No Paper Next Week
We issue no paper the first week in July, but will be back with you as usual the following week. Bound Volumes are now being mailed out. We must have your order if you want one, as we are not able to accept "standing orders."
"As Others See Us"
Probably all of us have at some time in life shared fully in Robert Burns' fervent wish that some power would the "giftie" give us to see ourselves as others see us. Well, the news pages of a recent issue of Christianity Today, one of the most influential and widely circulated (over 200,000) religious Journals in the nation, gave a fleeting glimpse of how we of the churches of Christ must appear to "others." The glimpse is both revealing and disturbing. We reproduce the news story on the front page of this issue, omitting one brief section having to do with the historical kinship of the Churches of Christ with the Disciples of Christ.
We opine that most readers of the Gospel Guardian will have long since, in their own thinking, disassociated themselves from the obviously "denominational" aspects and atmosphere of an event like the Abilene Christian College lectureship. As the news story says, this "annual event is as close as the Churches of Christ come to holding a denominational convention." And those who are not on the "inside" of the denominational thinking are neither welcomed nor wanted at these yearly festivals. No provision is made at all for the presentation of any "contrary" or opposition points of view; no time is allotted and no sympathy shown for those faithful Christians who are interested in Abilene Christian College as a secular school, but who deplore and oppose its ever-growing influence (and more often than not baneful influence) among the churches.
The thing that intrigued (and disturbed) us, however, about the story in Christianity Today was the ability of the reporter to see the workings, the influence, and the united front of a great and aggressive denomination (panel discussions, teaching classes, fellowship dinners, missionary reports, forums and musical programs, along with church and commercial exhibits) — and the total inability of our own brethren to recognize any such denominational implications! For we doubt not at all that their protestations, denials, and disavowals of "denominational" status were honest and sincere. They truly do NOT think of themselves as denominational, as, indeed, the Baptists of more conservative and fundamental flavor hotly deny that they are a denomination.
But how far would the ACC lectureship have to move to become a "convention of the Churches of Christ"? Must there be a formal organization? with delegates, constitution, by-laws, recognized denominational agencies and officials, and accepted parliamentary procedure? One of the most subtle of all deceptions is that in which one practices a thing, while denying with every breath that there is any such thing! And the tragic aspect of this is that the one practicing the thing may be wholly honest and sincere. Being self-deceived, he is incapable of judging what is happening.
But those "on the outside" are not quite so blinded. They recognize the de facto operations of a denomination, no matter how loud the protestation that "Churches of Christ are absolutely autonomous!" That statement is not so. At least, not in fact. For right in Abilene there are congregations which have been subjected to tremendous pressures to "line up" with the party and promotions given the green light by those in charge. We speak from personal experience, for this writer three or four years ago attended a "mass meeting" of elders, members, and preachers of various Abilene churches of Christ, which convened on the campus of Abilene Christian College, and was presided over by one of the faculty members of Abilene Christian College — which meeting was called to discuss ways and methods for removing the eldership of one of the Abilene churches! No public announcement was made of the meeting, and we learned of it only by accident — and attended without being invited (and were recorded the welcome one might surmise from the circumstances).
We believe there is much food for thought in bro. Lemmons' opinion that the conservative Christian Churches and the "on the march" liberal Churches of Christ will be coming closer together in the years ahead. Why should they not? In fact, discerning students in the Christian Churches have recognized for nearly a decade now that the "sponsoring church" arrangement (as they operate) with the increasing number of affiliated organizations and agencies have effectively removed the "society question" from the list of barriers separating the two groups. That discussion is academic, and will have to do with semantics rather than facts. About the only remaining problem is that of instrumental music. And once the "ecumenical spirit" of which Lemmons speaks has a bit more time to work, we believe it highly likely that some sort of compromise can be worked out even on this question. The use of instrumental music among the Churches of Christ in church weddings, funerals, "fellowship meetings" and Vacation Bible Schools will help ease the tension. And perhaps agreement and fellowship can be effected along the lines proposed by the late Ernest Beam in his suggestion that each congregation decide for itself whether it will, or will not, have instrumental music in its worship.
Such a joining of forces is a thing devoutly to be desired by all of us. The Christian Churches would want it, for they are traditionally "ecumenical" in attitude; our "on the march" brethren certainly would be pleased, for this would be a tremendous step forward in extending the "Church of Christ" programs and promotions throughout the world. And those of us who care only to serve God, and have no interest in promoting any kind of super or spectacular project will certainly welcome the union. For it will draw even more sharply the line of demarcation between simple Christians and our more "organization-minded" brethren, thus providing an easier and simpler choice for honest and humble people to make.
A recent "History of the Churches of Christ in Texas" by Dr. S. D. Eckstein estimates that there are about 2450 of the "on the march" (not his phrase) Churches of Christ in Texas and probably 150 congregations who have opposed the organizational trend. We suspect his figures are not too badly off. Our own estimate of the conservative congregations would be a bit closer to 200 than the 150. BUT (and this is a hopeful aspect of the picture) if the rapid rush into denominational status exemplified by the ACC lectureships, the Herald of Truth, Gospel Press and other such projects and promotions will continue for another ten years as it has for the past decade, there are probably several hundred of the smaller churches in which enough conservative strength is left to cause them to "get off the bandwagon." And there are 500 to 1,000 towns and cities in Texas in which new, conservative congregations can be and will be started! In fact, we have learned of no less than five such new congregations in process of getting under way right now. More power to them! The fight our fathers made for the truth and righteousness is facing us again. Let us neither falter nor fail.