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October 15, 2004, Vol.3, No.20. The Church and the College Keith Sharp In 1978 I was the local preacher working with the Northside Church of Christ in Conway, Arkansas. The elders of the congregation received a letter from Dr. Clifton Ganus of Harding College which stated: I wish it were possible for me to sit with you in one of your meetings and talk with you as a group of elders about the work that is being done at Harding Graduate School in training men to teach and proclaim the message of Christ throughout the world. It is such a needed work! The issue of church support of colleges operated by brethren has troubled churches of Christ in the United States since the late 1930's. Speaking at the Abilene Christian College Lectures, Brother G.C. Brewer called on churches of Christ to support colleges operated by brethren which had Bible departments. This call was widely denounced by brethren. About a decade later, Brother N.B. Hardeman, President of Freed Hardeman College argued for church support of colleges. Again, he was widely rebuffed. But today there are many colleges supported by churches of Christ, and the vast majority of the brethren see no harm. Should churches of Christ support colleges operated by brethren? What are the issues? It is important to carefully define the issue. I certainly do not deny the right of brethren to operate a college. We have the liberty to operate any legal, moral business, whether it be making tents (Acts 18:1-3), operating a school (Acts 19:8-10), renting property (Acts 28:30), or any of the myriads of businesses that could not be imagined in the first century. Paul might operate a computer repair service today. Further-more, Christians may operate a business as a joint venture (Acts 18:1-3). And brethren may incorporate their business to comply with civil law (1 Peter 2:13-14). Nor do I deny the right of a college to teach the Bible. Any organization may provide for teaching the truth of God’s word, whether it be the family (Ephesians 6:4), a school (Acts 19:9-10), civil government (Acts 24:23-26; 25:13 - 26:29; 28:16-21), or any other. For some time I taught a weekly Bible class in the Jefferson County Correctional Facility (jail) by permission of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department. The Sheriff’s department provided the place (a room in the county jail), and regulated the studies (time, number of prisoners, etc.). I believe this was an authorized activity, but it certainly qualified as government sponsored Bible teaching, just as did Paul’s address of King Agrippa. Nor do I deny the right of individual Christians to contribute to a college, including one operated by brethren and containing a department for Bible instruction. Individual Christians may do many things the local church is not authorized to do (1 Timothy 5:16). We may share in any thing that has the right to exist and do the work it is doing (Galatians 4:18). The issue is May local churches of Christ build, maintain, support, promote or any in way contribute to a college, whether or not the college teaches the Bible? The New Testament Pattern for Church Organization When I speak of church organization, I am referring to God’s people functioning because of their ties of fellowship in Christ in an organized capacity. Organization includes oversight (1 Timothy 5:17), pooled resources (Acts 4:34-35), and a common work to be done (1 Timothy 5:16). The only organization (body of people having oversight, pooled resources and work common to all) Christ has authorized for His church is the local congregation (1 Corinthians 1:2; Philippians 1:1). Autonomy (self-rule) is the New Testament pattern for the local church in all its activities. Elders are to be appointed in every church (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5). These elders oversee the work and only the work of the congregation in which they are elders (1 Peter 5:1-2). As of all facets of the divine plan, this arrangement is perfect. Man cannot improve it. By this simple, divine plan of organization, the church is completely able to build itself up unto perfection, equipping each member for service (Ephesians 4:11-16). This magnificently simple plan is a demonstration of the wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:8-12), so totally unlike man’s grand schemes of elaborate hierarchy, and is to the glory of God (Ephesians 3:20-21; Romans 11:33-36). What Is Wrong with Church Support of a College?
Church support of colleges is a corruption of the divine pattern for the organization of the church (2 Timothy 1:13). When a local church makes a contribution, it establishes ties of fellowship (2 Corinthians 8:4). In fact, fellowship is the only tie there is in Christ (1 John 1:3). When local churches contribute to a college, the college is attached to them in ties of fellowship as an organization attached to the church. This violates the New Testament pattern for the organization of the church (2 John 9). Furthermore, church support of colleges violates the autonomy of local churches (1 Peter 5:1-2). Brethren who defend the college being tied to churches claim this is a work of the churches. But who decides what will be taught, who will teach it, the schedule, what facilities will be used, ad infinitum? When a local church sacrifices the right to decide how some of its work will be done, it has given up autonomy. Church support of colleges perverts the function of the church into simply a fund-raising organization and thus robs it of its strength and denies its all-sufficiency (Ephesians 4:12-16). Brother Batsell Barrett Baxter argued Actually, the church has depended upon schools for many years to play a major role in the training of preachers, elders, teachers, and others. Is it not right that the church should provide the funds for the training of its own leaders? ("Questions and Issues of the Day in the Light of the Scriptures.") Actually, the opposite is true. Colleges have depended on church money for existence while leading the churches into apostasy. Through the instigation and leadership of the late E.J. Ebong, one of the great servants of God of the twentieth century, beginning in 1973 the Uyo Town Church of Christ, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, has trained eighteen young men a year to preach the gospel. This is a work of that local church. Brethren in Ibadan, Nigeria have done a similar work for several years. This is the right way to train preachers, and brethren in the United States need to learn from our Nigerian brethren! Arguments in Defense of Church Support of the College Answered Dr. Clifton Ganus defended church support of the Harding Graduate School of Religion on the basis that "It is such a needed work!" The college is not a work. It is an organization that supervises personnel who do work. No one is opposed to training men to preach the gospel. I am opposed to setting up a human organization to beg money from churches to do the work the Lord assigned the churches. Brother Baxter argued: Some who are agreed that the church can contribute to an orphans’ home are not convinced that the church can contribute to a Christian school. It is difficult to see a significant difference so far as principle is concerned. The orphans’ home and the Christian school must stand or fall together. (Ibid) Amen! I am opposed to both and for the same reasons. Conclusion The Lord Himself in His infinite wisdom has given Christians a perfect organization through which to equip His people do grow up to maturity in Christ and to be equipped to do everything the Lord would have us do. That perfect organization is the independent, autonomous, local church. Keep the colleges completely separate from this divine arrangement.
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