Amalgamation (2 pages)

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My father, a pastor of 39 years in Denver, CO, recently wrote this article.
 I felt that the subscribers of this list would enjoy it.  It packs a pretty
good punch!!

In Him,

--Don Haymon, II
oneof3ds@aol.com

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THE TREND TOWARD AMALGAMATION
By D. E. Haymon, Sr.

PICTURE AN INVERTED FUNNEL.  Under the bell-end, picture the continental US.
 At the top of the inverted funnel, visualize a bloated Uncle Sam, cheeks
drawn in a sucking mode as he draws strength and control from the
states-highway control, education control, individual control through welfare
and abortion laws, OSHA-the list could go on and on.  More and more control
has been siphoned from the states and it is mostly not good.  In fact the
electorate has flatly said "ENOUGH!"  This was declared at the polls in 1994
when America voted strongly for State's rights by electing representatives
and senators favorable to the return of power to the states.  Feebly, the U.
S. Congress is now attempting to take over the little end of the funnel by
blowing rather than sucking, returning to states the right to conduct their
own business.
  Early this century, the government arbitrarily intruded into the
educational system of America.  Public education started losing ground with
what was called "consolidation."  The availability of transportation raised
the idea that students could be better served by closing one-room, and other
small schools, and bussing them to larger, better equipped schools with what
were considered more qualified teachers.  On the surface it looks logical and
good.  But, as the veneer is peeled back, it becomes evident that there were
sinister ulterior purposes.  Whether by devious scheming or not, ostensibly,
students were drawn from schools with local control where education boards
were made up of neighbors with concerns for local morality and values, and
thrust into schools taught by teachers who had no idea nor regard for  the
background and values of the students.  Today, no one needs to be told of the
failure of government schools: it is evident when metal-detectors are used at
school entrances and hallways are patrolled by policemen, and when nearly
one-half the students who graduated from high school in 1994 can't even read
their own diplomas!
Mom and Pop stores of the forty's and early fifty's have disappeared.
 Larger, more sophisticated national chain stores have superseded them.
 Personalized service once enjoyed at local hardware, dry goods and five and
dime stores have been gobbled up by Walmart, KMart, and Target stores.  The
pros and cons of this transition is still being debated.
How has this modern trend of consolidation and amalgamation affected religion
in America?  Christianity has not escaped the trend, but is now in the
wrenching throes of change that will ultimately lead to a one-world church,
which I believe will be headed by the Pope of the Catholic Church.  The word
catholic, meaning "universal," should itself bring a startling reminder that
Bible prophecy is being fulfilled before our very eyes!  The modern trend has
a foreboding of the time to come.
In every major city, and many smaller communities, the trend is the same. For
many years, modest congregations have been nurtured by local pastors who feel
a genuine burden for their flocks.  These churches usually have a high level
of local participation with a real sense of biblical moral values, often
propounded by generations of preachers.  Now the spirit of AMALGAMATION that
has captured the secular-minded generation has seized the hearts and minds of
this generation of church-goers.  
Seemingly the results are becoming more evident daily.  Largely, the heart
and soul of churches have been ripped out and replaced by ceremonial,
ritualized weekly attendance at super-theaters where they are entertained by
everything but the Word of God.  Muscular super-power teams show off their
brawn; Jezebels flaunt their painted faces, false eyelashes, and seductive
figures on stage; preachers dramatically display their powder-puff faces and
syrupy-voiced speeches with effeminate flippancy.  All this cries out:
"HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS BUT DENYING THE POWER THEREOF!"  This answers the
enigma that America is more religious and less moral than ever before in its
history.  This has puzzled many, but needs not to be considered ironic any
longer: churches have become dens of iniquity, not worthy of the name
Christian!
Just the opposite of The Apostle Paul's conviction is asserting itself.
 Whereas Paul declared that he would never build on another man's foundation,
these vain seekers of fame move into town and build great buildings or
convert theaters or warehouses into church buildings and invite one-and-all
to "come over here where there's love and liberty!"
In my city of Denver, Colorado I've witnessed the phenomenon over and over.
 It happened to the Assemblies of God; I watched it occur among the
Nazarenes, and even among the independent churches.  The outcry by local
