Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 9
May 23, 1957
NUMBER 4, PAGE 11,13d

A Million Dollars In One Day

Charles A. Holt, Florence, Alabama

For the last several years the churches have been victimized more and more by the big, promotional schemes of the overly-ambitious among us. No sort of scheme, program or sponsoring-church affair surprises us now. We are getting accustomed to being beleaguered by all sorts of appeals for money to help some promotional-church carry on some sort of undertaking or to help them in one they want to undertake. The propaganda literally pours out from such sources as they all bid for the "spoils" which they know will go to the best promoters and to the best advertised ventures.

The latest big project which has gotten a rousing send-off in the Gospel Advocate, Firm Foundation, Christian Leader and other "promotin' papers," is the effort to raise $1,000,000 (Yes, the figure is correct!) in ONE DAY for the Manhattan church in New York City! This campaign to beg or wrest from churches and individuals over the nation this amount of money, has the endorsement of the above-mentioned papers and nearly all of the big promoters in the church. "A. M. Burton, Nashville, Tennessee, has purposed a nation-wide effort on behalf of Manhattan Church of Christ to take place on June 30, 1957, at which time churches of Christ everywhere will be invited to give one-half their fifth Sunday Contribution on that day for the benefit of Manhattan's expansion program." Burton says that "we can contribute a million dollars in one day." The Manhattan church had previously launched a million dollar campaign to last over a ten-year period, but Burton's proposal is "let's give them the money now."

The elders of the Manhattan church have been talking the proposition over with influential brethren and the plan is highly regarded by them." These elders have made all sorts of promises as to how they will use the money to advance the Cause of Christ and save souls. They have even put themselves under bond in handling these funds. Wonder why? Their being under bond will not insure that the money sent will really be used to advance the Cause of Christ. But the big drive is underway and is gaining momentum. The goal may be reached. If advertising, propaganda and "influential brethren" can put over such a project, then it is assured for this particular drive has all of this.

Now I readily admit that I am not one of the "influential brethren" and, hence, I was not consulted about this project; but even so I think it is not amiss that one as un-influential" as I am, make a few observations concerning this affair. I do this even at the risk of being called a "brotherhood regulator" by some of my brethren in this area.

In the first place, it is hard for me to conceive that brethren — men who have sense enough to be elders of the churches — over the country could "fall" for such a thing and get "sucked" into it. Such gigantic projects do not even sound like simple New Testament churches at work. This thing has a BROTHERHOOD or DENOMINATIONAL appearance. Do churches over the nation have a million dollars that they do not NEED or that the elders of these churches are not able to use in doing THEIR OWN WORK? Is this vast project in New York so important that it overshadows and dwarfs into insignificance the work that the other churches are doing? Is it necessary that these churches have some promoters get up some big project in order for them to have a place to spend their money? What are elders thinking about — or, are they thinking at all?

Secondly, we have in this project the situation of thousands of churches over the nation CENTRALIZING and COMBINING in the hands of one eldership a part or all of the contribution for one Sunday. Elders are hereby willing to turn over the funds of the church of which they have the oversight to another eldership, to let this eldership spend the money in "an evangelistic effort to carry the gospel of Christ" to people. The "Burton Proposal" (as this thing has been named calls for "1,000 churches to give $1,000 each" to the Manhattan church. Now I would like for some of the promoters of this project to give the scriptural authority for such. Where in the New Testament is such a practice authorized? What right do elders of one church have to turn over a part or all of the contribution to another group of elders for them to spend? The promoting brethren have long quit trying to show that such projects are SCRIPTURAL. They do not have time to waste with such a trivial matter, but to some of us this is still THE important thing. Think about this matter: If the elders of 1,000 churches have the scriptural right to send the fifth Sunday contribution to the Manhattan elders, then on the same basis may they not send the FOURTH Sunday contribution also? And the third? In fact, would they not have the same right to send the ENTIRE contribution for the month of June? If they can send the contribution (ALL or any part of it) for June, then can they not send the contribution for each and every month and just turn over to the Manhattan elders ALL the money to let the Manhattan elders spend for them? If not, why not? Where is the limitation and who has the right to set such a limitation? The same SCRIPTURE which justifies one will justify all. Where is the stopping place? Why not all the churches over the nation just turn over to the Manhattan elders all their funds and let these elders be the "Missionary Society" for the church. In effect, this is what is being done. If we have the right to commit into their hands one million dollars, why not the same right to commit to them two million, ten million — yes, ALL our funds and resources? Who can or will give answer? Can we not see that the project is without scriptural authority to start with, and once the limitations of New Testament teaching have been left there is no stopping place. Such projects as this have only the wisdom and authority of men behind them. Such a CENTRALIZATION and COMBINATION of the funds of many churches is wrong and the approval of all "the influential men" among us can not make it right.

The third matter that I would suggest for consideration is this: The Manhattan elders and Burton Coffman, who is the preacher for the Manhattan church and the "sparkplug" behind this promotional scheme, are not worthy of the confidence imposed in them by committing into their hands one million dollars of the Lord's money. The Manhattan church has been under question

(See MILLION DOLLARS, page 13)

for several years regarding its doctrinal soundness. They have been plagued by modernism for years and have even harbored and defended modernists. When I visited there several years ago, there was a rank modernist teaching one of the classes. While the claim has been made that they have had a "purging" of such, it is doubtful that such is really the case. The church has been there for over thirty years and is barely self-supporting yet. Burton Coffman has often been under "fire" relative to his soundness. He is a great promoter to be sure and he can get around with "the influential brethren", but that he is the kind of teacher needed in that area is a thing that many of us deny. Have elders who plan to turn over the contribution, or a part thereof, for the fifth Sunday in June really investigated and considered all of these matters? Should elders send to Manhattan one million dollars when there is a good possibility that within the next few years the whole thing may be carried into modernism or digression? Think, brethren, THINK!