WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE IN OTHER CHURCHES?
Doug Hale

I have painfully learned that the greatest sin one can commit insofar as the Church of Christ is concerned is to believe that there are Christians in other denominations. Adultery can be forgiven, drunkenness tolerated, and pride scarcely noticed, but accepting Baptists, Presbyterians and Episcopalians as brethren is virtually unpardonable. This intolerance has raised a question in my mind. If these people are not Christians, just what are they?

They are not atheists because they believe in God and worship Him. They are not pagans because they reject idols and other false gods, and they try to serve the one, true, and living God. They are not unbelievers because they believe in Jesus as the Son of God. Their faith is demonstrated in many ways all over the world.

Certainly it is not a matter of them being too stupid to understand the Bible. These people have provided great biblical scholars, and many of us in the Church of Christ study their works. Such scholars as William Barclay, R.C.H. Lenski, G. Campbell Morgan, John Stott, and Francis Schaeffer have had a tremendous impact on our teaching and preaching.

It is not that they are dishonest. The sincerity of their faith is seen in their willingness to sacrifice everything for the cause of Christ. Who is more devoted than Mother Teresa? Some of the most devoted people I know come from what we call “the denominations.”

So, if none of these designations fit, just who are these people in other churches? I would like to be so bold as to suggest that they are our brothers and sisters who are in error about some things.

The Calvinistic Baptist is my brother or sister—in error about some things.

The unimmersed Methodist is my brother or sister—in error about some things.

The tongue-speaking Pentecostal is my brother or sister—in error about some things.

The organ-playing Disciple of Christ is my brother or sister—in error about some things.

The popish Roman Catholic is my brother or sister—in error about some things.

And to be honest I must add: The legalistic member of the Church of Christ is my brother or sister—in error about some things.

We are all in error about some things! What is crucial is that we not be in error about Jesus Christ.

Anyone who claims to be without error claims to be perfect. Let us extend the same grace to others that we want them to extend to us.

This does not mean that I endorse or approve of the error that these people believe and practice. It does not mean that I approve of denominationalism. But it does mean that we have one significant thing in common—the essential thing—faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died for our sins and was raised from the grave alive.

Having Jesus Christ as the Lord of our lives we can work together toward a more perfect unity in Him.

(This testimonial will impress you even more when you know that Doug Hale is esteemed by those who know him as one of the finest young preachers in the Church of Christ. He was fired from the congregation he served in Lubbock amidst a successful ministry when he treated a Methodist gentleman, who came with his member wife, as if he were a Christian. His dismissal upset and discouraged a growing church. He now works with a more open Church of Christ in Portales, N. M.—Editor)