Except in national, territorial, provincial, or mission states, all state councilmen must be ______________.

• A. Pastors
• B. Deacons
• C. Ordained Bishops
• D. Evangelists

Answer: (C)

In this governance question, the main idea is about constitutional authority and church oversight. In the Church of God structure, those who sit on the state council are expected to have the highest level of ordained authority within the local church system. Ordained bishops carry the spiritual jurisdiction, pastoral accountability, and doctrinal oversight required to make and enforce decisions that affect ministries, finances, discipline, and policy across the state. That level of authority is what the state council needs to function properly, so ordination as a bishop is the standard qualification.

Pastors, deacons, and evangelists each play vital ministerial roles, but they do not carry the same episcopal authority or oversight over a territorial district. Their responsibilities are typically more localized or focused on preaching, service, or mission work, rather than the broad governance and jurisdiction that a state-wide council requires. Hence, they aren’t the standard members of the state council, except in the special cases noted for national, territorial, provincial, or mission states where different rules may apply.