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One more point is to be considered before we proceed to discussing the specific duties of the elders. Is one allowed to decline when one has been chosen and appointed as an elder?
When the church calls to the office, the Lord calls through His church. The Lord certainly never makes a mistake, but His church is not infallible and can make mistakes. It is quite possible that a consistory did not take all the facts sufficiently into consideration when nominating a certain brother and that the congregation when electing him was not sufficiently aware of all the circumstances in the life and the family of the brother.
If one is convinced that he has sufficiently valid reasons for requesting the consistory to release him from the call to office, he has the right to submit a request to that effect to the consistory. A consistory would be amiss if it simply said, "You have been called by the church, and therefore by the Lord, so you have no right to ask to be relieved of this task." This would amount to declaring itself and the congregation infallible. Besides, such a reply would show a misunderstanding of the relevant question in the Form for the Ordination. If a request for release is received, the consistory has to weigh the arguments adduced in support of the request and, if they are found sufficient, to grant it. This does not do away with the fact that the ultimate decision is the consistory's and is binding upon the appointee.
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