consistent with the example in Acts 6, our church also votes on leadership. The office of elder and deacon are both leadership positions that require the congregation’s approval. In an effort to respect the authority of the congregation, each potential candidate for elder must be presented in one meeting and then voted on in the next. This is designed to give the congregation an opportunity to ask questions or raise concerns about a candidate before we vote.
Voting on Budget. A budget is more than just an allocation of resources, it establishes ministry priorities. Show me a church’s budget and I’ll show you what they truly value. Because of this, we invite the church to vote on the budget each year to set the overall direction and priorities for the church. To assist with this, the church has formed an Administrative Committee which exists in part for ongoing financial accountability and the formation of a budget. But, this formation is just that: it’s a recommendation that first goes to our elders and then to the congregation for a vote.
Voting on Major Directional Changes. This broad category includes things like affiliation decisions (to stay or leave a denomination), major financial decisions (example: taking on debt) or decisions related to the long-term vision of the church. Our elders believed that a name change fit into this final category and as such have invited the church to vote.
Our church family seeks to live out congregationalism through voting on members, leaders, budget and directional changes.
My Confidence in Congregationalism
I don’t just believe congregationalism is right. I believe it’s good. I don’t see this form of governance as an obstacle to overcome but a gift to be celebrated. Why? Because I believe in the Holy Spirit’s Leadership in your life. This truth became real to me in a fresh way through this name-change process as I’ve watched so many of you pray and humbly engage. Some of you have changed your position as a result of the process. Others of you have not. At this point, the only thing that matters to me is not what you are voting but HOW you are voting. If you are voting as someone who’s prayed, seeking the Spirit’s leadership for our church, that’s congregational polity in action.
When you hold that ballot in your hand on April 27th and you take your pen to check the “Yes” or “No” box, I pray you will do so as someone who’s living out what the Lord Jesus said in the gospel of Matthew. The keys of the kingdom are indeed in your hands church family. I pray we'll all use them wisely.
After a season of prayer and discussion, we are asking the congregation to consider changing the name of the church to “Christ Fellowship Church.” Over the past several months, our elders have sought to make a case for this in a number of different ways. Simply, we believe the word “Baptist” is confusing to people we are trying to reach as it doesn’t communicate who we are. A new name that is more theologically rooted is our elder’s unanimous vote for a better way forward.
From the beginning of this process, we’ve made it clear that ultimately this will be up to the congregation. The vote at the end of this month is more than just trying to build consensus, it’s reflective of our biblical conviction about the authority within our church resting with the congregation. We call this biblical perspective “congregationalism.”
Today, I’d like to make the case for congregationalism. As we are just days away from this vote, I pray this post helps you think a little more carefully and clearly about the weight of your vote.
Biblical Case for Congregationalism
The Bible talks about the church in two forms: universal and the local. The universal church is the redeemed of all the ages. The local church is a group of baptized believers who covenant to accomplish the Great Commission through the preaching of the word and the administration of the ordinances. Some of the earliest references to the church in the New Testament are in the gospel of Matthew where we see Jesus speaking of the church in both it’s universal and local forms. When, for example, Jesus says he will “build” his church, he’s speaking about growing the number of the universal church and strong healthy local churches.
What I’d like you to focus on is Jesus’ words about the “keys of the kingdom” in Matthew 16:17-19:
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven
The church is built on the truth that Jesus is the Christ. As such, Jesus builds His church. We don’t build his church and he doesn't build our church. Christ creates, sustains, and propels His people forward by His own power and might. But He also entrusts a type of authority to the church called the “keys of the kingdom of heaven.” This is an earthly authority that has a heavenly impact. What is this authority? We get a clue in Matthew 18:15-18:
“If your brother sins against you, go tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he won’t listen, take one or two others with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established. If he doesn’t pay attention to them, tell the church., If he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like a Gentile and a tax collector to you. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.
This passage describes how a church is to deal with the unrepentant sin of a church member. After a private and group warning, an unrepentant member is to be brought before the entire church and confronted. All of these steps are designed to help this person repent of their sin and submit to Christ. But, in the tragic event that someone is unwilling to do this, the church is to remove this member from the church, treating them as non-believer (“Gentile and a tax Collector”= non-Christian to Matthew’s audience).
