Editing Church of the Brethren (section)

== Structure ==
The Brethren practice the "priesthood of all believers", and their structure is egalitarian. Some members still address each other as "Brother Sam" or "Sister Sarah", for example. The practice is more common in the Eastern United States. Even the moderator of Annual Conference, the highest elected office in the church, is addressed as "Brother (or Sister) Moderator".

=== Ministry ===
The term "minister" is understood as both a spiritual and a functional role rather than a hierarchical position of authority. In the early days, most congregations had several ministers chosen ("called" or "elected") by the members of the congregation. The concept of a professional pastor (first explicitly permitted in 1911) slowly became the predominant model, although some congregations still have "free" (nonsalaried) ministers and plural ministry.

Historically, there have been three degrees of ministry in the Church of the Brethren:
*The first degree (now known as a licensed minister) is bestowed on those who are considering serving as ministers. The period of licensure is a time for education and self-examination, after which the individual either advances to ordination or returns to lay status.
*The second degree minister, or ordained minister, is one who intends to continue serving in a ministerial role, usually as a professional pastor, teacher, counselor, or administrator.
*The third degree of minister, also known as an elder, served as a head minister and supervised other ministers in a congregation. By the 1960s, many roles previously reserved for non-salaried elders had been assigned to salaried pastors, leaving elders with little unique ministerial function. So the Annual Conference of 1967 decided that no elders would be elected after that time. Some congregations in the Southern Pennsylvania and Atlantic Northeast Districts still elect elders.

The denomination ordains women as pastors and affirms them for all levels of leadership in the church.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.brethren.org/ministryoffice/forms.html|title=Forms {{!}} Church of the Brethren|website=Church of the Brethren|access-date=June 15, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.brethren.org/ac/statements/1977-Equality-for-Women.pdf|title=1977, Equality for Women in the Church of the Brethren|last=Annual Conference|first=Church of the Brethren|date=1977|website=Church of the Brethren Annual Conference}}</ref>

The Brethren also select lay leaders as deacons as in most congregations. They assist in ministerial functions, particularly by tending to the physical and spiritual needs of individual members. Often, a husband and wife serve together as deacons.

=== Officers ===
The leading officers in the Church of the Brethren for business purposes are called moderators. Their principal function is to chair business meetings. There are congregational moderators, district moderators, and an Annual Conference (denominational) moderator.

In current practice, the Annual Conference moderator is elected to a two-year term, serving for the first year as "moderator-elect." An Annual Conference secretary, elected to a five-year term, keeps track of the flow of business. Together, the officers "receive and process the business of Annual Conference, establish and manage agendas ... represent the Conference at district meetings and other appropriate settings, and respond to concerns of denominational members regarding actions and activities of Conference."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.brethren.org/ac/leadership-structure.html|title=Leadership structure|website=www.brethren.org|language=en|access-date=2020-02-10}}</ref>

=== Boards, committees, and agencies ===
Each congregation selects delegates to serve at an Annual Conference (traditionally called Annual Meeting), which is the final human authority in questions of faith and practice. Issues that cannot be resolved on a local level, or which have implications for the church as a whole are framed as "queries", which are submitted by a congregation to the district (since 1866), and then, if necessary, are passed on to Annual Conference. Standing Committee, a body composed of representatives from each district, processes the business that comes to Annual Conference and makes recommendations. Often a committee is formed to study the matter, and an answer is reported and adopted by a vote of the delegates at a subsequent Annual Conference, although sometimes a query is returned.

The Brethren have numerous boards and committees (sometimes called "teams") that can be either temporary or permanent and either highly focused on one issue (e.g. evangelism) or general in scope. Several agencies are given charge of carrying out the ministries of the church under the auspices of Annual Conference.

At the 2008 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren, two of these agencies—the Church of the Brethren General Board and the Association of Brethren Caregivers—were combined into a single entity, the Church of the Brethren, Inc., the ministry arm of which is now known as the Mission and Ministry Board. Headquartered in Elgin, Illinois, its programs include,<ref>[https://www.brethrenpress.com/ Brethren Press]</ref> Global Mission and Service, Brethren Volunteer Service,<ref>[http://www.brethren.org/bvs/ Brethren Volunteer Service]</ref> Youth/Young Adult Ministries, Intercultural Ministries, and Discipleship Ministries. The ''Messenger'' periodical,<ref>[http://www.brethren.org/messenger/ Messenger]</ref> whose roots go back to 1851—making it one of the oldest continually operating church periodicals in the country—is the official magazine of the church.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.brethren.org/messenger/about.html|title=About us|website=Messenger Magazine|access-date=2020-02-11}}</ref>

The general secretary, typically hired for renewable five-year terms, oversees the work of the Church of the Brethren, Inc., and is the chief ecumenical officer of the denomination. Other Annual Conference agencies include [[Bethany Theological Seminary]], Brethren Benefit Trust, and On Earth Peace.

=== Higher education institutions related to the Church of the Brethren ===
[[File:Mall-panoramic--web.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Manchester University (Indiana)|Manchester University]] at [[North Manchester, Indiana|North Manchester]], [[Indiana]].]]
*[[Bridgewater College]] in Bridgewater, Virginia
*[[Elizabethtown College]] in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
*[[Juniata College]] in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
*[[University of La Verne]] in La Verne, California
*[[Manchester University (Indiana)|Manchester University]] in North Manchester, Indiana
*[[McPherson College]] in McPherson, Kansas
*[[Bethany Theological Seminary]] in Richmond, Indiana