I understand that the fourth vow was added in 1929. Does anyone know the history behind why the fourth vow as added?
The fourth vow reads as follows:
"Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?"
As I recall, this was in use when I joined in 1983, so if it was added, it was added in the first decade of the denomination's life. It seems a reasonable, Biblical promise that you will not absent yourself from public worship and that you will use your abilities within the life of the congregation.
The problem I'm having with this vow is simply the way it is using language. I don't believe it is intended to convey the meaning that it actually conveys ("the best of your ability"). We can gloss this to mean something less than what it says, but that would (in my view) not be an honest use of language and is inappropriate for children of the God who gave us his Word and all words with the understanding that they actually convey meaning, that we cannot simply assign the meanings we want.