Restoration Review, Vol. 31, No. 4, April 1989

OUR CHANGING WORLD

The Richardson East Church of Christ has announced that it will sponsor a series of Christian music concerts on Friday evenings this spring and summer. They see this as an effective way to serve and to reach out to the community and to provide wholesome entertainment for the family. They believe that both their values and their message can be conveyed in this way.

There is one church listed in Where The Saints Meet: A Directory of the Congregations of the Churches of Christ by the odd symbol of "A.D. 70." The key explains that this means that they believe that the Lord's coming and kingdom prophecies were fulfilled in A.D. 70. Now comes an announcement by that church, the Parkman Rd. Church of Christ in Warren, Oh., that they are conducting a "Covenant Eschatology Seminar" in July. which will be the first of an annual series. They say this may be the first seminar of its kind, "from the perspective of interpreting 'the last things' within a first-century framework of covenantal change." This church has supported this position, whatever it is, for almost 30 years, under the leadership of Max R. King. It is one more example of the great diversity within Churches of Christ.

Chester Woodhall is a Church of Christ missionary in Zambia, Africa. He now and again sends reports of life-threatening situations at his mission station. The latest is a report of his being accosted by armed bandits at the entrance of his mission. He escaped by quickly reversing his pickup and speeding away. Most of us do not encounter such problems in going to church.

Integrity is this year celebrating its 20th anniversary of publication with some special features. You would do well to read this challenging journal. You can have your name added to the mailing list by writing them at 2919 Lafayette Ave., Lansing, Mi. 48906.

The Brookline (Mass.) Church of Christ has issued a statement as to why women participate in the public worship of that congregation more than in most Churches of Christ. They see it as a matter of being "faithful to the Word and to our context." Appealing to the principle of congregational autonomy, which Churches of Christ have long defended, they believe they have the right to be different. They say, "Brookline seeks to use the gifts God has given us without regard to gender because we have found two distinct imperatives that compel us to do so." The first imperative is that "There is no such thing as male or female in Christ," as per Gal. 3:28. The second imperative is that the passages restricting women's ministry (1 Cor. 14 and I Tim. 2) are to be understood in the context of their communities and are not to be taken literally in other contexts. They say that they value their tradition as a Church of Christ and that their decision is in accord with the best of that tradition.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has issued statistics to the effect that they lost 39,551 members in 1987. Those received by profession of faith declined by 3,000 from the previous year. While they have two fewer presbyteries and five fewer congregations from the year before, they have 234 additional ministers. And giving was up by almost $14 million. Isn't it remarkable that they can keep such records and are willing to share them with the public?