In Art. 20 of the Church Order one can read: “The elders and deacons will be called to their office by the consistory and the deacons, with cooperation of the congregation…”

During the installation the new office bearer (as well as the minister) will be asked, “Are you convinced that God himself through his congregation has called you to this office?”

There is something very beautiful contained therein: the Lord calls his under-shepherds. And he uses the congregation for this. Also in this we see the incomprehensible mixture of God’s deed and people’s own responsibility. That is good to hold on to.

But in the meantime, in many congregations the filling of vacant offices becomes more and more of a struggle.

Don’t we hear the Lord calling anymore? Or is this calling not passed on so urgently anymore by the congregation? Or do the office bearers not experience this calling as spiritually anymore?

More of the Spirit⤒🔗

It has become almost boring to write about “more of the Spirit.” The columns of the church press and a whole book treated this subject extensively in 2004. There it was about the special gifts of the Spirit, such as faith-healing and speaking in tongues. And, despite how the different authors thought about this, just about everyone wanted more gifts of the Spirit in the congregation, be they in a special form, or in (seemingly) simpler forms. And rightly so, for the Spirit works, and his gifts will in whatever way come to light.

But more office bearers (who in fact are also gifts of the King of the church to his congregations), is something that overworked church councils seem to long for. And in many congregations it seems that this longing is very hard to be fulfilled.

It seems the time has come that we should realize that the office in the congregation is more than a board position. It is time that we realize that a church council is more than a group that gathers the various opinions in the congregation, and then pushes out a compromise-proposal with which ultimately no one is satisfied. I exaggerate here, I realize, but sometimes … sometimes you get the feeling that the office of minister, elder, or deacon has little to do with spiritual things.

Of course, everyone knows that office bearers are just regular folks, with all their idiosyncrasies and shortcomings. But they did answer “yes” to the question, “Are you convinced that God himself has called you?” The whole – seemingly administrative – process of the submitting of names, the balloting, the voting, the counting of the ballots, the almost inevitable requests to be released from office, and the discussions that follow as to how to solve this, the second voting or the proposal to accept the next brother, the appointing and the installing, result in the question, “Do you know that God has called you?”

Do you see the work of the Spirit in this? Or have you lost sight of the work of God’s Spirit due to the lack of candidates for the office, the requests to be released, the results of the vote, or all the deliberations?

Called to Lead←⤒🔗

The loaded comments above are for many not that far from the truth, and these elected office bearers “unhitch,” ask to be released, are disappointed, burned out, you name it. And more and more you hear the complaint: “There is no leadership in the church anymore.”

Leadership. This is the main characteristic of the under-shepherds. They are to lead the sheep of the flock in the green pastures of God’s Word.

To lead is impossible without authority. And it seems that authority is more and more based on the ‘political” qualities of the members of council. It seems like the office bearer is to be a wise man who knows the congregation, and can gauge the various opinions and makes decisions that will be accepted by as many members of the congregation as possible. This has become more and more difficult in the past years, as the opinions and feelings seem to spread out further and further. A persistent call for change can be heard. Not only for how the worship services are conducted, but also in the interpretation of the Word and God’s commandments.

The office bearers have been called to lead in this regard.

Called. By God, through the congregation.

From there the office bearer receives his authority. From God’s call, which reaches him via the congregation.

Perhaps it is time to resurrect and highlight this call again.

When God calls, then he calls unambiguously. But looking at the different opinions of the congregation on so many different issues in the church, the call looks anything but unambiguous. Go ahead and try to lead in such different situations, as office bearers. If you do that in an overly cautious way, only looking at the broadest support in the congregation, then it’s never good. Then you will always have congregation members who feel slighted. If you decide rigidly, then you will also get protests.

A church council must make decisions that is clear. And that the congregation cannot be passed by is also clear. But the congregation must also be led, and for this there is only one staff: the Word of the Lord.

And where the Word leaves room for various possibilities, for example, as to the liturgy of the worship services, there one may not stay away from worship services due to decisions made by the church council. For that seems to be happening more and more. “Do the children not receive enough attention, in our opinion? Do we experience too little joy in the worship services? Then let’s go church-shopping.” “Are they adding a choir during the services? Do we celebrate the Lord’s Supper from now on differently? Then let’s write a letter conveying that we do not feel at home anymore in this church.”

And office bearers are so busy with these kinds of matters that there is no time to study the Scriptures when weightier matters are on the table.

And yet that is their main task: to lead the congregation in the green pastures of God’s Word.

That is a difficult task. As shepherd you first will have to know where these green pastures are. And that means study. Study the landscape where the flock is situated.

Then you are under-shepherd. Then you can point: “Congregation…, over there, there are the pastures where the Lord provides food.” And the congregation should want itself to be led. For the sheep know: this under-shepherd is serious about his calling. Even if as congregation member you find that it could have been done differently, somewhat more joyful perhaps, or a bit less stereotypical maybe, then you still go along, because when the office bearer points the way, then the Lord points the way.

That view of the pointing Chief Shepherd, via the leading of his faithful under-shepherds, should come more into focus, and be more accepted. But then they must be faithful under-shepherds, who in turn allow themselves to be led by the Word of the Chief Shepherd.

Give them ample room therefore to occupy themselves with this Word, and to find in it the ways that the Lord wants to travel with the flock.

Recognition of Authority←⤒🔗

How can we make that happen, that the congregation members will let themselves be led, and that the office bearers will generously lead?

In the Bible, not much can be read about the method of choosing office bearers. We read about that, for example, in Acts 1 and 6. In chapter 1 two men are put forward who are found suitable to replace Judas. A kind of nomination. After this we do not read anything about a voting-ballots procedure, but the lot is cast for them.

Should we also do that? Would it become clear then that the Lord calls, and would their authority become clearer and be more accepted?

That is not necessary. Because, with whatever method the Lord uses to indicate who will serve as under-shepherds, his calling remains the same. Let that calling during the voting become very clear. Not only for the brothers who are being nominated, but also to the congregation who chooses.

At one time I pleaded that the number of votes cast not be made known to the congregation. That distracts from God’s call to the brothers, for it focuses on numbers, and not on the fact that one is appointed as under-shepherd.

And so, there is more that can be done to make clear to the congregation that choosing office bearers is quite different than choosing board members. A call for prayer, for example, that the Spirit may lead us. That we would seriously consider the names we submit. That we consult one another, and have discussions to find out if this brother will indeed point us to the green pastures.

Do you not take time for these kinds of discussions and prayer? Then you will be unable to responsibly pass on God’s call.

For the congregation does not choose, but it calls. And not just some random call, but as echo of the call that comes from God.

Of this the members in the congregation as well as the office bearers must be very conscious. Only then will recognition of the authority of the under-shepherds have depth and be fruitful for the congregation. And then that part of the fruit of the Spirit can be plucked.

This article was translated by Bram Vegter.