Elders rebellion signatures

What is noted here is five elder signatures who took upon themselves in a spirit of rebellion to endorse this letter in hopes of regaining lost ground in regards to old fashioned traditions.  To my understanding, these elders experimented with propaganda methods and rhetoric in various circles to promote their secret agendas of discord.  As the discord grew in speech volume, the divisions among the brotherhood grew starkly contrasted.  Though these elders tried so desperately to hold other less conservative elders accountable to AC doctrine, they in effect galvanized strong divisions in the flocks.

I do know for a fact that Wayne Grimm had a change of heart later and apologized for this indiscretion toward the majority elder body.  If the other four would of had the same change, many blessings could have been brought forth toward unity and truth.  In effect the name of Jesus to have been glorified.  But, now there is a schism and hurts and heartaches among families in the denominations.

As this blog comes to close, I humbly submit my feelings and also a sense of deep grieving for the people still suffering through the hurts of the schism 2012.  May there be a positive to come from years of grief and heartache that someday we will understand better.

Questions 12-18...more dogma

What we see here is a continued effort of those elders to try and dislodge the rudiments of dynamic change in the Apostolic Christian Church of America.  ACCA is a long standing denomination, first settled in upper New York within Mennonite-Amish circles in the foot hills of the Adirondack Mountains in Lewis County.  Newly appointed elder missionary Brother Benedict Weyeneth was the first missionary for the Evangelical Baptist Church in Switzerland to travel to Croghan in hopes of settling a dispute that arose between various factions in the Anabaptist churches there.  But what he discovered was a real awakening for lost souls to repent and be baptized in their faith with God, the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and The Holy Ghost.  Brother Weyeneth's ministry caused many souls to turn to God in deep contrition and withdraw from the erring doctrines of those Anabaptist believers.  Within a short period of time even the leading Elder Virkler followed Weyeneth's preaching and was immediately converted to the new faith.  Whereupon that was the blossoming of a brand new movement in America with a name of Evangelical Baptist but very much loosely denominated.

Brother Weyeneth began many more mission trips across the fruited plains in the latter half of the 19th century, and starting many new churches with a magnitude beyond imagination.  All because, indeed, God blessed the spiritual works of repentance and conversion certainly in those areas.  Weyeneth did not choose to go to any seminary, but embarked upon pure graceful efforts to preach out the true callings of God into the burdened hearts of men all around him.  As the loose denomination grew rapidly mostly in the central USA, other leaders were called into ministry and elderships.  Brother Weyeneth finally settled in Woodford County, IL near Roanoke.  He passed away in 1887 and his gravestone remains in a small cemetery.  The next generation of leaders from late 1900 to 1940 took up the leadership roles and established much of the remaining doctrines with in the church today.  In the '20s the name of the denomination changed to Apostolic Christian Church because of fierce persecution of brothers in the first world war conscription.  The elders chose to rename the church to eliminate aligning with other baptist theologies.

When the next generation of leaders came into play, many many deep seated traditions were established in place of doctrines that today seem rather obtuse.  For example is the practice of Holy Kiss among the members in the denomination.  That practice is really fruitless toward love as it really just means a method of discipline even to keeping an erring member from participating with it.  Such error from the Holy Word of God to be judgmental and unloving to a stumbling brother.

This blog really gives indication that many traditions pale in promoting compassion and true love among fellow believers in Christ.

Additional Dogma Questions 6-11

I have finally gotten back on track to give more detailed answers for the question contained in "THIS WE CONTINUE TO BELIEVE".  I have high lighted the most obvious questions that stand out to me, in regards to error of beliefs when looked at in light of God's precious word.  In general theory, there is the unwritten rhetoric that somehow the AC Faith Church followers try to put God into their box of ideals.  When humankind try desperately to make God obey their set standards it turns out rather quirky and prideful.  That has been my major thesis in this rebuttal blog.  I adamantly think that those elders who rebelled against the majority of AC elders in 2012, have chosen a path of selfishness and self-works all in the disguise of traditions.  Which, believe it or not, traditions have a never ending dynamic of change to them.  What is believed now, is much different then say, even 160-170 years ago, when the religion first started in Switzerland.

