It was December 2004, the start of a new mission after our annual convention and 2 sister workers were to be in the area for the year ahead. The head brother worker was helping them out with the preaching over the next weeks/months. We had no idea as we went into that meeting, it was going to be our last one because we never expected what was going to be spoken.
Word had got around amongst our friends and back to the workers that we believed:
(1) There were other Christians outside the 2x2s who were going to be saved and
(2) We had been listening to other preachers on tapes.
Because of this, our dear friends had began to ostracize us, saying that we had gone off the track as there was ‘only one way’ (the 2x2s) and ‘this is it’ despite the fact that I had tried to reason with them saying that ‘Jesus is the way, not a group’.
That evening at the gospel meeting, the head worker spoke on ‘the one way’ (2x2s) and that "all Methodist, Baptist, Church of Christ and all others were false religions, They don’t preach Jesus,” adding, "Now we don’t want any one here to miss out on salvation." He questioned why anyone would want to go to ‘synagogues down the street’ (other churches).
He went on to say "some have even been listening to wretched tapes." Furthermore he said, "Some here have been upsetting the sheep…….we won't tolerate any more of this." Now please don’t go away and get offended by any of this’ he concluded.
My husband and I knew in our hearts that this doctrine was clearly wrong and I thanked God in that meeting for having revealed so clearly that we must leave because we certainly could no longer agree with this doctrine. To remain in this system whilst disagreeing with it would be hypocritical. Needless to say, most of the friends that night knew that we were targeted and as one of them put it, "given a public stoning."
We tried to be as friendly as we could to the folk as we were leaving but experienced shunning from most of them………yes, dear friends with whom we had grown up all our lives, however, God gave us the strength and the courage to face this rejection and the rejection which lay ahead.
My husband had been the elder in our home fellowship meeting for over 20 years so he had to inform the workers that we could no longer be part of this fellowship because we totally disagreed with a doctrine that condemned all other Christians.
When discussing this with the head worker, he responded by saying “This has been our position (exclusivity) for 60 years. My husband replied that there was no scriptural authority for him to condemn other Christians like that, he then replied.. “You are deluded."
Well, that was just over 3 years ago and we praise God for opening our eyes to His truth and setting us free from a legalistic system. We now rejoice in the liberty of Christ and His wondrous grace. Hardly a day has gone by that I haven’t prayed for God to open the eyes of the workers and friends who are blinded by false doctrine like we were for most of our lives. We give our Lord all the praise, honour and glory.
West Australia
(By the way, this same head worker who viewed other Christians being nothing but 'false religions,' sadly had a stroke last year and is now being taken care of in an ANGLICAN NURSING HOME!)
Sequel to "Our Last Meeting" - This is a copy of the letter which I sent to the sister worker who was in the meeting that night. I also sent a copy to over 100 friends and workers in our state.
As I read over my letter, I feel that I could explain things a little better now, however, at the time when this letter was written, I was only beginning to understand the errors in the 2x2 doctrine and what was clear in my heart was more difficult to put into words.
1st January 2005
Dear Winnie,
Yesterday Geoff mentioned to you on the phone that I would write to you regarding the decision we have made to leave the fellowship which we have greatly valued and enjoyed over the years. We have greatly valued the workers taking the message of salvation through Christ our Saviour and their labour of love and wish to encourage you to continue to do so for which God is so well pleased.
For some time I’ve considered my own attitude towards other Christians outside of our own fellowship and to my horror, God showed me that I was full of ugly self righteousness and having much to do with some of them I could see the evidence of God’s spirit in them - their fruit bearing witness to that of Christ’s. Yes, over the past 18 months or so, I have listened to tape recordings of some who preach in other churches and to my amazement heard the true gospel of Jesus Christ being preached and Jesus being upheld as our great Lord and Saviour - salvation through none other but Him. I truly felt condemned with my past attitude towards them and repented towards God for this great sin of self righteousness. I am fully aware that there are Christians who are at various stages - some more dedicated than others, some who are just nominal and not really professing true Christianity but it’s not for me to judge their heart’s condition. God alone is their judge and He alone determines who are in His one SPIRITUAL fold.
I then began to wonder how others in our fellowship felt towards other Christians outside our fellowship and to my great horror, as I asked around, found out they were like me - full of self righteousness. I wrote down a lot of their answers and as a result became so burdened over the past 18 months to discover that we were a group of Christians being so right on the outward but inwardly full of self righteousness towards other Christians. I laboured in prayer a lot night and day praying that God would open the eyes of the friends but I became more and more burdened because some became quite angry with me when I mentioned about other Christians being saved.
Today we begin another year 2005 and praise God for having preserved us and for His great patience. It has occurred to me that it is exactly 100 years since our “exclusivity doctrine” was introduced by a young worker,
Joseph Kerr (25 years of age and having been in the work for 4 years) preached at Crocknacrieve convention that all other clergy were “going to hell”. Our first workers (W. Irvine, W. Gill, G. Walker, J. Hardie W. Carroll, J. Long, Irvine Weir..) did not initially preach ‘exclusivity’ for 8 years or so but just preached in churches where some clergy had become lazy. After Joseph Kerr preached this statement, some of our workers took this on board and carried it on handing it down from generation to generation. A lot of workers left stating that this was heresy, then later on Joseph Kerr himself, whilst in South Africa, admitted it was heresy too, tried to correct it but alas, it had set in throughout parts of the world and has continued to be preached even until this present day. How sad that the origin of our fellowship was covered up stating that this was ‘from the beginning’ until such time the real truth of the matter was exposed in the 1980’s.
