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Organization of the Church
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Each local church should be organized with Christ as the head, elders (bishops, shepherds, pastors, overseers) to oversee the flock, deacons to help with the duties of the church, and preachers (ministers, evangelists, teachers) to preach God's word. Elders and deacons must meet certain qualifications. Each local congregation is independent of all others, and the only common leader is to be Christ.
| Titus 1:5-9 |
Ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. |
1 Timothy
3:8-13 |
Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. |
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