Running the Church as a democratic republic

Many factors were involved in bringing the church down to a democratic republic‑type system. 

These include power abuses by unregenerate leaders, teaching that the power of God has passed away, corruption, greed, immorality, fear, lack of spiritual understanding, pride, and in the twentieth century, secular humanism.

Because of the lack of true and godly spiritual leadership in the church, God's people concluded that for their own protection and perpetuation they had better get together, and vote on what must be the will of God.

After drawing up creeds, articles of discipline, constitutions, by‑laws and statements of faith, they voted and told their leaders what to do and how to do it. ...the voice of the people was to be the voice of God.

So, instead of hearing from God, and following His leading, the leaders began listening to the people and obeying the followers.

The people began to think that the Pastor served at THEIR pleasure and whim rather than honoring him as a gift to them sent by God.

Why churches fight and divide

 A primary reason that churches fight, divide and break fellowship is because the authority, the power, and the supernatural direction of the Spirit of God has been set aside. 

Instead of being a spirit directed body ruled by the Word of God, the church has in may areas become a democratic body where the majority rules.  

When the voice of the people becomes the voice of God, the stage is set for all kinds of corruption and division. 

James 2:26 states that "the body without the spirit is dead," as dead as faith without works.  

A church not under the clear leading and guiding of the Spirit of God is a body without the spirit, a corpse. 

God never intended for His people to operate as those "without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world," (Ephesians 2:12).