Letter of Concern

by T. C. Pinckney                                                                                              Vol. XII, No. 4, April 1999

An unsolicited letter came to my desk a few days ago. I thought it interesting and requested and received permission of the writer to share it with our readers.

Dear Mr. Pinckney

I really enjoy reading The Baptist Banner. Our church used to be Southern Baptist -- and it does send some money to the SBC, but about 5 years ago switched to the CBF. Not many of us knew what CBF was all about. Our pastor had meetings about it, but I had at that time 3 small children and my elderly father and grandmother to take care of, so I did not go to the meetings. It was voted on and passed easily. But now after reading your information I am very concerned. I go to a small rural church, about 100-125 attend church services. I have noticed our church going from a fine, witnessing church to a social gathering place with dead music, little "meat" in the pastor's messages, and free entertainment with "programs."

I am (age). I have four children under 8 years. My husband and I are very concerned about churches in general. I teach our children Scripture at home, since our church no longer has Bible drills, Acteens, or Royal Ambassadors. The children's program is very entertaining for them, but after second grade there is no children's church for them so they are forced to sit upstairs in the old outdated service that drags to the traditional hymns. I'm bored; they're bored.

We visited a church about three months ago that seemed to be growing, but the people were upper class people. The worship was great! The pastor was so-so, but we found out that they too support CBF, so we came back to our home church.

How do you go about getting your church out of CBF and also putting a contemporary service in? Our church is opposed to anything new. They think the old traditional hymns were "good enough for them so they should be good enough for us." I used to lead quite a bit at church, but I gave it all up because I felt the congregation was being entertained and not listening to the message of the children.

I am so frustrated I feel like starting another church, a conservative Baptist church that believes the entire Bible is true and proclaims that. I am praying about this: whether to start another church and just meet in one of the local schools. I think about 90% of what is done at church has nothing to do with God's glory; it's for people's glory. And God never called the church to do certain things.

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My, that lady pushed a lot of buttons, subjects worth careful thought.