When and upon what should people of the church vote? This is a good question but one without specific Bible directives. The New Testament does not give election instructions or advance a specific model for making decisions in the congregation. This allows the church to thrive in any culture and any age. Whatever the process may be for the whole church to make decisions, the goal and guiding principle is to arrive at God’s choice.
In Acts 1, the body of believers addressed the vacancy among the 12 Apostles created by the fall of Judas. They recognized from the Scriptures the necessity for action and they established the qualifications before they chose candidates. To be counted among The Twelve who would give eye-witness testimony of Jesus Christ, the new Apostle would have to be one who had walked with Him from John’s baptism to the Resurrection.⁴³
The believers prayed for God to make known His choice as they cast lots:
“Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles. Acts 1:24-26
This is the last instance in the Bible of casting lots to make decisions.
In Acts 6, believers again were called upon to make choices impacting the whole church. The Apostles told them to choose seven men to be appointed to oversee the daily food distribution.⁴⁴ By whatever means they arrived at their choices, and before they acted, the Apostles laid out the requirements. The men picked were to be full of the Holy Spirit, full of wisdom, and fully recognized for those qualities.⁴⁵
Everything which may call for a vote from the congregation, first of all, requires a set of standards and prerequisites for the process. These will enable us to move forward in whatever way is best to reach a conclusion.
New Testament churches are to rely upon God’s Word, to seek God’s will in prayer, and to expect to confirm it in the expression of the body. The Word and what I truly believe God wants in the immediate situation, after honest and fervent prayer, must inform my vote. When believers ballot, it is not for personal preference but to bear out what we trust to be God’s will for His church.
With this understanding, we can consider recommendations as to when and for what the people should vote. Three instances stand out. First, any time a lot of money is to be expended, a vote is in order. Second, when it is time to name a new pastor, a voice from the body is good, and third, selection of deacons calls for input from the congregation.
Simple wisdom and sound leadership dictate a vote when we ask the church to spend large sums. As pastor, I need to know I have shared the vision correctly and completely. I need to know the members are on board. If they vote “no,” it is because I have not effectively communicated what God has put into my heart.
“Large” expenditures would include real estate purchases, construction of new buildings, any long term financial obligations, or anything, more or less, of permanence for the church. If the people must live with it or pay for it for a long time, they should vote.
This does not include vehicles, equipment, or ministry supplies. Depending upon the size of the church and the budget, a van might be a big thing. The guideline for a call to vote hinges on what will commit a major portion of the church income. Again, it does not include necessities for on-going ministry.
In each case, as the pastor, I need to have the backing of the body because I do not want to divide the church. Good leadership produces strong “follower-ship.” If I have done a good job, by the time we vote, we all will be acting together.
This kind of vote lets members know I value their opinion. It does not diminish the authority of the pastor or imply the church is a democracy where everything is by majority rule. If I cross that line, I mess up everything
In the matter of choosing a new pastor, the church is well-served when the congregation is involved. The Scriptures do not prescribe a process. They establish qualifications for candidates. Pastors named in the New Testament appear to have been appointed and commissioned by the Apostles and/or presbyters. Some denominations today follow a similar system to appoint or install local pastors.
We believe it is better to let the church find the one who best fits. They can arrive at what they believe to be God’s choice with the help and then the blessing of the outside leadership. If the people are denied a ballot in what is perhaps the most important decision for a church, they may vote with their feet. The congregation needs to be involved and, ultimately, there should be an up or down vote on one qualified candidate.
The pulpit committee and the church make a dangerous mistake to pit two or more candidates against each other as a democratic contest. One group in the church will connect with one candidate and other groups will back another.
When the election is over, no matter who wins, someone has lost. The new pastor is being called to lead a divided congregation, including one or more groups who did not want him. This is common in national politics, one party in and the losers out, but it is devastating in the church. Though Christ may enact His will within any system, it is hard to imagine any process pleases Him which cultivates division in His church.
Those in leadership prayerfully and carefully should select one person whom they feel God would send to their church. They should recommend that candidate to the body. Then the church should pray and consider whether they agree.
Once they vote, the church moves on under the new pastor. If the vote is “No,” that candidate may not return for consideration, and the search committee repeats the process. As a church, we walk away and start again.
This way we keep the body in unity. There is no value in creating a democratic contest. A voice is good, but the purpose always is to confirm what we believe God wants. Then the authority properly is placed with the new shepherd.
The church body also should be involved in selecting deacons, at least, in the nominating process. The same tendencies for division may prevail in full election of deacons as do with multiple candidates for pastors. The unelected and their supporters feel rejected.
A variety of approaches seem to work well with some basic principles in common. The church cast lots in Acts 1 to put the choice of the new Apostle in God’s hands, but they carefully qualified the individuals whose names they put into the hat. Likewise with the seven servants or deacons in Acts 6, they established the prerequisites before choosing.
Some churches take nominations for deacon from the congregation. Then the board interviews nominees to establish both their qualifications and their willingness to serve. The vetted names are brought to the body in a business meeting for an election.
In other churches, the people nominate, the board qualifies, and the church approves a list of candidates. Then those already serving select from the list the ones to replace those leaving the board.
Many churches present the list of qualified nominees and allow their pastor to select the new board members. This is both scriptural and practical. The pastor is the one who will have to work most closely with them. A negative factor, of course, is that he cannot pick everyone. Those not chosen may feel rejected. It is hard to eliminate every sense of competition, but mature believers will keep in focus what is best for the church.