Ontario Home Not Under Elders As Such
Several times of late, I have challenged the elders at Santa Ana, California, who were supposedly over Ontario Children's Home as elders, to give scriptural authority for their being over an institution which they admit "is not the church and can be no part of the church." Finally, in a letter of May 21, 1954, in answer to the question, they state: "We can give you a number of scriptures but we also believe one will suffice. 'And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world. Amen.' (Matt 28:18-20.)"
Although I fail to see a connection between the Great Commission and the authority of elders either in or out of a congregation, this is the passage used to try to justify their being over the Church of Christ Children's Home as elders. When I pressed this at Dana Point on January 25, 1955, with four of the Santa Ana elders present, they informed me that they did not claim to be over the Church of Christ Children's Home as elders, but as trustees only.
I do not know, nor have I been able to find out when these brethren changed their minds on this question, but evidently they have changed, for in the letter of May 21, 1954 they evidently believed they were over the home AS ELDERS and not as trustees only, else why the argument to show their authority to be over the home as elders?
Brother Fred Germany, superintendent of the home, evidently thought that it was under these men as elders, for he wrote: "We are very fortunate to have the GUIDANCE and OVERSIGHT of such capable and devout men as those who make up the ELDERSHIP of the Broadway and Walnut Church of Christ in Santa Ana." (Emphasis mine, F.E.) From THE VISITOR, Jan. 1954. The Visitor is the Home paper.
Again, on the stationary of the home, in the letterhead in bold letters is this statement: "UNDER SUPERVISION OF ELDERS, BROADWAY AND WALNUT CHURCH OF CHRIST, SANTA ANA." So the evidence is that Broadway thought the home was under the Santa Ana elders, else why these statements?
Brother Jack Bates, preacher at Broadway and Walnut evidently believed that they were over the home AS ELDERS on December 30, 1953, for he wrote in answer to a question I had asked about a board of advisors and the authority they had: "They have no authority except such as may be delegated to them from time to time by the board of directors, OR MY ELDERS. Their capacity is entirely one of advice and help." (Emphasis mine, F.E.) From this same letter, he also stated: "A new set of bylaws was drawn up and adopted, I believe, in June, 1951, specifying that directors required by state law should be THE ELDERS of one congregation. This automatically abolished the old board of directors made of brethren from different congregations." (Emphasis mine, F.E.) Again, from this same letter, he stated: "Your first question is: 'Do these brethren (the elders named) have full control over the hiring, disciplining, and supervising of the personnel who work at the home? The answer is: Yes. Brother Fred Germany as superintendent of the home exercises some of these functions subject of course, to the approval of MY ELDERS." (Emphasis mine, F.E.)
Now, on the church bulletin from Broadway and Walnut, dated February 6, 1955 is this statement: "Supervision of the CHURCH OF CHRIST CHILDREN'S HOME, San Antonio and Frances Streets, Ontario, California." This bulletin was put out exactly two weeks after the elders at Santa Ana informed me at Dana Point that they did not believe they were over the home as elders. It is also on their bulletin dated February 20, 1955.
Now, if these brethren no longer believe, and would no longer have others ERRONEOUSLY BELIEVE that they are over the home AS ELDERS, then why do they continue to send out bulletins with the statement that they are over it? If these brethren at Santa Ana will sign a statement to the effect that they do not believe (or have never believed) they are over the home AS ELDERS, but as TRUSTEES ONLY, and send it to the churches who are supporting the home, I will be happy to cut the stencils, buy the stationary, and supply the postage for mailing them to the various churches. Will they do it? They say they do not believe or claim to be over the home as elders. But most, if not all the contributing churches whose members did not hear the discussions at Santa Ana believe these brethren are over the home AS ELDERS. Are these brethren allowing these churches to continue to believe this in order that they will continue to send contributions to the home? Many will not contribute unless it is under elders.
However, be it known to all congregations in the west that the elders of the Broadway and Walnut Church in Santa Ana ARE NOT OVER THE CHURCH OF CHRIST CHILDREN'S HOME, NOR DO THEY CLAIM TO BE WHEN PRESSED PUBLICLY ON THE MATTER. They are over the home as trustees only.