RP 434: Church Organization and Polity

This course examines the church as a special religious non-profit organization with its own unique polity. The students will look at models of church organization found in the Bible for the church. Contemporary models (used by various Lutheran, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal traditions), will be discussed with special attention given the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The students will be challenged to critically explore ways to effectively organize and lead a congregation in mission and ministry.