Letter to Christians

By L. E. Ketcherside

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     Dear Brethren: By the time this letter reaches you, I will have passed the 67th milestone of my life, and the year 1956 will be a matter of history. As you read this letter, perhaps you will say, "L. E. is now an old man, and like many other old men, has become a carping critic of everything and everybody." Let that be as it may, I beg of you to seriously consider what I will say in my last letter of the year.

     Today, after 45 years with the church of Christ, I am asking myself many questions, such as, Why am I with this community of people? Why am I preaching the gospel of Christ? What special training for the work of an evangelist did I receive, and who gave me that training? Are there not others that could do much more than I have ever done in the Master's work? Well, I will tell you truthfully, brethren, I have never had any "special training" to fit me for preaching the gospel. My love for dying souls impelled me to do what I could to bring truth to them. My first effort at teaching was in the front room of our home. When that room would no longer accommodate the audience, we moved out on the lawn, and next to a rented residence. I was not ashamed to speak to my neighbor about Christ. While working with my own hands to support my family, I talked to my "buddies" in the mining industry about my Lord. I immersed several of them. One is now a member of the Farmington congregation, and others are yet living. Many younger men are preaching the gospel today as an indirect result of my efforts in those days.

     Why am I relating my experiences to you at this time? For this reason. If I may judge from the many letters I have received during the past 12 months, the average congregation and individual feels that such an effort today would either be futile or impossible. There were those in my day who felt the same way. There were men in the congregation far more capable than myself, who were ready to "assist" a group that was already going , that never did go out and bring a group together.

     I like to see men well prepared for every phase of the Lord's work. But, who will prepare them? ONLY THOSE WHO LOVE THE LORD ENOUGH TO PREPARE THEMSELVES TO PREPARE OTHERS. Brethren, with all of the wonderful books available to us today, there is positively no excuse for the situations prevailing in the congregations of the Lord. Many congregations have existed for more than a century that have never

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developed a man to do the work of an evangelist. Many others are without material for elderships. Many are without competent leadership. These situations are most deplorable, but not fatal. They can be overcome by those who are determined to overcome them. To accomplish this task real vision -- not television, is required. Work will have to take the place of doubt and lethargy. People of today are as intellectual as were the people of 50 and 100 years ago. We just need determination such as they had.

     When you go into a home or meetinghouse and find a large number of good tracts or circulars laying soiled and crumpled you can be assured by that sight that that congregation is not making the spiritual growth that is best for either themselves or the community in which they live. Brethren are frequently asking me for an estimate of the percentage of the tracts I hand out that are really read by those receiving them. When brethren are engaging the services of a preacher for their "annual revival," or to tickle their vanity once or twice per month, do they ever ask that preacher for an estimate of the number of the non- members he expects to come hear his sermons? They do not! Most of them are not concerned about what happens to the non-member just so long as they are having their ears tickled.

     Experience has fully convinced me that from ten to twenty times the number of people will read the message contained in a good tract than will come out to hear a preacher impart the same information from the pulpit. 1,000 tracts will cost me from $6 to $10. A two or three weeks meeting will cost a congregation from two to three hundred dollars. Is the spoken word more powerful than the written word? If people cannot be persuaded to hear the gospel orally, is it folly to withhold from them the written word? Brethren, let us apply ourselves to reading, meditation and prayer as we have never done before. Search out wholesome reading matter for your neighbor and friend, AND GIVE IT TO THEM! Our present situation will continue until we decide to do something about it. Service -- not moaning, will get best results. Can God depend on you? Why not?