|
 Dear
Saints:
By
the time you receive this newsletter many of you will have voted for
the people you believe can best lead our nation in to the
future. As a Christian you, no doubt, voted your convictions,
seriously considering the candidates along with their abilities and
positions on the issues in light of Scriptural teaching.
On
November the 14th you will have the opportunity and privilege of
voting again—this
time to elect qualified women and men from our membership to the
Congregational Council.
1
Timothy 3:8-10, 11-13 says that "deacons must be people who
are respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy
drinkers and must not be greedy for money. They must be
committed to the revealed truths of the Christian faith and must live
with a clear conscience. Before they are appointed as deacons,
they should be given other responsibilities in the church as a test
of their character and ability. If they do well, then they may
serve as deacons.... A deacon must be faithful to his
wife, and he must manage his children and household well. Those
who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and
will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus."
In
the New Testament the word "deacon" doesn't usually denote
an office as such, but is rather a broad term for one who serves in
the church. Council members are such people. They are
elected to serve. Everything that the Council does is to be
done in service to the congregation. If the attitudes and
actions of Council members are self-serving, then they are no longer
operating in the best interest of the church—they
are no longer exercising servant leadership. It's important,
then, that a congregation prayerfully consider people for leadership
who have a servant's heart.
Another
element to consider is faith. In Acts 6 when the apostles saw
the need for more help in the church they asked that others be
chosen. Their request was that they be people who were "well
respected and ... full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom" (v.
3). Do we want to elect people who do not look to the Spirit
for strength and guidance? Do we want leaders whose lives are
not consistent with the faith they profess? Of course one
doesn't expect perfection—there
are no perfect people! All of us have sinned and fall short of
the standard God sets for us, says Paul in Romans 3:23.
Is
it wrong, though, to expect those who wish to serve as leaders of
our congregation to be filled with the Holy Spirit—people
who love the Lord, who love the church, who have a positive vision
for the future, who are committed to weekly Sunday School and church
attendance, who give of their time and money, who are students of the
scriptures, and who pray? Shouldn't we expect them to be people
of integrity who are committed to a lifestyle that honors God, whose
lives are not compromised by competing interests, addictions, and the
like? Shouldn't we expect them to be loving, faithful husbands
and wives who, as parents, are intentional about raising their
children in the faith? We hear often how important it is to be
physically fit. As a congregation, shouldn't we do everything
we can to ensure that the people we nominate and elect as leaders are
spiritually fit?
In
his book, Spiritual Leadership, Oswald Sanders writes:
"Spiritual leadership requires Spirit-filled people. Other
qualities are important; to be Spirit-filled is
indispensable.... Selection of kingdom leaders must not be
influenced by worldly wisdom, wealth, or social status. The
prime consideration is spirituality. When a church or missions
organization follows a different set of criteria, it essentially
removes the Spirit from leadership. As a consequence, the
Spirit is grieved and quenched, and the result is spiritual dearth
and death for that place.... When people who lack
spiritual fitness to cooperate with Him are elected to leadership
positions, He quietly withdraws and leaves them to implement their
own policies according to their own standards, but without His
aid. The inevitable result is an unspiritual
administration" (pp. 79-80).
It's
obvious from Sanders' remarks that we need women and men in
leadership who will have a positive attitude about who we are and
where God is leading us. We need people who will take seriously
their call to pray for and serve our congregation. As you most
likely did with the recent political election, please prayerfully
consider the talents, gifts, and attitudes of our Council
nominees. Contact others whom you feel will make good Council
members and ask them if you may submit their name for
nomination. You may also nominate someone from the floor on the
14th, but as a courtesy please get that person's approval in advance.
I
am obligated to remind you, as well, that if, for any reason, you
feel uncomfortable with any of the names that are on the ballot for
election or re-election, you do not have to vote for them. If all the
slots are not filled Council will continue to function. Our
constitution does not require that Council be compiled of twelve people—only
that it has no more than twelve. It would be far better to
have a few Spirit-filled Council members who are working together to
carry out the vision and mission of our congregation than a full
Council made up of some who will grieve and quench the Spirit.
In
closing, I would simply like to remind you that St. Matthew is your
church. A key way in which you can impact its future is by
electing Spirit-filled, mission-driven, and discipleship-oriented
people to its membership. This is critical, for as our
leadership goes, so will our church. Please be in earnest
prayer about this, and come to the Congregational Meeting on November
the 14th ready to participate and to vote your conscience. And,
may the Lord bless us!
Grace
and peace,
Pastor
Larry |
