otherwise autonomous churches with third party input (called invited authority), for both the congregation and church leaders. For the congregation, NCMI team members provide teaching, training in spiritual gifts, and "equipping of the priesthood for works of service". For church leadership, NCMI help with doctrine, discipline, church direction, advice on financial matters such as setting elders' salaries, and training. Based on their belief that the local church is autonomous, NCMI says it only speaks into situations or problems in a local church by invitation or when fraud or heresy are alleged. Nature of relationship NCMI asks relating local churches to enter a "primary, but not exclusive" relationship with it, meaning that local churches may seek the input of other apostolic networks or individuals. Churches cannot "join" NCMI, since NCMI considers itself fundamentally a team of people, not a network of churches. NCMI considers its role to be supporting and encouraging local churches with compatibility vision and values. NCMI do not require money from partnering churches, although they do accept donations to support the translocal team. They also do not provide charitable status or tax exemptions for churches, as this would restrict autonomy. Church leadership and governance Following their understanding of the biblical pattern, NCMI believes that local churches should be led by a plurality of elders, in partnership with a translocal apostolic-prophetic team, whether it is NCMI or another team. NCMI encourages prospective partnering churches to reorganize their church to this arrangement if it differs. The plurality of elders will have a leader known as the lead elder or visionary elder, whose role is to develop a vision and then in consultation with the other elders give vision or direction to other leaders such as deacons and subsequently to their local church. The lead elder is usually, but not necessarily, the primary teacher. Elders are considered synonymous with pastors, and elder is the preferred term. All terms are said to describe the function performed, not the maturity of the officer. NCMI discourages churches from making decisions through democratic processes, since they do not believe this is biblical. Titles and terminology NCMI discourages church members from using formal titles (such as "Pastor Mark" or "Apostle Dudley") to refer to church leaders, whether the leader is a local church deacon or elder, or a member of the NCMI team. This interpretation is based on biblical texts where people were introduced by their