News And Views
News And Notes
Peter Wilson, who has been with the Bellflower, California, church for some time, has gone to England. He will labor in that country in the spread of the gospel David Harkrider is now working with the Bellflower church. He was with the Walnut Street church in Greenville, Texas, before moving there Ward Hogland has moved from Houston, Texas, where he labored with the Spring Branch church, to work with Walnut Street in Greenville George T. Jones is now associated with the Spring Branch church in Houston. For several years he has labored in Kilgore, Texas After over three years with the Fourth Street church in Cullman, Alabama, Jack L. Holt has moved to Longview, Texas, to labor with the Judson Road church Bryan Vinson who has been with the Judson Road church in Longview from its beginning and has done such a good work in that area, is still living in Longview. He has returned to the employment of the post office, where he has spent eighteen years. He will preach in and around Longview as the opportunity presents. Churches would do well to use him. Did you know that "The biggest school in the brotherhood is Abilene Christian College ...."? Well, this is the claim made for it on the front page of the Christian Chronicle, September 8. Is A C C really "in the brotherhood?" If so, wonder what else this "brotherhood" includes? Does this secular institution belong to the "brotherhood?" In the deluded minds of most members of the church I am sure that this is their concept. How does the "brotherhood" operate this institution? Is there some official governing body for such "brotherhood" enterprises? This kind of talk and action (which is more or less a reality) is sheer sectarianism! Robert Onderdonk has recently been appointed assistant to George Benson) president of Harding College (another "brotherhood" institution (?) ) in Searcy, Arkansas. The Arkansas Democrat, 8-29-61, reports on this appointment and tells us that
Onderdonk "has been lay reader in Episcopal churches in Alabama, Michigan and New Jersey, and has taught Sunday School for many years.' Suich an appointment sounds about like what should be expected from the "brotherhood" and her organizations. Reavis Petty is moving from Columbus, Tennessee, where he has labored several years with the Mooresville Pike church, to Moorehead City, N.C., to assist the new church started there. Petty is in need of some additional support; and both the preacher and the field are deserving of such consideration It is a pity to see so many deserving men in need of support to enable them to go to fields wholly unable to furnish such. Yet this is the situation all over the country. In fact, there are far more places needing and asking for the help of faithful preachers than there are men to go; and in most of the few instances where there are the men ready and willing to go into these places, there is no sufficient financial support to go round for them. Truly the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few . Jimmy Thomas, who has labored so hard for five years in Knoxville, Tennessee, without anything like sufficient support or encouragement, has given up regular labor with the Island Home church. He will stay in Knoxville and go into the house building business. He will preach where he can in that area and hopes to start a church in Blount County where he has held two tent meetings and taught weekly home Bible studies. The work at Island Home has been disappointing in several ways. Perhaps Thomas is making the wise decision. Certainly no one can censure him for turning to secular employment for a proper livelihood. More and more men are doing this very thing. Who knows but that this may even yet be necessity for all faithful preachers and God's way of. helping us to rid ourselves of the professional preacher attitude so prevalent today — even among the so-called sound churches) Sometimes necessity is not only the "mother of invention," but the "mother" of study and reality as well! It seems like we must be more or less "forced" to study every practice and question before really coming to grips with it. These trying times should not discourage us unduly. By no means should we allow such to make us bitter and resentful. There is no reason for us to get excited or go wild in questioning everything. It is no time to lose our bearings! Indeed it is a time to really find our bearings and deal with reality and come to grips with any issue or problem. The old adage that "every cloud has a silver lining," is pretty well true. Out of this cloud of innovation and digression should come a purer people and a church patterned even more like the NT order There are yet many unsolved problems and questions — and I do not refer to those in the realm of the ones which can never be solved and are not really of value even if they could be. There are several subjects and numerous practices which deserve some serious and unbiased study. We must not be afraid to study and think; to re-examine our ground and be certain that what we teach and practice is based on truth, and not on what we have always heard or practiced. Are we, who have so pointedly urged that people be willing to change when they recognize they are wrong, afraid or unwilling to really honestly a practice or teaching for fear we will learn we have been wrong and must change? Sometimes I fear such to be the case. One of the sad facts that must be recognized by all of us is that within many of the churches which we speak of as "sound;" within the ranks or some of the new congregations started under the guise of fighting institutionalism, there are those who are not really converted. They are not really sound even on "the issues;" and there are too many who are sound only on "the issues." Brethren, our battle is far from won simply because we have seen our efforts result id the formation of numerous congregations over the country as these people came out of liberal churches under the pretense of forming sound churches. There is more to following the NT pattern than coming out of churches supporting institutionalism! And besides this we need to keep our eye on the NT pattern as we attempt this "restoration movement" and not let "the church of Christ teaching or practice" of ten, twenty, thirty or forty years ago become the norm for determining the correctness of our labors. Personally, I am just not interested in forming or building churches like they were before the present trouble over institutionalism! That is not the goal for which we should be working. It is not reformation we need; but a complete restoration of determination to become and be the church belonging to Christ Reuel Starling is now with the church in El Paso, Texas Herbert Frazer reports that Dean Bullock was in a meeting with the Olsen Park church in. Amarillo, Texas, in August. Visible results were two baptized and one restored. Truman Smith is now working with the church in Gladewater, Texas. Elmer Moore, Jr., is now laboring with the Wallisville Road church in Highlands, Texas As this article is being written, Hurricane Carla is just over. The full results of this disaster are not yet known, but the damage will be staggering. No doubt there will be great loss suffered by many of our brethren. Let us rise to the occasion and render to them every assistance possible. No doubt reports of their needs will be carried in this paper and all needed information concerning how to get the relief to the right places.
