I have no pleasure in writing this. I hesitated a long time before doing so, only deciding after receiving disturbing news of seducing spirits making merchandise of souls of men.

Charles W. Davis preaches for the Clark Air Base (Philippines) church of Christ. In his attempts to persuade all Christians coming there to worship with that group, he has misrepresented and lied about Castorio F. Gamit, myself and the faithful church for which brother Gamit preaches. Because of the obligation which God places on watchmen (Ezek. 33:1-11) I need to present certain information to show why I mark brother Davis a false teacher and the group for which he preaches an apostate church. In July, 1966 when I arrived in the Philippine nation I found the Clark church engaged in the following practices to which I had to reject:

1. The building and property, according to statements by Brother Davis and other brethren there, were in the name of the Inglewood, California elders (even though these were paid for by brethren at Clark).

2. The Clark church considered itself under the oversight of these same elders, again by Brother Davis' statements.

3. This group operated under the "committee system" with each committee claiming "oversight of its area of responsibility." (I cannot harmonize this with the one above, but these were their claims, not mine.)

4. The Clark congregation contributed annually to the church responsible for organizing the "Far East Fellowship." This was passed off as "an old-fashioned gospel meeting" but in fact was merely another example of the sponsored concept of coordinated church activity which our "no pattern" brethren seem to love so well.

5. This church made a monthly financial donation to the Philippine Bible College (PB), a secular college located in Baguio City, "sponsored" by the Inglewood, California church.

These were not in accord with the New Testament. For seven months I tried teaching against them, avoiding having fellowship with evil by laying by in store elsewhere. Almost universally the brethren refused to allow any meaningful discussion of our differences in terms of the New Testament. When it became obvious they would not change, we concluded they had reached the point described by Paul in 2 Thess. 2:10-12, "...having pleasure in unrighteousness." We decided if we wished to continue to find favor in God's sight we needed to obey His command in 2 Cor 6:17, "come out from among them. . . ." We did. My family, another family, one woman with her two children, plus one young, unmarried airman, a total of 18 separated ourselves to worship and work only as God taught in the New Testament. This was in February, 1967.

I was not permitted to address the Clark church to state why we were leaving. To explain our actions I sent each member a copy of an open letter. It listed the five points on which we differed, and then said we did not leave over any or all of these, but for the consistent refusal of brethren there to discuss these things with us in terms of God's will! Following the futile attempt by them to bring us back, based on us compromising our convictions, Brother Davis and the apostate church brought "withdrawal action" against us. Their letter said it was for "leaving God's true church in this place," but their notice in the Firm Foundation claimed "anti-ism" as the cause.

In the "disfellowship letter" brother Davis made a number of untrue statements and false accusations. Normally I am not overly concerned with every little bit of slander against me. But reputation has a large effect on ability to teach others to convert them to Christ. For this reason I wrote a rebuttal, sending it to the same individuals who received my first letter. Until this point the problem was still a local one. However Brother Davis allowed the so-called American "missionaries" from the PBC to reproduce my first letter and the "disfellowship letter." They distributed these to many brethren in different parts of that nation, using them as a wedge trying to separate congregations from the faithful men preaching for them. The approach was something like this: "Read these letters; see, now you cannot have fellowship with bro. ___________ (local preacher) because he is fellowshipping Brother Little and he has been disfellowshipped by the church at Clark Air Base." Thus these men used a strictly local problem as a means of trying to divide churches in other parts of that country. (And they have the gall to accuse "anti's" of splitting churches!)

Before we were "disfellowshipped" two Filipino brethren worked for me. The economic situation was so bad these men were unable to find other work. Brother Davis argued that to continue working for me would jeopardize their souls, and coerced them into giving up their jobs. One eventually returned. The other never did, in spite of several conversations I had with him. Brother Davis used his position and influence to impose unnecessary economic hardship on these Christians and those dependent upon them f or their daily bread.

Brother Davis holds certain beliefs and attitudes which need to be known:

1. He repeatedly told me "I stand with you in opposition to churches contributing to colleges." Yet he gave his full active support to the monthly contribution of the Clark church to the PBC. On one occasion he persuaded this congregation to lend that school an additional $300.00.

2. Although he never stated so explicitly, numerous conversations left me with the distinct impression he considered it necessary for any Christians at Clark to worship where he preaches, and lay by in store there.

3. Both his conduct and teaching indicated he believed one church is required to be bound by and act in concert with another in matters of corrective discipline.

4. He is extremely short-fused. As long as you agree with him, he is among the most genial of men; disagree and feel his wrath. Concerning my teaching in opposition to his institutional errors, on two public occasions he threatened: "Stop causing trouble among the brethren or I'll have you disfellowshipped." Twice he accused me of lying. Shown there was no basis for it, he retracted his charge both times. Yet in the "disfellowship letter" he repeated this same charge again, as if he was totally unaware of the two previous incidents. To the best of my knowledge, he has not retracted it nor sought God's forgiveness for this lie.

5. He endorsed public accusations against me, including "his doctrine is of the devil." It is significant to note our differing was not over my doctrine BUT OVER HIS! Insofar as he believes anything, he believes everything I do. The difference is he has gone beyond my beliefs (2 Jno. 9). Thus if he condemns my doctrine; just what does he do to his own?

6. He has repeatedly misrepresented men I know and trust, making unsupportable accusations against them, attempting thus to influence me against them. Even after learning the truth from me, (and perhaps from others also), he continued to make these same groundless and disproved charges. If he did not know they were false at first, he certainly did after our conversations. Why then does he continue to lie about these men? Could it be to dissuade newly arrived military personnel and their dependents from personal investigation of the situation there, in order to convince them to worship with the apostate Clark church?

7. By lying about Castorio F. Gamit and the church for which he preaches, Brother Davis continues to subvert souls. I recently learned of an instance of this which was only the latest of a number of his attempts to lead Christians astray.

Brethren who will be spending several years at Clark Air Base need to know there is a faithful church there. With this group they can work and worship acceptably to God. This is NOT the apostate Clark Air Base church where Charles W. Davis, the false teacher, preaches. God's real church nearest Clark is located at the following address: Church Of Christ, c/o Castorio, F. Garnit, Sn. Angelo Sub-division, Angeles City, Pampanga, C-201, Republic Of The Philippines. Brethren going there need also to understand it is largely made up of Filipino saints. If American Christians are to please God, they must put racism out of their hearts and worship with these brethren. A Christian who has difficulty accepting one of another race as a brother in Christ here in the United States will not find his problem made any easier in the Philippine Islands. If he believes what God wrote in Acts 10: 34, 35 and is willing to endure opposition, scorn, social ostracism and possibly some form of oppression, he can remain faithful, however.

Contact brother Gamit before going over there. Use airmail (allowing ten days to two weeks in each direction). Let him know when you will arrive and make mutual plans to get in contact with each other. As a Filipino he cannot come on the base except by invitation from an American, so YOU MUST make the initial contact. Then worship with God's faithful few there. Although your service to the Lord while in that country may not be as comfortable as in the United States, it will be pleasing to God. And what more is necessary?

TRUTH MAGAZINE, XV: 21, pp. 11-13
April 1, 1971