The Church of God (Cleveland) has a complex practice regarding clergy. It affirms the priesthood of all believers as a Reformation principle — all members have direct access to God and share in the ministry of the Church. However, the Church also has a formal clergy structure with ordained bishops, pastors, and elders.

A significant feature of the Church of God (Cleveland) is that it ordains women to all offices, including bishop, pastor, and elder — a position relatively unique among holiness and Pentecostal denominations of its era. This openness to female leadership reflects the denomination's understanding of the Spirit's gifting transcending gender and its historical willingness to recognize the call of God on women's lives. The practice has generated some internal debate, but official policy permits and supports female ordination.