Antistes (from Latin anti "before" and sto "stand") was from the 16th to the 19th century the title of the head of the church in the Reformed Churches in Switzerland. It was the highest office in churches with synodal church governance. The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations historically related by a similar Zwinglian or Calvinist system of doctrine but organisationally independent. ... A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church, convened to decide an issue of doctrine or administration. ...

The word was used first in 1525 as inofficial title of honor for Huldrych Zwingli in Zurich, then 1530 for Johannes Oecolampadius in Basle and 1532 for Heinrich Bullinger in Zurich. Events January 21 - The Swiss Anabaptist Movement was born when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptized each other in the home of Manzs mother on Neustadt-Gasse, Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union. ... General view showing Grossmünster church. ... Johannes Oecolampadius or Oekolampad (1482 - November 24, 1531) was a German religious reformer, whose real name was Hussgen or Heussgen (changed to Hausschein and then into the Greek equivalent). ... Basel (English traditionally: Basle [ba:l], German: Basel [ba:z@l], French Bâle [ba:l], Italian Basilea [bazilE:a]) is Switzerlands third most populous city (188,000 inhabitants in the canton of Basel-City as of 2004; the 690,000 inhabitants in the conurbation stretching across the immediate... Heinrich Bullinger Heinrich Bullinger (July 18, 1504 - September 17, 1575) was a Swiss religious reformer. ...

The antistes was elected by the great council (the parliament) of the city and held besides this office also a pastorship of one of the main churches.

The antistes had to be an ordained minister. He was the official representative of the church. He was presiding the synod and the theological examinations of candidates for the office of pastor. His direct rights were very limited, but a man with high leadership capabilities like Zwingli or Bullinger could exert a great influence on the church in this office. A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church, convened to decide an issue of doctrine or administration. ...

In the late 19th century the title was replaced by other office designations, e.g. church president or president of the church council.

Source: *Article Antistes in the Historical Lexicon of Switzerland (German)