19 & 20 November 2022 (Pastoral Page) THE AUTHORITY, QUALITIES AND ELECTION OF THE CHURCH COUNCIL

By Ps Lee Kok Wah

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the head of his body, the church (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18). Spanning over time and space, his body is often referred to as the “church universal.” Jesus appoints, enables and authorizes different persons, including leaders, to prepare his body for works of service, so that his people may be built up and reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13). Local churches belong to the “church universal.” The Bible Church Singapore (“Church”) is one such local church. Leaders of local churches usually comprise the pastors and the church board. We refer to our church board as The Church Council or “Council” in short. Our Council comprises elected elders and deacons. The Bible spells out their qualities in 1 Timothy 3:2-13 and Titus 1:6-9, amongst other passages.

Our Church is registered under the Registry of Societies (“ROS”), a unit of the Ministry of Home Affairs. One of the requirements of ROS is that a society must have a constitution and abide by it. The Bible Church Constitution (“Constitution”) includes sections on the government of the Church (Section VI) and election of Council (Section VIII). Under our Constitution, “the final authority of the Church shall be vested in a General Meeting of Church members, and subject to that authority, the Church shall be governed by the Church Council” (Section VI. 1). Their qualifications are listed in the Constitution: “To qualify as a candidate for election to the Church Council a member must be at least 21 years old and have been a member for at least 3 years and must satisfy the requirements for deacon or deaconess as laid down in the Bible” (Section VIII.1).

Therefore, according to the Bible and under our Constitution, the Council has both spiritual and delegated authority over our Church. Their qualities are listed in the Bible and their qualifications are spelt out in our Constitution. The appointment and election of the Council is both a spiritual and legal process. We, as Church members, are accountable to God and to the State in this matter. Hence, every member should be prayerfully involved in this process.

The election of Council begins with the nomination of candidates. Nomination is open this weekend to Church members. Be involved. Ask the following questions prayerfully. These may be helpful to members of the Church and to potential candidates.

1. Is the candidate committed to following the Lord Jesus Christ? (1 Timothy 3:6, 1 Timothy 5:22)

2. Does the candidate’s character honor our Lord? (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9)

3. Does the candidate’s conduct reflect devotion to Jesus? (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9)

4. Does the candidate have a good comprehension of God’s Word? (Titus 1:9, Colossians 1:28-29)

5. Does the candidate have the capacity for the role? (Acts 20:28, Hebrews 13:17)

6. Does the candidate model compassion for others? (Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:2, Ezekiel 34)

7. Is the candidate obeying God’s call to this role? (1 Peter 5:2, Galatians 1:1, Ephesians 1:1)

It has been said that God does not call the qualified; he qualifies the called. Our Church needs volunteers, called and qualified by God, to serve in the Church Council. We are grateful to God for providing such men and women to serve in the present and past Councils. Our responsibility, as Church members, is to recognize the need for leadership continuity as well as leadership renewal and to discern God’s calling for the right persons to serve in this season of our Church.

Begin by praying through each question and Bible passage or verse listed above until the candidates have been elected. If you have questions about the election process, feel free to ask any Council Member or Pastoral Staff. We will be happy to clarify.