The book is published by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) as a guide to governance for church and Christian ministries. How such boards should function is the heartbeat of this work. The first half examines four councils found in Scripture, while the second half pulls insights and makes applications from the four councils. The biblical councils examined are the council of Moses (pp. 1-14), first century Jewish councils (pp. 15-25), the Gentile councils of the Roman world (pp. 27-36), and the Jerusalem council found in Acts 15 (pp. 37-54). Except for attempting to elevate physical standing as a sign of submission to God, based on a few out-of-context examples, these chapters are helpful.
The application portion of The Council is a mixed bag. Demonstrating that the non-Christian world sought leaders on the basis of status, power and/or wealth, ECFA correctly directs Christian organizations to seek people of spiritual maturity and proven administrative gifting (pp. 31-33, 46, 55). It offers important components of a council mindset (pp. 54-74) and suggests money be employed in ministry, rather than being horded, with only three months of cash kept on hand (p. 67). Unfortunately, the authors have drunk heavily from the Spiritual Formation Movement that was invented by Roman Catholic monks and infused into evangelicalism via Richard Foster (p. 79). This includes Benedictine rhythms, (p. 68); praying the Psalms (pp. 76, 79), keeping the divine hours (p. 78); practicing silence (p. 79) so that the Holy Spirit’s voice can be heard (p. 80), and using other mystical spiritual disciplines (p. 87). The authors admit that in order to accept these ideas, one must have the presupposition that God still speaks today apart from Scripture (p. 80). Turning to mystical leadings supposedly from the Holy Spirit represents an important flaw in The Council. The danger is to rely on extrabiblical communication that a council assumes is from God and make decisions on that basis. This sets up any leadership team to make serious errors because it believes God has spoken directly to their hearts. The truth is that God has revealed His Word in Scripture and not in mystical voices, hunches, and feelings. Christian councils should carefully analyze biblical principles and directives and make decisions on this basis, not expect the Lord to speak to them beyond the Bible. These flaws render this book of limited value.
by Gary G. Hoag, Wesley K. Wilmer, and Gregory J. Henson (Winchester, VA: ECFA Press, 2018), 108 pp. & xxii, hard $18.38
Reviewed by Gary E. Gilley, Southern View Chapel