142 pages
scripture and topic indexes
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ISBN 978-0-938855-65-1
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"The aim and directness of this book was very refreshing and a good read. I am very glad you did it." (Alabama Christian)
"At the rate we are going in the church, the future looks like we might be meeting in two’s. Then, hope that the husband and wife don’t get a divorce." (California Preacher in a church of Christ)
"With the Internet, Christians will eventually become exposed to other teaching and confronted with a decision that rises above the 'traditions of the elders.' The computer has made it impossible to hide behind tradition, while claiming to stand for the truth. Those that continue to do so will perish, and that just may be a good thing."
(Washington Christian)
 "I've read with great interest your book 'What is wrong with most
churches of Christ' and your debate with Lynn Graham. I have found
myself re-examining my thinking as it pertains to what a denomination
is. I've ordered your Fellowship book to study further." (Kentucky Christian)
"It's like boiling a frog. You throw him in a boiling pot and he reacts to the extreme. If you place him in a pot of cool water and gradually turn up the heat, you'll boil him before he knows what hit him.
The 'Church of Christ' needs to be thrown in the hot water, so they can recognize the denomination they have become."
(Alabama Christian)
"Sam, overall, it's probably your best work yet. I'd love to see it in the hands of every preacher and elder in the sisterhood." (Texas Preacher in a church of Christ)
"I know a congregation that has managed to lose every child of every member family to the world." (New Mexico Preacher in a Church of Christ)
"I consider Sam very much a healer. His book on divorce brought our small congregation together from widely disparate views. His book on The Way of Christ Without Denominationalism was a key step in my departure from absolute Pharisaic legalism." (California Christian)
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The facts above demonstrate the crisis that confronts churches of Christ. The year 2042 is not a prophecy, but a "guesstimate." Whether or not it's an accurate date, this small volume discusses eight problems that contribute to the crisis and deals with the issues. Even if there were no problems, and no impending extinction, denominational concepts of the body of Christ shouldn't be harbored among Christians striving to avoid denominationalism and the catastrophic damage it's caused in the religious realm. Were there no crisis, local churches should still be independent workgroups of disciples. While we hold doctrine to be extremely important, the attitude that we can spiritually "splendidly murder" others in the defense of it is totally anti-scriptural. Were there no crisis, we still need to cultivate the skills for dealing with brethren with whom we disagree.
God doesn't need us to determine for others what the truth is on any controversial subject. Much more importantly, he desparately desires that we show forth his nature in the way we deal with each other. Few will deny that we fail to teach and learn from the entire Bible, not just the New Testament, the way serious disciples should. We've experienced authoritarianism and codependence for decades, perhaps not knowing what to call them, and how to remedy them.
In short, most of us will agree with the horrific effects of at least some, if not all, of these eight problems on churches of Christ.
In striving for the way of Christ without denominationalism, most have many of the basic principles right. We teach people the correct way to be in fellowship with God in the universal church. When it comes to the local church, we talk a good game by telling folks to avoid denominational allegiance in their service of Christ, but we have serious problems in executing it ourselves.
During eight years of live, call-in radio programs, Sam Dawson learned not only to question the teaching of all denominations, but, to be consistent, to also question everything he had learned and had taught himself. He quickly found that many traditions did not stand up to careful examination. He learned to say, “I don't know, I'll have to study that some more.” His dedication to questioning and technical background helped him reduce many controversies to core issues and to refine them to be easily understood.
In 1988, Sam tackled a foundation controversial subject with Fellowship: With God and His People: The Way of Christ Without Denominationalism. It exposes that Christians often don't really understand what the church is or the differences between the universal and local church. As a result, they have allowed denominational thinking to creep into their own practices.
Then in 2004, Sam showed that we don't even know what the New Testament is when he wrote The Teaching of Jesus: From Mount Sinai to Gehenna: A Faithful Rabbi Urgently Warns Rebellious Israel. Because many Christians have a simplistic view of the life of Christ and fail to realize his mission to the Jews, they often misapply much of his teaching.
Thus, other than the fact that, generally, members of churches of Christ aren't clear about what the church is or what the New Testament is, their claim to be the New Testament church is exactly right.
Now after 40 years of serious Bible study, Sam has turned his insight to showing how Christians are still missing some of the most basic teaching of the Bible in his latest book What Is Wrong with Most Churches of Christ & How They Can Avoid Extinction.
For too many years, Christians have been comfortable in the name "Church of Christ" on the front of the building and have focused all of their righteous indignation on those outside, all the while decaying from within. This new book not only exposes eight problems, but also offers attainable solutions.
"I understand exactly what you are saying ( I think that all of these 8 items are known to Christians who have endured 50+ years in the 'hood').
I have experienced the mindsets, attitudes and 'spirits' that you have so accurately described all of my Christian life. In many ways my family and I have been the recipient of the things you have described, in some periods of my life I have been a perpetrator ( may God forgive me). I have a sense of despair ... because I believe you have accurately identified the symptoms of church decay." (California Christian)
This book is NOT for you if:
- You’re not disturbed by a 58% decrease in membership in churches of Christ in the United States since the 50s while the population nearly doubled.
- You’re intent on riding the current trend all the way to the bottom.
- You think smashing the barometer will stop the storm.
- You’re unwilling to identify and resist the denominational trends in most churches of Christ.
- You think that doing what we’ve always done won’t get us what we’ve always got.
- You’re unwilling to learn to study the Bible for yourself and not depend on preachers and papers to do your thinking.
- You value creed rehearsal more than true Bible study.
- You're unwilling to overcome the woeful codependence on the part of Christians that enables authoritarian leaders.
- You’re willing to permit the highhanded leadership style practiced by many leaders in churches of Christ.
- You're unwilling to learn and to teach others how to study the Bible independently to avoid extinction.
- You're willing to watch some of the brightest and hardest working members be driven off by those who study the least and behave the worst.
- You're willing to stand by and watch the cause vanish without a whimper, for which so many brethren, parents, friends, and other believers strove for over past generations.
A tradition-challenging publication that exposes
denominational thinking and actions!
Table of Contents
Personal Background and Purpose
One Elder's Shocking Prediction
Problem Number 1: Most Churches of Christ Are Not Like Churches in the New Testament
Most in Churches of Christ Are Not Disciples
Most Churches of Christ Are Not Workgroups
The Independence of Most Local Churches Is a Myth
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