The Holy Spirit is the Leader of the Gathering

I see the Holy Spirit as the leader in the gathering of believers, not men. Men monitor what people are saying and doing, as all people in the gathering judge, as led by the Holy Spirit.

 
Sadly, the modern church sees the "elders" as having authority over the pew sitters, dictating things.

 
But it is the Holy Spirit only who has Authority over believers. Elders are to lead by example and teach, not exercise authority over anyone. A man could never lead better than the Holy Spirit.

 
1 Peter 5:3 "Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."

1 Corinthians 11:1 "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."

1 Peter 5:1-5 "So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

We obey the elders as they obey God, and we correct them when they are in error and support them when they speak the truth. In other words, we are to hear and evaluate what everyone says.

 
1 Corinthians 14:29-30 " 29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is seated, the first speaker should stop."

Acts 17:11
"Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true."