Question: Should anyone qualify to preach or even teach Sunday school, if he has two living companions even though he is not living with either of them?
Answer: On January 17 and 18, 1958, a ministers’ meeting was held in Bakersfield, CA, which dealt principally with this same question and there were perhaps ten or eleven hours of discussion on it by a sizable group of ministers. Be it known that there was not a single minister in the group assembled who felt it would be all right for a person to preach at all if he had been married to two women and was still living with his second wife while his first wife was living, and that was not even considered part of the question.
There was a wide range of views in the beginning. Some felt that if a person had cleared up from his adulterous marriage and was living a life above reproach either with his own first wife or alone as a single person not attached to any woman at all, he would be as clean and clear as anyone else and eligible to fill any and all positions in the ministry. Others held that such a person would not be considered eligible to preach at all so long as both of those companions lived. But as the discussion went on and there was a mutual exchange of thoughts and points, the range of views narrowed, and finally at the close the group assembled concurred in the following resolution:
“BE IT RESOLVED that when a person has been involved in a plural marriage; even though he may now be cleared up from it, it is the advice of this group of ministers that because of the question such involvement would leave in the minds of the people, such an one could best serve the interests of the gospel and the church in other capacities than that of a minister to preach the gospel.
“BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that in the event the pastor of a congregation is confronted with such a case and the individual has cleared up from the adulterous marriage and is living above reproach either with his own wife or virtuously alone as a single person not connected with any women at all and it be well established in the mind of such pastor that the Spirit of God is working with the individual and that God would be glorified in his ministry; that it would be left to his divine leadings and judgment as to whether the individual in the case be permitted to preach at all in his congregation.
“BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in general such person should be left free to work freely for God in other capacities outside of the ministry and should be encouraged to live for God and be as useful as he possibly can for the glory of God and the good of the church.” (End of resolution.)
In as much as the Word of God says, “…In the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14 and 24:6), and in as much as there was a good number of ministers concurring in this conclusion and resolution; I feel it safe to accept this as a conclusion to this question.
