This class contains an in depth discussion about the local church, its leadership, the duties of the leaders, and serious confusion caused by the structures of the institutionalized church in church history. The elders and overseers who are to shepherd the church of God are the same group. These leaders are to “guard” the blood-bought people who belong to Christ. Sadly,  this is not what happens when extra-local authorities have power over people they do not know and have never met. We search the Scriptures to see what it means to guard the flock. Every individual who belongs to the Lord is important to Him and elders/overseers must take this truth seriously. There are no valid “bishops” who have power over multiple congregations in various locations. The developments in church history have so obscured the simple truths of local leadership, that much harm continues to be done. Rather than being guarded, the flock is often used as a means for people to find religious status in the eyes of their peers. The gospels are filled with warnings against this.