Untitled article | AdventAI

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jan 8, 1885

The Church. No. 2.

IT has been said that a church is an organized body. The subject of the organization of a church must be considered.

When the truth is preached in any place, and souls embrace it, the judicious minister will consider the means of drawing them together and uniting them in Christian love and church fellowship: At a proper time they should be asked to sign a covenant, simple in form, with a few specifications of points of primary importance. A promise to meet together for worship, and to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (Rev. 14:12), is all that is usually embraced in this covenant, and is quite sufficient. This is not to constitute them a church; that is an after consideration.

When the time arrives for the organization of a church, all the believers are called together. Let it first be ascertained how many there are of those present in whom all have full confidence. This is a matter of extreme delicacy, and needs to be handled with great prudence. It cannot be expected that, at such a time, there will be much willingness to express want of confidence in any. The cause for a lack of complete union will not be called for: only that such a lack exists, if that is the case. With careful management, asking if any would like to have a talk over their personal matters before entering into church relations, will generally effect the purpose. Generally these investigations or talks should be confined to matters between the individuals, or to traits of character which need to be corrected, and which it may be feared the person does not realize and may therefore fail to correct. It is by no means to be required that the life of any one, before embracing the truth, shall have been all that must be required afterward. Due credit must be given to a profession of faith and the promise of "amendment of life." Having ascertained the number who can fully fellowship one another, against whom no charges shall be preferred, let them be considered the nucleus, the body by whom others are to be received. Then proceed to vote on the others, just as they would receive members into the church at any other time. Exhort all to be faithful, as having a regard for the honor of the cause and for the welfare of souls. It is easier to keep trouble out of the church than to get it out when it is let in. And it is the better way for all concerned to organize the church as nearly in perfect harmony as possible.

Do not let the church imbibe the idea that it is well to take in disorderly persons, those of whom they stand greatly in doubt, for their good. Let careful inquiry be instituted. There is no "charity" in receiving unworthy persons into a church. It is a sin against the soul of a person who is unfit for church membership, to receive him, and thereby fasten a deception upon him, making him think he is fit when he is not.

And in all cases, members should not be received into the church until they are well instructed in the truth. Our faith is, in some points, unpopular with the masses, and some ministers are afraid to present these points lest they should excite prejudice. This will only be the result when they are presented in an unfortunate manner. But if the minister has wisdom in the truth, and has enough of the Spirit of God to impress the truth upon the hearts of the hearers, there is no danger. The Bible doctrine of tithing is one of which many stand in fear; also of Spiritual Gifts. There are good reasons why such doctrines should be presented when first the truth is preached, and before a church is organized.

1. Somebody will present these subjects to the members; they cannot be long concealed, if any should be so unwise as to try to conceal them.

2. The one who first preaches the truth in a place is the proper one to present such doctrines. Having become interested in him and his preaching, the people will receive the truth from him more readily than from any other.

3. If the minister does not present these points in their true light, somebody will follow him, perhaps an enemy, and present them in a false light; and then prejudice is sure to be excited and souls may be irrecoverably lost.

4. If such points of truth are left until the enemy brings them, the believers will always blame the minister, and justly too, for having held them back.

And finally, if the minister cannot present all points of Bible truth without creating prejudice, he should by all means "tarry at Jerusalem" until he becomes qualified to fill the office which he has assumed. We have known a minister to consider it a shrewd proceeding to get members into the church, and thus bound by church ties, before acquainting them with all the truth, and we have known members to despise the minister for so doing, and to leave in disgust, claiming that they had been deceived. In no case can any good result from such an unwise policy.

The members should be early trained to maintain family prayer and to take part in social meetings. And no company or church should be left alone for a long time, after they embrace the faith. Let the work be followed up and vigilantly watched, that nothing be lost.

A full organization should not be hurried. There will always be unwise ones to urge the preacher to "open the door of the church," as soon as a good impression is made, or a good interest is awakened. This course will do for those who require only "a profession," and are more anxious to multiply members than to have the disciples "rooted and grounded" in the truth. Haste, or any injudicious action, in such matters is sure to lower the standard, which must in no wise be done.

