The Church Is Not A Pyramid

The New Testament does not teach a pyramid model of church government, with authority coming straight down from God, and one man (the preacher) reigning on the top. That is a cult pattern, even though we see it locally in church after church. Instead, the NT teaches a "plateau" model, with multiple pastor-elders overseeing. Church authority is mediated through the Bible, through a discerning, biblically-knowledgeable laity. Authority is not a lighting-bolt straight down from God. And God is absolutely opposed to celebrity shepherding! But today's American Christians don't know this, because, oh, "the subject of church government is so boring." So we seek to build worldly pyramids, with a pastoral King Tut at the top, then we balance the whole pyramid upside-down on its tip. So when King Tut cracks, the whole thing comes crashing down.