▁no ▁dioc eses ▁or ▁b ish ops . ▁ ▁Cong reg ational ▁churches ▁practice ▁con greg ational ist ▁church ▁govern ance , ▁in ▁which ▁each ▁con greg ation ▁independently ▁and ▁autonom ously ▁runs ▁its ▁own ▁affairs . ▁ ▁Church es ▁of ▁Christ , ▁being ▁strictly ▁non - den omin ational , ▁are ▁govern ed ▁sole ly ▁at ▁the ▁con greg ational ▁level . ▁ ▁Most ▁Bapt ists ▁hold ▁that ▁no ▁church ▁or ▁ecc les iast ical ▁organization ▁has ▁inher ent ▁authority ▁over ▁a ▁Bapt ist ▁church . ▁Church es ▁can ▁properly ▁relate ▁to ▁each ▁other ▁under ▁this ▁polity ▁only ▁through ▁volunt ary ▁co operation , ▁never ▁by ▁any ▁sort ▁of ▁co erc ion . ▁Furthermore , ▁this ▁Bapt ist ▁polity ▁calls ▁for ▁freedom ▁from ▁government al ▁control . ▁ ▁Most ▁Bapt ists ▁believe ▁in ▁" Two ▁offices ▁of ▁the ▁church " — p ast or - el der ▁and ▁de acon — based ▁on ▁certain ▁script ures ▁( ; ▁). ▁ ▁Exception s ▁to ▁this ▁local ▁form ▁of ▁local ▁govern ance ▁include ▁a ▁few ▁churches ▁that ▁submit ▁to ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁a ▁body ▁of ▁el ders , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Epis cop al ▁Bapt ists ▁that ▁have ▁an ▁Epis cop al ▁system . ▁ ▁Cont inental ▁Re formed ▁churches ▁are ▁ruled ▁by ▁assemb lies ▁of ▁" eld ers " ▁or ▁ord ained ▁officers . ▁This ▁is ▁usually ▁called ▁Syn od al ▁government ▁by ▁the ▁contin ental ▁Re formed , ▁but ▁is ▁essentially ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁pres by ter ian ▁polity . ▁