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  Letters

As a newcomer to the NACCC, I realize there is a great theological diversity within our family, but after reading about the Congregational response to the September 11 tragedy, I am beginning to wonder if there is a place for my theology.

The article, "Reaching Out" is fine until we begin seeking the True Islam. If we as a denomination are going to be diverse, then we need to explore both sides of the debate. We are so busy falling all over ourselves accommodating Islam that we are ignoring many important facts.

I thought Christianity was based on the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Muslims deny that Jesus died on the cross at all.

I thought Jesus said that we can only come to the Father through his Son. Muslims pay Jesus only the most grudging lip service, and then they often overstate that lip service to undiscerning Christians.

I thought we were saved from sin by the grace of a loving and intimate God. Muslims don’t accept themselves as sinners. They can work their way to paradise. Their god is a distant judge.

I suspect our misguided accommodation of Muslim beliefs is an attempt to love Muslim people. But we don’t love people by embracing their religion. We love them by respecting them as human beings created in God’s image, by living tolerantly and peaceably among them, and by introducing them to our Savior Jesus.

To blame the media for Islam’s reputation (done twice in this article) is irresponsible. It need be noted that out of 30 armed conflicts presently being waged on Earth, 28 of them involve Muslim governments. The media has not highlighted this. It need also be noted that in many trouble spots in the world, Muslims are persecuting and killing Christians.

The two major articles in this issue endorse the idea that Allah and God are the same God. To hear the views of those who disagree would be inconvenient, but only if a surface reconciliation is more important to us than a balanced search for truth.

Chris Bryan, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Open to God’s Will

This past June, my wife Magda and I, along with my brother Stephen, returned from our second missions trip to Romania. In May 2000, Magda and I brought a bold proposition before our small church, The Ponckhockie Congregational Church of Kingston in Kingston, New York. Though our membership is only about 25, after months of prayer we decided that the Lord was calling us to missionary work in Romania. Knowing that our church was not a rich church or a large church, we trusted that if this was the will of the Lord, He would touch the hearts of the people in our church and He did. They said yes and then we prayed about "how." First you have to say "yes" to God and then He will provide a way.

So after months of fundraising and visiting other area churches, we found enough support to make our first trip to Sighisoara, Romania. Except for one love offering from the Shokan Wesleyan Church, we bought our two plane tickets from our own pockets and we were able to put all the rest of the money we raised toward evangelism in Romania. Since that first trip we have started a Christian school, with 120 students in Iacobeni, central Romania. We have helped construct three churches, helped many poor families through food programs and with clothes, given out Bibles, and preached the word in the streets and churches. God has truly blessed our efforts and has multiplied all the gifts people have donated. As our motto we have used Matthew 24:4-14. We believe that God calls every church to evangelism here and abroad (missions), "And He said unto them, Go ye into all the worlds, and preach the gospel to every creature." – Mark 16:15. Now in the front of our church we have a sign with the Romanian and American flag that states, "United in Cause, United in Christ."

We want to thank everyone at our church and area who has helped us. Even though it is more difficult for a Congregational church to support missionaries because they are more separated than, say, a Nazarene church, it is possible, even a small church like ours. I would encourage every church to get involved in evangelism, open yourself up to the will of God, and watch His unchanging love carry you through. You can check out our mission work at www.geocities.com/RomaniaMMI. God Bless.

Eric Paashaus, Kingston, New York.

Around the World in 80 Days

Enclosed is our check of $1159 for the NACCC Missionary Society’s support of international missions. These are the proceeds of a summer-long project here at Pilgrim, which we called "Around the World in 80 Days." Its purpose was to raise our awareness of the 14 international missions supported by the NACCC and to encourage missions giving. Both purposes were achieved very successfully, and we on the Board of Christian Service wanted to share the details of the project with you.

Pilgrim Congregational Church of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, is a relatively small congregation. We are Christ-centered and blessed with an abundant giving spirit. Behind the leadership of our pastor, Jack Brown, we are very active in missions giving–locally, nationally, and internationally–typically distributing more than 9 percent of our annual expenses to outreach.

Financial pressures in 2001 forced a budgetary cutback in our Board’s funding, and among the adjustments we had to make was the elimination of a $50 quarterly donation to the NACCC Missionary Society. To offset that, we decided last Spring to embark on a summer-long project to use our Sunday "Minute for Missions" to focus on a different international NACCC mission each week, with one of our Board members providing brief descriptions to the congregation using the bulletin inserts provided by your headquarters. We called the project "Around the World in 80 Days" and each Sunday from mid-June through mid-September (roughly 80 days) we traveled from Ghana, eastward through Africa, up to Greece and Bulgaria, then to India and the Philippines, and finally across the Pacific back to the Western hemisphere to Argentina, Honduras, and Mexico. We posted a large world map behind the pulpit throughout the summer entitled "Around the World in 80 Days" with bright orange dots at each mission location. Awareness was the intent and that was achieved both from an informational and a geographical standpoint. Our financial goal was to replace the $200 we had dropped from our budget, and as you can see, the congregation reacted in a very generous way.

We concluded our "journey" on September 9 with a prayer that these offerings be blessed and multiplied in miraculous ways to serve the will of the Lord in these far off places. Please see that the enclosed is used for your international mission program. May God bless you in your good works.

Shirley Oliphant, Chair, Pilgrim Congregational Board of Christian Service, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

The October/November 2001 issue of The Congregationalist was one of the best ever. I especially appreciated the article titled "Reaching Out." First Congregational Church of Los Angeles is to be commended for taking the initiative in hosting an inter-faith worship service following the September 11 tragedies. Also of great interest was the article by Arlin T. Larson on "Three Religions, One Founder." It is encouraging to know that there is a progressive movement in churches of the Congregational Way toward more openness and inclusiveness.

Randy Hammer, Franklin, TN

Exceptional Issue

The October/November issue is exceptional! I rate the special articles on September 11 right up there with the very best I have read, especially Arlin Larson’s "Understanding Islam."

Your concluding paragraph in the editorial, "Our faith grows stronger. Our resolve and our compassion have been enhanced. We pray with new purpose. With God’s help, we shall overcome, not in vengeance, but in love," touched me in both mind and heart.

We do have an exceptional magazine. Thanks for your "second mile" effort.

George W. Brown, Jr., Live Oak, Florida

P.S. I produce a daily news program, Monday through Saturday, PLUS Side of the News for our Village TV2 closed circuit channel. I read not less than four hours a day and a broad number of newspapers and magazines. Our TV2 is on the air 24 hours daily. My program hits the screen four times in 24 hours.

Thrilled

It was a thrill to see ourselves on the cover of The Congregationalist! My desk copy is looking a bit bedraggled because so many students have stopped by to find themselves in the picture. In the midst of these unsteady and uncertain times, we are grateful for your reminding us of our community with one another and our Congregational kin.

Ashley M. Cook, Piedmont College, Demorest, Georgia

P.S. Would it be all right if we made color photocopies of the letter for students who would like them?

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