Bible Handbook

Church Organization

“Never allow anyone’s ideas to unsettle your faith in regard to order and harmony which should exist in the church.” Testimonies for the Church 5:274. BHB 175.14

• Deuteronomy 1:15. Ancient organization same as the present. BHB 175.15

God is the center of all organization; next to God stands His prophet, or mouthpiece; then follows:-
1. Leader “over thousands,”-General Conference.
2. Leader “over hundreds,”-union conferences.
3. Leader “over fifties,”-local conferences.
4. Leader “over tens,:”-churches. BHB 175.16

Besides, officers or secretaries to attend to the different branches of the work. Education, 37; The Acts of the Apostles, 93, 94. BHB 175.17

• 1 Corinthians 14:33, 40. Order in the Christian church. The Acts of the Apostles, 163, 164, 185, 186. BHB 176.1

• 1 Timothy 4:14. Ministers ordained by the presbytery. The Acts of the Apostles, 18, 161, 162, 503, 504. BHB 176.2

• 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2. Uniform system throughout the churches. The Acts of the Apostles, 91, 270, 317, 318. BHB 176.3

• Acts 15:1-4. Perplexing questions referred from local churches to the conference. The Acts of the Apostles, 195-197. BHB 176.4

• Acts 15:1-4. Council held at the head of the work. BHB 176.5

• Acts 15:23-25. Report of decision sent to all the churches. BHB 176.6

• Acts 15:30, 31. Document first read in the church where the trouble arose. BHB 176.7

• Acts 16:1, 4, 5. Afterwards read in other churches. BHB 176.8

• Acts 8:26, 29; 19:21, 22. While there was perfect organization, yet each worker was free to work as God directed. The Acts of the Apostles, 164, 200, 405. BHB 176.9

• Titus 1:5. Churches could not ordain their own local elders. BHB 176.10