Brother Harper's Health
Your attention is called to an article in this issue by Brother Reavis Petty of Columbia, Tennessee, in which he reports that Brother E. R. Harper has stated his "health will not permit" him to defend Herald of Truth in a public discussion.
This is to serve notice on all faithful gospel preachers that Brother E. R. Harper is under a solemn promise and agreement, made before God and some fifteen hundred other witnesses, to debate the scripturalness of Herald of Truth with this writer in the Highland Boulevard Church in San Antonio, Texas. Brother Harper publicly proposed this discussion at the close of our debate in Abilene, Texas, in December of 1955. Many letters to him both from the elders at San Antonio and from this writer have been unproductive in getting him to set the date for the discussion. He has made perhaps half a dozen different statements as to why he will not debate; but hitherto he has not declined for reasons of health.
Let every faithful Christian pray that Brother Harper may soon regain his health, and that the debate may be conducted as originally planned.
Incidentally, others have reported to us that Brother Harper is explaining to many people over the nation that he has "seen the light" so far as gospel preaching is concerned; and that he now realizes he was in error in the "hard" preaching he did a quarter of a century ago. No doubt you will soon be seeing his apology to Harding College for the strong fight he waged against premillennialism while he was still a "hard" preacher. What do you think?
— F. Y. T.
Easter At Searcy
From Searcy, Arkansas, we have a copy of the Searcy Daily Citizen, local newspaper of that town, with a front-page story of this year's "White County Men's Easter Union Bible Class Sunday." This traditional denominational Easter service is arranged by an "Executive Committee" whose chairman is an elder of one of the Churches of Christ in Searcy. Another Searcy elder is a member of the committee as are also several other members of the body of Christ. A number of Harding College students participated as singers in the Easter Service, according to the names given in the newspaper story.
This is quite in keeping with what might be expected when brethren let "dollar diplomacy" blind their eyes to truth and righteousness. For a number of years it has been evident to all that the sails at Searcy are trimmed altogether too much to the billowy breezes of fanning greenbacks. And if the heavy contributors just happen to be Catholics, Masons, Jews, or atheists, then their feelings and sensibilities must be recognized and respected, and nothing must be said (not one word! mind you) which might dry up those fountains of cash. The man who pays the fiddler is entitled to call the tune. And it is no secret that Catholics and other non-Christians have been among the real heavy contributors to Harding College since Dr. Benson took the helm.
— F. Y. T.
Church Investments
We continue to hear reports of congregations seeking to build up "endowments." A Tennessee congregation is reliably reputed to have a considerable investment in stock of a well-known life insurance company (well over a hundred-thousand dollars worth, as well as a regular monthly income from an apartment building which is leased out to tenants.
These "church investments" are a logical (and perhaps inevitable) development from the concept of church-operated brotherhood orphanages. The orphanages (owned and operated by some congregations) were obviously seeking to build up their endowments. Some of them were given hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of property — farms, oil wells, apartment houses, etc. They did not sell these properties; so it soon became apparent that the churches which owned the orphanages also owned huge income-producing properties along with the houses for the children.
Nobody knows where this will end. But we anticipate that the brethren seeking to build up "endowments" for local congregations are pursuing a deadly and devastating course. Why don't they ask some of the denominational churches what has happened to their local giving when they were left huge estates? Apparently the only practical way a "church" can continue to have its members give as they should while still owning huge income-producing resources is to have the investments owned and controlled by some churchly authority other than the local congregation. The Mormons and Catholics have been quite successful in building up huge investments — but not under the control of any local congregation!
— F. Y. T Can Somebody Help Pat?
By this time we are sure even the most rabid "Guardian hater" must realize that Brother Pat Hardeman has something more seriously wrong with him than his hatred for the "antis". He has seemingly made shipwreck of the faith. Brother Hardeman has but followed the logical course of those who set out to relax (even by the slightest degree) the binding authority of God's word. He is in the same downward path as are scores of his brethren who have espoused the liberal course of the Gospel Advocate; the only differences is in degree Of progress down that path. Once a man begins to proclaim that "there is no pattern" for New Testament congregational relationships and congregational worship, it is only a step farther for him to say "there is no pattern" for obedience to the gospel — or for living the Christian life.
This writer has no influence with Brother Hardeman. He no doubt regards all who write for the Guardian as hopelessly out of date and old-fashioned. But can not some of the Gospel Advocate brethren help him? This young man had brilliant promise and could have been of great worth to the cause of Christ. That he has lost his own faith is tragic beyond the power of words to express. That he has influenced several fine young men to the same dismal ship-wreck that he has made should cause those who just conceivably might get him to listen to plead with him to return to God. His "confession" in the columns of the Gospel Advocate (confession that he had changed from the truth of the gospel to the institutionalism of that organ) had scarcely been out long enough for the ink to dry before Pat was preaching for the Methodists and Presbyterians. Lately he has been featured as "guest speaker" at the Sunday morning services of the Tampa Unitarian Society — the Unitarians being that group of atheistic philosophers who deny the unique divinity of Jesus Christ.
ti Can anybody help Pat? — F. Y. T,