Sunday, September 22, 2013 Grace Life School of Theology Grace History Project Lesson 108 The Founding of the Grace Gospel Fellowship

Transcription

1 1 Sunday, September 22, 2013 Grace Life Schl f Thelgy Grace Histry Prject Lessn 108 The Funding f the Grace Gspel Fellwship Intrductin/Review In Lessn 106 we saw that the frmatin f the Wrldwide Grace Testimny in 1939 was the first attempt at rganizatin within the Grace Mvement. In Lessn 107 we reprted that in 1943 J.C. O Hair apprached C.R. Stam abut becming a traveling representative f the Wrldwide Grace Testimny. By 1944 sme within the Grace Mvement were calling fr mre rganized fellwship amngst Grace Believers in the United States. These events ultimately led t the frmatin f the Grace Gspel Fellwship (GGF). In July, 1974, Ray Reich, the lng time librarian at Grace Bible Cllege, published an essay titled Our Grace Heritage in a special editin f Truth Magazine, the fficial peridical f the GGF. In this article Reich recunts the events that led t the funding f the GGF. By the middle 1930 s there were numerus churches and independent Bible classes acrss the cuntry preaching and teaching the Grace Message. As nted earlier, Bible cnferences and the advent f radi prvided media fr the disseminatin f the truth cncerning the dispensatin f the mystery. At the utset there was little utward unity r pling f effrts t d a mre effective jb. The first step f unificatin came thrugh Bible cnferences in the Midwest, where peple frm many lcatins were brught tgether t share their mutual blessings. The secnd step was the rganizatin f the Wrldwide Grace Testimny. This, hwever, was in reality a self-perpetuating missin bard. The missin bard did cnduct a Bible cnference which benefitted the cnstituency, but the pastrs wh were nt n this bard felt a lack. There was a need fr a fellwship rganizatin f the pastrs. (Reich, 11) The Frmatin f the Grace Gspel Fellwship Accrding t Ray, his father Pastr Herman Reich was ne wh especially felt that an rganized fellwship f Pastrs was needed. Ray reprts that it was at a cnference f pastrs and missinaries at First Church f the Fundamentals in Evansville, Indiana, September 11-13, 1944 that his father Herman first prpsed the frmatin f an rganized fellwship. (Reich, 11) Recrds indicate that the fllwing men were present at this meeting: C.F. Baker, Harry Bultema, Carl Clum, J.C. O Hair, F.P. Pickett, Herman Reich, Raymnd Reich, E.F. Rueweler, C.R. Stam, Hal Reed, Walter Redman, Otis Wassn, and Ott Deming. (Reich, 11) Pastr Herman Reich prpsed that a new fellwship rganizatin f pastrs and Christian wrkers be frmed which wuld adpt the Dctrinal Platfrm f the Wrldwide Grace Testimny

2 2 and have as its bject t prvide a fellwship amng thse wh believe in the truths cntained in the dctrinal statement, and t prmte the gspel f the grace f Gd thrugh this land and wrld. (Reich, 11) The prpsitin was adpted and the cnventin elected as pr-tem fficers Herman Reich (President), Raymnd Reich (Secretary), and Otis Wassn (Treasurer). It was decided that the new rganizatin be named Grace Gspel Fellwship, and that the next Natinal Cnventin wuld be held in St. Luis in May f 1945 with the hst Pastr E.F. Rueweler f the St. Luis Bible Fellwship. In his memirs, Pastr Stam recunts the pivtal and ften verlked rle that Pastr Herman Reich played in the frmatin f the GGF. By the grace f Gd my traveling ministry was very fruitful, but it was Pastr Herman Reich, f the First Church f the Fundamentals f Evansville, Indiana wh, with his bard, invited us t cnduct the first Natinal Berean Bible Cnference at his church. Thus was frmed the Grace Gspel Fellwship, a natinal rganizatin f grace believers. Pastr Reich smehw has received almst n due credit fr this, but he was a great bster f thers, and he was the ne wh had the faith and visin t take the first step. (Stam, 84) On May 9, 1945 the GGF Cnventin met in St. Luis and adpted its Cnstitutin. At the time f its adptin membership in the fellwship cnsisted f twenty-ne pastrs, eight Christian wrkers, three freign missinaries, nineteen laymen, and ne seminary president. (Reich, 13) Article II f the Cnstitutin stated the fllwing regarding the purpse f the fellwship. The purpse f this rganizatin shall be t prmte a fellwship amng thse wh believe the truths cntained in the dctrinal statement and t prclaim the Gspel f the Grace f Gd in this land, and thrugh the Wrldwide Grace Testimny, thrughut the wrld. Recgnizing the ne true Bible Church in this present age, cmpsed f all wh pssess genuine faith in Christ, it is nt ur purpse r desire t frm a denminatin r church rganizatin, r t carry ut the functins f such, in gverning r directing grups f believers. (quted in Reich, 13-14) At the first cnventin in May, 1945 it was reprted that sme yung peple had been denied entrance t sme f the larger Bible institutes because f their psitin n water baptism. As a result a need was viced fr a schl where the dctrines f the Fellwship culd be freely taught. A Bible Institute cmmittee was rganized and charged with the task f starting a Bible Institute prgram pssibly by September f that same year. The wrk f this cmmittee culminated in the funding f Milwaukee Bible Institute (nw Grace Bible Cllege in Grand Rapids, MI). (Reich, 13)

