 THE TERMINUS OF THE UNITY MOVEMENT
For some 20 years a small band of our brethren have been meeting with leaders of the Independent Christian Churches to explore ways to reestablish unity between the two groups. Although both bodies trace their roots to the restoration efforts of Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell, they have been alienated for a century.
Division occurred when the one group chose to create organizations to run the affairs of their churches (i.e. Missionary Societies) and to use instrumental music in their worship. These and other innovations drove a wedge into the heart of the brotherhood that has only widened in the intervening century. Not being a prophet, I can only speculate on the probable outcome of the current unity movement. Jesus did indicate however, that we should read the signs of the times (Matt. 16:3).
Being an avid student of our brotherhood's past, I am persuaded that the history is being repeated in our day. We are faced with a very similar situation to that which ravaged and wrecked the church between 1875 and 1925.
Our brethren who are zealous for reunion with the Christian Church occupy the same basic ground as did Isaac Errett and the Christian Standard journal at that time. Errett was personally opposed to instrumental music but could work with those who used it. Most of the Christian Schools in those days embraced the more popular, progressive cause. There was a radical opposition group led by Daniel Sommer and his Apostolic Review. His radicalism actually encouraged and reinforced the liberal element. We today have our radical right. David Lipscomb and the Gospel Advocate occupied the middle ground of truth between those two extremes. The end result was that some eighty percent of the brotherhood was lost to the progressives.1 On the far right was a radical "anti" group of perhaps five percent. We today are the heirs of that fifteen percent of moderate brethren who stood solidly on the Scriptures.
The current meetings to explore possibilities for unity were started by Bro. Alan Cloyd. Very quickly the planning, promotion and direction of the unity meetings fell into the hands of leaders of the Christian Churches. Some of our brethren have eagerly followed their lead.
Efforts for unity will not be limited to Independent Christian Churches and us. Already overtures have been made towards some of the Disciples of Christ, a far more liberal body. Also there have been hints that other religious bodies are very close to the Bible and that we should not reject any man who has been born again through Christian immersion. Leaders such as Rubel Shelly now teach that any man who has been immersed to obey God is a Christian. If this is true, it will make it very difficult for them to withhold fellowship from any immersionist church since they all are surely baptized to obey God.
Leroy Garrett, a long-time promoter of unity between the two bodies, has written, "It is risky, in the light of Scripture, to make immersion absolutely necessary to becoming a Christian." 2 This was the conclusion of Alexander Campbell in his Lunenberg Letters. This is a document which the Christian Churches highly tout and widely circulate.
Four Choices Stand Before Those of Our Brethren Pursuing Unity With the Christian Churches.
1. They may leave the Lord's Church and unite with the Christian Churches.
Some could readily do this since they have no conviction about the authority of the Scriptures and the things that separate us. Some have already followed this course.
2. They may totally abandon the Restoration and move into denominationalism or irreligion. Some have already taken this path. Once faith begins to wither, the ultimate end is death.
3. They could choose to stay among us and try to effect a change in brotherhood thinking by their propaganda. This has been the unfortunate result of the current unity quest. Historically our brethren have eventually awakened to such dangers, rejected and isolate the false teachers as they did Carl Ketcherside and Leroy Garrett. Our generation has been slow to do so.
4. They could repent, renounce their misadventure, and return to their former faith. This is not likely to happen. As a rule when men abandon the ways of Christ for their own projects, they tend to "wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" (II Tim. 3:13).
It is my expectation that should they meet a solid line of resistance among us, most of them would move to the greener pastures of the Christian Church.
A careful study of their articles and speeches shows that they have nothing but sweetness and accolades for those of the Christian Church and little but harsh criticism for their brethren of the Church of Christ. Why should they stay among such "bad people" when they would receive a hero's welcome among their new found brothers?
The original intent of these brethren was to heal wounds and promote unity among the heirs of the Restoration Movement. The actual results are that they have stirred raging controversy among their own brethren which threatens to add yet another unhappy chapter to our book of divisions. Whatever their motives, they have failed in their intentions.
What Would God Have Us to Do?
As this push for fellowship with the Christian Churches gathers momentum, what would God have his people do? The following scriptures give us our orders:
- "Believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (I John 4:1).
- "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good; abstain from every form of evil" (I Thess. 5:21-22).
- Search the Scriptures daily to see if these tings are so (Acts 17:11).
- "Take heed what ye hear" and what ye read (Mark 4:24).
- "Let no man deceive you with empty words" (Eph. 5:6).
- "...withstand, steadfast in your faith" (I Pet. 5:9).
- "Stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye were taught..." (II Thess. 2:15).
- "A factious man after a first and second admonition refuse..." (Tit. 3:10).
- "Mark them that are causing divisions and occasions of stumbling contrary to the doctrine..."(Rom. 16:17).
- "Put the brethren in mind of these things (and) thou shalt be a good minister of Christ..." (I Tim. 4:6).
JHW
1. U. S. Religious Census Report, 1906.
2. Leroy Garrett, Restoration Review, Sept. 1985.
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