O. C. Birdwell
Columbia, Tennessee
Nothing that is done by my liberal brethren surprises me any more. A few years ago I would have been utterly shocked to have received the October, 1969 bulletin called Plant and Water that I just took from the mailbox. According to the paper, "The overall objectives of Plant and Water are to encourage the establishment of Christian schools and to interest the churches in Mack Christian School (MCS)." Plant and Water is from Charles E. Kranz, of Mack church of Christ and Mack Christian School of Cincinnati, Ohio. 3,000 copies were mailed to churches of Christ in six states.
The paper sets forth the policies of Mack church of Christ, Mack Christian School, and Charles Kranz, which they say are scriptural. It might be noted, however, that they cited no scripture!
Hear their policies and plans in their own words as follows:
"We have the cooperation of churches of Christ and invite and need the cooperation of others. However, we will adhere to the autonomy of MCS through the Mack congregation . . . MCS was started in September 1966 as a kindergarten. We have added a grade each year so that now we have 50 children in the kindergarten and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades. We plan to add a grade each year and our present facilities are adequate to take care of about 100 children in kindergarten and six grades... The Lord recently gave us 4 acres of land adjoining the church property (I deny the Lord did it. He gets blamed with a lot He did not do.OCB) which will be suitable for constructing a building for our junior and high school Plans are to have the building ready for use as a junior high by September 1973 and as a high school by September 1976 so that all children may continue their education at MCS."
More could be quoted from Plant and Water, but this will suffice to show that I am not misrepresenting what they have done, or what they intend to do. They have built, or are planning to build, a kindergarten, elementary school, junior high, senior high, and a four year college. All "through the Mack congregation" and with what they hope to be the "cooperation of churches of Christ."
I once heard a brother preach a sermon called "The Short Steps of Satan." It was a relevant discussion of the gradual process of digression. Within the last twenty years among many churches of Christ the steps have not been so short, but they have definitely been digressive. Church support for benevolent institutions, sponsoring church arrangements, area wide organization of elders, church sponsored recreation, entertainment, and kindergartens are now the order of the day for many. The next steps are first, second and third grades, junior, and senior high, then college. See the process? If one is scriptural, all are scriptural. So the Mack congregation says, "We believe the policies of MCS are entirely scriptural."
I call upon Brother Kranz to give us the scripture that authorizes the church to build and maintain secular schools. I deny that it is scriptural. I or someone else who believes as I do, would be happy to have a little "dialogue." Or better than that, an old fashion debate with a representative of Mack Christian School on the scripturalness of their arrangement. Plant and Water states that they will supply speakers for churches. Will they supply one to publicly defend their actions? We shall see.
Brethren, beware of such unscriptural entanglements. What they are doing is a deadly parallel to Roman Catholicism's action on secular education. Let the church do the work of the church and support no human institution or arrangement.
TRUTH MAGAZINE XIV: 24, pp. 8-9
April 23, 1970
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