"Brother Pigg's Brain-Child"
In the Gunter Home paper of March 6, 1960 we find: "In a very real sense it may be stated that the Home was Bro. Pigg's brain-child. Inspiration to begin the work was largely the product of his creative thinking." For some time I have wondered what inspiration was instrumental in beginning the work. I have searched the scriptures diligently, but have failed to find such an arrangement authorized. Now I find that I have been looking in the wrong place. Gunter Home admits that it is the "brain-child" of Bro. Pigg and that the "inspiration" by which it was begun was Pigg's "creative thinking."
"Bro. Pigg's brain-child" has developed into more than a home. For in the same paper we find: "A large living room was constructed connecting the Hospital area and the dining room." There is no need to argue about it any longer; we have a "Church of Christ Hospital" and it just has to be scriptural! Surely, anyone who will be so narrow minded as to raise his voice in objection to churches contributing funds to the College Hill Church so that it can operate its home and hospital will be stigmatized as an old "anti" who doesn't believe in doing benevolent work anyway. But we still ask for the authority from the New Testament (not from Bro. Pigg's creative thinking) for: (1) a local church to operate a home to relieve the indigent from many churches, (2) the local church to operate a hospital, (3) a local church to sell services to individuals (take an old man to care for and charge his son $50.00 a month for services rendered, and (4) a local church to oversee the spending of the benevolent funds of many churches. Now, before you cry "anti" get the New Testament and find where any of the above things are authorized!
Though "Brother Pigg's brain-child" is unscriptural, one thing can be said to its credit; it is a financial success. From the "Statement of Operations" published in HERALD OF HOPE, November 20, 1959 we find that on June 30, 1959 the cash on hand was $43,922.00. We further find that on September 30, 1959 the cash on hand was $52,503.36. In just three months the cash on hand increased $8,581.36. Not a bad profit, I'd say! And this is not the only quarter recently that this has happened. From September 30, 1957 to December 31, 1957 the cash on hand showed an increase of $9,837.44. (HERALD OF HOPE, Feb. 1958).
Besides the increase of cash on hand we learn from the paper of March 5, 1960 that within the past seven years the capacity of the home has increased from 60 to 192 people. They state: "This reflects a vast building Program." In the past seven years they have built an additional 91 rooms, a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, and the hospital to accommodate 50 people. Yet the church that oversees the Gunter Home continues to beg and receive contributions from many churches. And if anyone raises his voice in objection to the whole unscriptural affair, he is immediately called a "troublemaker" and deemed unworthy to be called a saint. However, God's watchmen must not become discouraged by the ostracism, but must continue to sound the trumpet of warning.