Do any Protestant Churches (save Anglicans) have a hierarchy?

[luckyirishguy14]

I was wondering this when I read about Martin Luther. When he died, did anyone succeed him and become head of the Lutheran Church? And this goes out to other large Protestant denominations as well: When the founder of your denomination died, did someone succeed them?

 

[Maccabees]

Protestnat denoms don’t have aposolic succession nor do they beleive in it save except for the Anglicans(they beleive they do have succession but the RC doesn’t believe they have succession) however Methodist and Luthrans have a hierarchy which include bishops, pastors and deacons in the case of Methodist ( I don’t think Lutherans have deacons but I could be wrong). Other low church denoms such as baptist and Pentacostals have a far less structured church system and the non denoms have the pastor is the pope syndrome.

As for Luther his main follower and assistant took over for his denomination (Melanchton) he carried out Lutheran philospohy as it finally did breach with Rome after several tries of reunification.
The lutehran denomination later splintered into differnt subset denominations of Lutheran denomination so no one became its official head as is the case with other mainline denoms no one has authority. Presbyterians, Baptist, Lutherans, Methodist all have subset denoms under the umbrealla of the main denomination so their is no authorittive ruling on doctrinal matters.
The Anglcian dommunion is slightly differnent as the achbishop is thier figuratative spiritual leader but even he has no juridictional authority over other bishops. Thus the big controversy with gay bishops in the Episcoplain church which is in communion with him. He does not have the powet to deny the Episcopalians their interpretation of church doctrine to include homosexual ordination.
He’s a powerless figure really. The more conservative members of the church want his authority to be more Pope like to difuse such obvious dissention but only one church has the power against the powers of the gates of hell and the power to bind and loose and that is the catholic church led by the Bishop of Rome.

 

[Corpus_Cristi]

Maccabees:

Protestnat denoms don’t have aposolic succession nor do they beleive in it save except for the Anglicans(they beleive they do have succession but the RC doesn’t believe they have succession) however Methodist and Luthrans have a hierarchy which include bishops, pastors and deacons in the case of Methodist ( I don’t think Lutherans have deacons but I could be wrong). Other low church denoms such as baptist and Pentacostals have a far less structured church system and the non denoms have the pastor is the pope syndrome.

As for Luther his main follower and assistant took over for his denomination (Melanchton) he carried out Lutheran philospohy as it finally did breach with Rome after several tries of reunification.
The lutehran denomination later splintered into differnt subset denominations of Lutheran denomination so no one became its official head as is the case with other mainline denoms no one has authority. Presbyterians, Baptist, Lutherans, Methodist all have subset denoms under the umbrealla of the main denomination so their is no authorittive ruling on doctrinal matters.
The Anglcian dommunion is slightly differnent as the achbishop is thier figuratative spiritual leader but even he has no juridictional authority over other bishops. Thus the big controversy with gay bishops in the Episcoplain church which is in communion with him. He does not have the powet to deny the Episcopalians their interpretation of church doctrine to include homosexual ordination.
He’s a powerless figure really. The more conservative members of the church want his authority to be more Pope like to difuse such obvious dissention but only one church has the power against the powers of the gates of hell and the power to bind and loose and that is the catholic church led by the Bishop of Rome.

Actually, you’d be surprised to know that Methodists, Apostolics (protestant evangelical denomination, not Catholic in any way), and the Church of God in Christ have ordinations and heirarchy’s similar to that of the Catholic Church, especially the Church of God in Christ. They have a bunch of bishops, they have churches in other countries, and they have a head bishop where the church was founded in Memphis, Tennessee, though I don’t think he’s anything like the Pope.

 

[Maccabees]

Corpus Cristi:

Actually, you’d be surprised to know that Methodists, Apostolics (protestant evangelical denomination, not Catholic in any way), and the Church of God in Christ have ordinations and heirarchy’s similar to that of the Catholic Church, especially the Church of God in Christ. They have a bunch of bishops, they have churches in other countries, and they have a head bishop where the church was founded in Memphis, Tennessee, though I don’t think he’s anything like the Pope.

Protestant denominations may have a form of ordination, But it is viewed as merely symbolic. Classic protestantism has 2 sacramnets or ordinances and ordination is not among them. Baptism and Communion are the 2 tradtional Protestant sacraments. Many Pentacostals and such have a laying on hands for pastors but it is not apostolic in succession or uniform or done in the proper from that would be the case in the Catholic or Orthodox communites.

Church of God in Christ in unique in that they have 3 ordinnaces Baptism and Communion like the other protestants and here is something new foot washing. While we have that in the catholic church usually done during holy week its a sacramental kinda like holy water, or having ashes on ash wednesday not a sacrament.
But they don’t believe in apostilic sacramental ordination although like other pentacostal flavored churches do have a laying on hands on their pastor. To them its symbolic in nature only.

The church of God in Christ is differnt in structure than the catholic church altough some titles may be similar let me demonstrate.

Like other protestants the sole authority is scripture. No Papal decree, Magisterium decision, church council, apostolic tradtion, all of these things would not be included in any decions merly the scriptural interpretation per the denomination tenets.
The ledership state bishops, district superintendents (funny didn’t see that one in Acts) pastors, evangelists, deacons, and departmental presidents (funny that’s not in Acts either)
The Bibilcal church structure was Apostles, Bishops (the office of bishop - see acts ch 1), pastors (presbyters, priests), evangelists, deacons. Distirct superintendents and departmentsl presidents are stuff of pure american protestantism. Remember this also none of what these church leaders say is binding and authoratiative as in the catholic church the Presdient doesn’t have the papal infalibility the charism given to Peter in Matthew 16:18 nor would they claim their leaders have such authority.
No protestnat church body have this charism no matter how similar some pastoral titles may be. Imitation is the surest form of flatery but in the end its just imitation.