3 3 Organizatinal Functins and Operatins Accrding t Reich, fr many years the GGF steered clear f taking n any prjects that might create the perceptin that the Fellwship was functining as a denminatin. Over time, hwever, the decisin was made that taking n sme prgrams wuld nt harm the independence f each lcal church. Tw such prgrams included: Pastr Subsidy Prgram and Sharebuilders. Pastr Subsidy Prgram assisted with the payment f a pastr s salary fr a time enabling him t devte all f his time in rganizing and develping Bible study grups int yung churches which culd, in time, be self-supprting. Sharebuilders made lw interest lans t grups fr the building r purchase f church prperty. (Reich, 14) Anther functin f the Fellwship is the examinatin and licensing r rdaining men t the ministry. Candidates are carefully examined in every facet f dctrine and practical spiritual life in rder t give assurance t churches that rdained men f the Fellwship are capable and reliable and give evidence f a divine call. (Reich, 15) Originally membership was pen t all believers but nly ministers, missinaries, evangelists, and Bible teachers had vting privileges. Later n this restrictin was withdrawn, granting t all members f vting age a vice in the business transactins f the Fellwship. (Reich, 14) Since its inceptin in the mid-1940s, the GGF has gne thrugh varius changes t the structure f the fellwship. Nt all f these changes were withut cntrversy as the June, 1961 editin f the Berean Searchlight testifies. In this editin f the magazine, Pastr Stam includes the text frm a message he delivered at the Octber, 1960 GGF Pastr s Retreat regarding a prpsal n the table t restructure the GGF. The Grace Gspel Fellwship has until nw been an rganizatin f believers within the Grace Mvement, banded tgether fr the prpagatin f Pauline truth the truth f the One Bdy with its One Baptism. Nw, hwever, we are being asked t cnsider a prpsal that the GGF re-rganize itself int an assciatin f churches, rganizatins, and individuals. (Stam, Berean Searchlight. June, 1961, 79-80) Stam then breaks dwn the prpsal as fllws: Sectin I PROPOSAL: t re-rganize the GGF frm an assciatin f pastrs and laymen int an assciatin f churches, rganizatins, and individuals. Sectin II PROCEDURE: Churches and rganizatins will... be invited t affiliate with the GGF and send delegates t the next cnventin.

4 4 Sectin III ORGANIZATION: The membership is t be cmpsed f All churches, rganizatins, and individuals subscribing t the dctrinal statement and wh are in accrd with its aims and purpses. The gvernment f the GGF shall be vested in the delegates t the Natinal Cnventin. (Stam, Berean Searchlight. June, 1961, 80) At the end f this sectin, Stam emphatically states in capitalized text, It shuld be nted here that the delegates representing the rganizatins and individuals within the GGF wuld be s few in number, prprtinately, as t make the rganizatin in effect an assciatin f churches. (Stam, Berean Searchlight. June, 1961, 80) It is clear frm reading the article that Stam was nt in favr f restructuring the GGF int an assciatin f churches. Stam viewed this prpsal as n par with the centralizing f church gvernment and sectarianism. In the end, Stam writes, If this prpsal is accepted, the GGF will have driveled dwn int ne f the sects f Christendm, and much divisin and heartache will be the result. Furthermre, its leaders will have exchanged the pwer f the Spirit in great measure fr mechanical and plitical pwer and all this withut the slightest guarantee f imprved rganizatin. Hw much wiser and happier we f the GGF will be t remain ne f the rganizatins within the Grace Mvement, dedicated t the prpagatin f the unadulterated gspel f the grace f Gd and the glrius truth f the baptism f all true believers int Christ and the One Bdy f which He alne is the Head. If we bey His Wrd in this, He will surely give us the wisdm t imprve the rganizatin f GGF. (Stam, Berean Searchlight. June, 1961, 92-93) In the September, 1965 issue f the Berean Searchlight, Pastr Stam set pen t paper t explain what a GGF-Affiliated Church was. 1) A church that is self-gverning and free frm utside cntrl. It chses its wn name, elects its wn fficers, exercises its wn discipline and wns its wn prperty. While affiliated with the Grace Gspel Fellwship it is in n way cntrlled by it, nr is it under the cntrl f any church denminatin r religius hierarchy. 2) A church whse dctrinal platfrm is in agreement with that f the Grace Gspel Fellwship... 3) A church which believes that all Scripture is given by inspiratin f Gd, and is prfitable..., but als recgnizes the imprtance f rightly dividing the Wrd f truth. 4) A church which recgnizes the distinctive character f the revelatin cmmitted t Paul as the apstle fr this present dispensatin and views all Scripture in the light f Pauline truth. (Stam, Berean Searchlight. Sept., 1965, 168)

