church leadership
Those guiding congregations
Church leadership refers to the people who direct and govern a religious congregation or denomination—pastors, elders, deacons, bishops, or committees depending on the tradition.
The term often appears in discussions of authority and decision-making: Church leadership voted to expand the building, She met with church leadership about the youth program.
It can suggest a unified governing body or simply those in positions of spiritual authority.
- pastorChristian congregation leader
- senior pastorChief clergy of congregation
- deaconJunior clergy member
- lay leaderNon-ordained church coordinator
- catechistReligious doctrine instructor
bishop · elder · minister · moderator · ordination · ordination ceremony · priesthood · synod · vestry · overseer · superintendent · consistory · pastoral care · archpriest · chaplain · authority · theologian · steward
- church ministryyouth ministry, women's ministry, youth mentoring, children's ministry, small groups
- Pastoral EpistlesTitus, Paul, godliness, false teachers, good works
- church outreachcommunity outreach, neighborhood outreach, homeless outreach, gospel outreach, outreach event
- Churchwomenchurchwomen, women's ministry, women pastors, women preachers, deaconesses
- seminary trainingdivinity school, Bible college, ordained ministry
- Black MethodismAfrican heritage, freedom songs, religious autonomy
church leadershiplaity
Non-ordained church members
laypeople · congregation · parishioners · church membership · rank and file