Congregational Order
At Mikdash Meh’at, we follow Yeshua as the only Rabbi, and thus the Head of the Body, with a leadership structure rooted in Scripture and relational accountability. Each congregation is guided by a Rosh Knesset (lead elder) and a Beit Din (elders’ council), who shepherd, teach, and support the community.
Our congregation, like all assemblies in the Messianic Peshitta Fellowship (MPF), operates autonomously while participating in a broader fellowship of assemblies. Elders and Rosh Knesset representatives meet across assemblies to provide counsel, encouragement, and guidance, ensuring that leadership and teaching remain faithful to God’s Word.
This structure balances local responsibility with mutual support, emphasizing correction, restoration, and unity. It allows each assembly to thrive independently while benefiting from the wisdom, accountability, and fellowship of the wider MPF network.
There is a Beit Din [House of Order] for the Congregation, men who are ordained to answer for the Congregation. They:
Serve as a council of elders from among the congregants.
Provide guidance, encouragement, and correction in matters of doctrine, leadership, and practice.
Oversee processes of recognition, ordination, and fellowship.
Ensure decisions align with the Word of God and the principles of the Messianic Faith.
The authority of the Beit-Din derives solely from Scripture and the Headship of Yeshua, not from civil, denominational, or secular powers. Read here for more details.
There is a Rosh K’nesset [Leader of the Assembly]. He is the presiding elder (or chief elder), and the lead teacher of the Congregation. He is called personally by God to lead in His Congregation, trained formally under the guidance of another Rosh K’nesset/Yeshiva, and acknowledged into the Fellowship by the other Rosh K’nessets. The Fellowship will get to know the potential Rosh K’nesset by:
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- Verification of Scriptural knowledge and character, either through the Yeshiva or multiple interviews based on recognized experience.
- Demonstrated humility, leadership and ministry experience.
- Recommendation by the home assembly.
Ordination is valid for service within MPF affiliated assemblies; the council may recognize ministries in non-affiliated contexts upon review.