Articles
Why I Left Institutionalism (Part 3)
In my previous two articles, I shared “my thoughts” and reasons for leaving institutionalism. I also emphasized my love for my brethren on both sides of these important issues. We examined the absences of Bible authority for a “sponsoring church” (elders overseeing multiple churches and brotherhood projects) and the error that churches can do any work that someone deems is a “good work.” In this article I want to examine churches supporting institutions, such as orphan homes, elderly homes, colleges, and disaster relief institutions.
God is the sole authority Who decides what is a “good work” for churches to commit their money, time, and energies. “Now may the God of peace...make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight” (Hebrews 13:20-21). Notice it is God who will “make you complete in every good work” through the revelation of “His will.” God did not leave the work of His churches and defining “good works” to human opinion!
Brief History Of Institutions
In 1849, the American Christian Missionary Society was formed at a convention in Cincinnati, OH, becoming the first “institution” supported churches during the Restoration period. Its first president was Alexander Campbell. In the following years this lead to the division, along with instrumental music in worship and other issues, in 1906 between churches of Christ and the Christian churches.
In 1891 David Lipscomb University (Nashville Bible School) began in Nashville, TN. By 1937 five colleges had been establish associated with churches of Christ, and with minimum church financial support. The Tennessee Orphan Home, Columbia, TN, began in 1920 and three additional orphanages by 1924. By 1936, Foy Wallace, Jr. in speaking about human institutions observed “The institutional idea is no longer a trend—we are institutional already. No week passes that churches are not circularized by ‘our institutions.’ True, ‘we’ did not start them but they were left on our doorstep for adoption, tagged, ‘your institution, support it.’ As a doorstep child, the only alternative is adoption or death. Too kindhearted to let any of them die, the ‘brotherhood’ adopts them all” (Ed Harrell, Churches of Christ in the Twentieth Century, 74). It was only 18 years later in 1954 that supporting human institutions divided churches of Christ.
Today, human institutions have grown to include orphan homes, elderly homes, elementary and high schools, universities, daycare centers, disaster relief organizations, etc. — all parachurch institutions financially supported by churches and wrongly perceived to be part of the church of Christ.
What Is Not The Issue
The dividing “issue” was never about helping orphans, the elderly or needy saints. Yes, they should be! The issue was never about whether or not orphans, the elderly or needy saints can be financially supported from a church treasury. They can and should be!
In Acts 6:1-7 and 1 Timothy 5:3-16 the local church cared directly for needy widows, without an institution doing the work for the church. In Acts 11:27-30, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 and 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 several churches cared for needy saints, without an institution. In Philippians 4:14-16 and 2 Corinthians 11:8 the preaching of the gospel was supported by churches, without an institution.
A careful survey of New Testament churches reveals that churches were fully equipped by God to do their God-given work without building/financing human made institutions/organizations. The support of human institutions by church treasuries is a noticeably absent and foreign practice in the Holy Scriptures.
Again, the “issue” never was should orphans, the elderly or needy saints be supported from the church treasury. They can and should be. The real “issue” is whether it is scriptural or not for a separate institution-organization to be between the church and its work of benevolence, edification and evangelism.
Building Parachurch Organizations
The “church” is simply God’s group of saved people (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:47). Jesus Christ is supreme “head of the body, the church” and “that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).
It’s an unscriptural and a titanic mistake to “think” of the church as a “religious organization.” People don’t get into a “religious organization” to be saved. Jesus didn’t shed His blood to purchase a “religious organization.” By His death we can receive forgiveness of sins — and become the people/church of God. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God” (1 Peter 2:9-10).
Parachurch institutions are NOT the Lord’s people or church. An orphans home, elderly home, university or daycare center are not the church (people) of Christ. Nor are they a quasi-affiliated “church of Christ” institutions. Biblically speaking, “Christian” collages, schools, orphan homes, etc. do not exist — at least not how the word Christian is used in the Bible! A “Christian” is a blood-bought person, not an institution.
Consequences Of Institutionalism
When God’s people mistakenly began to view the church as a “religious organization” it has led to viewing human institutions as “part of” the church of Christ.
In Montgomery, AL, when a local church of Christ ceased to meet any longer as a church, its church treasury had $2,200,000 dollars! The church “board of directors” gave the $2,200,000 to a “church of Christ university.” Why??? Because as an institution it was seen as a “church of Christ university.” The board of directors viewed the “church” as the “church of Christ organization,” not simply as “saved” people as in the Bible (Acts 2:47; 1 Peter 2:9-10). Therefore, with an unbiblical view/thinking about the “church,” they gave the Lord’s money to “a church of Christ university.”
In a joking (but sad) way I thought “They gave the church to the college!” Later, someone observed that at the “church of Christ university” both non-Christians and an atheist were professors employed and paid at the “church of Christ university!” Confusing??? Yes!!! However, employing non-Christians or atheists is the university's right, because an university is not the church!
In the New Testament, the collection on the Lord’s Day from God’s people in a local church was only authorized to be used to teach the lost, teach the saved and care for needy brethren (Philippians 4:15; 2:20; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2). The “Lord’s money” was not used for secular education or other secular purposes.
The Mount Dora Children’s Home is in Mount Dora, FL. As an institution it is seen as a “church of Christ orphan’s home.” When the Mount Dora Children’s Home hired a non-Christian to work at the children’s home, an uproar and protest ensued from one local church’s members and eldership, believing it was sinful “because it was a church of Christ orphan’s home!” The non-Christian woman had every right to work at the Children's Home, because an orphan’s home is an institution and not the church!
Brethren, can we see the folly and dangers of viewing the Lord’s church as an “religious organization” — and then attaching parachurch homes, schools, daycares, etc. to the church because of such an unscriptural view of the church of Christ? In the Bible, the Lord’s church is simply God’s group of “saved” people (Acts 2:47; 1 Peter 2:9-10).
A Dean of Bible at an “institutional church of Christ university” asked, “What would it take for us to have unity and fellowship together?” He was asking the right question and with the right heart! However, the answer to his timely question has not changed since the division of the 1950’s. The answer is that we must agree to use the word of God as our solo authority to understand the nature and work of the Lord’s church. May God help us in our endeavors for unity and to “love the brotherhood” (1 Peter 2:17).
