E. V. Pullias Affiliates With Christian Church
(Editor's Note: The following article was sent to us accompanied by a request from the elders of the Central Church of Christ, the Lincoln Street Church of Christ, and Wisteria Church of Christ, all in Bakersfield, that it be published. Some of these elders attended the service in the Norris Road Christian Church in which brother Pullias preached. They certify the truth of the following report.)
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During November the Church of Christ, 1431 Lincoln Street, Bakersfield, California, where I preach, conducted a meeting with brother G. K. Wallace doing the preaching. This meeting had been extensively advertised for some time before it began. During the first week of our series the Norris Road Christian Church in this city conducted a Lectureship in opposition to our meeting. In order to counteract the influence of the church and brother Wallace, they planned their meeting to run at the same time as ours. They advertised the meeting in one of our local papers and advertised E. V. Pullias as a featured speaker. Brother Pullias is Dean of George Pepperdine College of Los Angeles.
Brother Pullias had been in Bakersfield at other times and knew what the Norris Road Christian Church is and what it stands for. He spoke at the opening service of the new building of the Central Church of Christ, 630 California Avenue, Bakersfield. By bringing brother Pullias to Bakersfield at this time the Christian Church thought to destroy the influence of the loyal congregation and of brother Wallace.
The Norris Road Christian Church in Bakersfield is associated with W. L. Jessup, president of San Jose Bible College, a Christian Church school. Brother Pullias joined with Earnest Beam and Jessup in this meeting in opposition to ours.
Brother Pullias accepted the invitation of the Christian Church here in Bakersfield, and worshipped with them as they used their mechanical music. Two elders of one of the congregations of the Church of Christ, meeting at Warren and Wisteria, this city, went to see what Pullias would do. They state that brother Pullias went along with the digressives in their vain worship, and thus encouraged them in their false way. After he preached, the invitation was extended for men to unite with the Christian Church.
This meeting cannot be excused by anyone on the ground that it was a school meeting—in interest of education. It was neither a civic nor a school meeting. It was a religious revival meeting planned and conducted by the Christian Church in opposition to our meeting. It may be that brother Pullias did not know of our meeting, but the Christian Church did, and planned their meeting at the same time as ours. However, brother Pullias did know that the Norris Road Church was a Christian Church. He was acquainted with Warren Wheatland, Pastor. Wheatland's son is attending George Pepperdine College, and that was one excuse offered by brother Pullias for coming for the meeting with them. Brother Pullias came here knowing full well that the Christian Church stands opposed to that for which the Church of Christ stands. Brother Pullias has definitely shown that he prefers the Christian Church to the Church that Jesus built. No amount of reasoning and explaining can erase the harm that he has brought to the cause of Christ in this city. The leaders of the faithful churches join together in expressing regrets that brother Pullias would lend his influence to the Christian Church in opposition to the Church of our Lord in this community, and our meeting. We deeply regret that he worshipped with the use of mechanical music. If he can worship with the mechanical instruments of music once and be right, why not another time, and another, and all the time? If an invitation for people to become members of the Christian Church one time is right, why not another, and another, and all the time?