Where Do We Go From Here?
It has been the cry of some brethren who are interested in the church gaining more prestige in a world whose interest centers around bigger things for better living, that those who have been opposing the various brother-hood activities, centralized under the controls of one congregation or human institution, are making laws where God has made none. Those who propose these programs would have all of us believe that they have not ventured outside scriptural authority in the least, and that what they advocate is not something new in the churches of Christ, but that there are some fellows who are jealous of their achievements and therefore are trying to discredit these 'good works' by objecting to them.
More than once the advocates of centralization of church activities have charged those who oppose them with building a 'straw man' to fight. The claim is that whoever is against these universal actions of the church through a single agency, and teaches his belief, is 'antichurch-cooperation' minded. The dangers these so-called 'antis' warn of is said to be completely unbiased, and are nothing more than the rantings of jealousy.
These dangers usually are spoken of by the so-called 'Antis' as more, and less gradual, departures from God's pattern of doing things in the church. These pending departures are being said to be the inadvertent consequence of loose application of Biblical teachings, applications that have already resulted in present day departures. One such objector and sometimes classed 'Anti', Bro. Luther Blackmon, in a recent issue of THE DISCERNER, writes concerning, "The Church And The Social Gospel." In this article Bro. Blackmon warns of the danger of adopting the social gospel concept of the church. He writes:
"It is good to develop boys and girls mentally, socially and physically as well as spiritually .... and, if it is a good work, the church ought to do it." This attitude has leaked into the church of Christ to a much greater degree than many realize. I am not finding fault with the idea that the whole man (that is, mentally, socially, physically, and spiritually) should be developed. This is a sound principal. But there are many agencies involved in this development — the home, the public schools, the governments (city, state, etc.) AND THE CHURCH. But the part of this development that God has appointed THE CHURCH to do is spiritual . . . to make the church of God into a "glorified social center" is to cheapen it and bring it down from the lofty mission it was made to serve.
Others have written on this subject and voiced the opinion that those who are now advocating 'church kitchens, fellowship halls, young people's area-wide, statewide, and nation-wide organizations, human organized orphan and old folks homes etc. to do the church's work will eventually take care of mentally disturbed, and other institutions to investigate and arrive at solutions to marriage problems, delinquency problems etc. Then of course we shall not forget those church organizations which could be established to do research in the fields of heart disease, epilepsy, defects of speech and hearing, and perhaps alcoholism.
Upon reading these articles our institutional minded brethren disclaim any such intentions and at once resort to more 'name-calling' of the 'antis' and reaffirm their claim that their inventions are simply 'planned methods' of doing the work of the church. They will say they do not want to lead the church into doing something new, only those things which have been done all along. But, is this so? Following is an article appearing in the Feb. 10, 1959 issue of "Boles Home News" under the caption "Delinquency Continues to Rise":
. . . . There has been an increase in both the number and the proportion of children involved in juvenile delinquency. Even if the proportion were to stand still, the number of children to become involved with the law can be expected to rise by about 140,000 by 1962 simply because of the anticipated increase in child population of court age. This will also mean an increase in the number of children afflicted with heart disease, epilepsy, defects of speech and hearing, and children in need of various child welfare services, for which additional means are needed.
It would be well for CHURCHES OF CHRIST (emphasis mine, DWK) to recognize this increasing need in the field of child care.
We must not content ourselves with caring for the normal fatherless child alone, but the sick fatherless child, the disturbed fatherless child, the fatherless child in trouble are all properly objects of Christian mercy.
Now, brethren, where do we go from here?