Article January 10, 1931 Issue

Election Meetings in Christian Science Churches

FLOYD C. SHANK

As in all other activities of the Christian Science church, in the electing of church officers there must be spiritual progress on the part of the church members or no real advancement has been made. To this end, they must prayerfully seek God's wisdom and guidance in preparing for and conducting an election. To the extent that ordinary human or political methods are used to enlist votes, spiritual growth is stifled and the real purpose of the Christian Science organization is obstructed.

In the first chapter of Acts is recorded the method used by the disciples in electing one of Jesus' followers to fill the place among the disciples left vacant by Judas' desertion. After selecting two candidates from those qualified, "they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen." They prayed to know which one God had chosen. Is it not probable that the two candidates prayed as earnestly to know God's choice as did the other disciples?

The Manual of The Mother Church or the by-laws of branch churches specify requirements for different offices, but it is not possible usually for all members of a branch church to ascertain through personal association the qualifications of each member who might be elected to an office. This places responsibility on the electors and the elected humbly to pray to know whether he is chosen of God. Failure to accept the duties of an office, through a false sense of incapacity or an unwillingness to devote enough time and effort for the good of the church, is perhaps no less of an error than over-eagerness to serve when one is spiritually unprepared. How can we know which one God has chosen except through prayer and spiritualization of thought and desire? This method requires consecrated, prayerful effort on the part of every member.

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