|
 On
Sunday. Sept. 28, I heard a ‘Question and Answer T. V.
program, broadcasted from Phoenix. Arizona. in which several “Church
of Christ” preachers answered questions sent in by the public.
Someone asked. “What is the difference in the Church of Christ
and the Christian Church?” and the first part of the reply
must have shaken the book-worms out of every reliable history
written about the Restoration Movement in this country.
The
“Church of Christ” preacher said that the Christian Church
missionary society was an alliance of the Christian Church with
other denominations in the work of preaching the gospel, and
that this was wrong because “the church ought to
have its own means of preaching to other nations. etc.
There
may be isolated cases of the Christian Church making an alliance
with other denominations in “mission” work (as some “Churches
of Christ” have and are now doing) but this is certainly NOT
the basis of the American Christian Missionary Society formed in
1849, and being the first point of division among brethren in
this country. It is NOT the society principle that divides the
Christian Church and faithful brethren today.
Long
before we heard the T.V. program, we had prepared pp. 6 of this
issue. Note paragraph 3, where Earl West (historian) says. “As
far back as 1831, for example, Campbell began to plead with the
brethren to establish an organization through which all of the
churches might concentrate their efforts in getting evangelistic
work done. “ CampbelI wanted, and the Missionary Society was
|
|
established to give “the church
its own means of preaching to other nations. The
very thing our Phoenix preacher thinks we ought to have — that
is actually the issue of the last and this century.
Error
no. one, is the concept of obligation on the part of “the
church” us a whole, as though “the church” was some
functional unit. “The church” to these people, is made up of
all the local churches — a “churchhood” in the place of a
“brotherhood” — and a means must be found by which all
these churches could function as one. Campbell found that means
in the ACMS and current. liberal preachers find it in such
projects as the Herald of Truth, Campaigns. Inc. , etc. Our
liberal brethren, of the past century as well as of this, refuse
to seriously consider the meaning of congregational independence
(even though they speak of it now and then) and the fact that
the single local church, operating under its own oversight and
within its own ability, is the only divinely appointed means for
the collective action of saints in the work God has assigned to
be so done.
I
do not know the Phoenix preacher and did not bother to get his
name. This is not: a “personal” attack, but I am deeply
interested in countering the serious harm that is done by such
inaccurate teaching. Hundreds, yes thousands, of brethren are
supporting “sponsoring church” projects, thinking “it is a
good work”, but giving no thought to organizational principles
being violated. We perish for lack of knowledge.
[Previous
Article] [Next
Article]
|
