With God-bestowed wisdom and foresight Mary Baker Eddy writes in the Manual of The Mother Church (Art. XXIII, Sect. 10), "In Christian Science each branch church shall be distinctly democratic in its government, and no individual, and no other church shall interfere with its affairs." Let us consider what the faithful application and fulfillment of this rule can mean to each church member, to each branch church, to the movement, and to the world.
Are not the nations of the world in their cry for freedom really desiring the freedom which is inherent in true democracy, and has not our beloved Leader pointed out the way whereby the Churches of Christ, Scientist, "lift up a standard for the people" (Isa. 62:10)? For instance, in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" she writes (pp. 246, 247): "The Magna Charta of Christian Science means much, multum in parvo,—all-in-one and one-in-all. It stands for the inalienable, universal rights of men. Essentially democratic, its government is administered by the common consent of the governed, wherein and whereby man governed by his creator is self-governed." Here we have the starting point and the fulfillment of all true democracy.
What a glorious occupation Mrs. Eddy provided for her followers when she thus outlined the way they may come into line with this true democracy. A young member of a branch church attended her first church business meeting. She had prayed long and earnestly that God's government would be manifested throughout the meeting and felt sure that her prayers, together with those of the more experienced members of this large branch church, would result in complete harmony. What a disappointment was hers when the meeting dragged on without a satisfactory result. She returned home crestfallen. However, after attending several such meetings she noticed that the problems under discussion were very similar to those appearing at that time in the world. She reasoned that a problem solved in the church would help in the solution of a similar problem in the world. When this fact was recognized, church membership became very vital.
She became convinced that the members were seeking to listen for God's voice in order to be God-governed in their decisions, and that as a result of this seeking, both before and at the time of the discussions, opinions were changed, fresh ideas were voiced, and gradually the divine purpose became clear, and the problems were solved. In this process self-will, intolerance, hatred, gave way to the Mind of Christ. She saw that the lessons learned were practical blessings brought about by active church membership and would continue to permeate the individual consciousness of each of the members and therefore their homes and their businesses.
The newcomer to the church finds many different nationalities, different political views, different stages of education, different stages of growth and experience in Christian Science, different tastes, likes, dislikes, and prejudices represented in the membership of a branch church. But all members are united in their desire to serve the Cause of Christian Science and to demonstrate that, as Mrs. Eddy says in her definition of "Church" in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 583), "The Church is that institution, which affords proof of its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas and the demonstration of divine Science, thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick."
In each branch of The Mother Church those who direct its business are elected by the members, as are the two Readers, and at the elections each member has one vote. At the business meetings all members have an equal right to speak freely.
Envisage a church wherein each member is pressing toward the goal of true democracy, wherein "man governed by his creator is self-governed." With this glorious goal in sight his voting and speaking will be more and more God-governed. Human limitations, prejudices, and false concepts will be swept away, and the resulting decisions will be to the glory of God and to the everlasting benefit of each individual member and of the church. In making such a demonstration there will be no room for hierarchies, personal domination, self-seeking, manipulation, or priestcraft, but each one will be left free to receive guidance direct from divine Mind. Those of greater experience will watch to see that they preserve this democracy, and those who are less experienced will turn courageously away from finite personality and claim their independence in a free democracy.
Once at a church meeting a new member sat pondering what to write upon a sheet of paper. It was time to elect the board of directors for the year. She appealed to an older member seated next to her. "Please tell me whom to vote for," she said; "tell me what names to write down."
"But I can't do that," said the older member; "if I did, I should be controlling your vote, and we are a democratic church; each member has one vote; each has the privilege of being God-directed in his voting."
One may say, "Are not then the more experienced workers of value to the church?" Indeed they are. They have the joyous opportunity of helping the less experienced members to preserve their independence and sturdy reliance on God, divine Mind, and so promote their individual progress, together with the progress of the church.
As in the parable of the vineyard (Matt. 20), where the laborers all received the same reward, whether they arrived at the first hour or the eleventh hour, so all who join a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, and practice true democracy, as provided for by our beloved Leader, reap the same reward—the reward of having their lives so God-governed that their capacities for good will have full play. This is something of what the fulfillment of this By-Law in the Manual can mean to the individual church member. For each branch church it will mean growth, since this individual unity with the one Mind will necessarily result in a united church with prayerfully supported services and activities. This unity will be an irresistible attraction, as on the day of Pentecost, when "they were all with one accord in one place.... And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:1, 47).
This can mean much to the Christian Science movement. With each branch of The Mother Church truly democratic or God-governed, the movement would present a united front before which all attempts at opposition or aggression would fall powerless. Unselfed service would bring about the fulfillment of the healing mission of the Church of Christ, Scientist. For the nations of the world seeking the freedom of true democracy, the prophecy of Isaiah would be fulfilled (2:2): "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it."
