1. Governance in the Local Church
   We believe that under Christ the Chief Shepherd, the governance of the local church resides with the eldership team or council and not the congregation.

   The final seat of authority is not vested in the democratic rule of the congregation but in the oversight by consensus of a united eldership team (Acts 11:30; 14:23; 20:17; 21:18; Titus 1:5).  This does not preclude the fact that the eldership may call for democratic referendums of the people on certain occasions (see Acts 6:1-6); but, the authority to call for, monitor, and ratify such referendums would rest with the eldership team.
   We believe that a church is best governed by a team of elders who share the oversight of the manifold ministries of the church. Certainly, a church that is newly birthed may not need, because of their lack of numbers, to appoint a multiple leadership team. There may initially be a need for only one leader, working with an apostolic team, to preside over the flock. But, as the flock grows, more leaders will be required to carry on the shepherding ministries of the church...more sheep require more shepherds.

2. Governance in the Eldership Team
   We believe that no one man has final authority over the eldership team. However, this fact does not exclude leadership within the team itself. In Acts 15:13-21, James, while dealing with a doctrinal controversy to be settled by a council of apostles and elders meeting in Jerusalem, articulated the one accord witness of his fellow brethren and then gave his influential opinion, which was accepted and/or ratified by them. He acts like a team player who has a leadership function among the other team members. He speaks into the council of apostles and elders and not at it. He seems to have a presiding influence rather than an autocratic one; and, he is held in high esteem (double honor [?]...See 1 Timothy 5:17) by his fellow leaders.
   The extent to which presiding influence is implemented in certain local church settings will vary according to the personality styles and/or giftings of the presiding leader and the other leadership team members. Some churches use specific terminology to distinguish the function of presiding influence...e.g. lead or presiding elder, head or administrative overseer, set man, pastor, senior pastor, etc.
   It should be noted that the members of eldership teams in many of our local churches share the leadership function among themselves. A particular elder leads the team in a particular ministry situation based upon a job description befitting his gifting or expertise…i.e. prophetic elders lead in monitoring prophetic flow, evangelistic elders lead in planning outreaches, etc.
   Presiding without dominating (note Peter's word to elders in 1 Peter 5:1-4) and accommodating while still leading (note Paul's letter to Philemon) will remain the right and left hands of challenge for all worthy leaders. God help us to implement our leadership roles in a Christ like manner!

3. Governance in the Family Unit
   We believe that the New Testament principle of male headship (e.g. Ephesians 5:22-24) in the governance of the family unit is not to be violated by local church governance procedures and practices. Therefore, we believe that the governing team of the local church will be made up of responsible men, who in turn oversee the lives of the male heads of households; then, the heads of the households in turn speak into the lives of their wives and family members. The fact that men not women are to make up the governing eldership team is a concept so well supported by the preponderance of New Testament scripture (even the qualifications for eldership presume that those chosen will be men...see 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9) that it seems unnecessary to defend it. In this context, men are super-intending men and husbands are super-intending households and the confusing, out-of-order situation of women being over men or the unseemly situation of men super-intending other men's wives is avoided. The latter situation, especially, is avoided by commissioning mature Christian women to govern, lead, administrate, oversee, counsel, and shepherd other women as they carry on their various ministries in the church. This was probably Paul's mindset in challenging Titus to tell the older/elder women of the church to teach good things and godly living to the younger women (Titus 2:3-5).
   It is not improper, of course for women to be delegated authority to govern and lead in many church ministry situations...i.e. Phoebe (Romans 16:1-2), Priscilla (Romans 16:3), Euodia and Synteche (Philippians 4:2-3), Junia (Romans 16:7, "of note among the apostles"?), etc. Sometimes both men and women participate on ministry teams, overseen by the eldership, wherein a woman may be commissioned or appointed to perform some administrative or leadership role...i.e. a female worship team leader or a prayer ministry team leader may need to direct or instruct the rest of the male and female team members...women deacons (compare Romans 16:1 with 1 Timothy 3:11 and 5:9-10) may need to administrate certain church life activities.
   However, all situations do not follow the above general patterns and will necessitate some exceptions or adjustments:
   a. We are not ignorant of the fact that Deborah was called by God to govern as a judge of Israel (Judges 4; 5). We honor the fact that God in His sovereignty does at times transcend His general laws and rules to accomplish a particular purpose. However, even though exceptions are recognized, they are not to be taught as general precepts or practices. In God's economy ax heads float (2 Kings 6:6) and people are forgiven capital crimes (David's life spared...2 Samuel 12:7-14). But, in the economy of man, generally speaking, ax heads sink and people are put to death for capital crimes. Today, in God's economy a woman, like Deborah of the Old Testament, may be called upon to govern a local church in a special situation. But, in general, men are to make up the governing eldership team of the church, not women.
   b. Today, many households are made up of a single female parent with children. Adjustments need to be made in such situations (note issues discussed in Numbers 27:1-11 and 30:9). Although such women are to handle their own family matters, perhaps a wise, ministering woman (1 Timothy 5:3-16; Titus 2:3-5) or an elder with his wife could be placed in oversight of such a family rather than a male elder (or, elders) alone.

