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Polity is a clunky word. And whatever that word means, can it really be that important for Christian discipleship? A church's polity is its governing structures. It concerns what makes a church a church and how it organizes itself. The trouble is many churches today believe the Bible doesn't say much about polity. Each church decides what works best for them. Yet this issue of Church Matters argues that Scripture does prescribe a polity and that man-made polity puts the gospel at risk. Polity is crucial for Christian discipleship because it specifies our individual responsibilities to one another. Not only that, biblical polity protects and promotes the gospel. Are you interested in the holiness of the saints as well as the integrity and power of your church's witness? Then you might attend to your church's polity.