A __________ is a business meeting for the purpose of transacting any business necessary for the operation of the church.

• A. Annual meeting
• B. Elders' meeting
• C. Church conference
• D. Congregational assembly

Answer: (C)

In church governance, the formal gathering that handles the church’s necessary operating business—budget, reports, elections, policies, and other operating decisions—is a church conference. It is the official business meeting of the congregation that carries authority for operational matters. An elders’ meeting is limited to the leadership group and doesn’t represent the whole church's business. A congregational assembly is a broader gathering, often for worship or general discussion, not specifically the formal operating business of the church. An annual meeting can be a church conference held yearly, but the description given points to the church conference as the standard term for transacting church operations.