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What Next?
A feature article on the front page of the Christian Chronicle (Sept. 1) gives us another indication of the ridiculous extremes to which brethren have gone in employing gimmicks and worldly attractions to draw the crowds. The heading is: "Horned Toads From Texas Draw Canadians To VBS." In the write-up we are told that "Charles Davidson Of Abilene, Texas, in Windor recently to aid in a gospel meeting and vacation Bible School for the church of Christ used a unique method as an attention-getter." He took with him from Texas some horned toads and got "attention" with them. The gospel is no longer depended upon as the "attention-getter." Brethren all over the country are using gimmicks of all kinds to attract and draw people. If we can use horned toads as "attention-getters," then surely we could use nearly anything else — elephants, dogs, canaries, rats, clowns, races, shows, and what-have-you.
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The front page of the same CC mentioned above carried a picture of a large number of people who were in Nashville for the DLC Summer Lectureship. The caption of the picture was "Dinner on the Grounds." The article says that "one of the highlights of the DLC Summer Lectureship was the fellowship." This sort of fleshly appeal is quite an "attention-getter" within itself; and this is certainly the kind of "fellowship" most of the people want and expect now. This eating and drinking was "the fellowship" of this affair. Now-a-days when someone says, "Let's get a cup of coffee and a bite to eat," nearly all the brethren head for the church building or a college lectureship!
"The Triumph Of Faith"
The above is the title of a new commentary on Revelation. It was written by sister Willie Wallace Speck a sister in the flesh of Foy And Cled Wallace. This commentary follows the "Historical Approach" in the interpretation of this difficult book. It is written in simple style, with perhaps the average reader in mind; yet it is not without a scholarly bearing. It is a sensible commentary and avoids all speculative theories of millennialism. It is one of the most absorbing and reasonable treatments of Revelation from the "Historical View" that I have read. It would be well worth anyone's time and effort to read the book. Certainly anyone intending to make a serious study of Revelation should avail himself of the benefits of this commentary. The book has a hard cover with an attractive jacket The printing is clear and readable. It was published by The C.E.I. Stores, Inc., and sells for $3.95. It may be ordered from the publisher at Box 858, Athens, Alabama, or from the Gospel Guardian Foundation.
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From Arnold Hardin, Lancaster, Texas: Meetings this year have taken me to Calmont, Ft. Worth; Judson Road, Longview; and Crescent Park, Odessa, Texas. Meetings this Fall will take me to Southside, Midland (Sept 25 — Oct. 1); Red Bluff, Pasadena (Oct. 9 -15); Jordan, Ontario (Oct. 22 — Nov. 3); Owen Sound, Ontario (Nov. 5 -15); and Portales, N. M. (Dec. 4 - 12).
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S. R. Tipton, 4002 E. Monte Vista, Phoenix 8, Arizona: In the thirteen months that I have been with this congregation there have been ten baptisms, twelve restorations and nine families have placed membership with us. Also, two, have been withdrawn from by this congregation. The elders here are Godly men who love the truth, and it has been a pleasure to have the opportunity of working with them. It is their intention either to restore the ungodly and rebellious of this congregation, or else lead us in withdrawing fellowship from them.
The Ten Commandments Of The Social Gospel
1. Thou shalt preach only on pleasant subjects, never on anything that would offend.
2. Thou shalt make parties and entertainment a routine work of the church, for many are converted by this means.
3. Thou shalt never correct a brother when he sins, but always ignore the fact; correction brings hard feelings.
4. Thou shalt not withdraw fellowship from an impenitent brother, for that would cause confusion in the congregation.
5. Thou shalt always be on buddy-buddy and back-slapping relations with everyone, so non-Christians will assume that membership in the body of Christ involves nothing but fun and good times.
6. Thou shalt do everything possible to make the church popular with the world.
7. Thou shalt have thy preacher spend his time gabbing with the townsfolk rather than studying the word of God.
8. Thou shalt remember thy responsibility to royally entertain thy young people, in .order to keep them in the church.
9. Thou shalt always follow the pattern of the denominations, for its success proves it to be tried and true.
10. Thou shalt never preach the truth on church problems and issues during gospel meetings, non-Christians might get the notion of disunity.
These ten commandments of the social gospel, when followed exactingly, are guaranteed to cause large crowds. The advocates thereof should not be deterred by the fact that a_cangregation of the Lord's people following them will lose its identity as a church, fall into apostasy, and cause the members to be eternally lost.
— J. David Lawrence, via bulletin, Kilgore, Texas