Exposing A Despicable Situation
As many know, especially in this section, the First Street church in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., split around three years ago. Rumors have been circulated that the church divided over the current issues. May I say frankly that the tale has been the biggest lie told since the one the devil told Eve in the garden of Eden.
The real reason for the division was the preacher, Andrew Brown. He was asked to move but refused to do so when he was told that his services would terminate at the end of his fifth year. He refused to accept this decision and circulated a petition to offset it. Not only did this petition include the names of members, both adults and children, but also the names of alien sinners.
Any other preacher would have accepted this termination notice and sought work elsewhere. But not Brown. He entered the pulpit the following Sunday morning and used the time to whip up support for his selfish ambitions. He said in essence, "They evidently want me to go out into secular work; maybe I could dig ditches." The purpose behind this was to gain sympathy. And sympathy he got. Many of the ladies came to his rescue and cried and carried on like somebody having a convulsion. All of this mind you, during the worship (?) hour. Later, Brown got on the radio and made similar pleas and thus disgraced the church before the world.
At the last service before the open division, Brown announced the first meeting of a new congregation which was to meet at the armory and stated that this was an answer to his prayers. Think of it! A gospel (?) preacher who had succeeded in dividing the body of Christ saying that God had answered his prayers and granted division. Let's put the blame where it belongs....on Andrew Brown not on God. God isn't the author of confusion. He wouldn't be guilty of promoting such devilish ways.
There are several brethren that heard and will testify that brother Brown said, "I am glad that the church didn't split over the issues." Yet, to get the minds of other brethren, off the real cause of the split and to prejudice their minds toward First Street, the tale has been told and told and told, that the church split over present day issues confronting the church. I say again, this is a lie!
Brother G. K. Wallace preached for a few Sundays at First Street right after the division took place. He said himself that Andrew Brown should be marked and that such should be reported through the leading papers. Brother Wallace endorsed and even helped make corrections in the letter informing the brotherhood of the damage Andrew Brown did in splitting the First Street Church. This letter, marking brother Brown as a factionist, appeared in the Gospel Guardian, May 1, 1958.
This letter was also sent to the Gospel Advocate and the Firm Foundation, but they didn't print it. Brother Wallace also told the brethren, "If there ever was a church of Christ at First Street, it still is here." But, lo, and behold, not too long after this, brother Wallace shows up to preach for the faction a few blocks away from the First Street building. The group brother Wallace said ought to be marked and avoided, he fellowshipped and encouraged.
But brother Wallace isn't by himself. Brethren B. C. Goodpasture, Ira North, A. C. Pullias, N. B. Hardeman, Guy N. Woods, E. R. Harper, Willard Collins and others who know better have also condoned and supported this faction. Thus brother Wallace just about had to switch and switch "pronto' in order to remain in the good graces of the institutional combine. There is an apparent reason for these brethren acting in such a manner. Here was a golden opportunity for them to get a foothold in Lawrenceburg to foster their pet projects, so they capitalized on a division and endorsed and encouraged a faction to win its favor and support. Men just have to forget or ignore Bible principles when they use things as precious as souls in order to gain their selfish aims and purposes. Instead Of-these men playing politics with a faction, they should have been preaching repentance to these wayward souls.
The false statement that the church split over the issues was and is circulated to save face and gain recognition. The faction is using the story to remove the blame from them for causing the division. The outside brethren are circulating the false story to enable them to walk hand in hand with this faction on the institutional question without embarrassment of endorsing a faction.
It appears that it makes no difference any more how ungodly brethren may become, some will endorse them and cater to them just as long as they agree with them on present problems. No wonder churches are sick and some already dead!
The church would have benefited greatly if brother Brown had been asked to leave, or "fired" if you please, long before he was. He never taught the church what it needed and he tolerated different forms of worldliness. He preached on dancing one Sunday morning and then apologized for it Sunday night. He said, I meant this morning ballroom dancing." He left the gates open for some of the members to continue giving their children dancing lessons and to permit their sons and daughters to engage in the high school dances. This kind of dancing he sanctioned.
Let the record be set clear! The church divided because Andrew Brown didn't want to leave Lawrenceburg. The only way he could stay and preach was to split the church, and split it he did. He is now preaching for the Pulaski St. Faction. This group started as a faction, it still is a faction, and it shall continue to be a faction until they repent of their sins and the shame they have brought upon the name of Christ. And those who endorse encourage and lend their influence to this faction are just as guilty as the ones who compose it. "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." (Rom. 1:32)