Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 9
August 1, 1957
NUMBER 13, PAGE 1,10b11a

Do We Have Human Organizations?

W. Curtis Porter, Monette, Arkansas

In our previous study it was pointed out that the issue before the brotherhood today is not simply one of methods but of organizations. Should our work of benevolence be done through human organizations or through the divine organization — the church? Until the recent past promotional brethren have been set to defend human systems — Benevolent Organizations — to do the work of the church in the field of benevolence. They have been affirming in debate that churches can scripturally build and maintain Benevolent Organizations for the purpose of caring for the needy. But the going has been rather rough, as it has been effectively pointed out that if churches can do their work of benevolence through a human organization, the Benevolent Society, they can, upon the same basis, do their work of evangelism through a human organization, the Missionary Society. They have been unable to answer this argument. After all their efforts to set it aside it stands as an insurmountable barrier in their path of progress. People who will view the matter in an unbiased way are certain to see the truth of the parallel.

Since they have had so much difficulty in trying to defend human organizations to do the work of the church in benevolence, they have decided to change their course. It would be easier, they seem to think, to deny that we have any such organizations than to try to defend them. So they are now claiming that we do not have any Benevolent Societies, or Christian Organizations, to provide homes for the aged and the orphans. The Board of Directors, with President, Vice-president, Secretary and Treasurer, they tell us, is not a Benevolent Society, but an integral part of the home. Thus they have admitted, by this change in their line of argument, that they have failed to sustain human organizations to do the work. So the battle now must be given to the task of showing that we do have such organizations to provide homes for the needy.

A little more than a century ago brethren who thought the churches could accomplish their cooperative work of evangelism better through a human organization established the American Christian Missionary Society. The battle over human organizations was fought to a finish, and this was one of the major factors that divided the body of Christ and developed the Christian Church.

The American Christian Missionary Society, and others that have followed in its wake, even down to the present United Christian Missionary Society, are definitely human organizations built to do the work of evangelism. Bro. E. R. Harper, on page 14 of HARPER'S CHARTS, drew a contrast between the divine organization, the church, and the human organization, the United Christian Missionary Society. In showing that the latter is a human organization, Bro. Harper shows the set-up of the Society from the standpoint of organization, membership, authority and work. In the matter of "organization" he shows it has a President, 20 Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, a Corresponding Secretary and a Recording Secretary. From the standpoint of "membership" he shows that people become members, with varying degrees and privileges, by paying stipulated sums. The "authority" by which the Society operates he shows to be their "Constitution and By-Laws" and a "Human Charter." Their "work" is enumerated as follows. 1. By a Board of Directors. 2. Board has full authority. 3. Board hires and fires all employees. 4. Delegates no authority. 5. Claim to be authorized by New Testament. 6. Purpose to preach the gospel. 7. Printed Constitution, a human organization and charter.

Now, these points presented by Bro. Harper, show that the United Christian Missionary Society is a human organization, and I do not suppose that the preachers of the Christian Church would make any effort to deny that it is a human organization. And all of us in the Church of Christ, as far as I know, will agree that it is a human organization. But if such an arrangement for the work of evangelism constitutes a human organization, will not a similar arrangement for the work of benevolence also be a human organization? If one is a Missionary Society, then is not the other a Benevolent Society? Then, in order to prove that we have a Benevolent Society, a human organization, in the work of benevolence, all that is necessary is to prove that we have a similar arrangement. And this I propose now to do.

Space will not allow an investigation of all the Benevolent Societies that provide homes throughout the brotherhood, but two or three may be taken as illustrative of many. Information concerning these may be obtained from their charters. Looking at the charter of THE POTTER ORPHAN HOME AND SCHOOL of Bowling Green, Kentucky, we learn from Article 5 that it is directed by a BOARD OF TRUSTEES consisting of seven members, and that the OFFICERS of the BOARD are PRESIDENT, SECRETARY, TREASURER and SUPERINTENDENT. According to the charter of the TENNESSEE ORPHAN HOME it is under the control of a BOARD OF DIRECTORS and the BOARD has as Officers a PRESIDENT, a SECRETARY AND TREASURER. CHILDHAVEN, which their charter declares to be a 'benevolent institution", in Cullman, Alabama, is, according to their charter, under the direction of a BOARD that has a PRESIDENT, VICE-PRESIDENT, SECRETARY AND TREASURER. This arrangement is similar to the "organization" of the United Christian Missionary Society. Whether the organization has one Vice-President or twenty would in no way effect the nature of the organization. Both are human in their origin. Furthermore, our benevolent organizations have "members," obtained in various ways, just as does the UNITED CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY. It would make no difference as to whether a stipulated sum is involved. Some conditions of membership exist in all of them. The "authority" of the Benevolent Organizations is similar to the Missionary Society. Their authority is their "Constitution and By-Laws" and a "Human Charter." No one can deny this, as copies of the Charters may be easily obtained, and many of such charters definitely state that they have their own "By-Laws," as the CHRISTIAN HOME AND BIBLE SCHOOL of Mt. Dora, Florida, the SUNNY GLENN HOME of San Benito, Texas, as well as others. And their "WORK" may be enumerated just as Bro. Harper enumerated the WORK of the UNITED CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Following his system of numbering we have this. 1. By a Board of Directors. 2. Board has full authority. 3. Board hires and fires all employees. 4. Delegates no authority. 5. Claim to be authorized by New Testament. 6. Purpose to care for the needy. 7. Printed Constitution, a human constitution and Charter.