pastors was muffled by their representative organizations, for it put their
name in the headlines!  Though it resulted in closing entire smaller
congregations, the organizations turned a deaf ear to the pitiful cries of
pastors who spent their lives (and were spent) getting the churches to where
they were because the new, bigger, amalgamized, mongrelized congregations
filled their coffers and emblazoned their name. 
    Is the same trend affecting Apostolic Pentecostal churches?  Look at most
any large church and you will find the same tactic at work that was
responsible for consolidating public schools: they can offer more-gymnasiums,
bowling alleys,hand-ball courts-in general can be a poor man's country club.
 Most of what is pawned off as revival today is simply a recycling of
saints-sheep stolen from other folds. 
Perhaps this wouldn't  appear so sinister if we didn't see the very same
thing happening as an over-all end-time phenomenon in both the secular and
religious world.  One needs only to consider the United Nations-the drawing
together of a New World Order.  We are left with the feeling that something
strange is occurring.   We can be well assured it is the well-planned
strategy of the devil.
 As churches are consumed, digested and amalgamized into larger
congregations, one thing becomes painfully evident: without fail-in every
instance-doctrine is compromised, standards become flexible-and again, this
without exception.  The pastor at the little end of the inverted funnel
becomes a bloated fat-cat having paid nothing for his moment of fame.  In
general it cheapens the ministry and, using the words of Paul, makes
merchandise of the souls of men.
One whom I esteem very highly, M.E. Burr, once quoted Pentecostal pioneer, R.
L. Lafleur: "One pastor can only serve a congregation of no more than
two-hundred successfully."  This in no way denigrates nor treats lightly
those who have larger congregations. It simply declares the evident fact
 that larger congregations cannot be shepherded as effectively as smaller
ones.  Probably, the early New Testament house churches serve as indicators
of what best pleases the Lord.  Another esteemed friend, J. T. Pugh, said he
feels that's the way the church will exist in the end: in the secret confines
of private homes.  The idea of one church for one city borders on the
ridiculous and screams out the vanity and ego of its advocates.
The Denver district superintendent of a church organization which has some
thirty churches in Denver alone, said that though only one church could be
considered large (around 400 members), when they get together they have a
mass gathering of several thousand.  Each of these churches lives with the
understanding that every congregation is autonomous, totally self-ruled under
its pastor.  Each pastor respects his neighboring pastor, giving latitude for
him to exercise his convictions regarding teaching of personal holiness and
standards (which, for them, I consider nil).  Nevertheless, they have
relative peace and harmony among themselves, even though socially restricted
to a minority section of the city-making every church a close neighbor to
another.
It is to the shame of church organizations when they seek to put constraints
on the building of new congregations within a locale.  It is to the credit of
many God-called ministers, that they have bolted, withdrawn from their
organizations, and obeyed God's call on their lives.  The break-down comes
only when pastors have little or no mutual respect  for one another.  There's
not a pastor or church in existence which has not lost members to neighboring
congregations.  It need not be a bad experience.  Again, the break-down comes
when there is a lack of mutual respect between pastors.
Recently, a pastor in a large city told me of the literally hundreds who have
been won to God in his church during his over thirty years as pastor, who are
now attending dozens of other congregations.  It struck me that this man, now
in his sunset years, deserves the support of all his converts as he faces
retirement.  Too bad. They are now supporting someone who cared not for them
when they were down and out and needed a caring shepherd.  This amiable
pastor said he couldn't imagine them coming home, most having left, resenting
the high standards of personal holiness he demanded.  Patronizingly, he said
he was glad they were in another church.  My response was simple and to the
point: had they not been received with open arms by shady, sheep-stealing
pastors, they might have had reason to repent and stayed in their home
church.  Repeated a thousand times, it's still true: sadly, folks no longer
backslide, they just change churches!  Needless to say, this does not bode
well for their salvation-nor that of the greedy, thieving scoundrel who
welcomes them!
Fortunately, there are still genuinely God-called ministers, who care not a
whit for fortune or fame, but have a never-dying love for truth and an
awesome respect for the ultimate recompense of reward.  Happy is the saint
who has just such a shepherd!