Is the will of God discerned when the vote on an issue passes by 51% to 49%? I suppose it all depends which side you are on. Nevertheless, in our Presbyterian polity the answer to that question is, “Yes.” Or, perhaps, “Yes…for now.”
One of the basic tenets of our polity is that those elected to govern are not to reflect the will or interests of their “constituents” but rather, in all their deliberations, are to seek the mind and will of God. As a pastor I have seldom experienced votes in session meetings that were as close as 51%-49%. Most congregations are fairly homogeneous and, though sessions often deal with contentious issues, there is the time and will to reach consensus. Thus most votes are overwhelmingly for or against.
But with the expansion of geography comes increasing diversity of opinion and belief. And so, in presbytery, synod, and General Assembly meetings one finds more debate, more rhetoric, more passion on particular issues. This results in greater numbers of votes that are not unanimous, and some that are very close. Yesterday (Thursday), the 219th G.A. had two such votes – one motion passed by 50 votes, and another by just 24 votes, out of a voting body of some 700 delegates. The will of the majority is to be understood as reflecting the will of God for the church.
But today (Friday), the assembly is debating whether to “reconsider” the vote that went 51%-49%. If the decision IS to reconsider, what does that mean? Did the assembly not hear God correctly yesterday? Or is it more likely that, in the midst of all the debate and rhetoric, the voice of God was muffled and indistinct? It turns out that the motion to reconsider failed, and so the body has decided that God’s voice was indeed heard correctly last night.
How hard it is to discern God’s will in the midst of the noise of life…and the noise of the church!
Is the individual vote the will of God or the communal vote? How do you know that you are not just voting based on your own opinion? How hard is it to trust yourself to know the difference. this is harder than a vote in the Senate or House where you are influenced by lobbyists. You can please them with your vote, but how do you ever know if you have pleased God? It seems that God only lets us undrerstand as much as we can handle at the time.
Thanks for your comment, Cindy.
Ultimately, the communal vote is to be understood as reflecting the will of God. One of the key understandings of our Presbyterian system is that commissioners are NOT representing their “constituency” when they serve and vote in governing body meetings. They are, instead, to approach their calling in a spirit of prayer and discernment, seeking the mind and will of God. How can we ever fully and truly know that we have pleased God? Good question! In the end, we live by faith, and that alone must give us assurance.