Elders are to exercise oversight and liaison with other boards and commissions.

The elders together exercise oversight (episcopacy) over the local congregation, with superior groups of elders gathered on a regional basis exercising wider oversight.

In practice local organisations tend to exercise oversight over people teaching in their area and people offering to teach are expected to have some training.

He said what irked them was that the green paper was drawn up in government and the alliance exercised oversight only after it was released.

Character also includes the quality of the church's governing body (board) and the manner in which the governing body exercises oversight with respect to the church's activities.