By Asst Ps Elaine Ng
For those following world news, you would know that the United States of America is preparing for their Presidential elections and would also be aware of the candidates running for that position – Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Closer to home, there has been much speculation that our government might call for General Elections this year after our former Prime Minister handed over the reins to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong earlier this year. During the political electoral campaigns, we typically get to hear from candidates about what they stand for from rallies, and in today’s digital age, we also get pushed truths/untruths about the candidates. Through these, we try to make as best an assessment as we can of their character, competency and capacity to be our representatives in parliament and/or to govern our country.
Once every 2 years, our Church too holds Church Council Elections. As announced in the bulletin last week, election of the Church Council for 2025-2027 will be held on 18 and 19 January 2025. Nomination of candidates for the elections will be opened from Saturday, 26 October and close on 10 November 2024.
From a legal entity perspective, The Bible Church, Singapore is registered as a society with the Registry of Societies. As a registered society, our Church is required to have a Constitution which sets out the rules and regulations that bind the members of the society. In our Constitution, we have various sections, including 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).
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 a deacon as laid down in the Bible. What are some of these requirements? In 1 Tim 3:1-12, Paul lists the following:
Worthy of respect (v.8) – They conduct themselves in and out of church in a manner worthy of respect and honour.
Sincere (v.8) – They mean what they say and are not deceitful.
Not indulging in much wine – They are not addicted but demonstrate self-control and discipline.
Not pursuing dishonest gain (v8)– They are not lovers of money and can be trusted to handle finances.
Keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience (v9) – They believe the Word of God and live out the Word.
They must first be tested and blameless (v10) – They have a track record of service and are found trustworthy.
Not malicious talkers (v11) – They must not be slanderers but be temperate.
Faithful to spouse (v12) – They are committed only to their spouse, physically and emotionally.
Manage children and household well (v12) – They are diligent and attentive in looking after their children and own affairs.
As our former pastor, Lee Kok Wah, wrote in 2022, “Therefore, according to the Bible and under our Constitution, the Council has both spiritual and delegated authority over our Church. Their (Council member’s) 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.”
We thank God that He has provided men and women to serve in past and present Councils. It was probably easier to know every person nominated to stand when we were a much smaller church of less than 200 and with one service. We are currently about 4 times that size with multiple services. In addition, unlike in the US and Singapore, we do not hold election rallies for candidates. Instead, the men and women who have served on Council, past and present, tended to have been ones actively involved in one or two areas of services, some of which are more visible and others less so. Do take the time to read the profiles of the candidates when published.
As we commence the election of Council with nominations of candidates by Church members, may we prayerfully consider the above qualities and qualifications of the candidates nominated and eventually 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.
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