December 27, 2006
Bendable Bylaws
As a safeguard for our church, the Bylaws state that an elected elder will serve a three year term and then take a year off. A few years ago this requirement began being set aside for such situations such as too few elder candidates, health reasons and for continuity. For 2007 we now have multiple elders serving an additional year for the sake of continuity. I think there are times when continuity has a striking resemblance to the status quo. Unless there is an emergency situation, shouldn’t the church adhere to the safeguards established in their Bylaws?
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Gail;
----I know it sounds disrespectful to these elders, and I have been called out for using the term before, but after careful analysis, this "continuity" is better defined by "conspiracy". Since the late 1990's the elders at that church have had a concept in mind for what they have wanted the church to become. But the people who were the church were not like that concept. Therefore the elders have had to continually push, promote, and decree their concept against the will of many. They call it "agreement" as if to say that it then has come from the Holy Spirit. But the Scripture defines agreement as being "with one another", not just with the elders, not just with this side of an issue, or that side of an issue. Agreement is among all. But the "agreement" the elders hold to is among themselves, and against many others (division).
The Bible clearly states the wrongfulness of this kind of behavior towards one another. Yet in spite of its being wrong, they continue to do it.
---So during these past years they have also had to be careful who they have allowed into the eldership position. There have been very fine, scripturally qualified, godly men rejected because they would not agree to the elders' concept. Yet many scripturally unqualified men who would rubber stamp the concept upon the church for four years have been chosen as elders. I know this by experience. And I know that a willingness to go along with the concept is the one common characteristic which all chosen elders have shared. But that single, common extra-biblical qualification has been kept as secret from the congregation as possible.
----Therefore, this "continuity" thing fits the definition of a conspiracy: a secret agreement to do a wrongful act. Then in the spirit of wearing the shoe that fits, if the word fits, use it. This continuity is a conspiracy.
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