Jessica Grose describes herself as a “secular, mildly observant Jew” who covers issues of religion, family, education, and culture as an opinion writer for the New York Times. Despite her almost apologetic religious self-description, her journalistic reporting of American religious life is significant. Anyone who loves the church should know she’s a writer with her finger on the pulse of changing religious trends.
Yesterday, under the banner of “Even Religious People Don’t Trust Religious Institutions,” she wrote about how when their leaders act inappropriately, or even criminally, both secular and religious sometimes try to uphold their public image rather than protecting or seeking justice for those who are harmed. The result is prevailing cynicism about all institutions in American life, particularly among young people. We should take this cynicism seriously, she writes, because it is “contributing to a more disconnected, careless and cruel society.”
More than 500 years ago, the leaders of the Protestant Reformation began to establish a church polity to guard against institutional corruption. Recognizing that individuals are sinful and often guided by self-interest, the Reformers established a form of government in which lay leaders are elected to govern local churches and represent them at regional and denominational governing bodies. In the Presbyterian Church (USA) Ruling Elders have the same authority as Teaching Elders (clergy) in exercising leadership over church governance and spiritual discernment for the whole church.
Our routine Congregational Meetings to elect church officers may seem like simple routine business on the surface. However, what these meetings represent is holding the church accountable to the kind of institutional norms missing in much of our society these days. This is part of our answer to a pervasive cynicism in our culture. Elders are elected to oversee the worship and work of the church with the same authority as pastors in church governance. Deacons are elected as emissaries of compassion to reach out and care for our members and neighbors in need. Trustees are elected to manage the church’s property and finances.
Finally, members of the Nominating Committee are charged with soliciting nominees for next year’s election and assuring they are active members who contribute time, talent, and treasure to the work of the church. There is no set amount of giving that counts as “treasure,” just a demonstrated financial commitment to stewardship. Our elected leaders must also have criminal background checks and undergo training for our Child and Youth Protection and Anti-Harassment Policies.
Our elections at Congregational Meetings, you see, are anything but routine. Our form of church government is a battle against cynicism, the assurance that we hold one another accountable and that we engage our increasingly “disconnected, careless, and cruel society” by electing leaders committed to further the justice, righteousness, peace, mercy, and love of God in the community and world.
I look forward to seeing you in worship and at the Congregational Meeting on Sunday. Read the biographical sketches of the nominees.
