Broadus
Puritan Board Freshman
We have an in-house debate among our elders whether we should include a clause in our bylaws prohibiting near kin from serving on staff together or as elders together or as active deacons together at the same time (near kin serving on the same “board”). Frankly, I find nothing in Scripture prohibiting near kin from serving on the same board and actually find support in Moses and Aaron chosen as leaders over Israel and Jesus’ choice of two pairs of brothers as apostles.
What is driving the push, though, is experiential, having seen or known about a church where one family was thought to have too much control. My position is that the biblical principle is to examine the individual man as to doctrine and practice, not his blood relations.
Besides, if a church has such a prohibition, what is the definition of near kin? A father and son? Two brothers? Two first cousins? An uncle and nephew? Father-in-law and son-in-law? What about two men who are lifelong best friends, closer than brothers? Maybe I’m missing something, but it seems silly and contrary to Scripture to me.
Any thoughts?
What is driving the push, though, is experiential, having seen or known about a church where one family was thought to have too much control. My position is that the biblical principle is to examine the individual man as to doctrine and practice, not his blood relations.
Besides, if a church has such a prohibition, what is the definition of near kin? A father and son? Two brothers? Two first cousins? An uncle and nephew? Father-in-law and son-in-law? What about two men who are lifelong best friends, closer than brothers? Maybe I’m missing something, but it seems silly and contrary to Scripture to me.
Any thoughts?