OUR CHANGING WORLD

 

In a recent issue of Image Charles Hodge observed that as people change, motivated by conviction rather than by conditioning, they will become less judgmental of others and more critical of themselves. Hardly anything would do as much for Churches of Christ than for this suggestion, coming from one of our most respected ministers, to be taken seriously. We are badly in need of critical introspection and self-examination. It is surely a sound thesis that the more Christlike we become the less judgmental of others we will be. Brother Hodge has answered a critical question, What must the Churches of Christ do to be saved?

In a recent article that took note of a growing openness of fellowship among Churches of Christ, especially in reference to unity efforts with Christian Churches, Mission recommended that recognition should be given to the pioneering efforts of Carl Ketcherside and Leroy Garrett. The writer suggested with apparent seriousness that Abilene Christian University should give honorary degrees to these men. While I try to heed the wisdom of William James and “imagine foreign states of mind,” I have difficulty conjuring up a mental image of ACU conferring an honorary degree on Carl Ketcherside. And I have even greater difficulty imagining Carl accepting an honorary degree from ACU or any other college! A university that fires an honored science teacher for attending the wrong church and has a problem in being candid about what is taught in its biology department concerning evolution is not yet ready to provide the moral leadership required in encouraging Churches of Christ to listen to those who call for change. But this is not really within the province of any college. Let the church honor its prophets if they are to be honored. But the Mission article was nonetheless gracious, and, certainly in the case of Carl Ketcherside, appropriate and an honor in itself, much more than an honorary degree could ever be, which at best is a rather shallow thing.

The Overtown Church of Christ in Miami, a black congregation, has issued a letter of withdrawal of fellowship from Ivory James, Jr. and Leroy Garrett. I am included because I stood up with Ivory when he was assaulted by his own black brethren. Among the charges is that we believe there are Christians in churches other than Churches of Christ and that instrumental music should not be made a test of fellowship. The bull is signed by the elders of the Overtown church, a congregation that I have never even visited, much less held membership. My understanding of Church of Christ polity, which is of course the same as what the Bible teaches, is that a person is responsible only to the congregation where he has membership. If a church does not formally or officially receive one into its fellowship, then it cannot expel one from its membership. Ivory can be disciplined only by his own congregation, which is in Riviera Beach, Florida, and I only by the congregation in Denton, Texas where I am a member. If the church in Miami has the right to excommunicate someone living in Texas, why not California and New York as well, or the entire world for that matter? That makes Miami the Holy See with power to loose and bind anywhere. But taking the bull for what it says, they are obliged to withdraw from the majority of folk in Churches of Christ, for most of our people believe there are Christians besides those in Churches of Christ, and while they choose to remain acappella in singing they do not believe that the use of an instrument should be made a test of fellowship. But here we have one more sign that the black Church of Christ is somewhere back in the 1930’s or 1940’s. But even they are doing some changing, otherwise they would not have to be issuing bulls of excommunication. No one kicks a dead horse.

In his California Letter, which you can get by writing to Box 811, Corcoran, CA 93212, J. James Albert, who works among the non-class, one-cup churches (I think I have that right) names three traits of the legalist, whom he continually seeks to introduce to the grace of God: (1) He trusts in himself rather than in God; (2) He is a faultfinder; (3) He seeks to domineer. The editor sees legalism as the deluding ministry of Satan.

While Churches of Christ remain among those denominations that have done little to liberate women from second-class citizenship in the church, there are a few signs of hope. The entire issue of a recent Strategy, published by the ACU Center of Missions Education, was given over to “Single Women on the Mission Field.” All the testimonials are from women who are or have been in the mission field. One of them writes, “There are tremendous blessings in store for any woman who decides to do some mission work,” which doesn’t sound exactly like us.