We have installed elders where I worship. The men who were put before the congregation were objected to by ten different men with scriptural objections. The men in a men’s meeting decided to choose five men to review the objections. They decided that the objections would not prevent the men from serving. They did not interview any of the men making the objections. They called for a vote of the men and the men voted to install the men as elders. I cannot find scripture to support voting in elders. Please give scriptural way to install elders. Please respond. ~ Jimmy Harrison.
The reason that you cannot find Scripture respecting the “voting in elders” is because there are no Scriptures that address the procedures by which elders are installed. So, not only is “voting” absent from the biblical record, but any and every other possible procedure for the selection of elders (besides the Scriptural qualifications for elders) is absent from Scripture. Yet, some mechanism must be employed to survey the consensus of the members who would select elders. Call it what you will, essentially any procedure through which a consensus or lack thereof is determined amounts to counting noses (i.e., “ayes” and “nays”).
The qualifications each elder must possess (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9) are what primarily matter regarding the appointment of elders. Until qualified men are available to be those elders, responsibility for the affairs of a congregation falls to the men of a congregation by default; first century congregations existed at least for months or a year or so without elders (Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23). The ten male members who presented “scriptural objections” had sufficient opportunity to explain and document their objections when making the “scriptural objections.” Appropriately, the men of the congregation selected men in whom they had confidence to review the objections and to report to the rest of the men. Appropriately, after considering the findings respecting the objections, by the consensus of the men of the congregation the objections were dismissed as impediments for the appointment of elders.
Often little congregational decisions (e.g., color of carpet) and every significant congregational decision (e.g., appointment of elders) occur without unanimous satisfaction and with minority disappointment. Unless doctrine is at stake, it behooves every child of God to support the decisions made by the congregation of which he is a part, irrespective if he preferred another course. Only if one cannot conscientiously (for religious reasons, Bible or doctrinal reasons) participate in one’s congregation might he opt for placing his membership elsewhere (where incidentally, he had no input in the selection of elders). However, Christians can worship God satisfactorily even in congregations that largely need to repent of some sin or sins (Revelation 3:4).
