CoC congregational splits

[JWhitehead]

When I was something like around 10 years old or so, I was attending the CoC in Marion, IN. At the time, our founding preacher had just left for Ohio and we had this new, much younger guy preaching. I don't remember ALL of the details (I was pretty young) but I do remember that he was a pretty divisive guy and wound up splitting the congregation nearly in two. I remember this went on for a couple of months with bunches of people "going forward" to repent at the song call. It seemed like was some accusation of adultery, but I don't remember the details of that. I do remember there was a BUNCH of finger pointing and a number of people left and went somewhere else.

Long after I left the church, My wife (who is still indoctrinated) told me that the her local church where her dad WAS an elder had a similar breakup. I heard all this third hand of course, but apparently there was some accusations being made and once again, this congregation had a falling out and split up.

From what I've seen over the years, this seems to be a pattern with the CoC. Anyone else have a similar experience?

[Cootie Brown]

Fellow Hoosier here JW. Born and raised in Lafayette Indiana. Still have family there but have been living in the Memphis TN area since 1977. My wife is a native Memphian.

I have experienced a Baptist Church split, but oddly enough not a c of C but know of several that did.

[bnot]

I witnessed 2 splits by the age of 13, and by splits I mean half of the church leaving to start another church. The 1st one we stayed, and the 2nd one we left to launch a new church of disgruntled members. Big drama Sunday, arguing, pissed off people, people getting told off, very ugly. I would also hear about other drama, because word would get around about a church in the area that had a shake up, and that would result in people going to other churches and then occasionally starting a entirely new church.

[gordie91]

I think it is a pattern and have witnessed it many times. Since every man is his own pope, they just pick up their bible and carry it on to a new location and start afresh. Like nothing ever happened. Strange occurrences for a group that was started in order to promote Christian unity among all the different denominations.

[Lerk]

I somehow managed to avoid this, although the church I was at when I was a toddler may have split during that time. This would have been around 1962. And why? Was it over "the issues" (i.e. "institutionalism")? Not exactly. It was because the preacher wanted the elders to publicly call out preachers who were on the "wrong side." The elders didn't think they had the right to make statements about people who weren't members of their local church. Anyway, that's what I got from it years later. So you wound up with two NI churches not far from each other, and the members practically not on speaking terms.

I found an old article (1966) about the reconciliation. Turns out the split was in 1960, the year I was born. It's from a "brotherhood paper" called "Searching the Scriptures," and I found it on the "Truth Magazine" website here. Search for "Thomas Blvd".

A church we were at for over 20 years had a spat a few years ago over a somewhat arrogant preacher. He had decided to leave because they didn't want to spend the money for live video of the Sunday services. Someone wrote an anonymous letter to him and put it in the suggestion box, and he called meetings with everyone he thought might have written it. Fortunately, we had gone to a smaller church a couple of years earlier and got to miss all of that drama.

So, yeah, it happens. I think it happens in just about every denomination, though.

[Free Spirit]

Oh yes. EVERY congregation I ever attended split over something ridiculous. They would always claim it was a doctrinal dispute but that was always a cover for personal grudges and power struggles.

[Sean]

Splits? Why that is the scriptural growth model. I am the vine and all that...so just like a plant, you take a cutting and plant it just down the way and suddenly we have growth. OK surely this use of sarcasm is acceptable right?

[ena]

Oh yes. EVERY congregation I ever attended split over something ridiculous. They would always claim it was a doctrinal dispute but that was always a cover for personal grudges and power struggles.

