How much autonomy do Harvest churches have?
For the first year after a church is launched, the senior pastor and two staff members of the Harvest Bible Fellowship serve as the elders of that church. This gives the pastor time to observe the character of the men in his church—to see who might be qualified to be an elder. After the first year, elders he has chosen will be formally installed and HBF staff members withdraw, leaving the church autonomous with its own elder board. From that point forward, Harvest Bible Fellowship leads Harvest church plants by influence, not mandate. We are a fellowship of churches gathered around a common vision, not a denomination.
