# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_April 1858_S112
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

112 On Lay Elders or Congregational Overseers.

That the institution of lay elders, in keeping with the peculiar
circumstances of America, has always been in vogue here, is well known.
Mr. D. M. N. N. Mühlenberg of Reading, Pa., has had the kindness to
present to us as well the work so important for the history of the
American Lutheran Church: "Reports from the United German Evangelical
Lutheran Congregations in North America. With a Preface by D. J. L.
Schulze. Halle, 1787," quarto. *) In this work is found, among other
things, a congregational constitution drawn up by the late Dr. Heinrich
Melchior Mühlenberg for the German Evangelical Lutheran congregation at
St. Michael's Church in Philadelphia, from the year 1762. It states
there, among other things, that already in the year 1743 "a number of
loyal-minded and helpful members had been appointed as elders," but
that now "a complete Christian church order and discipline, suited to
the circumstances of this land," had been called for. Of the "ruling
elders" it says there: "Their duties are, among others, the following:
1. by God's grace they shall strive to preside, both over their own
households and over the congregation, with a Christian life and
conduct; 2. together with the teachers, to see to it that evangelical
doctrine and Christian discipline are preserved and propagated in the
congregation; 3. that the debts .. be reduced and paid off; 4. that the
laborers in the Word of God within the congregation conduct themselves
according to Christ's command; 5. that a lawful account be kept of all
income accruing in this congregation, as well as of all expenditure,
etc.; 6. they shall attend the school examinations, as well as the
annual synodical meetings, through several deputies elected from among
themselves by the church council, and shall help to further all other
necessary matters serving the welfare and prosperity of the
congregation." Alongside these "ruling elders" there also functioned
"overseers," who had more the character of deacons. (See the same
work, p. 962 ff.) —

What has been cited should now suffice to show: 1. that the institution
of a so-called lay presbyterate is by no means, as is here and there
maintained, specifically Reformed or anti-Lutheran; 2. that it has,
rather, existed in many places both outside of and alongside the
consistories within the Lutheran Church as well; and finally 3. what
functions were, as a rule, assigned to it.

By way of appendix, we now let follow a few passages from the church
fathers, which prove that the ancient church too, down into the 4th
century, had so-called lay presbyters or seniors.

Ambrose (d. 397) — or whoever it is whose relevant writing has come down
to us under Ambrose's name — writes: "Among all peoples without
exception, old age is venerable; hence also the synagogue (the Jewish
church), and afterward the (Christian) church, has had seniors, without
whose

*) For which we hereby publicly express to the Herr Doctor our most
obliged thanks. The Editors.