5 5 Ray Reich reprts that, in 1970, sweeping changes in the administratin f the Fellwship were apprved. A full-time Executive President, Charles O Cnnr, was emplyed t direct prmtin and develpment. The United States was divided int twelve regins, each f which has been rganized with its wn fficers. A Natinal Cabinet, cmpsed f an elected Pastr and a Layman frm each f the twelve regins, serves as an Executive Cmmittee with the President f the Fellwship. They are respnsible fr the administratin f all functins f the natinal rganizatin, including the prmtin and disseminatin f dispensatinal truth. Churches may vte t becme Affiliated GGF Churches. Delegates frm affiliated churches and apprved rganizatins cnduct the business and establish plicy at the Natinal Cnventins. The chief cncern f the Fellwship is the planting f new churches, which will result in an enlarging hme cnstituency, which will prduce a greater missinary utreach arund the wrld, thus bringing greater glry t Gd. (Reich, 15) Currently, accrding t the GGF website, the Fellwship is structured similarly t the sweeping changes that ccurred in As f September, 2013 the GGF website states the fllwing regarding their rganizatin. When ur cnstitutin was revised in the early 1970 s, the cuntry was divided int twelve regins. After a shrt time, regins 3 and 4 merged t becme Regin 3. In 1995 regins 5 and 6 asked t be merged as Regin 5. There are ten regins at this present time. Each regin has a cuncil cmprised f all active pastrs plus lay representatives fr each affiliated church and sme representing the individual members f GGF wh are nt in an affiliated church. The prprtin f representatin is established by ur cnstitutin. Each regin selects ne pastr and ne layman t represent them n the Natinal Cuncil. The Natinal Cuncil serves as the gverning bard fr the Fellwship. The Natinal Cuncil selects smene t serve as president f the Fellwship. The president acts fr the Cuncil in all the daily peratins. He is respnsible fr the peratin f ur ffice and all f its prcedures. (ggfusa.rg/abut-us/histry) In additin, the GGF lists the fllwing as Affiliated Ministries. Please nte that all f these ministries are specifically ffset n the GGF webpage frm Grace Sites, thereby indicating that they have been apprved r sanctined by the fellwship. Believers Express Service Grace Adventures (Frmerly Knwn as Grace Yuth Camp) Grace Bible Cllege

6 6 Grace Ministries Internatinal Grace Missin Philippines Grace Publicatins Ministry Caching, MD Prisn Missin Assciatin Salt Ministries San German Ministries St. Luis Thelgical Seminary TBS Ministries Things t Cme Missin Cncluding Thughts The GGF, as it is presently cnstructed, bears all the markings f a denminatin. They have their wn fellwship assciatin, natinal cuncil, Bible Cllege, missin bard, and publishing huse. While sme within the fellwship might take issue with this classificatin, there are sme wh wuld cncede the pint. It is my persnal private subjective pinin that rganizing at a level beynd the lcal church is a mistake. Paul never established anything beynd lcal churches. While Pauline churches f the first century may have cperated with each ther lsely, they did nt bear the type f rganized structure that the GGF currently manifests. Organizing beynd the lcal church brings plitics int the equatin, as the histry f the Grace Mvement will bear ut ver the rest f this class. The men wh funded the Fellwship in the 1940s did what they thught was right. In fact, they were ding what the rest f Fundamentalism was ding at time, frmally rganizing beynd the lcal church. It is my pinin that they shuld have remained a lse fellwship f independent churches as they were during the 1930s. Once the mvement institutinalized and plitical bickering and in-fighting ver dctrine began t take hld, the mvement stagnated and fractured. As f yet, the Grace Mvement as a whle has yet t regain its frmer vitality and energy. It is t thriving independent churches that we must lk t in the present as well as the future if we are ging t seek t recapture the heyday f O Hair.

7 7 Wrks Cited Grace Gspel Fellwship website. ggfusa.rg. Reich, Ray. Our Grace Heritage fund in Truth Magazine. July, 1974 Vlume XXV, N. 2. Stam, Crnelius R. The Grace Gspel Fellwship Shuld It be Re-Organized Int An Assciatin f Churches? Berean Searchlight. June, Stam, Crnelius R. What is a GGF-Affiliated Church. Berean Searchlight. September, 1965 Stam, Crnelius R. The Memirs f Pastr Crnelius R. Stam. Germantwn, WI: Berean Bible Sciety, 2003.