Government, Church

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Church Government may be divided into seven significant elements in the administration of a church. For the 2×2 church:

1. Source of authority. The 2×2 church is a top down administration. There is no one Overseer at the top; rather there are a few worldwide male Overseers who rule over large territories; under which are male Head Workers over countries, provinces, states, counties, fields, etc. All female Workers are subject to the male workers.

2. Ordination of ministers. The individual volunteers to become a Worker and is accepted or rejected by an Overseer. Members have no input.

3. The call of the Worker/pastor. The Workers serve in assigned fields. Neither the under Workers or the members have any input. Typically, Workers are assigned to a field location for a term of one year with a same sex worker.

4. Finances of the church. The Overseers supervise the financial matters of the church. They are not accountable to the members and the members are not privy to their decisions. Typically, the church is not a registered tax exempt charity. In America the workers do not pay social security or income taxes; some elderly workers receive SSI.

5. Discipline. The Overseers dictate disciplinary measures. These vary, and may involve withholding the member’s participation in their fellowship meetings, communion and baptism–temporarily or permanently; removing a Worker from the work, temporarily or permanently; and sometimes by excommunication. There is no set determined process followed for discipline and there is no appeal process.

6. Doctrines of the church. The Overseers rule on doctrinal matters and traditions. The members have no input. They do not publish a doctrinal statement, claiming the Bible is their only standard and that they follow the teachings of the New Testament. They do publish a hymnal titled: Hymns Old and New.

7. Actions by the congregation. Assigned Elders preside over the home church meetings. Members are assigned to particular church meetings and annual convention. The members have very little input in any church matters–the Overseers rule.

Worker Quote: There is order, there is discipline, and there is government inside this fellowship of God’s people ‘that He might purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works’–a people for His own possession, those whom He could look down upon with pride and say, ‘These people are Mine, they belong to Me. ( Jack Carroll, Hayden Lake, 1949)

Worker Quote: And in II Chronicles 20:20 toward the end of his story it says he said to the people, “Believe his prophets and ye shall prosper.” Don’t cause any sedition or rising up, a riot against the servants of rod, or the government. Sedition means rising up and trying to overthrow the government. Now we’re not perfect, but I hope by God’s grace that we’re trying to do our best in not compromising. (Dan Hilton, Texarkana, TX Conv. 1966)

Worker Quote: How could a kingdom be established on earth by love? That’s the very thing Jesus came to do. He came to impart life unto men and establish in their hearts a Kingdom where love would reign and not law. The basic law in the United States is the Constitution, men may come and men may go, but it remains. No town, city, county, or state can enforce any law that isn’t in line with the Constitution or its Amendments. The basic law of the Kingdom of God is the law of love. (Jack Carroll, Manhattan, MT, 1945)