WHAT 48 MEMBERS OF THE
CHURCH OF CHRIST BELIEVE

Would you suppose that 100% of Church of Christ folk would give top priority to preaching the grace and mercy of God, while only 35% would give top priority to the minister preaching on Sunday night? Would it surprise you that only 28% believe that instrumental music is forbidden by the Scriptures and that 61% see missionary societies as either optional or scriptural (only 7% believe them to be forbidden). Would you believe that 85% would not answer as true that “Denominational churches are outside the kingdom of God”? That the vast majority do not condone withdrawing fellowship from those who speak in tongues and that only 6% believe it to be sinful to break bread on a day beside Sunday?

The survey was conducted by Richard N. Ady, minister to the Sonoma Ave. Church of Christ in Santa Rosa, Ca., and the views are 48 of those in his congregation. I sat in on the session at the Pepperdine Lectureship where he reported his findings, and he permitted us to use them.

Most of the figures did not surprise me, but I would not have thought that far more (more than 90%) would object to women elders and even women serving the Communion than object to instrumental music and societies. And there was more objection to having women as deacons than to either organs or societies! And the women were responding as well as the men.

While we are hearing from only 48 people in one congregation, it is probable that the figures would not be greatly different if they were taken nationwide, though I would like to see this and am making some effort to have the same survey taken in “typical” Texas churches.

In many ways the results reveal what would be expected from bedrock conservative Church of Christ folk, such as a disapproval of the Equal Rights Amendment, euthanasia, and genetic engineering, but thunderous approval of capital punishment and tough laws against drunk driving. While they overwhelming believe in birth control, they strongly object to issuing contraceptives to unmarried girls. They disapprove of dancing, smoking marijuana (even for medicinal purposes), and smoking generally. They are overwhelmingly anti-abortion, except when the mother’s life is in danger, and almost 90% are opposed to laws protecting gays and lesbians.

None of these attitudes on social issues is surprising, but one would not suppose that only two of them would say that moderate drinking was forbidden (though almost half of them considered it “inadvisable”), while the bare majority saw it as “optional.” Not a single one approves of gambling and they are divided down the middle on Christians bearing arms.

On doctrine there are obviously a lot of dead issues in spite of efforts to keep them alive, such as instrumental music and societies. As we discussed the results in class I pointed out that it ought to say something to us that the very two issues that supposedly divided us from the Christian Church a century ago are now dead horses. No one seemed to protest the position taken at Ady’s church. The ones who heard the report would have apparently responded the same way.

They stand as one on the basics: there is one God, the Bible as the inerrant word of God, the one church, the one faith, baptism for the remission of sins (though five of them equivocated). Not a single one would say that demons are not active today and most believe that God still works miracles.

I was especially impressed that the two highest priority items were the Sunday morning assembly and the preaching of the grace of God. Our folks believe that they have a pre-arranged engagement with the Lord of glory in the Lord’s day assembly (not so much Sunday night), and this is very important to them. Equally important is that the love and grace of God be preached from the pulpit. They are tired of all the negative stuff, such as being denounced on Sunday a.m. for not being on hand the previous Wednesday night, or for being relieved of their teaching duties because they do not say precisely the right thing about instrumental music.

The Church of Christ leadership needs to sit up and take notice. The pew is far ahead of the pulpit and the people are more advanced in “pure and undefiled religion” than their elders.

At this point in time our people are still patient with a non-progressive and reactionary leadership, but in time they will demand something more, something better.

A hint from 48 of our sisters and brothers to the wise should be sufficient. And it is more than a hint. —the Editor