The fact that Ignatius refers to bishops, a council of elders, and deacons does not necessarily mean that the bishop presides over several churches in a region [see Smyr. 8.1 and many other places in Ignatius]. It may just mean that he is the lead elder. He is an elder, and the elders are bishops, but he is called bishop because he is singled out from the rest. This would parallel a contemporary situation in which some churches speak of their pastor and their elders, even though the elders are pastors and the pastor is an elder.
The Blog of Brian Collins