on Evangelicalism & Church Polity:
On this website, I regularly get pushback on my assertion that Evangelicalism MUST be attentive to church gov., structure, & practice, that the form of the church matters more than Evangelicalism admits & it's been causing major problems.
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When they hear this, ppl are v quick to say that 1) the problems & scandals are due to sinful ppl & unhealthy cultures not form, & 2) connectional churches have sin & scandal too, so good piety not good polity is the solution.

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This is a strange response & argument that would carry no weight in other contexts. I want to know why Evangelicals don't see this.

No one does business with a bank that says they focus on quality employees & a healthy work environment to ensure employees don't steal $$$.
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No corporation would be given a pass if they said they have quality ppl & a culture of integrity so they can adopt any organizational form they want with no clear procedures in HR abt reporting harrasment or abuse.
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To drive the point home, no one would entrust their money, business, or labor to an organization that has no accountability beyond itself, no matter how good or sincere the ppl seem.

Why then do Xians insist that the scandals we're seeing are simply cultural or individual?

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Why is there such resistance to acknowledging the importance of the form of a church? Why does anyone go to an autonomously governed church? Why do Evangelicals insist polity is not an important factor?

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Of course sin exists in every church! Polity can't prevent it or gauruntee it's always handled perfectly. But that doesn't make it irrelevant! Certainly there r degrees of corruption, & more & less healthy forms. Why not pursue the healthiest forms & faithful piety&culture?
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