Anywhere, U.S.A. October 15, 1966
We, the elders of congregation "A", wish to register a complaint, and we feel perfectly justified in so doing. About a year ago we began talking about starting a congregation in a little town about twenty miles away. In fact, we have been wanting to do some mission work for a long time, but we just did not have the financial ability. It was about that time that we read Brother Tom Warren's "total situation" argument, and our "total situation" was completely changed. We took his advice. We visited the little town to "make a survey" of the "situation" there. We found only one block of property suitable for a meetinghouse. In our next business meeting we "assumed the oversight" of this work. But we had no money in the treasury and could not buy the property. The members here are poor and we immediately saw that we could raise no money. Since we had "assumed the oversight" of this work, that made it "exclusively our work." But we were "unable to do our own work." Then we remembered one of the "constituent elements" proved that other congregations "may send funds" to another congregation for the accomplishment of "her work." We sent out an appeal to the churches. Very few responded. Not nearly enough to buy the property.
Then It Happened!
Congregation "B", a neighboring congregation, jumped in and bought the property and are now erecting a meetinghouse on it. We wrote them a letter and explained that it is unscriptural for them to do a work which belongs "exclusively" to us; showing that "our work" was being done, and we were not exercising any "oversight" of it. They did not even show us the respect of answering our letter. That is the way with some congregations and elders: they think they can just go ahead and do any work they wish without consulting the elders of other congregations in the area.
Now, we have a little money (sent to us by other congregations) in the treasury with which to "do our own work," but another congregation is doing "our work." We don't know if we should send the money back or keep it and use it. We can't use it in the work for which it was sent. And it seems off key for us to use money sent to us by other congregations as we see fit. What a "situation"! We now have some money in our treasury over which we have no control or oversight.
We have decided that we will "assume the oversight" of another small community nearby and plant the cause there. It will become "exclusively our work." We will write the contributing congregations and ask them if it will be all right for us to use the money we have in our treasury to accomplish this other work which we have made "exclusively ours." Of course, many other congregations will have to assist us before we have the ability to go ahead with our work. We plead with sister congregations to respond quickly to this "great" need; especially since we have heard rumors that congregation "C" is about to take over "our work" in this small community. If other congregations do not come to our assistance, and congregation "C" does take over this work our situation will be astounding. And to make matters worse, some "meddling Preachers" are now telling us that we have a "total situation" the "elements" of which are not "scriptural." The whole situation is so confusing that we hardly know what the "situation" is, much less if the "constituent elements" are scriptural. Some of our members are praying for some rich brother to will us an irrigated farm with a few oil wells on it. Others are causing division by saying that we did not have the "authority" to "assume the oversight" of a work "beyond our ability" to accomplish (we have marked them as "antis" and, Sommerites"). We, the elders, have just about decided to ignore the "total situation" and point out that to plant the Cause in other places is a "Good work." However, we are waiting on this until we hear from Brother Tom Warren. We have written him and requested that he conjure up a "syllogism," "total situation," or some "constituent elements" or just anything to get us out of this "situation."
Hopefully,
Elders Of Congregation "A"
By: Lloyd Moyer, amanuensis El Cerrito, California