Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 8
October 18, 1956
NUMBER 24, PAGE 8-9a

Reading The Bulletins

Charles A. Holt, Box 385, Franklin, Tennessee

News From Here And There

Jesse M. Kelley is now settled in the work with the church in Gruver, Texas. Moved there from Lafayette, Louisiana .... John M. Fant is being partially supported by the Brown Street church in Akron, Ohio, while he labors to build up the Cause in Norwalk, Ohio. The church was but recently established there .... Conway Skinner is now with the church in Roanoke, Alabama . . . . After several years of labor with the church at Mt. Airy, Tennessee, Bob Crawley has moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where he is working with the Belview Heights church . . . . Parker L. Henderson has moved from Tullahoma, Tennessee, to Gainesville, Florida . . . .Clifton Trimble, who was with the Eastland church in Nashville for over two years, has moved to Brookston, Indiana .... Nearly two hundred bulletins come to my desk each week from all over the nation. I appreciate receiving each one. Many are excellent in make-up and in content. Some are designed simply as local news sheets. I have noted an increase during the last year of bulletins planned to teach and exhort Christians. They contain splendid articles dealing with all phases of the Christian's life and problems before the church. In my judgment these are the best and most profitable bulletins. When used for such a worthy purpose the bulletin or church paper can serve effectively and is well worth the time and cost .... A Suggestion: Every church paper should carry the name and location of the church publishing such; and, also, the name and address of the editor . . .. It is at times amusing to note how widely circulated some good articles are — appearing in first one and then another bulletin all over the nation,

Did you ever notice how many articles this fellow called "Selected" has written? ? It is always in order and the best policy to give the source from which we "select" our material .. . . John Iverson is now laboring with one of the churches in Bessemer, Alabama .. . . Brethren Gene Frost, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Joe Moulder, of Clifton, Arizona, are now engaged in a written debate on the following proposition: "Resolved: That the Scriptures authorize congregations (churches) of Christ as such to aid financially other congregations in any good work." Moulder affirms and Frost denies. "This study will be mimeographed and mailed to all who are interested." Each man will mail out his own articles. Here is the address of Gene Frost: 800 North Miranda, Las Cruces, N. M. . . . David East is leaving Hopeville, Georgia. He is moving to Pulaski, Tennessee . . . . Jere Frost is moving to work with the church in Newbern, Tennessee.... Recommended Reading: A new booklet: Fake Healers Exposed — Miracles and Divine Healing, by V. E. Howard, Box 113, Greenville, Texas, is now available. It is an excellent work and deserves a wide circulation. It contains sixty-three pages. Several pictures are in it as well as documents exposing the fake healers. It is a first-class printing job. This booklet will lead any honest soul from the error of the many "healing" cults. It needs to be put into their hands. It sells for 25c per copy; $2 per dozen; and $13.25 per hundred. Order a hundred copies today!

Read the following brazen and malicious vilification of a faithful gospel preacher:

"Some of the church bulletins of this area have announced a meeting to be held at the church at Lebanon, Indiana, with the preaching being done by W. Curtis Porter. This congregation knows well Porter's antagonism against support of orphan homes. He has played much havoc with the church in Arkansas; and recently, with the help of a few others, he split his home church in northeastern Arkansas over the orphan home issue and led a group away from the original congregation. It is not pleasant to tell these things, but we are obligated to the truth of God to mark those false teachers who divide the church over their hobbies. We expose the false teaching of these brethren lest some innocent persons should become enmeshed in their destructive hobbies." — The Informer, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Such as the above could only come from an expert in the field. The author is without a peer in this sort of thing. He has had years of practice and is recognized as a specialist! The writer is none other than W. L. Totty. Nuff said!

Truth Magazine is the newest religious journal among us, making its first appearance in September. The first issue was printed and scattered over the entire nation as a "complimentary issue" It has dignity in appearance and all the qualities of an excellent paper. The articles are well-written and true to the Book. Bryan Vinson, Jr., is the editor. Leslie Diestelkamp and Gordon J. Pennock are serving as associate editors. A number of other faithful and able men are serving as staff writers. The paper bids fair to occupy a respected place among religious journals. It is a monthly consisting of twenty-four pages. Subscription price: $2.50 per year. We wish for this paper every success in advancing the Truth. Subscribe today from Truth Publishing Company, Box 469, Aurora, Illinois.

Keeping The Record Straight

Presumably, all our readers are aware of the discussions going on in the brotherhood over questions of sponsorship, cooperation, institutionalism, etc. Without entering into that discussion in this little paper, we would like to make one observation: Among the brethren who oppose many cooperative arrangements promoted among the churches are some of the most ardent and liberal supporters of the evangelization of the Mexican people. Testimony has been given that these brethren are natural born "antis" opposed to every good work, and that in their criticism of others they are doing nothing at all themselves. From our experience first hand we wonder upon what evidence such conclusions are drawn.

We have found these "anti-institutional" brethren just about as zealous as others in helping to evangelize the Spanish speaking people. Several of these congregations we know support a preacher full-time in Mexico and another Mexican preacher in their home towns. Another church supports as many as three full-time preachers in Mexico. Still another is bearing the major part of the cost of a new church building in Mexico. Quite a number of these supposedly "anti-cooperation" congregations are actually helping Gospel preachers in cooperation with others. These brethren do not oppose cooperating with other congregations when that cooperation meets certain standards.

— Mack Kercheville The Mexican Border News

Our Inconsistency

Our constant plea to these in human churches is that they study and be reasonable. Every person who will do so will come to the truth. (John 17:17.) But some of us are inconsistent with this plea, and show by our attitude that if we were in a denomination that we wouldn't be willing to reason either. Just for example, the church today is involved in a controversy — there's no need to try to cover it up — let's just get busy and settle it by the Bible. But that is where the trouble comes. When we read Bible examples showing how the churches did their work without working through each other, and without building and maintaining institutions separate from the church to do the work of the church, do we all sit down and humbly study the Word? Oh, Not — Some, with a "this-is-going-to-end-the-matter-so-far-as-I-am-concerned" attitude, just brush us aside by saying, "I don't believe that kind of stuff." They haven't made a study of the issues before us; they don't intend to study them; they make little effort to find scriptural grounds for their position.

Did we hear someone say something about people's being prejudiced in religion and not being willing to study and reason together? "0, consistency, thou art a jewel."

— Via Bulletin of Caprock Church, Lubbock, Texas

On The March

No one objects to a church being on the march provided it is going somewhere. Armies march to battle. We are glad to hear of so many churches who are "on the march." As soon as they find where the fight is going on and get into it, we will be glad to hear about some of their fighting.

— George DeHoff, Christian Magazine

"In a recent issue of BORDEAUX BEACON we stated, 'The digressives in Hillsboro, Ohio give away chocolate milk and tickets good for ice cream cones homeward for each child attending Bible Study.' Now a most nauseating thing has developed among God's people around Nashville. One church of Christ has gone so far as to entice children to Bible Study by promise of refreshments before the service. What will come next? A spirit of digression is not limited to an instrument of music."

— Harold Savely, Nashville, Tennessee

J. C. Choate, Box 33, Belzoni, Mississippi, Sept. 17: "Yesterday one was baptized."