This is true. The claims are that it is something doctrinal. It was petty local politics in my church. It got damaged over a full council of God preacher that an Elder wanted. We had been a shithole for years because of such. Today I have no desire for church because God is not found there. It is useless to try to change the CoC from inside because there is so much overwhelming ignorance in the CoC. Not the least bit interested in going their ever. I came here trying to figure out what screwed me up in my spiritual life. I now know. The brain washing was excellently done and it took many years to identify it. In short the CoC believes doctrines of demons and does not trust Jesus or God. Sacrifices are based on the wages of sin is death. Jesus was a true sacrifice. After his death the temple was no longer important and was destroyed. The second temple did not have the ark of the covenant. The ark was hidden in a quarry under ground and will show in the last days to counter the lies of the false prophet. The stone tablets are still there. If you are in the tribulation you will be asked to worship something other than God. If you do this your spirit will get the mark of the beast. I do not believe this is physical. You will be part of the first resurrection which comes in several parts. The second resurrection is for those condemned to the Lake of Fire. Jesus makes the rules as he has been given the authority. His talking about the kingdom is not crap. The devil will be bound in the bottomless pit for 1000 years. Christ will reign for 1000 years in a physical kingdom. The devil will be released at the end briefly until he is thrown into the lake of fire. Sounds like a star system. This is in Rev 20 and Daniel. This is not something that most CoC's know about. I am telling you so you will not be fooled. If you want to know about the ark see Ron Wyatt. Their are many things that have been misidentified by Jews because of the passage of time. Ron was a researcher that identified the Reed Sea crossing with decayed chariot wheels along with human bones and horses bones. The site was marked by two red granite pillars. The Egyptians worked this hard stone in other monuments so the Jews learned how. Not bad for a bronze chisel. I have worked granite but use diamond tools. They make industrial diamond. You can buy such at Lowes or Home Depot. I can cut stucco like butter with a diamond blade and a 4.5 inch angle grinder. The wheel is about 10 bucks. The lord let the chariots nearly cross before he let go of the waters. Maximum damage. There are no Pharaohs bragging about this. They did refer to battles against the Jews in the merneptah stele. Ron did find Mount Sinai in Saudi Arabia and the rock that Moses split. He also thinks he found Noah's ark but I am not sure. He was an interesting guy but currently dead. He was allowed to view the ark by God. Others have been struck dead trying to copy him. You won't likely see it. The ark is gold and sits over a wooden box. Ron was allowed to pick up the tablets. Angels handled the ark as Ron could not. Did I say that angels are very strong. There was a metal spike driven into the wall of the garden tomb. This was the Roman seal the keep Jesus inside and dead. And angel broke the seal in Matthew when he opened the tomb. Much more than a single man could do. He basically sheared a railroad spike. No nail puller for this guy. You can go to the Church of the Holy Seplicure to see the fake tomb of Jesus or the real one in the Garden Tomb. The rock bed on which Jesus laid was hurriedly chiseled out because Jesus was taller the Joseph of Arimathea.

[shlybluz]

It seems like nearly every time the location I went to changed preachers there was an exodus of some sort, so probably at least 5 times in the 26 years I was there. I left in the midst of the last one and a part of me wishes to this day that I just stood up and called them all hypocrites and left with a bang instead of sneaking out. It was always over some sort of stupid BS, and people left and then came back a few months or years later. I've been told there was another one after I left over the preacher at the time hassling an elder because his adult children no longer attended church. Wish I had been there for that because I would have called him out on it publicly and dared him to hassle me over the fact that my parents used the place as a free babysitter to get me out of their hair and never went there (and gasp, were Catholics and lapsed ones at that LOL).

[ena]

It seems like nearly every time the location I went to changed preachers there was an exodus of some sort, so probably at least 5 times in the 26 years I was there. I left in the midst of the last one and a part of me wishes to this day that I just stood up and called them all hypocrites and left with a bang instead of sneaking out. It was always over some sort of stupid BS, and people left and then came back a few months or years later. I've been told there was another one after I left over the preacher at the time hassling an elder because his adult children no longer attended church. Wish I had been there for that because I would have called him out on it publicly and dared him to hassle me over the fact that my parents used the place as a free babysitter to get me out of their hair and never went there (and gasp, were Catholics and lapsed ones at that LOL).

Understand we had suffered for year after year with one trick preachers. One preached about not forsaking the assembly every time we met. Can I say boring. There is much more in the Bible than that. I had to put up with it because the only way out would cause problems. It is best to leave quietly. The judgement of other Christians in other groups is what hurts the Church of Christ. It actually angers God who will hold them responsible. Yes the Bible does say that a Elder's children should be under control as the Elder himself. It is part of the qualifications. He should have done it privately. Even Joseph did not want to accuse Mary of adultery but wanted to put her away privately. Very kind for a Jew in the first century as the penalty was stoning. She lived with Joseph and people assumed that Joseph was the father after being told by God that she was pure in a dream. That is not as unusual as you might think even today. I have had it happen. I would not be surprised if others had it happen. If you are right with God you can even hear him speak like telepathy in your head. I only know of that from others. Ron Wyatt saw a tall man with a brown beard who spoke to him. He thought it might be Jesus. He was blessed with answers to prayer many times. How about the rock that Moses split. It's still there with its split. No water visible today as the area is very dry. Mount Sinai is in Saudi Arabia. Its top is still darkened from the glory of God. Even Moses had to cover his face because he glowed so bright. God does not normally show off today because there is no need. An answer to prayer can be as simple as the right person showing up in your life. There is evidence if you look. Google youtube Ron Wyatt. I've spent hours watching things he found. Paul after the big flash was sent someone to instruct him in Damascus.