When church officers are to be elected by the members and when appointments are to be made by the executive board of a branch church or society, the one question of paramount importance must always be: Is the candidate spiritually qualified for the duty? The primary aim of all who have a part in church elections or appointments is to choose those who have given faithful proof of their fitness by consistent loyalty to the teachings of our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, and by their genuinely Christian living. Only as we consecrate thought and action unselfishly to the divine purpose of Church in Christian Science can we demonstrate the truth of Mrs. Eddy's words (Science and Health, p. 455): "The All-wise does not bestow His highest trusts upon the unworthy. When He commissions a messenger, it is one who is spiritually near Himself."
Every branch church and society determines through its own democratic procedures the qualifications required for the various church offices. Necessarily each branch will adopt standards in keeping with its available resources of ability and experience. The Manual of The Mother Church by Mrs. Eddy (Art. Ill, Sect. 6) requires that all Readers in branch churches shall be members of The Mother Church.
The by-laws of branch churches and societies usually provide that members of the executive board shall also be members of The Mother Church. Members who have not yet attained the privilege of membership in the parent body are naturally interested in strengthening themselves by taking the necessary steps to qualify for this membership as soon as possible.