4. Governance in the Apostolic Network
   We believe that local churches, once established, will continue to need apostolic team input into their ministry life situations. The apostle Paul spoke often into the church life circumstances of those fellowships that he had established. His letters, of course, are a witness to that fact. Therefore, there is little need to further corroborate it.
   However, the extent to which an apostle or apostolic team (some of Paul's team members are mentioned in Acts 20:4) exercises authority over a local church setting does warrant some discussion. The relationship of an apostolic team to a local church can take on various forms as well as phases:
   a. The apostolic team is summoned/invited by a local church eldership, which is facing a difficult situation, to give input and/or to come. Paul was often invited to give input to churches he had established...e.g. 1 Corinthians 7:1 ff.; 1 Thessalonians 3:6 ff., etc.
   b. The apostolic team, becoming aware-through information from one of the leaders or some of the people-of a problem in a local church, appeals to the brethren to rectify the situation. Many times Paul, regardless of whether or not he was invited, spoke as he saw fit into certain local church situations; and, he expected that the church and its leadership would heed him...e.g. Galatians 1:6 ff.; 1 Corinthians 1:10 ff.; 5:1 ff.; 2 Corinthians 10:1-18 (very strong language); etc.

More specifically, the analogy of an apostle or apostolic team bearing a fatherly/parental relationship to the local church is clearly declared by Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:14-21:

I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me. For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?

Paul speaks as a father to the Corinthians and as a team leader of his apostolic company. He challenges the church and then positions one of his team members, Timothy, to aid them. Paul often positioned his team members like a present day football quarterback positioning his backfield - Timothy here and Titus there (note Titus 1:5), etc. The fact that Paul commends Timothy to the Corinthians implies that other apostolic team members, besides himself, could speak with authority into local church situations...and, perhaps could or would continue to do so after his own personal demise. But, the New Testament is unclear about the relationship of apostolic teams to churches after the demise of their original apostolic leaders.

Most New Testament writings deal with relational issues rather than legal, organizational, or institutional ones. Church history indicates that once the original apostles moved off the scene, then eventually councils of elders and overseers were left with the responsibility of dealing with major disputes among Christian brethren. This pattern, of course, falls in line with the procedure that was followed in Acts 15 when brethren from at least two churches, Antioch and Jerusalem, gathered in Jerusalem to settle a dispute regarding circumcision. History also records other examples of local church leadership teams speaking into the circumstances of one another and/or gathering in council to deliberate matters of concern. But, the means by which apostolic brethren related to particular local churches, not merely year by year, but decade by decade, is vague. We would assume that apostolic "Timothies" and "Tituses" carried on the work themselves and commissioned the work into other capable hands (see 2 Timothy 2:2) as Paul had commissioned the work into their hands.

The perpetuating of apostolic team input into local church situations, on a voluntary basis, is good and right for local church brethren to embrace. It is always wise to avail ourselves of good sources of input; for, wisdom is found in the multitude of counselors (see Proverbs 11:14; 24:6)...how much more the wisdom deriving from apostolic brethren parentally and relationally tied to us.

It is only natural that the input of the apostolic team will diminish as the local church grows and matures. The same is true in the relationship between parents and their children. In the beginning, infant and even adolescent children need much input and direction. But, in the end, adult children leave their parents and join their spouses in the setting up of their own households (see Genesis 2:24). Hopefully, they will continue to honor their parents and look to them for input and wisdom from time to time.

So also, local churches usually need more input in the beginning...less after they have developed. Hopefully, they, too, will always be respectful of their apostolic "parents." Some churches, like some children, may get to the point where they reject the input of their apostolic fathers (2 Timothy 1:15). It may be their right to do so, as it was the right of the "prodigal son" (Luke 15:11-32) to make some unwise choices; but, as with the prodigal, it may be to their detriment (see 1 Corinthians 3:10...take heed how one builds on parental foundations)!

Finally, it should be stated that we do not assume that apostles are always correct in their input into local church leadership teams. Nor should they necessarily be blindly followed in their input whether good or bad. But, local church leaders should be willing to hear and receive input.