<TITLE>05. Par 280-290</TITLE>L-280   And if any persons then has a--a complaint against a deacon, or against the deacon or somebody in the church, it takes three people. Three people would come and say, witness, the mouth of two or three witnesses. Come tell the pastor that there's a grievance against a deacon. Then if there's a grievance against a deacon, the deacon isn't a--a just man, a--a perfect man. He must hold the office of a deacon, blameless, and then found blameless. And if that congregation finds out that that deacon is not holding that office, he gets three with him and takes it to the pastor. That deacon is asked to stay home over the night. And then the pastor from... comes and brings the congregation together, gives the grievance. And if the congregation votes for the deacon to continue on, the deacon continues on. If he con-... votes for the deacon to be dismissed, they elect a new deacon that very night. See?

L-281   Therefore, no one person has nothing to do in this. It's the majority of the people. Yes, sir. If twenty votes for him, and twenty-one votes against him, he goes; or, vice versa. See? That is, it's the sovereignty of the local church and, then, each one of the members has a say-so in the church. Anything goes on, wrong, then they can come right around, and the only thing they have to do is to be before God that they are absolutely see that nothing hinders the moving of the church.

L-282   But the full and complete authority of the church is the pastor. Read that in the Bible, see if that's not Bible order. That's exactly right. There is no one above the elder. I have nothing to do with what Brother Neville does here. That's up to you and Brother Neville. If Brother Neville wanted to preach Jehovah Witness doctrine, that's up to him and you. See? If he wanted to preach anything he wanted to, that's between you and him. That's all. If the congregation votes for him in there, to preach that, that's all right. That's up to him.

L-283   The only thing that I do, just is owning the property. And if something another comes by, that it's like moving the pastor, and they want to take a vote on that, you couldn't ask a deacon to do that. You'd come ask me. I'd come down, say, "If you want to move the pastor, tell me why. Has he done anything?"

L-284 "Yes. We caught him, drunk. Or, we caught him doing this, or doing something wasn't right."

L-285 "Have you got three witness of it?"

L-286 "Yes. We have."

L-287 Them witness must first be tried. "Don't receive an accusation against an elder 'less it be by two or three witness, and let them first be proved; against an elder." Then you have to swear to it, that you saw it; and prove it, that you saw it.

L-288 And then, if you did, then that sin is rebuked openly, that, "It's wrong." Then say, "Congregation, do you want to change your pastor?"

L-289   And if the congregation votes, "Forgive him, and let him go on yet," that's the way it has to stand. See? That, isn't that fair enough the way to run a church? That's what the Bible said. We have no bishops and overseers, and boards and so forth, moves this one in and got a lot of authority. There's nobody got authority here but the Holy Ghost. That's right. He does the moving. And we take Him as the majority of the people, the way the people go.

L-290 And then if one side wants to do this, and the other side wants to do that, and the side wins. The losing side, what do they do about it? Join right in with the rest of them, say, "We were wrong, then. We'll go right on, 'cause the Holy Ghost has made that choice." See? That's exactly right.


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