Digressive Activity In Bell County, Texas, 1947
Part Two: Digressive Reply And Our Ad
"Correcting A False Report"
Last time I gave you the plans and claims of the "Pres. Bell Co. Convention of Christian Churches" and my letter in reply, calling his hand on the claims and seeking to divert him from plans to establish a digressive congregation in Killeen. Digressives make out as if we were the cause of lack of fellowship between them and us. Overtures were made to them with that in mind that they act upon their oft-repeated claim by showing they would fellowship us. This appeal for them to join with us in upholding Christianity without innovations was rejected. Mr. Poston, the president of the County Convention, replied in an evasive letter, saying he had fulfilled his part of the work and turned it all over to an evangelistic committee and that he had turned over my letter to them and perhaps I would hear from them. But I didn't hear from them. He made no attempt to reply to my letter in which I asked a number of questions concerning the letter which he wrote to the Killeen paper, which was published on the first page. (See previous article...)
During that time the Killeen church was running good-sized weekly ads in both Killeen papers. We changed the shape of the ad and ran a one-column width and about two-thirds of full-length article in answer to the digressive letter announcing their plans and making their big claims.
And now follows, for almost the length of the remainder of this article, our reply:
"Correcting A False Report"
"A religious group currently claiming, over the signature of its County Convention president, to be the 'most rapidly growing native religious work in the country,' CANNOT, we affirm, substantiate these ASSERTIONS.
"The 'Christian (Disciples) Church' is an APOSTATE body, which has resulted as a departure from the scriptural position of the CHURCHES OF CHRIST, which position is the same as was held in the first century by the apostles of Christ and the New Testament church, and held in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in America and other nations by the leaders of the Restoration Movement, a movement the aim of which is to restore the New Testament Christianity of the first century in name, doctrine, creed, worship, work, attitude, and living, to this age. The 'Christian (Disciples) Church,' though claiming to be identified with the leaders of this movement, has repudiated the principles and aims thereof.
"The 'Christian (Disciples) Church,' commonly known as the 'First Christian Church' is DIFFERENT from the CHURCHES OF CHRIST, and actually has repudiated the authority of Christ in worship, actually wears a name NOT divine, and rather than standing for unity on the Bible alone—has caused division in the ranks of the disciples of Christ, in the body of Christ, and in the Restoration Movement, by the introduction of human innovations into the work and worship of the church of Christ.
"We have seen statistics, a few years ago, taken from this denomination's OWN Yearbook, showing their decrease in numbers of members, preachers, and congregations. Some of these have taken their stand with the CHURCHES OF CHRIST, who truly offer NO CREED BUT CHRIST, NO DISCIPLINE but the NEW TESTAMENT, NO NAME but the DIVINE and plead for UNITY on the SCRIPTURES ALONE, honoring the authority of Christ in all religious work and worship.
"We know whereof we speak. Some of us used to be, in time past, members of this denomination, which resulted from a split-off from the church of Christ.
"There is a vast difference, today, between the CHURCHES OF CHRIST and the 'Christian (Disciples) Church'."
With this correction, we sought to set right the false impression they had left in people's minds. They went ahead, held a revival attended by very few, in a theatre, and in later years I understand built a building there. They would not fellowship us. Remember this next time you hear them say we are the cause of the lack of fellowship.