Churches of Christ: Who are these people?
Organization
Churches of Christ have none of the trappings of modern-day organizational bureaucracy.There are no district, regional , national , or international governing boards-no earthly headquarters , and no humanly designed organization.
Each congregation is autonomous (self-ruled) and is independent of every other congregation. The only tie that binds the many congregations together is a common allegiance to Christ and the Bible.
There are no conventions, annual meetings, or official publications . Many congregations do cooperate with each other in supporting children’s homes, homes for the elderly, missionaries, and other works. However, participation is voluntary. No person , group, or organization issues policies or makes decisions that individual congregations are required to follow.
Each congregation is governed locally by a plurality of elders (where qualified men exist); the qualifications for this office are given in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. There are also deacons in each congregation (where qualified men are found); the qualifications for deacons are given in 1 Timothy 3:8-12
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By Joe Barnett
Published by Pathway Publishing House
Posted with Permission