Editorial February 26, 1910 Issue

"SERVANT OF ALL"

Archibald McLellan

We have recently been asked by a member of a branch church to state whether it is proper and in line with good practice to designate and regard some one member of a branch church as its "head." and we have answered that there is no warrant in the teachings of Christian Science or in the by-laws of The Mother Church for anything of the kind.

In theory at least, each member of a branch church is on precisely the same footing as every other member. In practice, however, the members of the church elect from their own number such officers as are necessary to a proper carrying on of the work of the organization, these officers to perform those duties which manifestly cannot be performed by the entire membership. The persons so elected thereupon become the servants of the church; that is, they are thereby set apart to do certain acts or perform certain services for the church. They are delegated such authority as they must possess in order to do these acts and perform these services, but no more. They do not through their election become masters of those who have elected them, nor do they become proprietors of the church which it is their duty to serve.

Nor have we far to seek to find the precedent for this ruling. When the sons of Zebedee besought the Master that he would promise them the chief places when he should come into his kingdom, the rebuke to their self-seeking was prompt : "Whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister." In "Miscellaneous Writings" Mrs. Eddy says: "The true leader of a true cause is the unacknowledged servant of mankind" (p. 266); and again (p. 303). "We are brethren in the fullest sense of that word; therefore no queries should arise as to 'who shall be greatest.' Let us serve instead of rule, knock instead of push at the door of human hearts, and allow to each and every one the same rights and privileges that we claim for ourselves."

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