Notice that the language Jesus uses in Matthew 18:18 is the exact same language he used in Matthew 16:19 above: “whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.” Jesus is entrusting the church with the authority to affirm someone’s faith through accepting them into membership (binding), or removing this affirmation by removing them from membership (loosing). The key word is affirming. The church does not save someone as faith in Christ alone saves. But the church does have the authority to affirm someone’s faith.
But please notice the location of this authority: the congregation. The gathering of believers are the ones removing the unrepentant person and as such are the ones who carry this authority. This is no small thing. Every time we vote in a new group of members into our church, you are exercising the authority of affirmation. When our church disciplines someone, removing them from membership, we are exercising this authority as well.
Congregational authority to receive and remove members appears to create a pattern in the New Testament in other places that reinforces congregational authority in other matters. For example, concerning the formation of deacons in Acts 6, notice how the congregation is actively involved:
The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” This proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert from Antioch. 6 They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
Now if anyone would have authority just to make decisions it would have been the apostles! These were men who had been with Jesus and been subsequently divinely commissioned by him to bear witness to HIs resurrection. But instead of just making the decision, they appeal to the church. Moreover, they not only have them engage with the idea but also on the selection of the leaders, immersing them into the decision making process.
We believe the church is to be governed by congregational rule because the congregation has the keys of the kingdom. These keys vest an authority in them they are to exercise with great humility and prayer, but it is an authority that ultimately rests with the congregation.
How have we sought to live out this truth at FBC Mansfield?
Congregationalism at FBCM
Our church family exercises congregational authority by voting in four key areas:
Voting on Members. Consistent with the Matthew passages above, our church votes on receiving and if necessary removing members. Over the last year and half we’ve been in the midst of “operation cleanup,” getting our membership rolls to reflect reality. We want those who are listed as members to be people who are actually engaged in the life of our church. This helps us know who we should be ministering to and who we should miss if they are gone. At different points, we’ve brought names to be “voted out” before the congregation. The heart behind this has been to ensure that we have a clear sense of who we are. Whether it’s been removing members through this process or the normal receiving of members in a quarterly meeting, the congregation always votes.
Voting on Leadership. Consistent with the example in Acts 6, our church also votes on leadership. The office of elder and deacon are both leadership positions that require the congregation’s approval. In an effort to respect the authority of the congregation, each potential candidate for elder must be presented in one meeting and then voted on in the next. This is designed to give the congregation an opportunity to ask questions or raise concerns about a candidate before we vote.
Voting on Budget. A budget is more than just an allocation of resources, it establishes ministry priorities. Show me a church’s budget and I’ll show you what they truly value. Because of this, we invite the church to vote on the budget each year to set the overall direction and priorities for the church. To assist with this, the church has formed an Administrative Committee which exists in part for ongoing financial accountability and the formation of a budget. But, this formation is just that: it’s a recommendation that first goes to our elders and then to the congregation for a vote.
Voting on Major Directional Changes. This broad category includes things like affiliation decisions (to stay or leave a denomination), major financial decisions (example: taking on debt) or decisions related to the long-term vision of the church. Our elders believed that a name change fit into this final category and as such have invited the church to vote.
Our church family seeks to live out congregationalism through voting on members, leaders, budget and directional changes.
My Confidence in Congregationalism
I don’t just believe congregationalism is right. I believe it’s good. I don’t see this form of governance as an obstacle to overcome but a gift to be celebrated. Why? Because I believe in the Holy Spirit’s Leadership in your life. This truth became real to me in a fresh way through this name-change process as I’ve watched so many of you pray and humbly engage. Some of you have changed your position as a result of the process. Others of you have not. At this point, the only thing that matters to me is not what you are voting but HOW you are voting. If you are voting as someone who’s prayed, seeking the Spirit’s leadership for our church, that’s congregational polity in action.
When you hold that ballot in your hand on April 27th and you take your pen to check the “Yes” or “No” box, I pray you will do so as someone who’s living out what the Lord Jesus said in the gospel of Matthew. The keys of the kingdom are indeed in your hands church family. I pray we'll all use them wisely.
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