The Organization Church
In the religious section of Time Magazine, April 7, 1961, appears a very interesting article describing the modern churches as seen by Gibson Winter, an Episcopalian, and discussing the main issue as being that of an "Organization Church." Among other timely statements is the following: "....a church that is not centered in its creed.... but in activities and organizations ranging from nursery schools to softball teams." As if this were not enough to bring a blush to our brethren who are so concerned with what the "nations round about" are doing, the article continues: "Like many a Christian critic before him, author Winter pillories the suburban church's frenetic busyness — its elaborate fund raising, telephoning, canvassing, cooking — but he brings to it a new insight in his suggestion that all this has become a Protestant "system of penance.... Members atone for their guilt by performing unpleasant tasks for the organization..."
There are many timely and interesting statements made by this denominational writer on the subject of "social gospel" church activities. One, in particular, stands out to my mind and is well worth remembering. "The Church-as-Ministry, or the Church-as-Mission, the only obedient and true form of the Church." I wonder if our liberal brethren do not need to consider the fact that we in God's Church have been pleading for this for many years. Brethren, how can you plead for this in one breath and plead for the "organization church" in the next?
But, listen to what Mr. Winter recommends for the preachers: "Fling him into his office, tear the "office" sign from the door and nail on the sign study. Take him off the mailing list, lock him up with his books — get him all kinds of books — and his typewriter and his Bible. Set a time lock on him that will imprison him with thought and writing about God for 40 hours a week Shut his garrulous mouth spouting "remarks" and stop his tongue always tripping over everything non-essential. (I wonder if the present "issues" would not dissolve if certain garrulous mouths were not spouting remarks about those self-confessed "non-essentials"?) Bend his knees in the lonesome valley, fire him from the P.T.A. and cancel his country club membership.... Rip out his telephone, burn his ecclesiastical success sheets, refuse his glad hand, put water in his community buggy and compel him to be a minister of the Word."
Brethren, it is certainly a shame and a reflection on the Church that a denominational preacher has reached such conclusions when so many of our own are crying, "We can't let the denominations get ahead of us!" It looks to me that they are already ahead in clear thinking and understanding of the basic problems in religious matters today.
The mission of the Church is to make God's wisdom known. (Eph. 3:10) It is the Church that is charged with the responsibility of preaching the gospel to the world. (Ezek. 3:17-21; 33:1-8; Matt. 28-18-19; Mk. 16:15-16) That gospel which was preached on Pentecost is still all-sufficient. (Acts 2) It is still God's power to save. (Rom. 1:16; I Cor. 15:1-2) The only organization through which God's work may be done is His church, His local congregation having elders, deacons and saints. (Phil. 1:1) It is no graver a transgression to go beyond the oracles of God (I Pet. 4:11) in the matter of organization than in doctrine. Either comes under His condemnation. Either is an attempt to make ourselves to be God: (II Thes. 2:3-12; I Tim. 4:1-3; II Tim. 4:1-8)
The restoration movement was started to get men away from denominational organizations who were more interested in their "good works" than in the gospel of Christ. May I ask our liberal brethren one question: If you are now set on having the identical "good works" and the denominations are seeing the error of their ways and coming out of them, which is more nearly the true Church?
I do not intend to write much, if any, more about the so-called "issues". We have spent too much time doing so already. The time and effort spent on debating the "issues" have never touched the basic and underlying one. The present digression is simply a question of authority. How much authority does the Bible have? Let our liberal friends (In Atoka, they are saying that we are not Brethren so I hope that we can at least be friends) tell us plainly just how they regard the authority of the Word of God.
Let's get away from the "issues" and get back to converting the world to Christ.