Brother Meyer's "Change"
On another page in this issue we publish a most interesting statement by Brother Jack Meyer Sr. of Birmingham, Alabama. For many years Brother Meyer has been a strong champion of the position held by the Firm Foundation — i.e. a "brotherhood orphanage under an eldership," and has vigorously opposed the position advanced and defended by the Gospel Advocate, that is, a "brotherhood orphanage under a board of directors." Bible students, of course, recognize that BOTH positions are in error, and both of them are simply ways or methods of activating the church universal.
Brother Meyer now publicly repudiates his Firm Foundation error and publicly espouses his Gospel Advocate error. This will no doubt be sad news to Brother Reuel Lemmons, Brother Roy Lanier and a great number of others who still cling to the Firm Foundation position. One by one they are seeing their staunchest men flop over to the Gospel Advocate side — Guy N. Woods, Sterl Watson, G. K. Wallace, and now Jack Meyer. Brother Woods used to be on the pay-roll of the Firm Foundation (writing some of their Sunday School literature) and at that time there could not be found a stronger opponent anywhere of the "home under a board of directors" arrangement as witness his ACC lecture of 1939. So strongly did he hold these convictions that he even let his teaching slip into the early writings he did when he switched from the Firm Foundation payroll to the Gospel Advocate payroll as witness his G. A. literature of 1946. But not for long! He soon saw the light and changed — and has denied heatedly ever since that he has changed.
Somehow we respect Jack Meyer's blunt statement more. He has abandoned his Firm Foundation position, and says so in no uncertain terms. For two years he has engaged in an intensive re-study of the issues involved and has finally "seen the point" and comes forth with the simply astounding discovery that "It is the responsibility of the church to provide, supply, or furnish the means whereby the needy may be cared for. After the means for the care of the needy have been provided by the church, that care must still be given. This care may be provided for in the original home of the needy if it still exists, or in another private home which has taken the needy ones in, or in a substitute home which has been set up by individuals for the purpose of caring for the needy."
We say that discovery by Brother Meyer is ASTOUNDING!
He is a mature man, well past the half-century mark of life. He has been preaching the gospel for perhaps thirty-five years, and has labored with some of the finest churches in the nation.
And the GREAT TRUTH he has just now discovered after all these years is a simple thing, taught to this writer and to all others who listened in the FRESHMAN Bible classes taught by H. Leo Boles at Lipscomb College during all the years of his tenure there! We have not a doubt in the world that that is where Brother John D. Cox "discovered" the same truth, for we have almost the identical wording of his statement in some of our class notes from Boles' teaching . . . . and Brother Cox took the course.
If you will look at the statement, you will see that it is THE CHURCH which has the responsibility; it is THE CHURCH which is to provide the means; it is THE CHURCH which is to supply the means; it is THE CHURCH which is to furnish the means of caring for the needy. The Bible does not specify any "method of care;" therefore THE CHURCH has the right to select, use, employ, or provide whatever "method of care" she may deem expedient.
It certainly should not take a Solomon to see that THE CHURCH had no right to abandon, surrender, relinquish or delegate her responsibility to a "Board of Directors" in the field of benevolence than she has to abandon, surrender, relinquish or delegate her responsibility to a "Board of Directors" in the field of evangelism. It is the Gospel Advocate error (which Brother Meyer has now espoused) that THE CHURCH can indeed abandon, surrender, relinquish and delegate her responsibility to the field of benevolence to a "Board of Directors."
It is the Firm Foundation error that THE CHURCH can abandon, surrender, relinquish and delegate her responsibility in the field of benevolence to a "Board of Directors" ONLY if each member of that "Board is an elder in the same congregation with all the other members of the Board.
Brother Meyer has now abandoned the Firm Foundation error and adopted the Gospel Advocate error. Both errors, of course, are simply ways or means of activating the church universal. So far neither the Advocate nor the Foundation has been willing to accept the logical and inescapable conclusion to their premise and defend the right of churches to delegate their responsibility to a "Board of Directors" in the field of evangelism — not yet, but they are rapidly approaching it!
For instance, Brother Meyer has long been an ardent promoter of "Herald of Truth" — BECAUSE IT WAS UNDER AN ELDERSHIP. Will he now accept the certain corollary of his new position and urge congregations to contribute to "Gospel Press," which is NOT under an eldership? It will be interesting to see.
At any rate, we offer our condolences, for whatever they may be worth, to the Firm Foundation over the loss of their stalwarts, and warn them that unless they begin to do a little proselyting and pressuring themselves, they are going to lose more and more disciples to "Old Reliable." For as between the two errors, the Gospel Advocate with her political tie-in with the schools, orphanages, and other "brotherhood" activities offers a far more enticing and inviting alliance than does the Firm Foundation.
Meanwhile, those faithful Christians who are content to follow the simple Bible teaching will still insist that "It is the responsibility of THE CHURCH to provide, supply, or furnish the means whereby the needy may be cared for. After the means for the care of the needy have been provided BY THE CHURCH, the care must still be given. This care may be provided for in the original home of the needy if it still exists, or in another private home which has taken the needy ones in, or in a substitute home which has been set up by individuals for the purpose of caring for the needy." And they will earnestly contend that THE CHURCH dare not delegate her responsibility in this matter of benevolence to any "Board of Directors," any more than she dare surrender her evangelistic obligations to a "Board of Directors."