Minority Rule Will Seal Your Doom

I want to mention one evil and vice in church work that can cause so much heartache and sorrow. I believe the policy is so inherently evil and wrong that it will guarantee the demise of any congregation and will make sure that growth is absolutely impossible. 

I am speaking of the Hitler and Stalin attitude of minority rule. Now, in the New Testament church every congregation had its own elders who had the oversight, and its own deacons who served under the elders, as did the evangelistic teachers. However, some congregations have adopted the policy that if one person objects to anything, any matter of expediency, the congregation will not do it. Can you imagine in your wildest dreams any successful American Corporation saying that anytime one stock holder disagreed on matters of judgment and expediency they would not go with the idea? This gives the brother who is born in the objective case and kickative mood a Stalin veto over every suggestion that is made.

I mention this point because I am convinced that such a policy error in the local congregation is so serious that it seals the doom of that church insofar as it ever being a growing and dynamic congregation.

Of course, if any elder or deacon or teacher or member wants to object, let them be heard. Let everybody have his say and nobody have his way all the time.  In other words, when the dust settles, in matters of expediency the minority must give in to the majority, or else we have minority rule, and the Biblical principle of "let every man esteem the other better than himself" is completely destroyed.

I love the story told by the late A. C. Dunkleberger, who was an elder here at the Madison church for years, and edited the daily afternoon paper. He said that many years ago a man on the square here in Davidson County in Nashville traded for a horse and buggy.

He was careful to ask if the horse was well broken, etc. He was assured that the horse was broken and that he was a fine buggy horse; just exactly what he needed.  After such assurance, he paid for the horse and buggy, sat in the buggy, and started home across the river to Madison. Just as soon as he was in the buggy, the horse started running away, and for many miles he ran as hard as he could before the new owner was finally able to stop him. The next day he took the horse back to the seller and explained what happened, and told him that he was given the assurance that the horse was broken. The seller just gave a brush of his hand and said, "Oh well, think nothing of it. Running away is just his natural gait."

Finding fault and criticizing, killing good ideas, and shooting down worthy programs is just a normal gait for some brethren. They are born in the objective case and kickative mood and are just naturally against everything.

Now, one of these good brethren can be tolerated without complete despair when you know that he is not likely to carry the day. After more level-headed and sensible brethren have spoken up, then everything may be all right. However, to place a Stalin veto in the hands of such a brother is absolutely unthinkable.

I would recommend to every young preacher in America to be sure and check this policy out before you accept work as a minister of the local church. If the brethren have the minority rule policy, you can know that the doom of that congregation is sealed and your work cannot be either pleasant, happy, or successful.

I have seen hundreds and thousands and tens of thousands of decisions made here at the Madison church over the last 31 years. I have seen every person in leadership graciously give in when it was evident that he was standing practically alone. The Bible teaches us in honor to prefer one another. We must learn to have our say without becoming upset and mad and pouty because we are unable to rule with an iron hand. It is so beautiful to see men in leadership positions able to make hundreds of decisions and move a great work ahead. It is frustrating and intolerable to see a great work scuttled and killed because of an unconscionable policy of minority rule.

Ira North

Balance