Leaders have long realized that hierarchical models of ministry and organizations have little place in the church. For congregations dedicated to the principle that all God's people are called to share equally in mission and ministry, the notion that "some are more equal than others" is absurd. Yet, in spite of this awareness, churches often default to hierarchical structures of authority and organization, with decisions and initiatives coming "from the top" and passing down "through the ranks" with, at best, mixed results.

In this book the authors propose an alternative model: the...