Thus, it can be easily seen that we have the same type of arrangement in the organizations that provide homes for the needy among us that the Christian Church has for their Missionary Societies to provide the work of evangelism. If theirs is a human organization, so is ours. To deny that we have a Benevolent Society would 'be to deny that they have a Missionary Society. To deny that we have a human organization would be to deny that they have one. The very fact that "Corporations" exist is proof that we have organizations of some kind. A "Corporation" is a chartered organization of some kind, either human or divine. A human organization to do the work of the church is wrong whether it is chartered or not, but when you incorporate it you have legal evidence of the fact that the organization exists. No one claims that the BOARD and MEMBERS who comprise the CORPORATION that provides homes for the needy is the church. It must, therefore, be a human organization. So the fact remains that we do have them.

It has been argued that a CORPORATION is but an intangible thing that does not actually exist, and that this proves that we do not have such organizations. This is based upon a misconception of the word "intangible." A thing may be intangible and still actually exist. The "eldership" of a congregation is just as intangible as a "corporation." The elders that comprise the eldership are not intangible, but the "eldership" is. The "corporation" may be intangible but the men who compose it are not intangible. So while both the "corporation" and the "eldership" are intangible, they both actually exist. The word "intangible" simply means something that cannot be literally "touched." And I wonder if they did not know that the CORPORATION of the UNITED CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY is just as "intangible" as the corporations that provide homes for orphans among us. If intangibility proves non-existence, then the UNITED CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY does not actually exist. Why, then, should they oppose that which has no existence?

To argue that the corporation is not something separate from the home but is an integral part of the home is the same type of reasoning. On the same basis the Christian Church could argue that their corporation that we know as the Missionary Society is not something separate from evangelism but is an "integral part of evangelism." It will work in one case as well as in the other. If such reasoning proves the Benevolent Society to be Scriptural, it proves the same thing for the Missionary Society.

There is no need for promotional preachers to contend that we have no Benevolent Societies or Organizations, for the corporations in their own charters declare that we do. From their charters we learn the following:

1. CHILDHAVEN: "A Benevolent Institution formed under the name of CHILDHAVEN" — Charter Preamble.

2. GUNTER: "This Corporation is created for Benevolent and Charitable Purposes only." — Article 6.

3. SUNNY GLENN: "We do hereby associate ourselves for the purpose of forming a Charitable Corporation." — Charter Preamble.

4. TURLEY: "Articles of incorporation of a Charitable and Benevolent Corporation." — Charter Heading.

5. BOLES: "This corporation is created for Benevolent, Charitable and Educational purposes only." — Article on Purpose This should settle it. Their charters say they are "Benevolent Institutions," "Benevolent Corporations," "Charitable Corporations," and such like. So we do have Benevolent Societies or Organizations that are human in origin.

As further evidence that we have such, it may be noted that the Corporation is not the home, but the corporation 'provides the home" just as the Missionary Society provides the work of evangelism. Again looking at the charters we find this:

1. BOLES: "The purposes of this corporation are to provide a home for destitute and dependent children." Article 2.

2. CHILDHAVEN: "The purpose for which this corporation is formed is to establish and provide a home for dependent, destitute or homeless children." Article 3.

3. CHRISTIAN HOME AND BIBLE SCHOOL: "The purpose of said corporation is to establish, maintain and operate an orphan's home and an elementary and secondary institution of learning." Article 4.

4. CHURCH OF CHRIST HOME (Turley, Okla.): "The purpose for which this corporation is formed is, to establish and maintain a home for orphan children." Article 2.

5. SUNNY GLENN: "The purpose for which this corporation is formed is — To maintain and operate a home for the support, maintenance and education of orphaned and other indigent children." Article on Purpose.

But I could go on and on showing the same thing. The "Corporation" is one thing, and the "home" is another thing. The "Corporation" provides the "home". It is not the home, but it is a human organization that builds and maintains a home for the needy. We, therefore, do have human organizations in the field of benevolence, and men who would defend the present practice will not be allowed to brush off the argument by merely saying we have no such thing. It is now agreed by promotional brethren that organizations, such as we oppose, would be wrong, but they deny that we have them. In view of the evidence presented in this study, it is the height of absurdity to deny the reality of their existence.