I remember reading about a person who visited a small church in Georgia or one of the other southern states. He arrived in time to attend the adult education class before worship. There were four or five men in the group. He was surprised to see that they conducted their meeting according to a rather close reading of Robert’s Rules of Order. So it was a rather formal session for such a small group of people who obviously knew each other well. When he thought it was an appropriate time in the session he asked about this unusual behavior. The members of the group told him that it was extremely important to them that they follow Robert’s Rules of Order because the church is one of the birth places of democracy, and one of the few places we have in our society to practice democratic processes and decision-making. Following Robert’s Rules of Order was a way of reminding themselves of this tradition, and of preparing each other to participate in the democratic process in society. Because they actively participated in the democratic process in their church, they were prepared to actively participate in an open society that valued everyone’s input—including theirs.
Pine Valley Christian Church follows Robert’s Rules of Order loosely interpreted and applied. We don’t have people calling for a point of order or asking for a ruling from the Parliamentarian. We are all glad for that. But we do value the democratic process. And we value the participation of all our members in worship and in all the affairs of our congregation.
This is a long-winded way of saying your participation in the events at church on the week-end of July 25-27 when the ministerial candidate visits is important. The process is not a mere formality. You are being asked to help make a decision that will have real implications for the future of Pine Valley Christian Church. So my word for this week is plan to prayerfully participate in this important democratic process. Thank you.
David