The Tennessean, Otter Creek, & the CofCs (I)
A week ago Sunday, the Tennessean ran a front-page article about the churches of Christ. Most of the information came from one of the ministers of the Otter Creek Church in Brentwood. The article wasn’t all bad. However, the tone of the article was unbalanced, praising left-wing churches like Otter Creek for their tolerance; demonizing more centrist and right wing churches of Christ for supposed backward, arrogant, and isolationist beliefs. This and next week’s articles are a brief response to the Tennessean.
I grew up in what most would consider a very conservative church of Christ. None of the teachings were hurtful to me, in fact I have, in spite of minor criticisms, much praise for the faith that church helped to instill in me. There is no denying I was taught the churches of Christ were right, and denominations were wrong. Some said it with more hellfire and brimstone than others did, but the claims to rightness were based on some pretty solid Scripture, especially with regard to the plan of salvation and other fundamental matters. Today, I know some among us who say everyone outside our fellowship is hell-bound, but it never has been something most of us would say (or even believed). We want to be just Christians. We recognize denominationalism as unscriptural. We plead for Christian unity based on respect for the word of God, not mere union born of “tolerance.” I don’t feel the need to apologize for any of that!
The article claimed our views forced us into being isolationists who shunned involvement in good works with those with whom we disagree. While this may be an accurate criticism for some of us, for most of us nothing could be farther from the truth. Members of Churches of Christ have participated in efforts opposing liquor, gambling, abortion, etc., right alongside Anglicans, Baptists, Catholics and everyone else who shares our convictions. We’ve participated in disaster relief as much or more than any other religious group, and done so arm-in-arm with them as much as practical and possible. I could go on. The only works we haven’t participated in are those directly promoting false doctrine, such as the Billy Graham Crusade and things like Promise Keepers. I believe we ought to work alongside those promoting any cause with which we agree. Shunning those we oppose doesn’t make us isolationists! It seems to me the Tennessean (or Otter Creek) has an axe to grind. I can’t think of any good reason why.
—JLP
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11 Responses to “The Tennessean, Otter Creek, & the CofCs (I)”
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I am not being critical; however, it bothers me to see the use of the newest political buzz words, Left-wing, Centrist, and Right-wing, to describe error in the Lord’s Body. For me there is not gray area, Otter Creek, and all others, are either scriptural, or not scriptural; in error or not in error; in the Faith, or not in the Faith.
This is not a defense of Otter Creek, or any other congregation who are not following the Word of God. Paul said that the time would come when there would be those who want to have their “ears tickled,” and the error would many times come in through the Eldership. Otter Creek is not different than Belmont, or Woodland Hills, and others that many are familiar with. They are simply introducing error into the Lord’s Church.
To me that’s what we ought to call it. They have denominationalised the congregations where they claim to be “The Body of Christ.” I will not fellowship them until they repent.
I hope no one takes me the wrong way, I don’t believe there are any true gray areas. I was dealing with the point of views expressed in the article. I cannot fellowship Otter Creek, Woodmont Hills, or any other of the churches that share their views. I hope they’ll return to the simple, original faith and order as revealed in Scripture.
—JLP
as someone outside the coc, i applaud much of the work of otter creek and their leadership. i’m sorry if they test the boundaries of your church traditions. i wish there were more otter creek church communities in our midst. we’d be a much better place.
Not everything Otter Creek does is bad or wrong, and some of the criticisms that have come from “Progressive” churches like Otter Creek need to be considered, so I appreciate your point of view, Gavin. I’m striving for genuine Biblical balance. I don’t think the ultra-conservative (traditionalist) churches of Christ, against which Otter Creek and others, by their own words, seem to be reacting, were or are balanced, but I’m convinced churches like Otter Creek are heading to an opposite extreme. Otter Creek would be a better “place” if they would do more acting on Scripture, and less reacting to bad experiences from the past.
Thanks for reading!
—JLP
thanks for not beating me over the head with a stick josh.
as a member of another tribe, which has its own issues, everything has their extremes & we learn from both. i don’t know what their bad experiences from the past are you elude to. however, i’ve known some of their leardership for a number of years. they are good people and as Christ compels me & others to love God and neighbor as thyself, the greatest of the commandments, they have treated me & countless others very well. which is not something i can say about more conservative factions in your tribe as well as my own.
i say, that ‘at its best, the church is a family & at its worst the church is a family’ so go ahead and bicker amongst yourself like sisters & brothers. but know that even the crazy cousin eddie (christmas vacation reference for those that miss it) cares for the family just as much as you do, though it may be a bit unorthodox.
Joshua,
Two comments:
Firstly, I find it unfortunate that you would so easily withhold fellowship. There are many familial connections between Otter Creek and Highland Heights. In fact, many of those that sang and celebrated a life well lived for Wilma Gilmore’s funeral recently were Otter Creek members. In my opinion, it is that type of attitude of withholding fellowship that is “isolationist” (as stated in the article) rather than expressing love, Christian unity, and forgiveness. From my experience, I know the hearts and hands of Highland Heights to be true and faithful to God’s calling.
Secondly, you are invited to come see for yourself if Otter Creek is acting on scripture. It is tragic that we get our opinions of one another from the Tennessean or some other third party source. I would love to sit down over coffee to talk about our differences and similarities. Feel free to email me any time.
Wilma Gilmore’s service will be a highlight of 2010 for me! Mr. Gilmore’s comments to me just before it started were so special. And the HH people sang out so strong…I felt like I/we were received fully into the fellowship that day for sure.
Gavin,
You’re welcome. I’m convicted that a kind environment of open and honest discussion is no threat to the truth. I try to look at disagreements between honest seekers for God just like you said it, as family. Family members can come to places that are so far from each other that they have to part ways, though. Even then, they do it with grief, because of love, and hope for future reconciliation. Good families can disagree without being disagreeable.
David,
Though I must admit I haven’t witnessed Otter Creek first hand, I have been in this area all my life and watched from afar, so the Tennessean article wasn’t the first time I heard of Otter Creek’s basic stance on things. But, hey, I’ve been misled before, and I am genuinely open-minded, so let’s get some coffee and talk!
Concerning “so easily” withholding fellowship, I don’t really withhold it easily, and I can say I’m a whole lot slower to withhold it than many among churches of Christ. However, with regard to fundamentals of the faith, the Scriptures are very clear. It’s not so much I who am withholding fellowship as simply recognizing a departure from fellowship with God that has already taken place. That’s how I see it. Please convince me that I’m wrong, and I’ll change my mind. I love you, and I love all the people at Otter Creek, and if unity is possible, even if it takes heart-wrending work, I’m willing to work toward it and glad to talk things through with a brother.
Murray, I’m glad you had a good experience, and if you were among the chorus, pardon my southern slang, but y’all did a real good job. It was beautiful.
It’s great to have all this activity on the blog here.
Thanks,
—JLP
Correction to one of my above replies: I am not in fellowship with those parts of Otter Creek’s ministries (& particularly teachings) that I find to be unbiblical. I will gladly join hands with them in works we find mutually agreeable, as I stated in the original post. So with all people in all the world. I believe in joining hands in mutual good works to whatever degree possible.
Josh,
I appreciated getting together over coffee this morning and you pointing me back to your later comments here.
In regard to those: Sometimes love and fellowship are dirty things in which we come out smelling like things we would rather not smell like, metaphorically speaking. It doesn’t change who we are or who we belong to. I still think it falls to you to show forgiveness and love time and time again with those you think have stepped away from fellowship to show them biblically where they are wrong.
I look forward to our next conversation.
David,
I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to get together again sometime. I agree with your comment, wholeheartedly.
—JLP