It is wonderful to see however, the growth of people in our fellowship over the past 108 years since our fellowship started, but sadly, thousands have been deceived about us being the only ones saved and the only true way. Jesus is the way, not our group of Christians who are endeavouring to follow him. I feel so thankful that there are a growing number of friends and some workers who have woken up but it is ever so hard to reverse the ‘exclusivity’ thinking after it having been established for so long.
I see no other way of forgiveness from God for this great error but to confess and repent before the Lord and all the friends so the work of saving souls can continue without guilt about past cover up.
Geoff and I sincerely love you all - we are not offended, unwilling, gone off the rails, departed from the faith which is in Christ Jesus but love Him with all our heart and that is why we both feel strong to stand for that which is truth.
As Martin Luther stated during the Reformation before the Catholic Church - Truth before unity, conscience before authority (of man), scripture before tradition and Christ before the church.
We continue to cling to Christ and trust in the leading of His Holy Spirit as we continue our journey having faith that He will open the way before us. We just want to encourage you again to continue to sow the true seed of salvation through Jesus Christ alone and not a ‘this way’ doctrine because we are judged as an individual not by what group we belong to or by whom we have come to Christ through. Lots of love.
PS A lot of our friends say to me that the ‘other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring … ’ are all the other Christians from other denominations have to come to our fold not realizing that there were no Baptist, Methodist, etc. at that time but Jesus was referring to the Gentiles. How sad there is a wrong understanding of these matters because of the ‘exclusivity doctrine’ .
My heart just ached for Bill on Sunday night when he preached so strongly against other denominations and to accept that WE are the only ones saved. I just plead with you to pray so earnestly and allow God’s Holy Spirit to teach you the truth.
Letters and Phone Calls Received
We received several letters and phone calls in response to our exit letter – some understood the reason for our decision of leaving the fellowship and wished us well , while others did not understand. However, we pray that in God’s time they too will have the eyes of their understanding opened.
The following excerpts are from some of the letters written by the 2x2 friends in reply to our exit letter.
“It has taken a long time to reply to your sad news. I believe your agonizing decision was agonizing because it is the wrong decision. We feel that in saying too much could be detrimental as with Job’s friends. Yet I myself who hasn’t even been in this world for as long as you have both been in the way living God’s truth, are not even able to give great words of wisdom. We believe that most past associates will choose to avoid contact with you fearing as we all do that we too may be snared. ….We reflect on the great cost with which the Gospel is carried and rejoicing in willingness of young lives to keep going forward. Nothing but God’s love and truth can do this…..We pray for you and hope to enjoy fellowship with you in his true Gospel again. Please don’t stray too far. Whatever it is, try and get through it..” S.
“Thanks for writing and I did get a shock, but knew you were not fully satisfied and you were getting help from other sources, but to quit the meetings can hardly grasp it yet, but life is made up of choices, just hope you are both satisfied now….” D.
“…Geoff, we find it hard to believe that you both made up your minds to leave us, and to go and join another faith. Now come on Geoff, how can you do a thing like that? After many of us have known you two for years and your brothers and sisters and your faithful parents and yet you turn your back on all that and go the other way, and forget us who have been your friends for so long a time and now you both go with a people who are strange to us and to you because of a different spirit. Do you both like to mix with the persons of this life, who pretend to be your friends but are not, because their leader is not Jesus, because, if it was, they no doubt would have been with us, but because they aren’t with us, but of another fold, that makes them outsiders doesn’t it, for how can two walk together unless they both agree. We wonder who or what minister is it that deceived you both and seduced you. Didn’t you know while you were yet in the truth that scripture that Jesus said to the disciples and to the multitudes ‘Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves..’ and that’s what they are, they make out they are the prophets of God, but in reality they have no concern for their souls . Oh how much deceivers they are in not caring for the souls but just for the flesh,……… So Geoff, please we pray, because we care for your precious soul and spirit to be saved, not by worldly religions, but by heavenly revelations of God in Christ, please we hope Geoff and Joan, you may see the truth in faith and love and repent from sin and all unrighteousness and return to the beginning and the saviour will return to you both and the servants of God and the people of God will return to you unto eternal life and he will have mercy, but please don’t agree with the worldly ways………….trust you both may think about these things and think of better things than what the false prophets of this world have to offer……” P.
“Thanks for your card. It was with a heavy heart that we read that you’ve chosen to leave the fellowship that you’ve loved and enjoyed all these years, and sorry that you’ve made judgment on the people of this fellowship as self righteous. We don’t want any controversial issues either, so it will be nice to be friends as we were…” N.
“…..If you have heard any preaching you have considered wrong, why not have a word with the person involved….. Yes its much easier to have a name like Baptist etc – good people, some wonderful preachers and so on. Let’s leave all that to God’s kindly judgment. Now let’s get back to the foundation – the homeless ministry and the church in the home ordered by the master himself. Jesus the only perfect man ever to live has shown us the perfect way. Men have tried to improve it but the perfect thing cannot be improved by man – only degraded. Bigger congregation must have a big building……Yes we are the NO NAMES – they can’t understand it…… Please reconsider your decision.” N.
“We feel very, very sad to hear of the choice you have made. We remember the standard you kept – having an “open home” and always ready to lend a helping hand. We surely feel the kingdoms loss, but will pray for you all.” L.
“….It is hard to put our feelings into words – our dismay, shock, sorrow, grief when hearing of your rejection of what we know is the truth of God….You know we read that God’s very elect will be deceived and we need to guard against that. We do hope and pray that your boys have not followed you. …..” W.
