From The Pastor's Desk, September, 2008...
By Hal Polk, BraceBeagling 
September 08, 2008

In the Book of Acts we read of the election and ordination of the Church's first elders. They were nominated by the congregation and then installed by existing leaders.

The participation in the work and government of the church by laymen is commonly known as the Doctrine of the Priesthood of Believers. It is a principle that was instituted by God, practiced by the Apostles, subverted to virtual extinction by the evolving Roman Catholic Church, and rediscovered by the Reformers.

The influence of Protestantism was strong in most of the lands of our ancestors and the national election for which we are now preparing is the application to civic life of this great ecclesiastical principle.

We should be thankful for the many signs of the role Christianity, particularly in its Protestant form, played in the shaping of our national life; especially, in this season, this view of the common man that requires those who would govern to seek his consent.

At the same time we must recognize the enormous responsibility that accompanies this honor! May each of us be found on his knees, seeking that wisdom that alone comes from the God we worship and serve as we decide where to put our "X" this November.