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Why We Stayed: Honesty and Hope in the Churches of Christ
The Church of Christ, at this present hour, is host to a multitude of frustrated and disenchanted ministers and scholars. From the inside of ministry, the veneer of our movement disappears and the blemishes take center-stage. Discouragement is common. In response to this state of affairs, we asked an eclectic cast of authors, ministers, and scholars to answer the question, "Why did you stay within our movement?" The result is a diverse set of answers which we hope will create some hope for the future of our people.
- GenresReligion
189 pages, Paperback
Published March 27, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 21, 2018
Overall I thought this was a great book. Some of the chapters resonated more with me than others, so I don't want to do a chapter by chapter review because chapters that didn't hit home with me might hit home with you.
The book was not necessarily what I expected. I assumed that the essays would be more personal, and a number of them were, but a number of them also felt more like history lessons or theological explanations than personal stories about preachers struggling to stay put in the Church of Christ.
Still, it was an encouraging read for me as someone who is often frustrated with some of the things we wrestle with in the Churches of Christ. I would certainly recommend it for preachers.
The book was not necessarily what I expected. I assumed that the essays would be more personal, and a number of them were, but a number of them also felt more like history lessons or theological explanations than personal stories about preachers struggling to stay put in the Church of Christ.
Still, it was an encouraging read for me as someone who is often frustrated with some of the things we wrestle with in the Churches of Christ. I would certainly recommend it for preachers.
December 12, 2018
I’m not generally a big fan of compilation books. There are several such compilations floating around published by Independant publishers in churches of Christ. Generally I don’t feel like they are very cohesive. I feel that this one has something unique to offer because it is willing to offer a substantive critique while embracing optimism. Some books are all optimism or party line propaganda without much critique. Some books are full of propaganda and critique as well, which is just a huge downer. However, I feel like this book is just exactly what it was advertised to be: Honesty about things that frustrate the authors as well as honesty about things that provide legitimate value in our heritage. And the authors give reasons why we can trust that what is valuable can be embraced in order to overcome what troubles us. I found something helpful in every essay in the book.
Though there are some other reasons worth noting, perhaps my favorite quote comes from Ron Highfield. I think it makes a good summary statement for a reason to stay within the fellowship of churches of Christ. He writes, “In sum, the Church of Christ consists of much more than its unique characteristics. It embodies the ‘catholic’ faith and the Protestant reforms in a concrete and local form. As a member of the Church of Christ, I am with the ‘one, holy, catholic, and apostolic’ church of Christ. Our claim to be an embodiment of the church of Christ does not rest on a short list of the characteristics that distinguishes us from other traditions. Overwhelmingly, it rests on what we hold in common with them!” (PP 147-48).
Exercising a prophetic voice, these authors are willing to do the hard work of critique from within the community instead of lobbing grenades and then running away. This makes them all the more worth reading. I highly recommend the work.
Though there are some other reasons worth noting, perhaps my favorite quote comes from Ron Highfield. I think it makes a good summary statement for a reason to stay within the fellowship of churches of Christ. He writes, “In sum, the Church of Christ consists of much more than its unique characteristics. It embodies the ‘catholic’ faith and the Protestant reforms in a concrete and local form. As a member of the Church of Christ, I am with the ‘one, holy, catholic, and apostolic’ church of Christ. Our claim to be an embodiment of the church of Christ does not rest on a short list of the characteristics that distinguishes us from other traditions. Overwhelmingly, it rests on what we hold in common with them!” (PP 147-48).
Exercising a prophetic voice, these authors are willing to do the hard work of critique from within the community instead of lobbing grenades and then running away. This makes them all the more worth reading. I highly recommend the work.
May 30, 2024
A SELECTION OF ESSAYS ON VARIOUS DOCTRINAL MATTERS
Editor Benjamin Williams wrote in the Introduction of this 2018 book, “Imagine a spectrum of thought fixed between two books. At one end of the spectrum might be Leroy Brownlow’s ‘Why I am a Member of the Church of Christ.’ It is a concise statement … It describes this entity … as a direct product of the Biblical text…. At the other end of the spectrum we might find ‘Why They Left,’ edited by Flavil Yeakley. This text acknowledges that the identity for the Church of Christ … has been difficult to maintain on the applied level… The book is a mere sampling of the frustration that has led many bright minds and faithful hearts out of our doors and pulpits. In between these poles, we hope to place this book… The goal of this text is to communicate this sentiment to others. To the settled member … we offer did discomfort of knowing that ours is not a perfect movement. To the injured soul who feels more drawn to the escape hatch, we offer the comfort of knowing that ours is a movement worth continuing, reforming, and preserving.”
