Are You the Quorum-Maker? - Brian Howard

 In 2019, as I was making plans to attend ARP General Synod in Beaver Falls, PA, I thought to myself, “Maybe this is a good year to take a break.” I had plenty to do at my own church, and besides, I felt like I’d paid my Synod-dues over the years, whether scraping together lodging as a student under care or loading up my shovel and tow straps for “Snow Synod.” As I anticipated the long bus ride to PA, I did a really good job justifying why I shouldn’t go.

But at the back of my mind was the clear mandate in our ARP Form of Government that “the minister is also referred to as a Presbyter“ (9.5). I mean, it’s hard for us to be Presbyters if we don’t attend the meetings for Presbyters, right? I decided to bring up my hesitancy at our next Session meeting.

I presented my case to the elders: too busy, too tired, too expensive. I acknowledged a little guilt in not attending. We talked about various details. Would they give me an easy out or maybe join me in justifying skipping just this once? After some discussion, one elder simply said, “But what if every minister decided not to go?” 

And of course, he was right. Whether or not I think the docket is magnificent or mundane or the drive is worth it. Whether or not my family can go with me or I can tack on a day-trip at the end, part of my calling as a Presbyterian minister is to be a Presbyter who is also present.

All of this came back to me at a recent Presbytery meeting. Due to a variety of circumstances, several of our ministers and elders could not attend. My thoughts are certainly not a knock against them. They are professional and capable men who had to miss a meeting. They won’t get any judgement from me.

Rather, It came to mind on the ride home. I reflected to our church’s Elder representative, “You were the quorum-maker today.” He’d given up the better part of a Saturday after a full work week to be at Presbytery. He’d take time away from his family on a busy weekend so that he could attend. And if he hadn’t, we would have been one elder short of a quorum. The minister we received by transfer would have had to wait. The young man we received as a student would have remained in procedural limbo. The ministers and elders who skipped ballgames and shirked weekend chores to attend would have had to commit to an additional called meeting at some point.

But none of that happened, because we had a Quorum-Maker. I’m waxing a tad poetic to label any one man the Quorum-Maker. It takes a third of our ministers and churches to make a quorum, so I guess a third of us bear that title. But I hope you get my point. You’re a Presbyter. You may be only one of dozens or hundreds (or one of a third), but you count. Your work is often the work of small things and mustard seeds (Zechariah 4:10, Matthew 13:31-32). And sometimes, you are the Quorum-Maker.

Lord, equip my ARP colleagues and others in NAPARC who serve as ministers and elders. Inspire us as presbyters to take part in the courts of your church. In those times of inconvenience or ambivalence, whether with a sense of duty or delight, let us be energized to serve unto your glory. In Jesus we pray, Amen.