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Ecclesiastical polity is the government of a church. There are local ( congregational ) forms of organization as well as denominational . A church's polity may describe its ministerial offices or an authority structure between churches.
The ecclesial vocations serve the Church, while lay vocations are vocations by which the Church serves the world. Programs for the theological education and pastoral formation of laypersons, for the purpose in engaging in full-time and often lifelong ministry in the Church, have grown exponentially in the last four decades.
The PCA maintains the presbyterian church government set forth in its Book of Church Order. Local church officers include teaching elders, ruling elders and deacons. The BCO is based on the PCUS Book of Church Order declared it in force on May 19, 1879. [96] The distinction between pastors and elders in the PCA is a mixture of two traditions.
Anglican ministry includes many laypeople who devote themselves to the ministry of the church, either individually or in lower/assisting offices such as lector, acolyte, sub-deacon, Eucharistic minister, cantor, musicians, parish secretary or assistant, warden, vestry member, etc. Ultimately, all baptized members of the church are considered to ...
While the Council of Bishops is the executive branch of church government, it is ultimately the General Conference of the church which constitutes its legislative branch, and that speaks for and sets the policies, missions and ministries of the church through its authority to maintain and change the United Methodist Discipline, the book that ...
Presbyterian (or presbyteral) polity is a method of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders.Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session (or consistory), though other terms, such as church board, may apply.
Churches with an episcopal polity are governed by bishops, practising their authorities in the dioceses and conferences or synods.Their leadership is both sacramental and constitutional; as well as performing ordinations, confirmations, and consecrations, the bishop supervises the clergy within a local jurisdiction and is the representative both to secular structures and within the hierarchy ...
It is performed by most Christians, although the early church recognised that "devotion to prayer and the ministry of the word" was a special part of the role of the apostles, [2] thus distinguishing general "ministry" from the "office of minister" to which specific individuals who feel a certain vocation. [3]