The Advisory Council of Elders approved the following document May 21. Advisory Council of Elders members are Mr. Albrecht, Dean Blackwell, Carn Catherwood, J. Michael Feazell. Herman Hoeh, Ron Kelly, Richard Rice, Bernie Schnippert, Norman Smith and Joseph Tkach. The document in effect does away with the former designations of ministerial ranks (evangelist, pastor, preaching elder and local elder). All ordained ministers hold the ecclesiastical rank of elder.
Denominational leadership
President/Pastor General: Chief executive and chief ecclesiastical officer of WCG.
Denominational administrator: Category descriptor only. Specific titles are consistent with each person's responsibilities, such as operation director, manager, supervisor.
Superintendent: Chief pastoral administrator.
Regional director: Administrative head of non-U.S. regions.
Regional pastor: Supervisor of senior pastors.
Congregational leadership
Senior pastor: Administrative head of one or more local churches (may or may not be salaried by the church).
Associate pastor: An elder who is assistant to a senior pastor in a line capacity.
Assistant pastor: An elder who is assistant to a senior pastor in a staff capacity.
Ministry leader: Leader of a particular ministry in a local church under the supervision of the senior pastor or his designate. (Examples: leaders of seniors ministry, women's ministry, youth ministry, counseling ministry, children's ministry, young adults ministry, Christian education ministry, church life ministry, singles ministry, facilities coordination, care ministries.)
Notes:
1. All ordained ministers hold the ecclesiastical rank of elder.
2. Elder status may be conferred only by denominational authority and through sanctioned ecclesiastical ordination.
3. Only elders may perform certain sacerdotal functions of the church, including baptisms, ordinations, weddings, funerals and anointing with oil. The sacerdotal function of baptism may also be performed by lay members, but only under the ecclesiastical authorization of a senior pastor.
4. Not every congregation will need or have every level of congregational leadership.
5. Ministry leaders may or may not be elders.
6. Denominational administrators may or may not be elders, depending on the circumstances and demands of responsibility.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 1998