SEPTEMBER, 1946
373
One Organization Needed TT IS QUITE understandable that our government would rather deal with one organization representing Ameri can Protestantism than with scores of smaller groups. While the Federal Council of Churches has spoken for the liberals, there has been no united voice for the conservatives. There is little doubt that we have failed to secure our rightful privileges and al locations simply because there was no regularly constituted voice to speak for us. To remedy this situation, a number of associations have been formed, en listing support of evangelical groups. Some good has been accomplished already and progress is being made to acquaint both government' leaders and the nation at large of the pres ence of a large group of evangelical believers who are not, and do not wish to be, represented by the Fed eral Council. But* oh, how desirable it would be to have one organization which would' be both true to the Bible and. chari table to other believers! We are cur rently witnessing the efforts of sev eral groups to advance themselves. While these groups are doctrinally correct, there seems to be little gen uine unselfish effort to unite for mutual good. Surely, only harm can be done to the cause of Christ when leaders in such groups begin to “call names.” We believe that there are a number of churches and schools who would definitely be interested in supporting one organization, but who cannot join when several are functioning. Perhaps if the leaders were to come together and resolve that they would meet on their knees until this union were com pleted, a new day would dawn for conservative Protestantism. TTPTTHIN three days of each other, ” two of God’s mighty men recent ly went into the presence of the King. Both were intimately connected with that outstanding weekly, The Sunday School Times. After an illness of four years, Dr. E. J. Pace, Christian cartoonist for thirty years, died on June 19, at Hendersonville, N. C. He had drawn more than l500 cartoons for the Times many of which were reproduced in poster and slide form; his work was circulated around the world. On June 22, at his home in Moors- town, New Jersey, Dr. Philip E. How ard, president-publisher of the Times since 1900, also went to be with the Lord. He was a well-known author, having written fourteen books and ★ ★ Two Stalwarts Pass
numerous articles on Christian truth and practice. These staunch defenders of the faith passed on to the Church no uncertain declaration as to their confidence in the Word of God. The testimony of the Apostle Paul applies in their case: “ I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). ★ ★ Radio Coast to Coast A N E OF THE, most progressive steps ^ that the Bible Institute of Los Angeles has taken is the beginning of a new national hook-up over the Mu tual network, coast to coast, on Sun day mornings. It is anticipated that the time will be 8 to 8:30 along the Pacific Coast, 9 to 9:30 Mountain Time, 10 to 10:30'Central Time, 11 to 11:30 Eastern Time. The broadcast w ill be directed by Dr. Wm. W. Orr, with Dr. Louis T. Talbot bringing the Bible les son. Music w ill be furnished by the various student groups. At a time when the large networks are cutting down on religious pro grams, it is a real privilege to be invited by the Mutual network to oc cupy this important hour. The coast to coast hour on Sunday morning will supplement the Monday, Wednesday, Friday program along the Pacific Coast. Friends of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles are urged to make this new radio venture a matter of much prayer, and to invite their friends to tune in. A complete list of stations over which the program will be re leased w ill be published in our Oc tober issue. ★ ★ Liberalism TOURING the last month, America’s foremost liberal preacher has re signed his pastorate to devote his time to writing. Over twenty years ago, the following article appeared in the Christian Century which clearly sets forth the difference between this preacher’s position and that of the conservative Bible scholar. We heart ily agree that Dr. Fosdick’s views are as far from ours as they can possibly be. “Christianity according to funda mentalism is one religion. Christianity according to modernism is another religion. Which is the true religion is the question that is*to be settled in all probability by our g e n e r a t i o n for future generations. There is a clash here as profound and grim as between Christianity and Confucianism. Amia ble words cannot hide the differences. ‘Blest be the tie’ may be sung till doomsday, but it cannot bind these two worlds together. “ The God of the fundamentalist is one God; the God of the modernist is
another. The Christ of the fundamen talist is one Christ; the Christ of the modernist is another. The Bible of fundamentalism is one Bible; thè Bible of modernism is another. The church, the kingdom, the salvation, the consummation of all things — these are one thing to fundamen talists, and another thing to modern ists. Which God is the Christian God, which Christ is the Christian Christ, which B i b 1e. is the Christian Bible, which church, which kingdom, which salvation, which consummation are the Christian church, the Christian kingdom, the Christian salvation, the Christian consummation? The futura w ill te’J.” * * Danger fA N SEVERAL occasions in these col- umns we have affirmed our con viction that God has brought about the end of World War II for a definite reason. We believe that purpose is to give the Church of Christ one last opportunity to evangelize the un reached areas of earth before Christ returns. The history of the ages reveals an astonishing lethargy and amazing in activity on the part of the church. In stead of its being the potent force for good God intended it to be, it has split into various groups, arguing over non-essentials. Each separate division has been woefully asleep to its chief responsibility: -the constant and consistent proclamation of the only message which will help this sin ful world. During the war, there were those who saw the tremendous implications of the discovery of the new and deadly atomic bomb. They were convinced that the end of the age was. near at hand and they determined that when hostilities ended, they would bend all of their efforts toward a mighty mis sionary advance; but, with the com ing of peace, they fell back into their old ways of criminal neglect of the claims and challenge o f Christ. The other things of life, harmless enough in themselves, are again receiving major attention, and the missionary enterprise is suffering at the hands of those who should be its friends. In the meantime, God waits. What is needed today is a voice to call all Christians to the completion of the task which is closest to the heart of God. Men and women who profess to love the Lord supremely should resolve that nothing w ill come between them and the evangelization of the unreached lands. We must not fall asleep; we must not be diverted into other paths; it is now or never with the proclamation of the Gospel. God grant that it may be now.
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