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And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ... Ephesians 4:11-13. |
Organization
The government of the church is under the head of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other head of the church, and no one may assume powers reserved to the Lord speaking in his Word.
Heads of families who are Elders (presbyters) of the church governed God’s people in the Old and New Testaments and in the early church. Elders are men elected by the men of the congregation and ordained to office by other officers.
Elders govern the church by and under the Word of God. They do not have the right, even for allegedly good reasons, to add to or subtract from the Word. The principles of the Word are to be observed in all decisions of the Elders. The primary means by which the Elders rule is by teaching of the Word of God. All Elders must be able to teach God’s Word accurately and effectively, in order to equip the saints for Christian service.
Deacons are also servants of the church who must be believers, knowledgeable in the Bible, and godly heads of their own family.
Men are encouraged to become teachers in their homes and in the congregation. In the church men teach, govern, pray, and speak during the meetings.