Baptist Christians, who have professed their faith in baptism, believe that the Church, rather than being an institution or a building, consists of all its Christian members. (The biblical term “priesthood of all believers” is often used to describe this)
Baptist congregations are autonomous (self-governing) churches, with their own constitutions and the decisions of the Church are made by Church Meeting, where its members seek to discern the will of God together.
Though independent, the local church recognises its interdependence upon the wider Baptist family and therefore associates with other Baptist congregations through Local Clusters, Area Networks, Regional Associations, and the national Baptist Together family.
The Leadership of the church, including the Minister, are appointed by Church Meeting. They undertake the day-to-day management of church affairs, including statutory requirements as Managing Charity Trustees, bringing important decisions to Church Meeting for discussion and decision.
Further Reading: Baptist Churches: An Introduction