CoC congregational splits

[B.H.]

Liberal sniberal

If all you folks had refused sunday school and used one cup it would have all been fine. But no! You had to go all liberal on the Lord and he gave you up to women praychers and gay elders.

[Shane R]

I forgot to mention the back history of my family CoC. It had apparently been one of the early congregations in its geographical area to have the means to erect a building. That occurred in 1954. Sometime in the 1970s, the church peaked with about 120 members. It was drawing from 3 or maybe even 4 counties. In the late 1970s it experienced a split more or less over the institutional question but geography was an important secondary consideration. Some 50 or so members decided to form a congregation in another town and county.

In some fellowships, this would be a positive development; or at least a logical step. But this immediately led to the departing group being labeled 'liberal'. The remaining faction vacillated for some time because not everyone of the 'liberal' opinion had left, since the original church was so much more convenient for them to attend. Many of them were poorly educated and couldn't make sense of what the institutional question was about. Much of the 80s were a holding pattern for this particular congregation, with a supply of 'appointment preachers' who mostly served up a steady dose of the 5 steps (interesting how the Calvinists and Arminians also distill the NT to 5 points). Most of them were poorly educated hacks who couldn't have made a defense against institutions if you had given them a manual.

My dad arrived as the white Knight savior in 1987. In reality, he was one of the few candidates they interviewed who would accept their paltry salary. The congregation was at about 70 when he arrived. He oversaw its decline and a second split. When the dissenters briefly came back in the early 90s the congregation was able to hit the mid 50s for most of the summer. 50 seemed to be a benchmark of respectability among NICoCs where I grew up. When they departed again a debate was set up. Dad was a nervous wreck for several months and J.T. Smith was brought in to handle the heavy lifting in the debate. The other group thought they could secure Buster Dobbs but he declined to plead their case. Smith came and did a Gospel Meeting in which he presented the material he had prepared for the debate. It was attended by perhaps 60-70 people. Now dad's crew is about a dozen and they should have closed long ago but they have one benefactor who drops enough money to keep the doors open each year. His salary has been cut twice.

[SalSot]

Do you think they'll have to close the doors sooner or later, Shane?

[Struggler]

One of our old churches divided, and a group formed a new congregation. I asked some of our family friends why it happened. Essentially, toadies of the former head elder at the original church decreed it wasn't "following the Bible," so they started a new church. That head elder had assumed room temperature some time before. By carrying on his legacy of lies and making trouble, they reinforced my conviction that there were those who worshiped him. His behavior always made me believe he wanted and expected to be worshiped.

[Shane R]

Do you think they'll have to close the doors sooner or later, Shane?

Yes. My parents are the youngest couple that still attends and they're in their late 50s. The average age of a member is probably over 70. When they stop paying dad altogether, that's when they'll close. There's another one about 15 miles down the road that's down to about 20 people so with the remnants of dad's crew they'll probably be able to keep their doors open for another 20 years and it will become the NI destination for the area.

[ena]

The CoC splits about every thirty years. If you stay there long enough they will split. The problem is they study the Bible verse by verse without considering the context and do not know the whole bible or anything outside of it. If you read Acts 2:38 only you will not catch the spiritual aspects of baptism.

John 3:5 kjv
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

My CoC focused on the physical aspects of baptism. They thought their physical baptism had effects saving you. Jesus said both spirit and water. Deeper meaning.

[Yaderp]

One of the greatest ironies of this entire pattern is that the people who leave going to another church, or even starting their own gig, invariably bring the bitterness and recriminations with them and it will eventually come out where they are and precipitate yet another split thus fueling the and perpetuating the process. I suppose it would be asking too much for people who proclaim themselves followers of the "Prince of Peace," to actually sit down and with love work out their differences.

[Cootie Brown]

The problem with working out differences is that someone has to admit they’re wrong, and if they believe their position is God’s will, there is little or no chance they will be willing to change their mind or their stance on the issue in question.

[ena]

Splits? Why that is the scriptural growth model. I am the vine and all that...so just like a plant, you take a cutting and plant it just down the way and suddenly we have growth. OK surely this use of sarcasm is acceptable right?

Love the sarcasm.

[Ivy]

Splits? Why that is the scriptural growth model. I am the vine and all that...so just like a plant, you take a cutting and plant it just down the way and suddenly we have growth. OK surely this use of sarcasm is acceptable right?

Yes, this is acceptable sarcasm.