Apostolic Christian Church of America

Church discipline is taken very seriously, and is conducted as is Biblically laid out in Matthew 18:15-17. Members are disciplined out of love. If the member commits a major sin, as the Apostolic Christian Church believes to be laid out by the Bible, he or she will be disciplined. The member will go through a time of reflection and will hopefully repent and come back into fellowship. If there is no repentance, the individual will no longer be considered a member of the ACCA. ACCA members can be disciplined because of sin or because of a lack of adherence to traditions, though in practice, rarely has the latter reason ever been used as a basis of discipline.

The conversion experienced for each member varies in timing and detail, but all include repentance for one's sins, making restitution, confessing their sin to God and to people they've sinned against, and finding peace with God and man. The word "convert" is used throughout the denomination to describe anyone who begins repentance but has not yet been baptized into the church. It does not imply conversion from another denomination or religion, but from the carnal to the spiritual state. Once converts feel they have peace with God, this is announced to the church and a baptism date is set. Converts give a testimony before the members of the church prior to the public baptism service, telling the story of their personal conversion experience. This sharing, commonly referred to as a "testimony" or "proving", typically takes place the night before the baptism and is a closed member meeting. Because baptism is identified with a "death to sin" in Romans 6 and other New Testament writings, congregational recognition of the convert's repentance and death to sin is desired prior to baptism. The baptism service is open for anyone to attend and is performed before the entire congregation. Before the baptism takes place the convert makes a covenant with God in the presence of the entire congregation. Once the covenant is made, the convert is fully immersed in water (unless they are physically unable to do so) representing have sins washed away by the blood of Christ and going under as the old and coming up new. After the baptism service, there is a laying on of hands by one or more elders and an accompanying consecration prayer. This laying on of hands and prayer of consecration is said to place the seal of the Holy Spirit on the life of the newly baptized.

• The Apostolic Christian Church marriage tradition heavily involves the church.
• The marriage process for members of the ACCA begins when a male member, or sometimes a female member, feels that God has led them to consider marriage. He or she then enters into a time of prayer and seeking Gods will for whom they should marry, taking into account relationships and their individual feelings. They might also seek counsel from those they trust.
• As God guides them and as he/she feels peaceful about a specific person, they go to their Elder. After prayer and consideration, the Elder then informs the intended member of the proposal. (If they are from another congregation, the sender's Elder informs the Elder of the recipient's congregation, who then tells them of the proposal.) The recipient then gives the proposal prayer and consideration.
• When the recipient feels peace given by God, they relay the answer to there elder, who relays it to the sender. If the answer is "No", nothing more becomes of the matter and it remains confidential. If the answer is "Yes", the man and woman are free to tell their immediate family and close friends. However, tradition is to tell no one else until the marriage is announced during the regular Sunday Morning Announcements.
• Marriage is encouraged to take place soon (typically within four months) after it is announced. The man and woman are discouraged from spending a lot of time alone until after the marriage ceremony, which takes the place of a Sunday afternoon service.

• The leaders of the church, including elders, deacons and ministers, are all male. Females are not allowed to have leadership roles.
• Elders of local congregations are ordained by the Elders of the other congregations, usually after a ballot is taken from the local congregation. Elders are usually selected from the current ministers serving in the local church. Elders perform both religious rites and also conduct ministerial duties.
• Congregations who do not have a locally residing elder are assigned a "Counseling Elder" by the national elder body. Day-to-day business in these congregations is handled by a Deacon or "Lead Minister", depending on the specific situation of each congregation.
• The Elders of each congregation serve as equal members within the collective "Elder Body" of all elders who make decisions regarding the doctrine of the denomination.

• Ministers' duties include preaching in their home congregations and in other congregations.
• Ministers (including elders and deacons) do not pursue seminary or other education in preparation for the ministry and serve without compensation.
• A Minister who is ordained as a deacon may assist the local or counseling elder with meeting with new converts, performing baptisms, and other duties usually carried out by the elder alone. The ordained deacon only carries out these duties in his home congregation. Most congregations do not have a deacon, rather they are ordained mostly in larger congregations where the elder needs assistance or in smaller congregations where there is no local elder.

• As a need arises, whether through retirement of a current elder, minister or deacon or through congregational growth, a committee of elders is convened to oversee the selection.
• Although it is not a set rule, the typical progression is from Minister to Deacon (if applicable) then to Elder.
• After prayer and consideration, the committee addresses the membership of the local congregation in a closed member meeting. The entire congregation will be asked to give the issue prayer and consideration.
• After a time of prayer and consideration, the membership of the local congregation will be given opportunity to turn in the name of the person they feel should be given the responsibility in question. If two or three names capture a sizable number of the votes, the elder committee may choose to ask the membership cast ballots again within the confines of those choices.
• If no clear choice emerges, the elder committee may choose to table the issue for a time. However, balloting is for advisory purposes only, ballots are destroyed promptly after they are counted and the elder committee has the final responsibility for the appointment.
• After a candidate for elder or ordained deacon is selected, he must be interviewed by the elder body at a church conference, typically held semi-annually in February and August.
• Upon confirmation, Ministers may assume their role after a time of prayer and meditation. Elders, Deacons, and Ministers have their authorities given to them in a special Ordination Ceremony held in their home congregations.