Anent Ministers' Alliances
Your card of March 14 and letter of April 3 addressed to me as "Rev." Jimmie Bays has been received and I feel that I would be unkind if I did not answer, giving you a reason for my not being able to accept membership in above mentioned association.
1st. You will agree that we have nothing in common in religion and our teaching is as far apart as the poles.
2nd. As a gospel preacher I contend that the gospel is God's power to save. Rom. 1:16. I plead with sinners to do exactly the same thing Peter told them on Pentecost; what Ananias told Paul to do, and, what Phillip told the eunuch to do as recorded in the 8th chapter of Acts. Whereas, there is not a preacher among you that will tell sinners as, there is not a preacher among you that will tell sinners
3rd. You will not affirm even what you do teach; and pray and work to cause division despite the fact that my Lord prayed that believers in Him might be One. John 17. It seems that all of you are seeking sectarian distinction instead of gospel unity.
4th. Your union meetings are always held in opposition to the meetings of the Church of Christ, and I am aware that in some towns your members have been advised by
your "pastors" to stay away from the Church of Christ. If you can "cooperate" and ask God to bless fellow denominational "pastors" in their sectarian work and worship, why not help them do this sectarian work? Is it right to ask God to bless and help a denominational preacher in his baby-sprinkling program, "confirmation service," "close communion," etc., unless you are willing to help do it too? Show your faith by your works by holding the baby at the next sprinkling service in your community while your fellow preacher administers the water! "He that biddeth him, God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." 2 John 11. In the fellowship of the Ministerial Association I would have to participate in the above mentioned work. Eph. 5:11 says to "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of fellowship—the program of denominational names and organizations; the program of Catholic transsubstantiation, of Lutheran consubstantiation, of Baptist "close communion;" the program of Baptist doctrine of "once in grace, always in grace;" the program of Methodist sprinkling, of "faith only" in nearly all denominations, and of "direct operation of the Spirit" among "Holiness" people; the program of inherent total depravity of Calvinism, of salvation before baptism taught by most all denominations; the program of "modernism" of Congregationalism, of "getting religion and joining the church of your choice," and of nominal "unionism;" the program of one church being just as good as another of being saved out of the church.
Would it not require quite a stretch of imagination to fancy the Apostles matching strides in a parade with the Scribes and Pharisees (false teachers)? Indeed it would!
It is my desire that you read this at the next meeting of the association, but I really do not expect you to.
Most Sincerely, Jimmy Bays.