Editorial February 5, 1916 Issue

Democratic Government

Archibald McLellan

A fundamental of the existence and continuance of the branch churches of the Christian Science denomination is that they shall have a democratic form of government, which of course means that in general they shall be governed by the entire membership, and not by one person or by a small coterie. It has been determined, however, by human experience that the simplest and most efficient form of democratic government is that which is representative, rather than that which is collective, and for this reason the churches have very generally adopted a system by which the management of the administrative and business affairs of the church or society is reposed in a board of trustees or directors elected by the membership at large. In addition to this board there are other officers whose duties are of a purely clerical nature, and of course the two readers. The duties and powers of such a board are in the main the duties and powers of an executive committee, and are usually conferred and limited, generally by the by-laws or specifically by vote of the membership in meeting assembled.

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" (p. 303) Mrs. Eddy says: "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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