One remark should here be made, and not forgotten. Inexperienced and injudicious persons should never be permitted to organize a church alone. It should be done only under the direction of the officers of the Conference, some one of experience being present. A Conference president once said: "A church of disorderly spirits was organized, contrary to the advice of the Conference Committee, and at the next Conference it was presented for admittance. I opposed the request. The minister learned something, and confessed he did wrong."

It sometimes happens that a person is living in the neighborhood where a church is organized, who has been a professor of the present truth, but not connected with any church. Unless he is known to be a consistent representative of the faith, he should be received with all the caution which would be thrown around the reception of any other member. His profession should give him no advantage over the other members unless he has proved that he has had a valuable experience in the truth. Persons who have honored their profession will generally be found to hold a membership with some church, even though no church is very near.

And if a person be living in the neighborhood where a church is to be organized who is a member of some church of the same faith, he should in no case be received until he brings a letter from his own church. Other points respecting the reception of members will be noticed hereafter.

The following form of a Church Covenant has been adopted by the Seventh-day Adventists:—

"We, the undersigned, hereby associate ourselves together as a church, taking the name Seventh-day Adventists, and covenanting to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."

Many have sought to improve this by specifying favorite points of faith; but they have always failed. It is possible to weaken the faith in general by an effort to strengthen it in some particulars; for when some particular point is strengthened by being mentioned, others are proportionally weakened by omission. It is for this reason that "Articles of Faith" are always inefficient, dwarfing both the faith and the life of those who accept them. In the holy Scriptures the man of God is "thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:17), and by these alone is faith developed and perfected. Rom. 10:17.

We come now to consider the officers of the church. Paul said to Titus that he left him in Crete that he should "ordain" elders in every city. Titus 1:5. The word "ordain" is identical with "appoint," which is used in Acts 6:3. Yet it is not proper to use them interchangeably now, because custom has appropriated the word ordain to an appointment to sacred offices, and because an appointment to secular offices is not by the same form or ceremony which attends an appointment to sacred offices. In Acts 6 it is shown that an appointment or ordination in the church is by prayer and laying on of hands.

The selection or choosing of a person to a certain work does not constitute the appointment or ordination. The Holy Spirit said to the church in Antioch, "Separate [or set apart unto] me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." Acts 13:2. The Lord had called them to a special work, and to this work the brethren were to appoint them. "And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away." Verse 3. This was not the beginning of their ministry; and here is shown that ordination for a special work is proper and scriptural. And the call of the Holy Spirit was not considered sufficient in their going forth to this work; the brethren must ordain them unto it. Thus they were constituted "the messengers of the churches." 2 Cor. 8:23; Phil. 2:25. And this again shows that the highest servants of the Lord were not to act independently of the will and co-operation of the church.

Ordination or appointment of church officers was always by prayer and laying on of hands. The utmost care was enjoined in their selection. They must show a fitness for the position before they were set apart. Thus Paul wrote to Timothy: "Lay hands suddenly on no man; neither be partakers of other men's sins." 1 Tim. 5:22. To lay hands upon incompetent or unworthy men is to make one's self responsible for the errors they may commit, or the reproach they may bring upon the cause. Again the injunction was laid upon him: "The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." 2 Tim. 2:2.

If it be said that this refers to evangelists, it may be replied that it will refer just as well to local elders, as will be seen when we examine the directions concerning them. In many respects the office of an evangelist is more responsible than that of a local elder, and the error of laying on hands "suddenly," without due consideration, without proper regard to the call of the Holy Spirit or the fitness of the candidate, is greater in the case of a minister or evangelist than of a church elder. It is an error, however, that is frequently committed, to the injury of the individual and to great detriment of the cause of God. And he who commits such an error ought deeply to feel the responsibility of the injury which is done.

That it is a great injury to "lay hands suddenly" upon a man, or to lay hands at any time on a man who is not faithful, who is not competent to teach others, or in any way to encourage one to preach or to assume a sacred office, unless he gives evidence that he has a call from Heaven, we will next show, as it is a point of too much importance to be passed by.