Everett Ferguson outlines, “My reading from leaders in what is called ‘The Restoration Movement’ has identified three significant emphases… [1] THE BIBLICAL IDEAL: To be the New Testament Church today… [2] NEITHER UNION NOR UNIFORMITY: To practice the undenominational unity of the church… [3] RESTORING HUMANITY: To restore human beings to the image of God.” (Pg. 8-9)
Matthew Dowling notes, “Today, close observers of the Churches of Christ will have a hard time discerning what it is that holds us together doctrinally or theologically… after all, the Churches of Christ have a bit of everything in us---some of the five points of Calvinism but lots more of Arminian Remonstrant theology… a wonderful myriad of eschatological viewpoints… a dedication to autonomous congregational identity… one might observe still-marginalized but notable voices advocating for egalitarianism, open theism, Christian universalism, private inclusivism, and a host or theological commitments not usually associated with the Churches of Christ… To be frank, I am concerned that more than ever we are a divided people because we can no longer articulate what precisely holds us together.” (Pg. 31-32)
Grant Sullivan acknowledges, “Baptism is a means of grace even if we must admit there is a certain level of mystery with it. I may never comprehend how God meets humans with the cleansing blood of Jesus in the waters of baptism, but I do not need to understand it fully to accept its reality by faith… this commitment to the sacraments started in the roots of restoration with people lie Alexander Campbell even if we do not realize it, and remain an ingrained strength of ours to this day.” (Pg. 68-69)
Scott Elliott observes, “The Lord’s Supper has always held a prominent place within the Stone-Campbell movement. The practice of this important part of Christian worship has served as an identity marker for Churches of Christ… there has been universal consensus on adult believers’ baptism for the remission of sins and weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper… our beliefs and practices have often set us apart from other religious groups. The Lord’s Supper is central to Sunday worship and is commonly the reason given for meeting.” (Pg. 77)
About the banning of instrumental music, Benjamin Williams states, “The argument the Church of Christ has advanced for many years is commonly called an argument from silence. The idea is that (1) the church is guided and governed by the New Testament, but (2) the New Testament does not explicitly give reference to churches making use of instruments in their worship. Thus, it is concluded that by omitting the practice the silence of Scriptures prohibits their use… [One] response has been to find credible evidence of instrumental music in the New Testament. A scant few passages have been suggested, mainly instrumental references in the book of Revelation. However, Revelation with all its apocalyptic mystery is hardly a basic guide for Christian worship.” (Pg. 93) Later, he includes references to the Regulative Principle of Worship used in Reformed/Calvinist churches. (Pg. 98-99)
John Mark Hicks mentions the controversy about rebaptism: “The specific question was whether Baptists (or other immersed believers) should be re-immersed in order to receive the ‘right hand of fellowship.’ For entrance into a congregation of the Church of Christ. For [some]… anyone immersed upon a confession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, is a Christian. For [others], only those immersed with the specific knowledge their baptism was the moment of salvation are Christians… The rebaptism controversy was a struggle within churches of Christ about the borders of the kingdom of God. It signaled a move toward a more pronounced exclusivism… In the 1960s, and particularly in the 1980s, it once again became a topic within the ‘wild democracy.’” (Pg. 106, 108)
Ron Highfield observes, “the Church of Christ does have some distinguishing characteristics. Or at least we like to think we do. And yet I am not sure that we possess any belief about faith and order that is utterly unique to us. What about baptism ‘for the remission of sins’? The Orthodox and Roman Catholics never abandoned this teaching. What about a capella music? … many Protestant groups sing without instrumental accompaniment. What about the frequent observance of the Lord’s Supper? The Roman Catholics and Orthodox celebrate it more often than we do… What then is unique about us? What gives the Church of Christ its unique identity?... When the leaders and members of a congregation cease to communicate with others in the tradition and cease to be devoted to the interlocking set of ideas that gives the Church of Christ its identity, it ceases to be a Church of Christ even if it retains the name.” (Pg. 148)
This book will be of great interest to those studying the doctrines of the Church of Christ.
