Pastor-representatives from the states hold the key position in the BBFI structure. Neither is there an appointed episcopate. How decisions are made Several safeguards are in place to ensure fairness and openness in business. Generally speaking, before policies, officer nominations, and other Fellowship business items are taken up by the entire Fellowship at national meetings, the same matters must first be considered by the Committee of Representatives. A simple majority decides except in the case of constitutional amendments, which require a two-third's majority for passage.
Any BBFI pastor is permitted to audit meetings of the representatives and their committees.
Historically, the state fellowships have been primarily focused on church planting and providing encouraging fellowship meetings for local church pastors. Some rules are in effect where the state fellowships and the BBFI meet, that is, in the Committee of Representatives. Recently the Com-mittee was asked to determine which of two representatives from a certain state should be seated in its midst. These representatives, who were themselves pastors of local congregations elected as representatives of other pastors from their respective states, made that determination. Not a theocratic Israel, nor a congregational local church, nor even an episcopal hierarchy.