until the present was human institutions funded by local churches to do the work of
benevolence and evangelism. In 1849, the American Christian Missionary Society, the first
missionary society, was established with an executive board to conduct its business in spite
of strong opposition. Due to miscellaneous problems including mechanical instruments of
music in worship, by the 1880's, the "conservatives" or "non-progressives" separated from
the Disciples of Christ. "The crux of it [the division, JDJ] was a difference of opinion as to
the extent to which the church of today and of all time is limited by the pattern of the
primitive church."1 The "College in the Budget" and "The Orphan Home Issue" further
divided conservatives in the 1930's. N.B. Hardeman, a defender of church contributions to
a college, wrote, "If the church can do part of its work (caring for orphans) through a
human institution, why can it not do another part of its work (teaching the Bible) through
a human institution?"2 The "crux" of the issue is the same: does the Bible authorize a local
church to create separate institutions to do the work of benevolence and evangelism?
The local church is a "team" of Christians although each offers spiritual worship as
a "priest" in his personal relationship with God (cf. 1Pet. 2:4-5). Various "gifts" or
"functions" prepare the individual saint for works of service toward "the edifying [building
up, JDJ] of the body of Christ" (cf. Eph. 4:11-12). The objectives of "growing up" are
spiritual manhood and unity measured only by Jesus Christ, the perfect standard (cf. vv.13-
15). The body continues to mature in love and truth when every "joint" and "ligament" is
working properly (cf. v.16). God who is infinite in wisdom incorporated Christians in local
churches to nurture spiritual growth. He does not save only to let His children "make their
own way" in the world. However, according to His "eternal purpose" consummated in
Christ and the church (cf. Eph. 3:8-12), God did not plan for "adjuncts" including the West
Virginia School of Preaching. Since the ways of God are right and cannot be wrong, any
society dependent upon or subordinate to the church exalts human wisdom above divine
(cf. Jer. 10:23). In the end, despite good intentions (?), human institutions live to serve and
destroy the scriptural role of local churches.
The uniform practice of the "primitive" or "first century" church establishes a
"pattern" for the mission and organization of local churches today. The apostles appointed
elders in "every church" (cf. Acts 14:23) and Paul "charged" Timothy to "set in order the
things that are lacking, and appoint elders" (cf. Tit. 1:5) according to what he taught
"everywhere in every church" (cf. 1Cor. 4:17). In each case of Paul receiving money from
a local church to preach at various places, it was sent directly to him by "messengers" or
"servants" of that "team" (cf. 2Cor. 11:8-9; Phil. 2:25; 4:18). No local church acted through
a human institution or another local church in benevolence or evangelism and the chosen
representatives hardly constituted a society apart from the local church (cf. Acts 11:30;
1Cor. 16:1-3; Phil. 4:15). Human institutions perform a work or render a service God
assigned the local church to carry out. Since the "eternal purpose" of God was a "plan"
realized in Christ and the church (cf. Eph. 3:8-12), there can be no "plan" without a
"pattern"; in fact, the very plan is a pattern. Is the West Virginia School of Preaching
included in the divine plan or pattern?
By ministering to those in need, whether physical or spiritual, the "team" is the agent
that supplies what is lacking and in so doing, edifies itself through the exercise of each part
(cf. 1Cor. 12:12-31; Eph. 4:11-16). Even when a local church sends funds directly to a
preacher or a sister congregation in need, those who contribute to the "common
treasury"—the medium by which a plurality of Christians acts as one— participate in the
work and fruit abounds to their account (cf. Phil. 4:17). Human institutions deprive both
the local church and the recipients of the joy of "fellowship" or "joint participation" in a
scriptural work (cf. Phil. 1:3-7). The local church also loses an opportunity to develop its
elders, deacons, and teachers whose responsibility it is to work within their respective roles.
"Church-hood" projects such as the West Virginia School of Preaching defeats the very
purpose of the local church.
Like mechanical instruments of music, human institutions do what God designed the
local church to do and consequently, become an addition to or substitution for the local
church, not an aid in doing His will.
_____________________
1 W.E. Garrison, Religion Follows the Frontier,
p. 238
2 Gospel Advocate, October 23, 1947
