Good evening, bloggers and bloggerettes! Got time for a quick thought on ecclesiology?
I always enjoy our church business meetings. Today's was no exception. No matter what is being discussed, I sense a genuine willingness on the part of our members to do what is in the best interests of the kingdom. And by "kingdom" I do not mean Bethel Hill Baptist Church. That said, what I cannot fathom is our enslavement to a set of manmade rules for doing church business. Having to vote on an issue according to certain prescribed rules makes as much sense to me as someone getting into a fist fight to promote pacifism. A call to democratic voting ("majority rule") has sometimes been read into certain biblical texts, but it cannot be read out of them. Nevertheless, I suppose Robert's Rules of Order will be with us until the Rapture prior to the great tribulation (or perhaps until the end of that 7 year period, depending on your eschatology).
Two things need to said here. First, I have no doubt that a good many godly and sincere Christians truly believe that a set of manmade guidelines for decision-making is God-honoring, orderly, and efficient. They have not perceived or bothered to think about the theological implications of doing church business that way. Secondly, our God is an extremely gracious God and truly blesses those whose goal is to honor Him. I, for one, am very glad that God operates that way. His patience with those of us who muddle along is simply astounding!
The one thing I do believe is perhaps destructive to the unity of the Body is the so-called vote by secret ballot. Why do I think this? Too often this method of voting is used when people -- usually those who are in the minority on an issue -- desire to preserve their anonymity because they fear censure, rejection, or hostility by the majority. Surely, of all the reasons put forth to follow Robert's Rules of Order, this has got to be the most distressing. The reason is clear. If your church -- or mine -- is marked by genuine Christ-like love, then everybody should be able to vote his or her conscience without any fear whatsoever of being maligned by other Christians. In a healthy church, fellow members, even those with opposite viewpoints on an issue, can love and accept each other without any pre-conditions or pre-qualifications. I confess myself to be one among many whom this feature of voting bothers.
Something seems deeply wrong when some members of a congregation despise their fellow Christians who strike them as less spiritual or less informed or less whatever. The Corinthian church was like this. Paul could rejoice that they were gifted and knowledgeable (1 Cor. 1:4-7), but at the same time he could rebuke them for being carnal and immature, behaving in ways that for Christians were inconsistent with mutual love. They were valuing opinions above love and service, and that scale of values, says Paul, is wrong.
Let me say it plainly: Should you and I disagree on a church vote, you can expect me to love and accept you just as if we had no disagreement of any kind between us; and I would expect the same of you. When Paul says that he wants all Christians to be convinced in their own minds (1 Cor. 14:4-5), surely this does not mean that we will always agree on every matter! As someone once said to me, "Dave, we don't have to see to eye on everything to work hand in hand." The mere existence of a secret ballot option makes one painfully aware of the degree of suspicion and distrust that prevails in so many of our churches. In his letters Paul censures nothing so strongly or deplorably as carnality and immaturity. None of us is entitled to claim perfection for our views -- not you, not me. Let us remember that we are very great sinners, saved by grace!
To summarize: How a matter is decided (whether yea or nay) is not nearly as important to me as seeing that every member in my church feels free to vote his or her conscience without any fear of rejection or censure. Let me be clear that if, through peer pressure, everyone should cast the same vote but fail to obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit, true unity will never be achieved. Genuine unity is not uniformity or conformity but a spirit of love and cooperation, even in the midst of a diversity of opinions. I hope we can all agree and remember that the Spirit's first concern is to lead us through faith in Christ to a practical, personal holiness, and then to a life of mutual love and service. Spiritual life, at its core, is fellowship with God and fellowship with our fellow Christians. In Acts 2-6 we see a church with, it seems, some significant disagreements, but with each member pulling his or her own weight in the work, doing what they can to build a genuine Christian community in which all are equally cared for, loved, and valued. The Holy Spirit was the architect and agent of that community back in Acts, and it is He alone who today can create such unity in our churches.
Shall we not let Him have His way?
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