We believe the Bible teaches a Presbyterian form of church government, based on the Greek word presbuteros, meaning elder. The New Testament shows that each church should have a group of qualified elders (Titus 1:5; Acts 20:17; 1 Tim. 3:1–7). There are two kinds of elders: ruling elders and teaching elders or pastors (1 Tim. 5:17). Both care for the church, but pastors are particularly called to “labor in preaching and teaching (ESV)”. Elders guide the church through spiritual oversight, discipline, doctrine, and right administration of the sacraments. In this system, church members are under the care of the session of elders, the session reports to a presbytery, and presbyteries to the General Assembly (Acts 15). This structure shows God’s divine wisdom in caring for His people.
