"Liberalism/institutionalism is a dead issue!"

While then lines of fellowship here in the States are very clearly drawn and there isn't usually a lot of conversation back and forth, such is not the case in the Caribbean. In fact, there are now a number of churches that have already rejected liberalism and institutionalism and more are even now in the process of doing so. These brethren were taught that we have to do exactly what the Bible says, so more than one of them questioned the various forms of recreation that the liberals brought with them--money from the church treasury to go to the beach, tour the island, have birthday parties, etc. Eating in the church building was also a question, but they thought they were probably the only ones in the world he didn't think these things were right. Imagine their surprise to find that many other brethren understand these things in the same way.

The liberals have reacted in the Caribbean the way they have in other places--brethren have been labeled, pressured, had their support cut, etc. to "get them back in line". Preachers have been given monetary support to "keep them" and the list goes on. This has worked with some while others have stood for the truth, no matter what it cost them.

There are no "dead issues", at least in a growing church, as there are always children growing up and new Christians who need to be taught on every issue. True, we cannot get stuck on any one issue or group of issues, but neither can we neglect any issue. God has called us to preach the "whole counsel of God"--the positive, the negative, the plan of salvation, the acts of worship, church organization, personal holiness and more. Whatever we fail to preach in this generation will come back to haunt us in the next.

Tol