328 – The Church Business Meeting

SEMESTER 2

328 – The Church Business Meeting

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE:  ECCLESIOLOGY II LESSON # 28
THE CHURCH BUSINESS MEETING

Read Acts 1:15-26, Acts 15:1-22.

INTRODUCTION:

1. We need go no further than the New Testament to justify the church business meeting.
2. However, as we observe the trouble in some business meetings today, we wonder if God could have ordained such a thing.
3. Because of this, some churches just do not transact business in a formal manner.
4. In denouncing and avoiding one problem, they create another.
5. Let us see if we can search out the Bible principle of church business.

I. A BUSINESS MEETING MUST NEVER BE AN END WITHIN ITSELF

1. The first business meeting arose out of a need. (Acts 1:22)
2. It was so of the one in Acts 15, and as far as I know none was ever done otherwise.
3. We have an annual business meeting, it is necessary to fulfill the declared policy of re-electing officers annually.
4. Every other business meeting is scheduled spontaneously to answer to needs as they arise.
5. To schedule meetings and then seek “business” issues to fill the time is an automatic problem.

II. RULES OF ORDER AND CHRISTIAN CONDUCT

1. It is necessary and proper to have some format for any logical or effective business.

i. Who can call a business meeting, when, where, and why?
ii. Who must be present, and how much notice must precede particular issues?

III: The same notice and time for consideration is obviously not in order for giving a special emergency offering and for calling a new pastor.

iii. What issues may or may not be addressed in any given meeting?
iv. How much formality must be observed for decency and order, and how much latitude is demanded for Christian charity?

III: Roberts Rules of Order are commonly ob­served; does that mean that any one ignorant of them should be ruled “out of order.”
III: Conversely, does “Christian Charity” demand or permit that a properly entertained motion be overrun and stifled by endless discussion of that and even other issues?

2. Most technical rules are made to shield from people with selfish intentions, and thus need not be strenuously applied to Chris­tians in church business meetings.

III. PURPOSE AND ATTITUDE IN CHURCH BUSINESS MEETINGS (ACTS 1:24)

1. There is a very simple but necessary principle born out in Acts 1:24 – Lord, who or what do you choose?
2. Most church fights come about because someone is determined to have their own way.
3. Many times the difference of purpose is not so pronounced as pride and the hatred of being questioned or disagreed with.

III: The story of a church split over round or flat tooth­picks. (Hear on tape.)

4. The purpose and attitudes then need to be as follow:

i. We want to find God’s will, not promote our own.
ii. We determine that, by combination of Bible and Spirit leader­ship.
iii. We must maintain an attitude of personal humility. (I may know.)
iv. We must maintain an attitude of charity toward the other person. (I think he is wrong, but sincere.)

IV. RECORDING BUSINESS MEETINGS

1. The conduct of business meetings must be subject to constitution and bylaws of the church.
2. Minutes of a meeting are not equal in authority to constitution and bylaws, and thus may or may not constitute precedence.
3. These meetings should be carefully recorded, so as to officially explain and justify any act or conduct, executed or practiced as a result thereof.

III: The church votes to pay the associates gasoline bill, but does not record the decision of that meeting. What is the implication, when someone challenges the associate’s action, in charging fuel to the church five years later?