Editor Benjamin Williams wrote in the Introduction of this 2018 book, “Imagine a spectrum of thought fixed between two books. At one end of the spectrum might be Leroy Brownlow’s ‘Why I am a Member of the Church of Christ.’ It is a concise statement … It describes this entity … as a direct product of the Biblical text…. At the other end of the spectrum we might find ‘Why They Left,’ edited by Flavil Yeakley. This text acknowledges that the identity for the Church of Christ … has been difficult to maintain on the applied level… The book is a mere sampling of the frustration that has led many bright minds and faithful hearts out of our doors and pulpits. In between these poles, we hope to place this book… The goal of this text is to communicate this sentiment to others. To the settled member … we offer did discomfort of knowing that ours is not a perfect movement. To the injured soul who feels more drawn to the escape hatch, we offer the comfort of knowing that ours is a movement worth continuing, reforming, and preserving.”
Everett Ferguson outlines, “My reading from leaders in what is called ‘The Restoration Movement’ has identified three significant emphases… [1] THE BIBLICAL IDEAL: To be the New Testament Church today… [2] NEITHER UNION NOR UNIFORMITY: To practice the undenominational unity of the church… [3] RESTORING HUMANITY: To restore human beings to the image of God.” (Pg. 8-9)
Matthew Dowling notes, “Today, close observers of the Churches of Christ will have a hard time discerning what it is that holds us together doctrinally or theologically… after all, the Churches of Christ have a bit of everything in us---some of the five points of Calvinism but lots more of Arminian Remonstrant theology… a wonderful myriad of eschatological viewpoints… a dedication to autonomous congregational identity… one might observe still-marginalized but notable voices advocating for egalitarianism, open theism, Christian universalism, private inclusivism, and a host or theological commitments not usually associated with the Churches of Christ… To be frank, I am concerned that more than ever we are a divided people because we can no longer articulate what precisely holds us together.” (Pg. 31-32)
Grant Sullivan acknowledges, “Baptism is a means of grace even if we must admit there is a certain level of mystery with it. I may never comprehend how God meets humans with the cleansing blood of Jesus in the waters of baptism, but I do not need to understand it fully to accept its reality by faith… this commitment to the sacraments started in the roots of restoration with people lie Alexander Campbell even if we do not realize it, and remain an ingrained strength of ours to this day.” (Pg. 68-69)
Scott Elliott observes, “The Lord’s Supper has always held a prominent place within the Stone-Campbell movement. The practice of this important part of Christian worship has served as an identity marker for Churches of Christ… there has been universal consensus on adult believers’ baptism for the remission of sins and weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper… our beliefs and practices have often set us apart from other religious groups. The Lord’s Supper is central to Sunday worship and is commonly the reason given for meeting.” (Pg. 77)
About the banning of instrumental music, Benjamin Williams states, “The argument the Church of Christ has advanced for many years is commonly called an argument from silence. The idea is that (1) the church is guided and governed by the New Testament, but (2) the New Testament does not explicitly give reference to churches making use of instruments in their worship. Thus, it is concluded that by omitting the practice the silence of Scriptures prohibits their use… [One] response has been to find credible evidence of instrumental music in the New Testament. A scant few passages have been suggested, mainly instrumental references in the book of Revelation. However, Revelation with all its apocalyptic mystery is hardly a basic guide for Christian worship.” (Pg. 93) Later, he includes references to the Regulative Principle of Worship used in Reformed/Calvinist churches. (Pg. 98-99)
John Mark Hicks mentions the controversy about rebaptism: “The specific question was whether Baptists (or other immersed believers) should be re-immersed in order to receive the ‘right hand of fellowship.’ For entrance into a congregation of the Church of Christ. For [some]… anyone immersed upon a confession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, is a Christian. For [others], only those immersed with the specific knowledge their baptism was the moment of salvation are Christians… The rebaptism controversy was a struggle within churches of Christ about the borders of the kingdom of God. It signaled a move toward a more pronounced exclusivism… In the 1960s, and particularly in the 1980s, it once again became a topic within the ‘wild democracy.’” (Pg. 106, 108)
Ron Highfield observes, “the Church of Christ does have some distinguishing characteristics. Or at least we like to think we do. And yet I am not sure that we possess any belief about faith and order that is utterly unique to us. What about baptism ‘for the remission of sins’? The Orthodox and Roman Catholics never abandoned this teaching. What about a capella music? … many Protestant groups sing without instrumental accompaniment. What about the frequent observance of the Lord’s Supper? The Roman Catholics and Orthodox celebrate it more often than we do… What then is unique about us? What gives the Church of Christ its unique identity?... When the leaders and members of a congregation cease to communicate with others in the tradition and cease to be devoted to the interlocking set of ideas that gives the Church of Christ its identity, it ceases to be a Church of Christ even if it retains the name.” (Pg. 148)
This book will be of great interest to those studying the doctrines of the Church of Christ.
