Concerning O. C. Lambert
For a long time friends of brother O. C. Lambert have been wondering why he did not declare himself openly against sponsoring church arrangements. They have felt certain that he could see the unscripturalness of the centralizing of funds, and oversight of the work of the church, under one eldership. It has been thought by some that he felt that he was doing such a great service in waging an unrelenting fight against an evil with which we are all confronted, that he could not afford to be hindered in this by closing any open door. If he took a stand against the sponsoring church advocates he would lose their cooperation in his fight against Catholicism.
Any time a gospel preacher becomes so obsessed with any one truth or error that he drops all other aspects of truth and neglects to oppose all other error, he is himself on the way into the throes of error. He has himself a hobby and if he does not get off his hobby horse he will ride it into oblivion. There is no place in the ranks of gospel preachers for a "specialist." "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand...." (Eph. 8:13) It is not enough to be armed against the evils of one system of error. The enemy within the ranks of God's people must be guarded against also. If the church is corrupted it will be from within. Then who will resist Catholicism? If the church is lost then who cares whether Catholicism or Communism takes over?
But no one need wonder any longer why brother Lambert has not declared himself against the sponsoring church arrangement. Comes now a long letter from the Church of Christ, Winfield, Alabama, begging funds for brother Lambert's support while he writes more books against Catholicism. He now has a "sponsoring church" of his own. The letter sent out in his behalf is signed by Gus Nichols, James W. Falkner, Guy N. Woods, Reuel Lemmons and B. C. Goodpasture; and requests that "churches of Christ, gospel preachers, elders and deacons, Bible class teachers and song leaders" all send their funds to the "Elders of the Winfield Church of Christ, Winfield, Alabama." This congregation pledges itself to "receive all funds contributed unto him and his support for this work and to give a quarterly report covering all contributions received, disbursements made, etc."
All those brethren who may have been led to believe brother Lambert to be against the concentration of funds of many churches in the hands of one church for a work to which all churches are equally related know now how mistaken they have been. When we have to wonder for a long time where one stands on any issue which threatens the purity of the church, we may be certain that we shall soon learn that he does not stand for the truth. When one with influence fails to speak out with every opportunity to do so, and to be heard upon present day issues, only the ones without the truth can use him. In New Testament times no church ever sent funds to another church unless the receiving church was in need. No church ever supported a work through another church as its agent. Both of these unauthorized acts are being performed when any church responds to the Winfield letter.
Brother Lambert has now declared himself "on" the sponsoring church, and this writer shares the sorrow that this brings to many of brother Lambert's friends. Brother Lambert is now 71 years of age. His course is now set and it is probably too late for anyone to dissuade him. However, it is not too late to try. If you have ever been a really close friend to him why not write him? Many of us have seen those beyond his years converted. Let us work and pray for him
— San Bernardino, California