WHAT ARE WE?

by Elder Wayne A Bartrow

 

One definition of a fraudulent person, according to Webster, is one who is not what he pretends to be. The church has found itself in the position of having to deal with just such a man in the past. Now, I wonder whether or not we, as members and priesthood of the Church of Christ, Restored, fit that definition. I am troubled by the inconsistencies that are apparent between what we profess and what we've not done in Jesus name. Organized in September of 1987, we have not functioned as a unified church up to the present time. Called of God, seven men were ordained as Apostles, who then formed a Quorum. Some of those men have passed on and some ha\'e left hut the Quorum of Apostles has not fulfilled it's calling to take the gospel of Jesus Christ into all the world. It has functioned as a standing high council to the church. As a result, the fruits of the Spirit that would have been realized through evangelistic efforts have not manifested. Other organizations, which also have Apostles, continue to send missionaries abroad and to sustain them on a regular basis. If it is by our fruits that we are known, as indicated in scripture, we have yet to produce an abundance. Please do not simply dismiss this as disgruntled criticism. 11a\'ing been one of the original seven called, I am in a position to know something about which I speak. How can we maintain that we are doing all we can to promote the Kingdom of God? What may be true is that we are doing all that we have been willing to do. Unfortunately, it is not enough to bring about Zion an:1ime soon to a world that is increasingly needful of a people who are fully committed to God with all of their heart, might, mind and strength. Who are they who are devoted to Him?

 

In an effort to preserve the autonomy of branches already organized and incorporated and to insure that properties and assets would not again be put at risk of seizure by general church authorities, it was agreed that branches would continue to operate as self determining entities. While this concern and approach is understandable, it had also continued to be counterproductive to our functioning as a single organization. The Church of Christ, Restored could more accurately be described as an association of branches who have agreed to abide by the same set of By-Law's. Over the intervening fifteen years since God directed us to further organize, we have not made a significant contribution toward representing the Body of Christ on earth today. There has been a positive response in putting the gathering principle into practice. However, we have placed restrictions on how much of our lives we are willing to consecrate to the cause. We seem to be in a state of denial regarding the present condition of the church and have adopted an attitude of complacency that is epidemic. If this does not change, I fear that we will cease to have the blessing of the Holy Spirit. Contentment with any condition short of Zion, will result in an unsatisfactory outcome. In priesthood and member alike, there seems to be a lethargy, which permeates our services. I hear it in our singing and our preaching. Where are the zeal and the joy that should bear witness of everything we do in the name of Jesus? I believe we have come under attack by the enemy of righteousness. One of his goals is to rob us of the enjoyment we receive when we are unified. He would prefer that we become discouraged, disappointed, disillusioned and destroyed as disciples. We must become a more disciplined people.

 

Along with the Quorum of Apostles, the Elders in Conference must shoulder their of the responsibility for the decline that has become noticeable in the church. There is no such thing as marking time, or marching in place. If we are serious about advancing the cause we must move forward, or we fall behind. Of a certainty, the enemy will not cease to attack at every opportunity .In some instances, we have aided and abetted his efforts by making disparaging comments about those whose views differ from our own. Of the 35 elders of record, 12 attended the last conference held in Geneseo, Illinois. Geneseo is approximately mid-way between Michigan and Missouri for the sake of distance. The elders voted that they would continue to conduct the business of the church, without regard to the number in attendance. That means that a few of the eligible voting elders may make decisions that are binding upon the entire church. This amounts to representation by the minority who care, versus the majority who apparently do not. The next Elder's Conference is scheduled for April 13, 2002 at the Center Place Branch in Missouri. How many will make a concerted effort to attend? I get the sense that there may be more than one roll call or record kept of who is there. It is part of every priesthood's stewardship to try. In the Book of Helaman 2:64-65 a situation developed in the church and it too, began to dwindle away. For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people. And they which chose evil were more numerous than they which chose good. Therefore there were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted.

 

God is no respecter of persons. He does not make allowances based upon whose relative some- one is, or how close someone is to us. He could not accomplish what needed to be done and spare His Only Begotten Son. Therefore, He cannot make special provisions for those who we love. Facing reality means that we make the right decisions even under difficult circumstances; not make excuses for them. It's time to step up and do what needs to be done, because it is the right thing to do. Some are concerned about preserving our identity as a church. I'm not sure that, aside from being numbered with Christ, identity is even relevant, or should even be important to us. A message received through Evangelist/Patriarch Theron Campbell, which was brought to the 1987 conference, was not accepted. However, it had some interesting things to consider. "You my Elders must be humble and full of love, before I, your Lord, your God can labor with you in setting My church in order. In all the spiritual power and love that must be in My church and fed to My people by My Holy Priesthood, humbly and spiritually. Or it shall fail again and be led by misguided men. Then I must call others." If there is any truth in that message, then we need to give heed to that truth, or suffer the consequences of our disobedience. Perhaps we have not been as diligent, or as compassionate about reaching out to our fellow men, as we should. There is yet room for repentance and reconciliation where it is required. To do nothing different than we have already done is to deny that we have erred and we know that isn't the truth. God has given us an opportunity to respond to His Spirit, but we also know His Spirit will not always strive with man. Make no mistake about it; the time is now, Saints. This is the day that the Lord hath made and we are not using it, as we should. The time is fast approaching when the night will come, wherein no labors can be performed. The time to favor Zion is now, yea, the set time has come. Listen and heed the word of the Lord.