 NEEDED: A THOUSAND FAITHFUL MEN
Waves of error are sweeping over the brotherhood of churches of Christ, driven by men whom we have come to know as "agents of change." Unfortunately, this destructive movement has already attained great momentum.
It has captured some of our major universities and numerous churches, including some of our largest and most influential congregations. If we are going to save the church from being swept away in its entirety and effectively block the advance of this pernicious error, we must rally a band of faithful men and get to work immediately. Unfortunately most of our brethren are idly standing by, either totally unaware of the problem, or unsure about what to do. A multitude are indifferent to the problem, not willing to be involved in anything controversial. Meanwhile, the proponents of change are aggressively and evangelistically advancing their cause.
We need a thousand faithful brethren who love the Lord and his church and are willing to get seriously involved in this endeavor. We must establish a network of men who will stand together in the defense of the faith once delivered (Jude 3), and then coordinate our efforts for maximum success. A thousand men, strategically placed across the nation, could effectively block the advances of the promoters of change and contain those pockets already under their influence.
- Each man must go to work immediately to inform and fortify himself and then do the same for the church with which he is associated. He would try to get them concerned and involved in the effort.
- Each man must resolve to be proactive, taking specific steps calculated to educate, inform and fortify the faith of his brethren and to block the spread of the error.
- Each man needs to select a geographic area for which he will personally be responsible by laboring to shield and protect those in that area from the incursions of the change agents.
- This is the strategy: Each man will volunteer to provide a steady flow of information to the leaders of every congregation in a given city, county, or even a state, depending on the number of congregations in that area. Ideally he will live in the immediate area, but if we have no volunteer who lives in an area, a brother from another area could be responsible for caring for it.
For example, a brother could easily mail all the churches in Wyoming, or Delaware. In the states where we have many churches, one could be responsible for Dallas, or for a single county. Once a month he will mail the preachers and elders of the congregations in his chosen field a newsletter or bulletin of helpful information on the change movement. He could copy and mail
Christianity Then and Now, or he could provide the funds and we will mail them from here. He could collect good materials from many sources, copy and forward them to his neighbors. He might wish to start his own, local newsletter. He could recommend useful papers or books on the topics under attack. He could invite those in his area for occasional get-togethers where they could discuss the problems at hand. He would lend aid and encouragement to every faithful brother and cause in his area and similarly refuse to lend such encouragement to the promoters of unscriptural changes. He would need to write letters and make calls of encouragement to those who are struggling to maintain the faith. He would actively look for opportunities to encourage those who are weak or faltering in the face of pressures from the opposition. He needs to be a source of information and help to those who are under attack or who need information to strengthen their faith and that of their congregations.
- He should do his work with a kind and brotherly spirit and avoid sarcasm, ridicule and a dictatorial attitude
- He should also network with other faithful men across the country so he could share pertinent information with them and strengthen their hands.
- This network will be built, step by step as new helpers are found. We will use the Internet, mail and phone as needed.
- This network will be a voluntary relationship of concerned Christians, with no authority over anyone, with no interest or desire in making laws or binding our judgments on others. We will have no officers, no written creedal standard, save the New Testament of Christ. Our sole purposes will be to strengthen the faith of our brethren in New Testament Christianity and to oppose the inroads of false teachers promoting unscriptural changes for our people. We are up against a serious challenge. The goal of the change movement is to remold and shape the Lord's church into a denomination such as the "Independent ‘Nondenominational' Baptist type of Churches" or the Christian Churches. At this point the momentum is in their favor. If the church is to survive for the next generation as the faithful body of New Testament Christ, we must act immediately.
Would you be interested in being one of the thousand sentries that will be set for the defense of the gospel? (Phil. 1:16)? If so please contact us at once.
John Waddey |
