The COGC recognizes ordained ministry — pastors, elders, and deacons — as legitimate and important for the life of the church. These roles are understood as servanthood and teaching rather than as a sacramental priesthood mediating between God and the people. The priesthood of all believers is affirmed: every baptized Christian has direct access to God through Christ.

The Atlanta Bible College provides theological education for COGC ministers. Ordained ministers preach, teach, baptize, preside at the Lord's Supper, and provide pastoral oversight of local congregations. The ordination process typically involves examination by the denomination's ministerial association and formal recognition by the local church and General Conference.

Women's roles in ministry within the COGC have varied over its history, and the denomination does not have a single binding policy across all congregations. Individual churches make their own decisions about women's participation in leadership and preaching, consistent with the COGC's broadly congregational polity. The COGC's small size means that practical realities often shape ministry patterns as much as formal policy.