Church organization

Protestant religious practice centered on local governance of each community

form of church government consisting of assemblies of elders

The way a church is run

union of protestant churches of different creeds

name given to a merger of two or more Christian denominations

The term '''''' (; ) is derived from the verb (to donate) and originally meant 'a donation'. Such donations usually comprised earning assets, originally landed estates with serfs defraying dues (originally often in kind) or with vassal tenants of noble rank providing military services and forwarding dues collected from serfs. In modern times the earning assets could also be financial assets donated to form a fund to maintain an endowment, especially a charitable foundation. When landed estates, donated as a to maintain the college of a monastery, the chapter of a collegiate church or the cathe

legal authority of church leaders over other church members