A Muddled Movement

W. Carl Ketcherside

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     It was my good fortune recently to conduct a study in Odessa, Texas. This is a thriving city in the rich Permian Oil Basin. A few years ago it was a small western ranch town, but in two decades it has had a mushroom growth. It is just now becoming somewhat adjusted after a period of "growing pains." My purpose, however, is not to describe the region, but to point up a condition among those who are heirs of the nineteenth century restoration movement. Odessa presents a sad picture that is becoming typical of many regions. It illustrates graphically what happens when the party spirit invades the hearts of those who are the religious descendants of a movement inaugurated to unite all believers in our Lord Jesus, upon a common ground.

     The disciple brotherhood is represented in Odessa by two groups, one of the instrumental, and the other the non-instrumental segment. Those who use the instrument in their public praise service, are in turn divided into three congregations, neither of which has any real fraternization with the others. The First Christian Church is allied with "The Disciples of

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Christ." It is accused by the others of being a Liberal group. The other two, for want of better descriptive terms, and for purpose of distinction, could probably be labeled as Conservative and conservative Conservative, the degree being somewhat greater in the latter. I deplore labels among brethren, but it is difficult to write about such a situation without employing them.

     There is no recognition of common ground or heritage upon the part of the non-instrument groups toward the aforementioned. One minister of the Christian Church told me he immersed a young man who later married a "Church of Christ girl." Since the bride could not conscientiously attend with the husband, his preacher suggested to the latter to go with her. The husband was informed that "The Church of Christ" did not recognize "Christian Church baptism" so the man was forced to come forward and confess in the presence of "The Church of Christ" that he believed Jesus was the Christ, and God's Son, whereupon he was immersed with "Church of Christ baptism."

     Another Christian Church preacher informed me of a consecrated young wife whom he immersed, but who later moved with her family to a nearby town, where she began to attend "The Church of Christ." The minister of this congregation visited her and convinced her that since the Christian Church was a sect, they could not baptize for the remission of sins, so she made the confession once more and was immersed "according to the Bible."

     A preacher for "The Church of Christ" volunteered to me that he had a great burden upon his heart for the Conservative Christian Church preachers, and felt the time might come when many of them could be "converted." I asked him if he regarded them as brethren, and he hastened to assure me he did not, and would as soon call on a Methodist or Baptist preacher to lead prayer, as to call upon one of them. I asked why, and he said it was because of the practice of instrumental music. Since brotherhood is the result of birth and common parentage, I concluded that to be a brother to these men, one would need to be "born of the water and of the Spirit and of opposition to instrumental music." And, while I am opposed to the latter, I have not been able to see how it negates brotherhood which is not based upon it, but upon a common Fatherhood.

     However, it is among the non-instrument churches that the blighting influence of the party spirit is really rife. In Odessa there are at least five different segments or factions, most of which regard the others as apostates. Each looks upon its own party as being the one holy, catholic church, and apostolic church of God on earth. There is a division into what is known as "Sunday School" and "anti-Sunday School" churches. These are again divided into "one cup and "cups" churches. One is opposed to Bible classes but uses individual containers to distribute the fruit of the vine to the communicants; the other opposes both classes and cups. Neither regards the other as in its "fellowship"; both brand and stigmatize each other as "unfaithful" and "disloyal," each using its party prejudices as the criterion of faith and loyalty to the Lord Jesus.

     As is usually the case, the "Sunday School churches" are the largest and most flourishing. They are in position to show some contempt for the "antis" as they label those who oppose classes. Each of the larger congregations has hired a pastor to minister to the flock, and in one instance, at least, there is an assistant minister, so that the "servant" in the first degree, has in turn a servant of the second degree, to assist him. Since these occupy a position identical with that held by the Christian Church pastors, except that the ones in "The Church of Christ" usually draw bigger salaries, the differences on that subject have been dropped by adoption, and the primary emphasis is on instrumental music.

     A growing divergence is manifest among the non-instrument, individual cup, Sunday School, anti-missionary society churches, however. To all intents and purposes, another split is imminent,

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and in some places has already occurred with such vehemence as to fracture them into splinters, and rock "the brotherhood." The occasion of the latest schism is the Herald of Truth radio and television program, and orphan homes existing as charitable societies. These diverse factions use as their principal propaganda organs the Gospel Advocate and Gospel Guardian, with those who claim to advocate the gospel also advocating these other things and those who claim to guard it, opposing them. The outstanding defender of Herald of Truth at Abilene, told me they did not "fellowship" the Guardian group at all!

     Adherents of the Guardian position denominate the others as "Liberals" and are, in turn, denominated "Antis." In conversation with two preachers of the latter faction, we learned there were three groups in this period of transition. These can be described as sound, shaky, and seditious. Both factions acknowledge the existence of the three, but each reverses the constituency. It is interesting to note that every party, instrumental and non-instrumental, has its "Liberals" and "Antis" depending upon the party test.

     Among the instrumental groups, those who oppose the United Christian Missionary Society are "antis." Among those who oppose it, those who decry the use of instruments are "antis." In the Gospel Advocate faction those who oppose the orphan homes are "antis." Among these, those who oppose Bible classes are "antis." These regard those who oppose individual cups as "antis." This chain reaction continues down to the final count, where no doubt the last person is "anti-Anti."

               The bigger fleas upon the dog,
                     Have smaller fleas that bite 'em;
               And these, in turn, have lesser fleas,
                     And so on, ad infinitum!

     Even the casual reader must recognize the fearful plight of those who are "the New Testament Church." There is no prospect of improvement. The future holds out for these factions more strife, division, and multiplication of self-righteous partisanship. This is the fruit of carnality and spiritual immaturity, of legalism and unwritten creedalism, of pride and the party spirit. How can they unite the world in Christ, while carving His body into bits? It is time for those who can do so to rise above this wicked spirit and demonstrate a love that transcends all human walls and barriers, so its warmth may dispel the chilling frost of hate.

     I taught in Odessa by invitation of a little group which, by choice and conviction, does not have classes or individual cups. They do possess a freedom which they extend to others in a manner which proves them to be true restorationists at heart. They recognize every consecrated immersed believer in the Sonship of Jesus of Nazareth as a brother in Him. They are capable of distinguishing between fellowship and endorsement, so they place brotherhood above "party lines." Our studies together were unmarred by any untoward incident. We labored together in mutual love! My home was with J. T. Broseh and wife. He is a gospel preacher of ability. I feel very close to him and the little group of saints meeting at 30th and Golder Streets. I trust that all who love the Lord will pray that the twentieth century sectarian movement denominated "The Church of Christ" which grew out of a glorious nineteenth century restoration attempt, will return to its former purpose and intent.