Q & A - Church Order
Questions 222 (COD Page 884)
Now, is there any better way to keep order in the church than to keep reminding the people with a–a repeat from the deacons accordingly? No, that, I just explained that. That’s question number three.
56 The deacons, your duty is to keep order in the church, with kindness and friendliness. And then you are supposed to, if someone gets out of order in the church, or comes in here like a drunk, or somebody come in.
57 Like they shot that minister out of the platform the other night up there. You heard about that, that drunk coming in with a double-barreled shotgun. He screamed for his wife, and–and wanted his wife, and went up towards the pastor. And the pastor showed him his wife setting there, but he was going to shoot her right in the church, and the pastor started to dealing with him. And instead of–instead of...The–the man with the shotgun turned around and shot the pastor out of the pulpit, and then shot his wife, and then shot himself.
58 Now, if there’d been a bunch of deacons there when that man entered that door with that shotgun, they’d have had their arms around him, the shotgun out of his hand. See? See, that’s–that’s orderly deacons. And now, these things have gone the way they’re doing now, you might can just expect anything. But, remember, the deacons are God’s policemen in the house of God, no matter what anybody else thinks. Sometimes a policeman want not to have to go up and make an arrest on somebody, maybe one of his friends, but he’s sworn to an office, he’s got to do it anyhow. That’s his duty to his city. See?
59 That’s the duty of a deacon to the church. And if someone jumps up and starts interrupting the pastor, or something another like that, and the pastor in his message, the deacons supposed to walk up to them people, two or three of them, say, “Could we speak to you, brother?” See? Bring him from the church, out into the office, in here or some other office, and speak to him about it, say, “You not to interrupt.” You know, it’s a–it’s a great fine by the law to interrupt a service anyhow. See? But some people, such as a delinquent person or something, come among you, you know, and–and some religious fanatic, and–and start carrying on, then the deacons...And if–and if the deacons don’t seem to be able to control it, then the trustee board or anyone else in the church can step up and give help to such a person. You know that.
60 And–and now let me ask the question again here.
Is there any better way to keep order in the church than to remind the people with a repeat from the deacons, now, occasionally?
61 Now I think that the–the pastor, ever so often...Or play this tape, let that stand for a witness. Deacons are policemen, and their word is law and order. See? And they have the authority from the church and even from the laws of the nation to make that house of God be the right place. And anyone to contrary a deacon like that, is subject to–to two to ten years in federal prison. If you tell them to go and they don’t do it, or something like that, somebody with disorderly conduct, he just don’t know what he’s doing to...He’s subjecting himself, or liable himself to all kinds of fines, anything.
62 And then if it comes to a spot that somebody...Now, like... And if somebody jumps up and get disorderly...Just maybe speak in tongues or something, I wouldn’t go in on that. See, let them go, ’cause if they’re a stranger. If they’re our own people, then just let the, next night, you deacons just get this tape, and say, “Now, we’re going to play the orders of the church before we start the service, I want everybody to understand it.” And you pastors and you all can work together like that.