Positions on Church Leadership

 
Monarchical
Episcopal
Presbyterian
Congregational
 
A
C
A
C
A
C
A
C
Adventist
 
 
 
*
 
 
 
 
Baptist
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
Brethren
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
Catholic
 
*
 
*
 
 
 
 
Christian
 
 
 
 
*
 
 
 
Congregational
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
Episcopal
 
 
 
*
 
 
 
 
Friends
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
Fundamentalist
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
Holiness
 
 
 
*
 
 
 
 
Lutheran
 
 
 
*
 
 
 
 
Mennonite
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
 
Methodist
 
 
 
*
 
 
 
 
Orthodox
 
 
 
*
 
 
 
 
Pentecostal
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
Presbyterian
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
 
Reformed
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
 
A = Autonomous, C = Centralized

Note: categorizing leadership positionsis a very difficult task because there are so many shadings of practice and so many differences within denominations.

Information presented in the chart was gleaned from Handbook of Denominations in the United States, 11th edition, Frank Spencer Mead, Samuel S. Hill, Craig D. Atwood; Abingdon Press; May 2001, and Finding the Right Church: A Guide to Denominational Beliefs, Shelly Steig, Word Bible Publishing Co., Dec 1997.

In assigned positions to various group, I used the largest representative of that group; for example, for "Methodist," I used the United Methodist Church. The information should probably be taken with a gain of salt since I found information under churches of Chrst that I would consider incorrect. Nevertheless, you may find these comparisons interesting.

- Dick Soule