Times have a way of changing things.  Some things for the better (as in technological advances that the church even enjoys and participates in [e.g. cars, telephones, computers and internet] and then missions and humanitarian reliefs for needy people.  And then there are negative changes also (as in ideological dogma deep seated in old fashioned traditions that error from the true meaning of God's Word [e.g. hairstyles, dress codes, appearances, and language with prayers and songs].  So, God gives humankind exceptional privileges  to act in liberty, but not to use liberty for occasion to the flesh [1 Corinthians 10:23 and Galatians 5:13]

As a member

The proving would be good if the very young converts would complete Sunday School after they repent.  In the very conservative churches, it is customary for the converts to attend worship services instead of going to Sunday School.  Then there are a few churches that make Sunday School mandatory for converts and those young converts grow exponentially better then those who plainly go to worship services.  These churches try to enforce holiness into these very young lives and it only causes grief and turmoil.  Yet the provings are old and archaic in fashion where the elder only asks questions and incites fear into the lives of these young converts.  The love of God should be infused into their lives instead of fear.

Now, I believe in a hope of heaven and it is a blessed hope (which is a full confidence and assurance) to get there.  Why would anyone in these churches, who complete a full life of fearful servitude and doing all the works required as laid out by the elders, and still fear heaven at their end of life.  There are even elders who fear their eternal destiny.  Could this be that they have never had a personal relationship with Jesus?  Our works will NOT save us, period.  As Jesus said, we should love the Lord with our whole heart, mind, and soul (Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27).  Jesus cast out fear according to the Bible in 1 John 4:18 with perfect love.  We can have boldness in the day of judgment and not fear (1 John 4:17).  Sure staying close to the Word of God and following Jesus example is important for every believer, but there is the positive reward of knowing you will go to heaven in the end.

I look at 5.b below and am confused how this doctrine can be true if Christ can not forgive sins in the future.  There is not one reference in the Bible that precisely says only past sins can be forgiven.  But there is the reference that says where sin did abound grace did much more abound (Romans 5:20).  So, God is in the business to love sinners and forgive sins.  And importantly, he wants us to live free of sin as he is Holy.  This grace is speaking of favor and kindness much like forgiveness.  Romans 6:1 is speaking of patterns of sinning.  There is the false doctrine that Roman Catholics, and others, believe in and that is sinning and confessing, sinning and confessing, etc.  True Christian churches do not adhere to that doctrine.

Next 5.c is false in thinking that a born again believer does not sin and should not have to continue sinning.  Every human being should not have to sin.  Yet in the most perfect setting, our first parents sinned because Satan was a crafty foe who deceived them.  So likewise even in this day and time with Grace we still sin.  This is a fallen world and humans though as Holy as you can get, will still sin.  This false doctrine indicates that there are some elders and lay members who went through all their converted life without sinning and yet they are deceived by believing a lie that they only have a hope of heaven.  This is beyond reasoning and must be rooted out of these churches.

Then looking at 5.e we see that the elders lower the standard of what really is sin or is not sin.  So, we classify faults and failings as not sinning.  Try explaining that to me who someone had faults and failings in life and his wife left him because of them.  Oh she isn’t sinning, but I did.  This is as radical as it gets.

What is a sin unto death as in 5.f?  if a death sin is so important shouldn’t they be listed out to clearly understand what they are?  Then looking at 5.i.  and the term grievous sin is made.  What is that?  These grievous sins should be listed if they have to exercise the discipline of the ban.

For the new child of God

A lot of self-righteous works as listed below are not absolutely necessary to become a child of God.  To having faith in the death, shed blood, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only foundation to build upon.  The rest are like catechism for a new believer to take steps to gain salvation.  Sure God wants us to be Holy as he is Holy, but just as the natural growth of a baby progresses over time, so does a child of God.  They take baby steps and soon walk like a man (1 Corinthians 13:11).  

To be a fit temple for the Holy Spirit require simple humility.  These conservative elders promote works of the church which are works of man.  Where is the scriptural requirement to make a covenant with God in baptismal waters?  So long as baptism takes place in the name of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  The church should be holy and a new believer can grow spiritually, too.

The memorandum is a letter to all the churches, but it never should supersede God’s word.  Too much judgment is given by the elders in this document.  That is what these conservative elders want.  They want fearful control over the members.  A church grows when love is abundant.