STRENGTH OF TODAY’S CHURCH—By Batsell Baxter

STRENGTH OF TODAY’S CHURCH---By Batsell Baxter STRENGTH OF TODAY’S CHURCH
Batsell Baxter

Sixty years ago we lost our church houses.
We lost most of our members—practically all of the wealthy ones.
We certainly came out of the organ and society invasion with our “feet on the ground.”
We counted noses—the few noses left to be counted.
We picked our stunned selves up and staggered back into the task of rebuilding.
We built small meeting houses on back streets. That was all we could afford.
We paid them out on the installment plan—small in-stalments.
With little congregational organization left, we came under the domination of “traveling evangelists.”

They told us when we would have preaching, or a protracted meeting. They also told us they would do the preaching.
We were not supposed to have any say in the matter. When two “evangelists” arrived at the same place at the same
time, we just let them settle it. We did not know we had any say in the matter.
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The Elders
But after years our elders grew in quality and con-fidence. These elders began to be shepherds of the flock. They learned that they could decide when they needed preaching and could select the man to do the preaching. They learned that they could gauge the length of his stay by his usefulness to the work of the Lord in that congregation.

Today we have good church buildings well located. Congregations have grown strong in numbers and in power. These congregations for the most part are under the oversight of strong, well qualified, working elders. They have good teaching under the oversight of these elders. The preaching is being done under the oversight of these elders, by men selected by the elders of the local congregation.

We believe that the church is God’s missionary society, and not some organization outside and separate and apart from the church. But only in the past few years have we gotten money enough to demonstrate that missionaries can be sent even to foreign fields by the church, and work under the direction of its elders. This has been very disappointing to the “Free lancers” on the one hand, and to the “society group” on the other hand, and both groups are “hollering” about it. The “Free lancer” at home and abroad does not like to be under the elders of his home congregation, and the “society” wants to boss the congregations. Neither group has any use for elders. But the church—God’s missionary society—is work-ing, and getting results. It has evangelized a large section of Southern Germany, made great inroads in Japan, and Mexico, and in Italy, the church is making Rome’s teeth rattle—something the man-made missionary society has never been able to do. God’s organization always works. All it needs is an opportunity, and it is using that opportunity now. The most practical argument against the organ is good scriptural singing—sing it out of business. The most practical argument against a man-made society is a good eldership in every congregation— doing so much good work that the society will fail of its own machinery, work it out of business.

Paul admonished the Ephesian elders, “Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood . . . Wherefore watch ye, remembering that by the space of three years I ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears.”

Today, watchful elders are exercising that God- given function. The work and the growth of a congregation under the oversight of such elders is such that it fills the heart of every true Christian with humble thanksgiving. The strength of the church today is a qualified, working eldership.