|
 In
the Fall, 1970, issue of “The Lipscomb Review” (quarterly
bulletin of David Lipscomb College) “thirteen principle
streams of revenue for Christian education at Lipscomb” were
named. One of them was “CONGREGATIONS — Since 1891
congregations of the church of Christ have supported David
Lipscomb College.”
On
May 29, 1971, a huge display ad appeared in the Nashville
Tennessean and Banner: “An Appeal to Churches of Christ” by
Batsell Barrett Baxter, Herald of Truth speaker; for more than $
363,000. per year contribution from churches to the college. The
Charlotte Ave. church, Nashville, was the advertiser; and
announced that they would give their entire collection of May
30, to the college.
July
16, 1971, David Lipscomb College sent to churches a letter
signed by Baxter, which said (in part): “The most important
thing that we do at David Lipscomb College is teach the Bible as
the inspired word of God. If this is to continue, the
congregations of the church must be willing to support this
Bible teaching on a regular and substantial basis.... The
students pay about half of the total cost of nearly $700,000
each year, and we are asking the churches to pay the other half
which is more than $350,000 each year.”
With
the letter was a large copy of the earlier church display ad,
and Baxter urges “The Elders” (so addressed) to read “especially
my letter of appeal to the churches of Christ.” Coordination
of the college and Charlotte Ave. church efforts are
|
|
obvious, and intended to make a point
along this line. Baxter’s letter says further: “For over
half a century this great Nashville church has contributed each
year to our program of teaching the Bible. They have done this
under the scriptural authority of Titus 3: 1, which admonishes
Christians “to be ready unto every good work.”
Watch
this closely, you folk who seek to justify your own pet project
with “its a good work” and/or “the Bible authorizes a
Christian to do this — therefore the church can do it out of
its treasury.” You have used these two fallacies to open the
door for church support of general welfare institutions and
social institutions; now the same errors are used to prop open
the door for church support of the schools.
In
the spring of 1964 bro. Baxter published a tract “Questions
and Issues of the Day” which said: “If it is a good work and
God wants it done, then the church can support it out of its
treasury. .. . If the individual Christian should give to make
such schools possible, the church has the same responsibility,
for it is a good work and the church is the people.” (Pp. 30)
Apparently
the leaders of today’s digressive movement think the time is
now ripe to press for church support of the schools. I do not
expect all institutional churches to like it. Neither do I
expect many of them to do much to combat it. Maybe they can just
send a $5. “token” offering — “to avoid being called “Anti”!!
[Previous
Article] [Next
Article]
|
