There are a multitude of religious groups in the world, with various forms of organizational structures. Some have a headquarters, or conferences that make decisions for all the congregations in that denomination. They also pool their resources together to be able to do many works they would not be able to do individually. Some have men over each congregation called deacons. But, they also call the preacher "pastor," and he is considered to have a great deal of authority in the congregation (in many cases he is the head of the congregation). Others have one man as the head over the entire denomination. He is called Pope. Under him are: bishops, cardinals, priests, layman. Many groups are almost entirely run by committees made up of men and women.

1. If these various organizational structures work, does that mean it is all right to use them? (give scriptural support for your answer)

2. What is the organizational structure that God has given for the church in the New Testament? (book, chapter, and verse)

3. God has set up each congregation to be autonomous. What is/ are the advantage to this?

4. Can a congregation exist without elders? If you answer yes give: book, chapter, and verse to prove it.

5. What if a congregation gets comfortable with not having elders, and never puts forth the effort to have them?

6. How can a congregation work toward having qualified elders?

7. How many of the qualifications for elders in I Timothy 3:1-7 must a man have to be an elder?

8. Do elders have authority? (book, chapter, verse)

9. Does a congregation have to submit to them? (book, chapter, verse)

10. Is the position of a deacon necessarily a stepping stone to the eldership?

11. Are elders over the spiritual matters, and deacons over the physical matters of the church?

12. Should a preacher be referred to as pastor?

13. What do the terms elder, bishop, shepherd, and pastor mean?

14. Is there such a thing as a deaconess?