The criteria serving to define a church are broadly classified under the terms “doctrine” and “practice.” Its doctrine is of course what it believes and advocates. Its practice is what it does, particularly with regard to its primary functions of worshipping God, teaching His word and administering His ordinances. Doctrine and practice are overlapping ideas. What a church does is a reflection of what it believes. One would also hope that what it does is under the guidance of prudent principles which collectively make up a doctrine in itself. So while we might speak of doctrine and practice as being two separate ideas, they are actually quite interdependent, and a church should not only have a doctrine and practice, but also have a doctrine of practice.