Concerning Church Names
Several brethren have speculated as to what sort of name or names our liberal brethren might finally adopt for the denominational church they are now in process of creating. We had given the matter little thought, assuming that they would continue to refer to their congregations as "Churches of Christ," much like the digressives of the instrumental music stripe have done.
But events have lately begun to indicate that we may have been wrong on that guess. Clippings sent us from a newspaper in Panama City, Florida, had the following interesting development: One week the paper listed on its church page the congregations like this:
Church of Christ — C. C. Arquitt minister, Beck Avenue at 17th Street, (St. Andrew).
Springfield Church of Christ — Hugh H. Tucker, Jr., minister, 3129 E. 5th Street.
Church of Christ — Preston C. Brown, minister, Michigan Avenue north of Drummond Park.
Palo Alto Church of Christ — Jack E. Black, minister, 901 E. Hwy 98.
Parker — Robert E. Myers, minister.
The next week the following listing appeared under the "Church of Christ" heading.
St. Andrew Church of Christ (Cooperating And In Fellowship) — C. C. Arquitt, Minister.
Springfield Church of Christ — (Cooperating And In Fellowship) — Hugh H. Tucker, Minister.
Church of Christ — Preston G. Brown, minister, Michigan Avenue.
Palo Alto Church of Christ (Cooperating And In Fellowship) — Jack E. Black, Minister.
Parker Church of Christ (Cooperating And In Fellowship)
It seems fairly obvious that some of these liberal brethren had a brainstorm between Sundays and "thought up" a new name for their congregations. Either they forgot to notify Brother Preston Brown of the Michigan Avenue church; or else they notified him and he did not want to go along with the "new name."
Some months ago we carried the picture of a church sign erected by a Herald of Truth congregation in Missouri , in which they advertised themselves as "Church of Christ — Cooperative." And there is that famous sign out in Morton, Texas, erected by the liberal faction there in which they advertise themselves as the "Fellowshipping And Good Works Church of Christ." Only recently in Nacogdoches, Texas, (now the editor's home town, incidentally) a little faction out in the country have bought a lot in town and propose to erect a building on it. They have erected a sign on the vacant lot announcing this as the future site of their congregation, and then boldly and fearlessly declare: "We support Widows And Orphans."
Well, maybe we have been wrong about these brethren in supposing they would not get themselves a new name. Looks like they may be working in that direction. More power to them in that effort!
"Anti"
And, meanwhile, since they insist on dubbing simple churches of Christ as "anti," maybe faithful brethren will begin to erect some signs explaining just what it is that they are "anti." As for example, "Church of Christ — Anti Sin," or "Church of Christ — Anti Fertilizer Tank Fraud," or "Church of Christ — Anti Boonerism."
Do these "anti" names strike you as being a bit fatuous and more than a little stupid? Well, they do us, too.
And so do the "Cooperating And In Fellowship," "Cooperative," and "Fellowshipping and Good Works" gambits! If any eccentric millionaire with a droll sense of humor ever decides to offer a prize for polysaturated asininity in church advertising, we think some of these liberal brethren will take the prize hands down. Their antics are embarrassing even to many of their own liberal cohorts. But it all finally winds back to the old, old principle so often enunciated by our forefathers: "If you can't call it by a scriptural name, it very likely is not a scriptural concept." And the emergence of a new denomination may well call for the invention of a new name by which to know it.
— F. Y. T.