Historically, the structure of the church has borne the image of the structure of the government in the country where it exists.
In the first century, the church got its start with Jewish disciples of Jesus, who were well-versed in the Old Testament, which was a stumbling block to some when Jesus began to teach principles that they had difficulty understanding.
In the first century churches, they had participants from other cultures (Jews, Gentiles) who brought their beliefs with them about what and how things should be done. The same is true today,
In America, and other countries, we have many denominations and groups with various belief systems. So how can we keep the unity of the Spirit?
CORE VALUES
Imagine a concentric circle and in the center of it are the core beliefs that we agree upon. The first is: God – who is he? YHWH, Father, Son, and Spirit. One Savior- Jesus Christ, Inspiration of Scripture.
Expanding outward from this innermost circle is another larger circle and in this circle are other important beliefs, but not as important as the inner circle. Such as: water baptism, music styles, end-time beliefs, etc.
Beyond that circle is a one larger still that lists tertiary (third level) beliefs such as: age of the earth, who wrote Hebrews or Isaiah. Some congregations have no core beliefs! Some believe all those mentioned are core beliefs.
Core beliefs should be those that are important beliefs that define with whom we fellowship. The others, though important, are beliefs we hold that do not cause us to break fellowship with believers who hold different beliefs.
Our Biblical beliefs will determine to a large degree the structure of our churches. A strict adherence to New Testament patterns immediately rules out a democratic form of church government as well as a monarchical form (1 Peter 5:1-4).
MY TAKE
Ephesians 4:10-16 says, “He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all heavens, that He might fill all things. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed and from and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” These along with others that they may appoint ( Acts 6:1-7) make up the leadership team in the local churches.