The concentration of power and authority coupled with decision-making processes not suited to specific needs and functions is leading many organizations and governments toward forms of centralized control that border on authoritarianism.
We introduce the concept of nine governments. Basically, we envision governance focused on specific areas of human action and interaction to promote human flourishing and to protect both human dignity and human rights. The present 20th century model of “one big system” (OBS) at the top of everything and everyone, is archaic and outmoded.
We have unique names for our “governments”, which give some substance to the concept, but you aren’t limited to our terms or to how we delineate corporate functions for bodies of people. The important thing is to get the concept.
The nine governments in our concept of a national regency of any people group include three primary governments; the Regium, Magisterium, and Ethnium.
The Regium is the unifying government that balances the other two, but is also accountable to both.
The Magisterium is more in accord with the Romans 13 concept of the magistrate and is limited to that role. It has three affiliated governments, however, like the balance between the Regium and the other two primary governments, it is balanced by its three governments: The Governate which is a civil government, the Civitas which is civic government, and the Agorate, which is an economic government.
The Ethnium is the government mostly associated with the Biblical concept of nationhood as a sociocultural and spiritual construct caring for the whole-person needs of individuals and maintaining a voluntary-based sociocultural standard. Its affiliate governments, which also balance itself, include the Ecclesium which is all Believers within a community or people group, the Societas which oversees social services, and the Comunis which provides the social safety net and mutual assurance through cooperation.
So we end up with a national regency, or any scale regency, consisting of some version of the Regium, Magisterium, Ethnium, Governate, Societas, Civitas, Agorate, Ecclesium, and Comunis.
Again, your breakdown may differ, as may your names. But the concept of nine governments means they balance each other, their decision-making processes fit their function, they engage all stakeholders and everyone their impact, and they work both for the good of each individual and the common good.
We also call this plurality of leadership, the idea of multiple mutually-accountable leaders who serve their constituencies as opposed to lording it over them, and with respect for human rights, human dignity, and human flourishing.
This will be presented in our new platform, Upadaria, and community governance, services and benefits, and governance will be guided by and reflect the nine governments concept. In general, if you have a community of people seeking to meet the whole person needs of individuals and the whole community, some version of governance functions related to these nine governments, by whatever name you call them, will be beneficial.
To this concept of nine governments we add the five leadership skills which must exist within each government. These include building (apostolic), guiding (pastoral), forthtelling (prophetic), proclaiming (evangelistic), and imparting (teaching).
When guided by Unity in diversity, Popular sovereignty, Democratic equality, and Rule of law, as understood from a Biblical perspective and as practiced in balance with each other, such a governance approach will optimize all functions, allow for larger scale cooperation, and not tend to concentrate power in too few hands.
