Except in national, territorial, provincial, or mission states, all state councilmen must be ____.

• A. Elders
• B. Ordained Bishops
• C. Licensed Ministers
• D. Deacons

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is that the state council carries statewide governance and spiritual oversight. In this church structure, that level of authority is vested in those who are ordained to the episcopacy. An ordained bishop has the explicit mandate and jurisdiction to oversee multiple congregations, maintain doctrinal integrity, set policy for the state, and provide leadership across the entire district. That kind of authority isn’t typically assigned to local elders, licensed ministers, or deacons, who serve more limited, local, or service-oriented roles. Elders may lead individual congregations, licensed ministers lack full ordination and the broad governing authority, and deacons serve in supportive, non-governing capacities. Thus, for the statewide leadership and coordination required, the role is filled by those who are ordained bishops. The note about exceptions in national, territorial, provincial, or mission states indicates a different governance arrangement in those areas, but outside of those contexts, bishops are the standard for state council leadership.