More Movement by Brethren
Mark Roberts
Recently I received a brochure advertising “Our First Annual Life After Fifty-Five Conference.” This conference will feature speakers discussing matters like “Senior Adult Ministry,” “Building Your Volunteer Team at Church,” “Outreach to Older Adults,” and “Faith’s Response to a Father with Alzheimer’s.” Certainly there is nothing wrong with teaching from God’s Word directed toward older Christians to help them continue to serve the Lord fully. Sometimes I fear we may overlook our “senior saints” as we work so carefully with our teen-agers and their unique problems. The word of God has much to say to every generation and it is good and right to teach the “whole counsel of God.”
But what caught my eye in this brochure is the location of the conference: you can elect to attend at the Skillman church of Christ in Dallas, or at the Wedgewood Baptist church in Fort Worth! Further, it is not just a denominational location where this event will occur that is troubling. The Senior Adult minister from Skillman is speaking, but so also as is the “pastor of seniors” from The People’s Church in Toronto, Canada, Dr. Timothy Starr. Also the brochure lists Jeff Laster, the “Minister to Adults” at Wedgewood Baptist, as being on the program. So here is an event staffed out with people from both a church of Christ and denominational backgrounds and ties. If that were not enough, the brochure notes detail how the day will begin with “Worship” before breaking into the various workshops.
A host of questions emerge from all this. Why are speakers from denominational churches that do not teach and practice the truth being used in this event that will occur (at least for one day) in a church of Christ building? Like it or not, Skillman is endorsing these men. There are no disclaimers given, such as “These men have expertise in this field but Skillman Avenue does not endorse their overall teaching or practices.” Nothing like that is said. Their pictures run on the front right along with Jim Hughes. What should the average member at Skillman conclude from that? They trust Jim Hughes and his teaching. They will similarly trust these other men, won’t they?
What of the worship that will be offered? The conference in Fort Worth will have worship in a Baptist church building. Will instrumental music be used on that day? How then will Christians, who signed up for this Conference from the mailing Skillman sent or who saw it on Skillman’s website, worship in spirit and truth? Nothing is said in the brochure to ease concerns about this matter. There isn’t anything to indicate worship at Wedgewood will be any different from any other service at Wedgewood. Indeed, Wedgewood looks to be exactly equal and on par with Skillman in this event.
Further, what will Jim Hughes of Skillman say in his program about “Outreach to Older Adults?” Will he tell the Conference participants that outreach includes teaching the entire plan of salvation, including water baptism for remission of sins and that one cannot be saved without water baptism (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21)? Baptists do not teach such a plan of salvation, preferring “faith only” (a doctrine denied in James 2:24). Will Jim Hughes tell the audience that evangelism includes teaching people that there is only one church (Eph. 4:4), and that denominational division is wrong and sinful (1 Corinthians 1:10)? How then can Skillman Avenue and Wedgewood work together without someone compromising their faith and convictions on the most important issue of all, salvation? As a side note, isn’t it always interesting that in these joint-events the ones who are called to give up everything are the members of churches of Christ? The Baptists don’t stop the piano or allow the truth to be taught about baptism and denominational error. Instead brethren have to do to suit them. Why is that? And what does it say about brethren who will compromise most anything in their lust to be accepted by denominational folks?
This is nothing but more evidence that more and more “mainstream” churches of Christ see themselves only as another “church choice” in the spectrum of denominational church choices. Activities that work together with denominational churches, using their facilities and their speakers on an equal footing with “our” facilities and speakers only reinforce to members of those churches of Christ that there are no real differences, and no significant issues, between “us” and “them.” The Life After Fifty-Five Conference is Skillman’s clear announcement to its members that there is no “us” and “them.” Wedgewood looks to be equal with Skillman in this Conference because Skillman thinks they are! Baptist or church of Christ, it really doesn’t matter where you go or what you believe and practice, Skillman says. You can come here or go there – it’s all the same.
Sadly, one suspects that a fuller investigation of Skillman’s teaching and practices would confirm just that: not much real difference in Wedgewood and Skillman. How sad that so many churches of Christ have given up their distinctive plea for simple New Testament Christianity, the teaching of the New Testament, and the truth about salvation, worship and the church! All compromised to do big things and fit in with the big churches in town. May the Lord bless brethren with the courage to come out from such apostasy and return to pure New Testament Christianity.