Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 9
August 22, 1957
NUMBER 16, PAGE 7b,14b

Who Is Spending Whose Money?

Paul Foutz, Fort Worth, Texas

The Broadway church in Lubbock receives money ...

The Broadway church in Lubbock receives money from many different congregations in order to carry on her (?) various activities, such as evangelization- in Germany, her own childrens' or orphans' home, her two "Bible Chairs," etc. But she, in turn, sends money to the Sunny Glen congregation to enable them to operate their orphans' home, and to the Tipton, Oklahoma and Portales, New Mexico elders to carry on their brotherhood benevolent operations. She also contributes to different congregations, in various parts of the world, to enable them to do their work of evangelism. Broadway also sends money to the Highland church in Abilene so her elders can oversee and carry on their brotherhood radio program.

So, Broadway begs and solicits money from other churches so she can contribute to other churches. She receives thousands of dollars from hundreds of congregations so that she may send to, and spend much money on, other churches.

Highland, in Abilene, in like manner, receives money from hundreds of churches to do her (?) work and supply her (?) needs but she, in turn, contributes to various institutional orphan homes. She sends money to the elders and churches in San Benito, Tipton, Wichita, Tulsa and even to Broadway in Lubbock to enable them to carry on their brotherhood orphans' home projects.

So we have Highland sending to Broadway to enable her to do her own (?) work and Broadway then sends money back to Highland to make possible the carrying on of her (?) work. Highland also sends to a number of other churches to help them in matters of evangelism even though she receives funds from hundreds of churches to help her in matters of evangelism.

So we have the spectacle of churches, claiming to be in NEED, begging money from the brotherhood and receiving money from many churches, but all the while these same churches, engaged in this activity, seem to be ABLE to give to other churches and contribute to other works. It just leads us to ask the questions which serve as a heading for this article, "WHO IS SPENDING WHOSE MONEY AND WHO IS DOING WHOSE WORK?" The whole thing is not only confusing but ridiculous in the extreme.

Recently it was discovered that the Broadway church was in arrears in sending money to the Highland church in Abilene to support her (?) Herald of Truth radio broadcast. After some continued delay one of the elders at Highland (the bishop of the Herald of Truth) wrote a rather pointed letter reminding the Broadway elders that they were behind in their contributions to Highland and Herald of Truth. Broadway replied that their collections were not coming in too well, i.e., the contributions they receive from other churches, which are contributed into their treasury, were lagging and thus they were not receiving enough money to carry on all of their (?) activities. Some were having to be curtailed and cancelled. Thus their contribution to Highland in Abilene had not been sent for some time and could not be made. It was further said they did not know when they would ever be able to resume sending such money to Abilene. It could only be possible when contributions from other churches to Broadway picked up.

Brethren, this is an amusing situation as well as one that is pathetic and ridiculous. It is also a poor commentary on the thinking and conduct of local congregations of the Lord's people supposed to be patterned after the apostolic order of things and claiming identity with the New Testament church. Why can't local churches be content with overseeing and doing their OWN work, managing their OWN affairs, minding their OWN business, and spending their OWN money?

The identity of the New Testament church is being obscured and obliterated, in some places, at least in the realm of church organization, government and operation and the function of its elders. But, these marks of identity are just as important and should be zealously respected and carefully guarded just as much as those involving the name, the worship, or the Law of Pardon by which we gain entrance into the Lord's church.