Elders and Face Masking

I occasionally hear of congregation’s Elders who mandate or require face masking in the assembly. In fact some friends of ours were told (by their Elders) that if they didn’t wear a mask in the assembly that they could go find a new church. Amazing and sickening.

Let me kindly suggest that Elders have no authority to require the wearing of masks in the assembly. The work of Elders is purely spiritual… they protect the flock from false teachers and they help their fellow Christians grow to spiritual maturity.

There is no authority in the scriptures for Elders to be in charge of their member’s health… none. People (not Elders) are in charge of their own health.

As usual what proves a little proves too much. If Elders can require face masking can they also require require vaccinations? Can they require that their members lose weight all in the name of health? Where does it stop?

If we can change the work of the Elders can we also change the work of the church and authorize churches to build health clinics or hospitals?

Requiring masks to assemble or even to be considered a member of a congregation goes beyond what is written.

Certainly Elders can make suggestions (and accomodations) concerning health, just as any Christian can do, but they cannot expand their authority and *require* things of members that they have no authority for.