During the past ten years, change, disappointment, growth and hope has been the lot of the Christadelphian brotherhood in North America, as well as the society in which we live.
Impact of the world
As much as we may not like it, we are affected by changes in the culture around us. Moral decadence has become more firmly entrenched in our society. This particularly affects the number of family problems experienced in ecclesias: more broken homes, more immorality amongst the unmarried, more children born out of wedlock and a breakdown in our standards as to recreational activities. The root is selfishness which is addressed in this month’s exhortation.
North America has become more prosperous. That has affected the brotherhood for good and bad. Money has been available for new halls and for responding to natural disasters in Jamaica and elsewhere. It is available to support gospel proclamation activities at home and in mission areas. (Its availability, however, does not always mean its use.) But great pressure has been put on many of us to devote more time to our jobs just to keep up with material standards. The working couple syndrome has become the norm for the “world” and is fast becoming common in Christadelphia. Some families have adapted to the change by making the second job that of caring for neighbors’ children in their home. This has the advantage of permitting a sister to stay home with her own children and to have an influence for good on other youngsters.
Continued growth
Not counting transfers from overseas, total membership of all Amended ecclesias in North America has grown an average of 43 per year during the eighties. Over half the growth has come from converts to the Truth as opposed to those who have been raised in Christadelphian families. Considering that North America is a mature ecclesial area, this is encouraging. It is particularly heartening when we remember the population demographics of the 80’s. During the period, there was a sharp drop in the number of those in their late teens and early 20’s which meant there were relatively fewer Christadelphian children growing into the age of baptism.
If Christ remains away, a significant opportunity and challenge confronts the ecclesias as a new population explosion of our children advances through Sunday school and youth circle toward maturity. Will a large percentage of them dedicate themselves to the Truth? A survey of ecclesias and families proves that over 90% will do so if they are raised in a strong and balanced spiritual environment.
During the 80’s, there was continued growth in the number of Bible schools, study days and fraternal activities. These have proven to be essential features of ecclesial life when many of our ecclesias are scattered across the continent and brethren and sisters still live in isolation. Increased facilities for travel can help us bridge these distances if we will make the effort to do so.
The figures noted earlier also indicate people are still responding to the preaching of the Word. In a number of places, brethren are busy every night of the week conducting first principle classes with interested friends. In this regard, the Truth Corps performs a valuable function for those who participate and for the ecclesias who use its service.
While we may lament the moral decline of western societies, the fact remains the Lord continues to call out a people for His name. What is needed from us is willing hearts and spiritually vibrant lives.
Reunion activities
At the beginning of the decade, there was much hope for a continent-wide reunion between the Amended and the Unamended fellowships. Several times, representatives thought they were close to agreement only to find the necessary ecclesial support was lacking. When the ecclesially appointed committees finally agreed to disband, another effort was unsuccessfully launched by the Christadelphians For Unity committee.
Through a combination of circumstances, we had the opportunity to circulate among several Unamended ecclesias during this period. As we did so, we were surprised that Andrewism was still widely held. In many areas, “inherited alienation” and “legal condemnation” were not catch terms from a dead controversy but described wrong ideas actively believed and taught. In those places, disagreement on the issue of resurrectional responsibility really was the tip of an iceberg of doctrinal variance.
As a consequence, we were not surprised that the Unamended community rejected by a majority vote a reunion proposal that we felt was significantly biased in their direction.
While some further reunion discussions may be useful in a specific area, we see no reason to pursue them at the present time on a continental basis.
Forty years of Israel
Many brethren looked with great anticipation to 1988 as the year of Christ’s return. Israel was then 40 years old and the words of our Lord were oft-repeated, “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Many were convinced that the period of a generation most likely referred to a 40 year interval. After the fact, we will see clearly what he meant. Until then, we must walk in readiness every day not knowing the day nor the year when our Lord will come.
As if to console His people, God caused the decade to close with staggering changes in Europe. He rules in the kingdom of men and will replace the times of the Gentiles on schedule. Our problem and our blessing is we do not know the specific times on that schedule. What if we did? What if we knew the Lord would come in 1997? Would that help or would we slack off until close to that date?
Will we see the end of the nineties? The end of this decade will also mark the end of a century and the end of a millennium, the sixth millennium of God’s present plan with the earth. The Master said, “And whosoever liveth (at the time of his return) and believeth in me shall never die.” What an opportunity we have to be included in that number– if we remain faithful.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One