Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 9
May 30, 1957
NUMBER 5, PAGE 14

Browsing, Through Old Papers

Wm. E. Wallace, Owensboro, Kentucky

John T. Hinds was editor of the Gospel Advocate from April 13, 1934 until the fall of 1937 when severe illness became his lot. He passed away January 1, 1938. His writings in the Gospel Advocate were always sagacious. He wrote regularly for the Advocate before he became editor. In October and November of 1930 he answered some inquirers regarding "church institutions" and I think those articles are well worth reprinting. Here is the First one:

What Is A Church Institution?

A Tennessee brother asks what it takes to constitute a church institution. He says that "many times the cooperative efforts of good brethren are criticized by others equally sincere on the ground that they form unscriptural institutions." He also says that the "usurping of ecclesiastical power" has produced disastrous results, even though such ecclesiasticisms have sprung from efforts made by those with a purpose to do good. In order to make his general question better understood, he has followed it with several subordinate questions. In order to conserve space (for many questions are now waiting), I will abridge the wording, hoping not to miss the thought intended:

1. If congregations sending means to missionaries use the government postal service, does this make the postal service a church institution? If they had missionaries where they could not be reached by the government postal service and they organized one for the purpose, would that be a church institution?

2. If some churches send relief to famine sufferers through the Red Cross, while others prefer to appoint some of their brethren to do the work of sending, does this appointment constitute a church organization?

3. A man preaches in a certain territory, doing missionary work, and arranges with another brother to lead the song service. If congregations make allowance for the support of both, are their meetings church institutions? A man goes to a district where they cannot read, and, to facilitate his work, employs a man who is not a Christian to teach reading, so he can teach them the plan of salvation. If the churches support him in this work just as in the other two cases, is that a church school?

Before making any effort to answer these questions, let us consider a few general matters that may help to clarify the issue. Unless those on opposite sides of a controversy understand and use the terms in question in the same sense, no solution is possible. It will be just a war of words, charges and countercharges, with the readers or hearers probably more confused than when the controversy began. What do we mean by "church institution" or "church organization"? Do we mean that it is an institution which the church, as such, or perhaps a number of congregations, organizes as a part of its bodily existence, the laws of which organization is binding on each member of all the congregations involved? In other words, do we mean in principle a Methodist conference or a Presbyterian synod, to all intents and purposes? Or do we mean an organization that is composed of Christians individually, but which, as an organization, has no legal connection with the church as an institution?

To illustrate: We can and often do talk about our church papers, or our Christian papers. Do we mean that the church, as an institution, or a number of congregations with special organization, is publishing religious papers? Certainly we mean no such thing. That is true of Methodists or others with their ecclesiastical machinery, but not so of the church of Christ. We mean only that they are papers that are published by Christians, or members of the church — just that and no more. That church members have the right to publish papers which they think will indirectly be helpful to the cause of Christianity must be admitted, or else we have an end to all individual work. This would not only stop the printing of religious books as individual efforts with a desire to benefit the church, but would require the destruction of all that have already been published. If brethren should form some organization to publish a paper, and attempt by special organization to bind it upon the congregations, it should be promptly repudiated as a presumptuous effort at ecclesiasticism. When we stay clear of binding human organizations on the churches, we are fairly safe from apostasy.

That churches and individuals have a right to use in their work methods of transportation and communication furnished by human organizations and political governments is not questioned by any one. If this be not true, then all preachers in reaching their appointments can no longer ride trains and busses; neither can they write letters or send telegrams; neither can they stop at hotels en route or receive remuneration with "United States of America" stamped upon it. It is commendable to be careful, but there is no reason for using foolish arguments.

1. The United States postal service is not a church institution, but just a governmental means which, for so much pay, will transport your check, just the same as if you had hired a person or sent one of the brethren. The church has organized nothing and the means used to send the check has no organic connection with the church.

2. If the brethren appoint some of their members to take the relief to famine sufferers, it is no church institution unless some kind of organization has been formed and bound on the congregations.

2. If brethren appoint some of their members to take the relief to famine sufferers, it is no church institution unless some kind of organization has been formed and bound on the congregations.

3. If a man in the mission field employs a man to teach those who cannot read, so he can later preach the gospel to them, and the congregation that supports said preacher also pays the preacher for his work, it is not a church school in the ordinary sense of that expression. The teacher is not a Christian, and there is no organization by which his work and support is bound upon congregations. His work is individual and under the direction of the missionary, just like the non-Christian interpreter is, or one that the missionary might hire to take some provisions to the starving or medicine to the sick.

The brother has several more questions, but they will be noticed later. We cannot give all the space in one issue to one querist.