April 6, 2018
Disappointed
I was excited about this book. Leaving the churches of Christ has been on the radar for some time now. I was hoping this book would give me positive reasons to stay. It didn't.
Ferguson's chapter is a reprint, others are poorly thought out and hopelessly out of touch with those of us who are critical of our heritage. The high points are Altrock's, Hunter's, and Elliot's chapter. Their writing is relevant and well thought out, but they offer ideas about loyalty that aren't unique to the COC. The problem, which some authors perceive as a strength, is the COC's lack of centralized structure. What this boils down to is a sampling of individual author's experiences that may or may not be relatable across the COC spectrum. What may be changing for them that allows them to stay probably won't change everywhere. If that's the case, these arguments don't really persuade people to stay in the COC in general because there is no such thing as the COC in general.
I was excited about this book. Leaving the churches of Christ has been on the radar for some time now. I was hoping this book would give me positive reasons to stay. It didn't.
Ferguson's chapter is a reprint, others are poorly thought out and hopelessly out of touch with those of us who are critical of our heritage. The high points are Altrock's, Hunter's, and Elliot's chapter. Their writing is relevant and well thought out, but they offer ideas about loyalty that aren't unique to the COC. The problem, which some authors perceive as a strength, is the COC's lack of centralized structure. What this boils down to is a sampling of individual author's experiences that may or may not be relatable across the COC spectrum. What may be changing for them that allows them to stay probably won't change everywhere. If that's the case, these arguments don't really persuade people to stay in the COC in general because there is no such thing as the COC in general.
June 11, 2018
Need to add a review chapter by chapter.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this book. It really lighten my heart to see that others are where I am. I am not alone. I very much appreciated the Restoration principle. One of the very few reasons why I have stayed. Some of the chapters were just ramblings, but it was for them the reason why they stayed. This book gives me hope and encourages me to keep going despite how much we are "family" in so many ways, good, bad, and sometimes very ugly. I hope this encourages others to have honest conversations where they currently find themselves and to have the hope that others are right there with you.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this book. It really lighten my heart to see that others are where I am. I am not alone. I very much appreciated the Restoration principle. One of the very few reasons why I have stayed. Some of the chapters were just ramblings, but it was for them the reason why they stayed. This book gives me hope and encourages me to keep going despite how much we are "family" in so many ways, good, bad, and sometimes very ugly. I hope this encourages others to have honest conversations where they currently find themselves and to have the hope that others are right there with you.
March 13, 2023
Most of the essays in this book have the same structure:
1. I am a longtime bona-fide member of Churches of Christ.
2. We aren't perfect. Sorry if that's been our vibe.
3. But I like ______ about our history/culture/ecclesiology.
4. Again, sometimes our debates about _____ have been problematic.
5. But for these Biblical interpretations about ______ I think we are more right than wrong.
6. And so that's why I stay in Churches of Christ.
1. I am a longtime bona-fide member of Churches of Christ.
2. We aren't perfect. Sorry if that's been our vibe.
3. But I like ______ about our history/culture/ecclesiology.
4. Again, sometimes our debates about _____ have been problematic.
5. But for these Biblical interpretations about ______ I think we are more right than wrong.
6. And so that's why I stay in Churches of Christ.
May 26, 2018
I found the essays to reflect well the great variety of opinion found in Churches of Christ. As one who has also chosen to stay, I feel a sense of solidarity with the authors. I especially resonated with the chapters written by John Mark Hicks, Chris Altrock, and Ron Highfield. Matthew Rowling’s thoughts concerning the three orders of doctrine gave me some wonderful food for thought.
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