To the obvious astonishment of convention leaders, a compromise statement of faith passed a first reading without discussion at the annual meeting of the Christian Holiness Association this month.
To permit broader membership, CHA is trying to pare down its statement of faith to essentials. The statement, part of a new constitution that is being adopted, had stimulated much debate last year. At issue has been the extent to which a fuller statement of faith like that of the National Association of Evangelicals should determine membership.
The final compromise was drafted by President Dennis Kinlaw of Asbury College. It affirms general adherence to “evangelical doctrine” but has dropped the words “inerrant in the originals” with regard to Scripture, Spelled out in detail is the crucial doctrine that “personal salvation includes both the new birth and entire sanctification,” the latter being defined as “a crisis experience subsequent to conversion which results in a heart cleansed from sin and filled with the Holy Spirit.” A final vote on the statement will be taken next year.
The four-day meeting in Indianapolis found the associated denominations (a dozen groups including the Church of the Nazarene, the Salvation Army, the Wesleyan and Free Methodist Churches, and more loosely “in fellowship” the Church of God [Anderson, Indiana] and agencies [two mission societies, three or four seminaries, about forty colleges, and numerous camp meetings and local holiness associations]) still struggling with issues of unity and cooperation. Final form is just beginning to emerge. As one speaker commented, “The genius of our movement has been our willingness to build our own wagon while riding in it.”
CHA was founded primarily by Methodists in 1867 as the National Campmeeting Association for the Promotion of Holiness. This heritage was still evident in hearty amens, lusty singing, and conservative dress punctuated by Salvation Army uniforms—all in the elegant ballroom of the Indianapolis Hilton.
In two four-year terms (the first in the mid-fifties), retiring president Myron Boyd, a Free Methodist bishop, has led the transformation of the association from an annual “pep rally” (his word) into an interdenominational agency modeled somewhat after the NAE. For a while leaders pushed for organic union or federation, but they have now settled on closely co-ordinated “cooperative ministries” (especially publishing, education, evangelism, missions, and perhaps social action) effected through a series of semi-autonomous “commissions.”
Somewhat ironically, these new structures are gradually freezing out “holiness” United Methodists who are unable to participate on the denominational level. Only a handful were present, and those were for the most part on the program or the board of administration in an obvious effort to preserve historic ties.
Despite official disclaimers, some still look for the emergence of a single holiness denomination of a million and a half members. For the present, merger is left to denominational initiative. The last four years have seen the formation of the Wesleyan Church (in a 1968 merger of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, the Pilgrim Holiness Church, and the Reformed Baptists of Canada) and the Missionary Church (in a 1969 merger of the Missionary Church Association and the United Missionary Church). The Wesleyans and Free Methodists are again (for at least the third time) engaged in talks, but corridor scuttlebutt indicates that union may flounder on control of educational institutions (FM schools are relatively free from denominational control) and doctrine (Wesleyans are more influenced by fundamentalism).
The theme of the convention (and of most addresses) was “In the Power of the Spirit,” but the emphasis fell on evangelism—in papers, priorities, and projects. This was in part a tooling up for participation in Key 73 nationwide efforts, but the spirit of the convention was verbalized by 34-year-old Nazarene evangelist Charles Milhuff in the concluding evening rally: “I believe that evangelism is the all-inclusive answer to everything.”
Low in priority was social action. In over a dozen major addresses, only black Wesleyan pastor Ira Taylor of Toronto referred even obliquely to social issues. In 1970 CHA leadership nearly dropped the idea of a social-action commission (planning to subsume its functions under church extension and evangelism!). Initial steps were finally taken this year toward organizing a commission. The small 10,000 member Brethren in Christ Church (a “Wesleyanized” peace church) prodded the larger bodies with a proposal and funding for a study conference on war, violence, and revolution in the Wesleyan perspective.
A final session passed resolutions on human rights (a clause against “busing” was eliminated at the last moment), women’s place in society (anti-women’s lib in tone), abortion, ecology, and moral integrity and purity. The convention’s timidity and conservatism were in startling contrast to the nineteenth century, when early Methodist and holiness groups used civil disobedience, economic boycotts, and demonstrations to help bring about such social changes as abolitionism, women’s rights, and improved labor conditions. George McGovern’s unexpected victory in the Wisconsin primary on the opening day of the convention escaped public mention, though the senator was reared in a Wesleyan parsonage and taught the junior boys in the Sunday school of a church he served as janitor.
Attention was directed instead to the demonic forces of the invisible world in two major sessions devoted to satanism and the occult. Star of the convention was Greenville College student Steve Schneider, recently converted on the threshold of satanist vows. Local TV and radio stations broadcast his testimony. Wesley Duewel, director of the associated Oriental Missionary Society, sketched the steps for casting out demons and attributed to satanic influence Communism, anarchy, the pressure of the ecumenical movement, formalism in worship, and attacks on the inerrancy of Scripture.
Young people responded to the use of half a dozen conservatively “with it” singing groups and free lodging provided for “listening teams” from associated colleges and seminaries. Late-night dialogue sessions were poorly attended by both students and speakers. Questions centered on the meaning of “entire sanctification” and revealed a generation gap at the point of distinctives. Two seminary students commented to this reporter that they felt like “outsiders.” Others found the convention better than they had expected, but defensive and stiff.
Brethren in Christ bishop Henry Ginder was elected to a two-year term as CHA president. Former Wesleyan Church president Roy S. Nicholson was named 1972 Holiness Exponent of the Year. Next year’s convention will take place end to end with that of the National Association of Evangelicals in the same Portland, Oregon, hotel.
Springtime In The Church
A few days ago in Charlotte, North Carolina, a young man handed a package of marijuana to one of Billy Graham’s associates. “Tell Mr. Graham I won’t be needing this anymore.”
The incident occurred during Graham’s five-day crusade in Charlotte, which was one among a perhaps unprecedented number of evangelistic efforts already this year. They ranged from the “Outreach” at the University of Virginia with evangelists Tom Skinner and Leighton Ford, to the “Festival of Truth” at Harvard-Radcliffe with Myron Augsburger, to the “Resurrection Coalition” in Vancouver, British Columbia.
A special feature distributed this month by Religious News Service refers to the “spectacular growth of evangelism.” “A revival of evangelical fervor in Christianity is sweeping the world,” the report says. “It has widely been described as ‘a new springtime’ in the Church.”
A rally and parade in Mexico City drew 40,000 evangelicals last month. They gathered to commemorate Benito Juarez, who died 100 years ago. He championed religious freedom and made Protestantism possible in Mexico.
In Charlotte, Graham spoke to overflow crowds each night. He said that while God will judge India and China according to the light given them, Americans and others who have heard and rejected the Gospel will be held even more responsible.
On Easter morning, Graham addressed 7,000 persons jammed into Miami’s Marine Stadium for a sunrise service. The crowds came despite the fact that it had rained hard during the night and day before, and a stiff, chilly, north wind was blowing. The skies began to clear as Graham preached.
