In a time when Christians are debating the different roles of leadership, Ben Merkle offers clarity on the roles of authority that are within the church walls. While other books discuss who specifically should oversee this or that, Merkle offers clarity that goes a step further. While several works have tried to ascertain the definition of who the leader of the church should be, Authority in the Church calls for the pastor as well as the congregation to understand the role of authority within the church and how that authority is held by all people within the church's walls, not just the people at the leadership table. With deep biblical insight and theological rigor, Merkle addresses how all parties within the church have a charge to assist in protecting the health of the church body with their own unique authority, given to them by God in Scripture. An added value to this book is that it is not only a book that will be appreciated for course adoption in pastoral leadership classes, but it is written with an approachable tone that all readers with an interest in the topic will appreciate. Whether you are a pastor, elder, deacon, or congregant, God has called you to lead with a specific and unique authority for the betterment and protection of God's church.