Why Was He Cut Off?
Brother Charles F. House, who works along the U.S. — Mexico border, between the congregations of Tecate, San Luis, and Sonoyta, Mexico, recently received the following letter from the La Puente Church of Christ, La Puente, California. Brother House had been receiving support regularly from the La Puente church since 1958 in his work in Mexico, and they understood fully his position on "the issues" facing the church today. Evidently, however, a new administration came in and desiring to "protect" the church from brother House, immediately set about inquiring as to his convictions. Below is the letter he received, and his reply:
February 22, 1961 15124 Elliott Street La Puente, California
Dear Brother House:
We receive your report of your work and your plans for the future. (Brother House in his report had stated that the pulpits in Tecate, San Luis, and Sonoyta, Mexico, were open to all preachers who were standing four square for the truth at all times, both north of the border as well as south of the border. — IBS)
There has been some discussion on some of the questions that confront the brotherhood. Some say that you are in favor and some say that you believe the things involved in the following questions are wrong.
We would like to have answers to the following questions. We do not feel that it is necessary to enter into a presentation of your reasons for believing what ever you do believe, for these issues have been discussed and these discussions are available to us all.
(No. 1) Do you believe that it is scriptural or do you believe that it is unscriptural for a congregation to send its support for a missionary to a congregation which is receiving funds from other congregations and forwarding all of these funds to the missionary?
(No. 2) Would you or would you not worship with a congregation and help it in its benevolent work if in that work they were supporting the Ontario Children's Home?
(No. 3) Do you believe that it is right or wrong for Christians as individuals to support colleges such as Pepperdine?
(No. 4) Could you work with a congregation which does all of these things and have fellowship with them in all these things?
We would sincerely appreciate an early reply.
Yours in Christ, O. E. Lessly
The Answer
March 15, 1961 P. O. Box 241
Tecate, Calif., U,S.A.
O. E. Lessly La Puente Church of Christ La Puente, California
Dear Brother Lessly:
Your letter of the 22nd of February came while we were down in Mexico and as a result I did not get the chance to answer it at once, and have been sick with a cold since our return, but will try to answer at this time.
Let me say first of all that I have been eternally grateful to the church there for their help in the past in this work along the Mexico — California line and can only hope and pray that it may continue for it is all used to the glory of God and the spread of the gospel of Christ to people lost in ignorance and sin. However, I do not plan on being tied or forbidden to preach the gospel of Christ fully and freely.
I have failed in my search of the Word of God to find such a list of questions as you have posed being asked by the Apostle Paul or Peter, or any gospel preacher in the N. T. times, and do not find this as a list of requirements of what Paul told Timothy and Titus to do in regard to their appointing elders and setting congregations in order. But since you have asked me these questions I can only be a Christian and answer them truthfully and to the best of my ability.
(1.) Do you believe that it is scriptural or do you believe it is unscriptural for a congregation to send its support for a missionary to a congregation which is receiving funds from other congregations and forwarding all of these funds to the missionary?
Answer: First of all, this is a shotgun question, in that it covers a lot of ground and will require scriptural answer for it, as do all questions dealing with the Church and her work of spreading the Gospel. Let me assure you that it does not matter what I might think of it, but the question is, what does the word of God say about it? I have searched the gospel and do not find such a parallel condition anywhere in the Gospel of Christ and since the Gospel does not mention it, then do we have authority for such a condition to exist today? I have been taught we must have command, precept, or necessary inference for the things we do in the N. T. church. If you have these scriptures for this condition then by all means send them to me so that I might learn more of God's truth and help in saving more souls. Until I find scriptural authority for the things you ask about I will have to say I believe them to be wrong. I have always been able to keep my mind open for God's Truth, so if you have it, send it to me.
(2.) Would you or would you not worship with a congregation and help in its benevolent work if in that work they were supporting the Ontario Children's Home?
Answer: Again I must appeal to the Word of God for the source of Authority, and since I have failed to find listed in the gospel of Christ the "Ontario Children's Home," or any such similar home I would not be able to support such myself. From the Corporation papers of the Home it is a separate and distinctly different organization from the church, and as such does not merit the support of the Lord's church as such. However, if you or I as an individual want to support it, that is something only you or I can choose to do and that is our liberty in Christ as Christians. I have been helping individuals who are needy here in Mexico, and there are many, however, we do not ask the church to do that work, but do it as individuals, for in Mexico every Christian feels his own personality and is willing to share with anyone in need. The church as such renders aid to her own needy and we as individuals render it to those who are not Christians, and to whom we can help. If I did not believe in such work, I would not be working here in Mexico at less than half what the same work pays in the States. We are able to see many more saved per dollar cost here than in the States.
