Can Two Walk Together, Except They Be Agreed?
Claude E. Worley, Beverly Hills California
In years past there has been much controversy over Pepperdine College and the part it has played, and is playing, in the lives of Christians on the West Coast. Arguments for and against the institution have been the center of many conversations and vehement discussions throughout the brotherhood.
In more recent years, with the change of leadership in the college, many more have come to accept and have approved the "face-lifting" that has taken place in the school. The idea has been that questionable things have been made right, or are being made right. So the big argument for the college has been that it has made "repairs" and remedied its "short-comings" as a Christian college, or a college with Christian influence.
But in spite of all efforts to create a new "image" for the school, the simple and irrefutable truth is that the school is, step by step, becoming ever more flagrantly associated with the "ways of the world," the apostate ideas, and the liberalism of the day. The original ideas, ideals upon which the school was founded have been long since abandoned; and the individuals and churches taking part now in the program and activities of the school show a lack of basic convictions as to Bible teaching. They have adopted the ways of the people around them. Some, I am sure, do not realize fully the implications of what they are doing. They have come to reason that if the "program looks good," it is bound to be good!
It will no doubt come as a great shock to members of the church throughout other sections of the country (but no shock at all to us here in California) to hear that Pepperdine College has gone in with the Christian Churches of California on a "Hospital Foundation Plan." A description of this plan and program appeared in the Southwest Wave (a Los Angeles newspaper) of May 8, 1960. The story also appeared in The Citizen (another area newspaper) of May 12, 1960. Dr. M. Norvel Young, President of Pepperdine College is Vice-President of the "California Christian Foundation," and Dr. Joseph Applegate, pastor of the Crenshaw Christian Church, is President of the Foundation. Pepperdine College will be supported, in part, by the California Christian Foundation.
Several years ago there was much speculation to the effect that eventually the Christian Church would fall "heir" to Pepperdine College Many brethren felt that the quicker this happened, the better would it serve the cause of Christ in California. It would seem now that the school is rapidly moving in that direction, and so far as faithful Christians are concerned "the Pepperdine problem" may soon solve itself. If the Christian Churches support the school, they must feel confident that they will eventually control it.
The tragic thing about this whole sordid story is that for years Christians have been mis-led as to what was actually going on at Pepperdine. The whole picture has been distorted, twisted, and perverted so as to leave the impression that the school was indeed in the tradition and policy of the "Christian colleges" with which brethren had been familiar through the past. Some brethren have known of the wicked deception that was being practiced, but have not had the courage to break away from any connection with or endorsement of the institution. They have been so far "conditioned" to liberalism that even now they will perhaps find it hard to break away, but let them ponder well and long this Bible question concerning Pepperdine College and the Christian Church: "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"
Editor's Note:
(We confess that in spite of many trips to California, and much preaching in the Los Angeles area, we are among those to whom it came as a "great shock" to learn of the recent tie-up between Pepperdine College and the Christian Church. That our readers may have the full story as it appeared in the California newspaper from which brother Worley quotes, we give that story in detail on another page in this issue. Read it carefully.
We can see no valid objection at all to Dr. Young's serving on the board of a non-profit foundation, provided there are no strings that tie that foundation in with a false religion or other things inimical to the cause of Christ.
But the "California Christian Foundation" is an organization of men who are for the most part pastors and "lay-leaders" in the Christian Church, and they are obviously seeking to advance and further the interests of that denomination. Indeed, so clearly is this understood by all concerned that the newspaper could report that the acquisition of the two hospitals by the "California Christian Foundation" marked "the second in the United States by the Christian Church, one hospital being operated in St. Louis, Missouri."
There is an old, old saying that "he who pays the piper calls the tune." Is anyone so naive as to think that the Christian Church will be pouring money into Pepperdine College without eventually "calling the tune" as to what is taught there, and what kind of school it is? Apparently the "California Christian Foundation" occupies about the same relative position in the Christian Church that the "Gospel Press Corporation" occupies among our brethren — an independent organization under the control of, and supported by, men of a particular conviction and desire. The California Christian Foundation — Pepperdine College association is much the same as if "Gospel Press" began making contributions to Southern Methodist University, and the president of that school became vice-president of "Gospel Press."
We will be much interested now in seeing whether or not Christians in California are going to go along with, condone, and endorse this latest flagrant violation of the convictions and beliefs which have formerly led them to support Pepperdine College.)