The consistory is our church body of governance and is comprised of three offices of servant leaders: the minister, six elders, and six deacons. We are called to these offices by Christ, with our calls delivered via the church and confirmed by an inner call; spiritual discernment and prayer by all are critical in delivering and receiving the calls. Since these offices fulfill a spiritual call, we ordain those who occupy them as part of their installation. The term is two years, renewable once for a total of four consecutive years of service, and those who are ordained become permanent members of the Greater Consistory of the church. 

All three offices of the consistory work together through monthly meetings as well as retreats on both matters mundane and spiritual for the church, and all share equal voting rights within those meetings. The way the roles differ is that elders are primarily responsible for oversight and discipline, which includes the spiritual well-being and nurture of the congregation, while deacons are primarily responsible for service, which includes leading the congregation in service to one another and to the world beyond. All three offices overlap in many ways, and all three are responsible for supporting each other in carrying out their duties and the congregation in fulfilling its spiritual mission. 

For further information, a guide to the RCA consistory and its theological roots can be found here.