(3.) Do you believe that it is right or wrong for Christians as individuals to support colleges such as Pepperdine? Answer: Again I appeal to the authority of the Word of God for my answer. I have searched and do not find Pepperdine College listed in the N. T. gospel, and therefore can only say that it is a question each person must answer for himself, after first satisfying himself that it is worthy of support or not. I have been taught and am convinced that colleges and such schools are separate and private institutions and as such, so long as they do not solicit nor accept money from Churches of Christ, that as a private institution they have the right to exist, and if they exist then they must secure their funds from those who believe in them and send their children to them. I have been of the opinion that each parent is obligated to educate his children and that it is not the work of the church to give secular education. However, I do find that the church is to uphold the manifold wisdom of God. (Eph. 3:10) I am fully convinced that it would be wrong for the church to support such an institution.
(4.) Could you work with a congregation which does all of these things and have fellowship with them in all of these things?
Answer: I must answer this question with a parallel from the N. T. Paul in writing to the Corinthian church speaks of the Church of God at Corinth, and even though they were doing almost all of the catalogue of sins, yet it was still the Church of God. However, Paul did not sanction their sins, but taught them God's Truth and continued to teach them the Truth even though some of them evidently did not obey its instructions. If I were working in such a congregation today and were permitted to teach and preach the Truth, without being muzzled, then as long as such were permitted I could go on and preach and do the work of an evangelist in the Lord's Army, for then I would be daily and continually teaching the Truth of God and showing God's divine pattern for the work and worship of God.
I cannot say for how long this condition might continue for I know that people will not continue to let their pet hobbies and sins be exposed by the Truth of God and not say or do anything about it. I would condemn the things not found in the N. T. gospel and plead with brethren and others to be real N. T. Christians. However if I were forbidden to teach and preach against these things then I could not work and worship in such a congregation. (2 John 9-11).
Brother Lessly, I have not evaded these questions but have answered them fairly and according to the Word of God. I am fully aware of what has caused these questions to be sent to me and for your wanting my convictions on them. I came to Mexico to help convert the Mexican people, but they have converted me to real Christianity, for they have shown me what it really means to be brethren in Christ since we have been living in their midst Their love and devotion to the Lord is a thing of beauty that is not seen up in the States and if you will come down here and visit us we will be very happy to take you to church services and interpret the sermon and lessons taught in Tecate, San Luis, or Sonoyta, Mexico, and I am sure you will go back home with a different viewpoint of Christianity than you have when you come or at present. We have seen this demonstrated several times and I am speaking from knowing my Mexican brethren and their love for the Truth of God and for each other in Christ.
I have been in the Lord's church now over 20 years and have been eternally grateful for having been taught the truth and leaving denominationalism, but I am sore distressed ever the condition that exists in the body of my Lord today, the church. I have never yet drawn the line of fellowship with my brethren who do not see as I do, but I have had them withdraw from me and refuse to fellowship me in my preaching the Truth. I find with a study of history that the Christian Church 100 years ago took the same position many of my brethren take today in that "If it is not mentioned, then it is all right, or if there is not a specific mention against it, then it is scriptural." Some even then said, since we have been doing it so long it is bound to be all right. May the riches of the Lord be upon you brethren is my prayer, and that you may follow God's eternal rule of authority for all things divine.
Yours in Christ, Charles F. House
NOTE: Since brother House sent this letter, there has been no more support sent him by La Puente to this date, June 12, 1961. However other liberal groups have been trying very hard to take over these Mexican congregations, and have told brother House that if he will write his "confession" to the Gospel Advocate, they will supply him with more money than they can use. I wonder how many preachers here in the good old U.S.A. would be willing to live on $150 per month after business expenses had been deducted? This is what the House family has been doing since they went into this work on a full time basis. They live on the American side of the border and are subject to the same cost of living as all of us are. If they don't receive more support soon and should they have to leave that field, the congregations of Tecate, San Luis, and Sonoyta Mexico may be lost to the liberals as Tijuana was, when brother House started that congregation seven years ago, just because we who are standing for the truth failed to see the opportunities in Mexico and would not support that work. Will the question be asked YOU in the judgment by the Lord, "WHY WAS HE CUT OFF?" (IBS)
Send any help you may have directly to Charles F. House, P.O. Box 241, Tecate, Calif., U.S.A.