Who’s The Boss?

Q

Are there any specific verses that you know of that would clearly tell us whether or not the Lead or Senior Pastor of a church should have final say
in all matters of church direction or vision?

Also, any specific verses that tell us that a Lead or Senior Pastor should be compensated or treated differently that other Pastoral staff?

A

If the church in question belongs to a denomination, such matters are generally addressed by the denomination’s by-laws. Additionally, the IRS has guidelines for non-profit corporations that require an oversight board to prevent the corporation from becoming anyone’s “alter-ego” or personal entity. Most churches have a board of trustees or elders who fulfill this requirement and provide counsel to the Senior Pastor in determining the church’s direction. They often oversee administrative functions such as compensation as well.

One verse that should apply in cases like this is that we avoid any appearance of evil (1 Thes. 5:22) To me it means that those entrusted with authority in a church should avoid doing anything that even looks suspicious, whether it actually is or not.