I recently perused the newsletter from a Restoration Movement church planting organization. The newest church plant is something called Grace Community Christian Fellowship. The nebulous name isn't a new thing. They seem to be planting EVERYTHING BUT Churches of Christ. No, I don't believe that the sign must say "Church of Christ" in order to be a true New Testament church. But are they ashamed of their heritage? It ticks me off. Little gray-haired old ladies thinking that they are sending support to churches that are just like the ones they have come to know and love. Ten bucks says that these guys are padded. It seems that these fellas want to have nothing to do with "us" except when it comes to providing the funds for their new venture. "Senior Pastor" this and "Associate Pastor" that. That's the language of Ashdod. They go out of their way to steer clear of anything that smacks of Restoration Movement. Fine. Let 'em get some Grace Community church to provide the funds.
6 comments:
Huh - no comments - go figure........
Amen! Now that's why I'm a regular reader of Soren's Blog!
Yeah, but what do you really think? Let me push back a little on you and brother Willis:
"It is significant that there is no single nomenclature for the Stone-Campbell Movement as a whole. Having begun in a variety of places and times and with different leaders, and lacking a centralized or hierarchical structure, a variety of nomenclature was inevitable. At the time of the union of the separate Stone and Campbell movements in 1832, the adoption of a name was a point of considerable tension. Barton Stone argued for the simple name ‘Christians’ since that was allegedly the earliest name adopted by the church (Acts 11:27) and identified directly with Christ himself, while Campbell urged the name “disciples” because it was the more ancient and humbler designation . . . .
But over the length of the Movement’s history, and in current usage, no one nomenclature has been the official, or even the consensually accepted one.”
Encyclopedia of the Stone Campbell Movement, s.v. “Names of the Movement,” by W. Dennis Helsabeck, Jr.
I hear ya Frank. I'm not saying that there is "one and only one valid name." But I have a hard time believing that this is not an intentional attempt to disassociate themselves from "us."
Soren,
I think our brothers are missing the irony in your comments. I get your point and I cracked up when I first read it.
David H. Willis, senior, lead, preaching minister, pastor, evangelist, preacher at Crossroads, Crosspointe, Lifepointe, Velocity, New Beginnings, Fusion, Common Ground, Lifesource Church (aka Olivet Christian Church - a Mosaic, Purpose Driven, Multi-generational, Spirit Filled, New Testament, Instrumental, Restoration, Independent, Christian Church.)
Sometimes I picture God looking down on mankind and seeing us fighting over church names and titles while he just shakes his head and thinks, "they really don't get it." Sure, I think all the new church names that have to end in an "e" are kind of dumb and I can't stand it when people call me pastor Joe (I want to say, my mom didn't name me pastor so don't call me that!). But is it really worth the time and energy?
Amen, Bro. Joe.
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