[1] NCMI defines itself as a trans-local ministry team which helps pastors/elders build their local churches and equip Christian believers.

Unlike most denominations, individual churches affiliated with NCMI retain their autonomy and are not required to sign a common constitution or statement of beliefs.

NCMI's foundational value is that the Bible (specifically, the Protestant canon) is the "only acceptable standard for life, ministry, and conduct in the Church".

[3][4] The NCMI "translocal team" ("translocal" refers to a team / person based in a local church who works in both a local region and internationally) believes in fivefold ministry, specifically the belief that the offices of apostle and prophet remain active and valid in the contemporary church, on the basis of Ephesians 4:11–13.

[5] In their statement of faith,[6] NCMI affirms typical Baptist and Pentecostal beliefs,[7] including biblical inspiration; the Trinity; the humanity, divinity and resurrection of Jesus Christ; and substitutionary atonement.

Their theology and practices are also held by a number of other similar movements[citation needed] in varying degrees including: the International Churches of Christ (ICOC), Every Nation Churches and Ministries, Calvary Chapel, Salt and Light Ministries International, Newfrontiers, Ichthus Christian Fellowship and Link NZ.

For the congregation, NCMI team members provide teaching, training in spiritual gifts, and "equipping of the priesthood for works of service".

Members of the apostolic team often refrain from describing themselves with any label at all, instead allowing local churches to "define the gifting as they perceive it".

Allan Anderson, professor of Mission and Pentecostal Studies,[22] remarked[23] that NCMI churches are "highly patriarchal in leadership; leaders tend to make unilateral decisions based on the 'leading of the [Holy] Spirit'."

[31] The movement also began to hold conferences and retreats for leaders of their churches, the precursor to Leadership Training Times, with Dudley Daniel providing much of the teaching.

[38] Manley wrote that, in 2001, of the eight original signatories to New Covenant Ministries, only three remained in the movement, with only Dudley Daniel and Rigby Wallace at the forefront.

[39] Around this time Coastlands International Christian Centre (Adelaide) functioned as an unofficial headquarters and regional base for Australasia, with Southlands Church International (Los Angeles) and New Covenant Church (Bryanston) as regional bases for North America and southern Africa respectively.

The College offered a non-accredited program, containing only NCMI material and requiring no examination; and a fully accredited Diploma in Theology.

In practice, the NCMI team is organised into smaller teams with responsibility for specific areas, and their ministry work includes organising conferences for teaching and disseminating their values, along with visiting relating local churches as guest speakers and to provide advice and support for local leadership.

NCMI does not require donations from local churches but does accept them, both to individual guest speakers and to a decentralised ministry fund.

[12] Manley states that by 2001, the initial idea of local church autonomy gave way to a "bulky" leadership structure of "distinct hierarchies.

According to Black, "the effectiveness of the churches relating to NCMI is largely due to the high mobility of the Apostolic team and the ongoing connection through [Equips and smaller conferences].

"[51] These conferences have no fixed agenda, but include worship, ministry of spiritual gifts, and teaching, usually led by a member of the apostolic team.

[51] NCMI hosts periodic Equip conferences[note 4] around the world, and numerous smaller events in local regions.

He says that as of 2005, South African Pentecostal churches were still divided along ethnic lines and were not "proactive with regard to such severe social problems as the AIDS pandemic, rising poverty and crime".

In Anderson's view, these churches are "not making an impact nor addressing challenges posed by a rapidly changing [post-apartheid South African] society".