Charity Ministries

[Guest]

Anyone heard of Charity Ministries?

http://www.charityministries.org/

From my own experience, this group is not a cult or the occult. They are very Christ-centered, modest, etc., etc.

What are some other thoughts?

[Guest]

I've never heard of Charity Ministries until today. I went to their website and looked at their CONFESSION OF FAITH and PRACTICE. I'm sure they would not be considered by very many Christians to be a cult.

The first eight articles are characteristic of fundamentalism. I, personally, disagree or partially disagree with articles 1,2,4,5, and 6. But who am I?
My own position would be classified as heresy by many.

Article 9, the Kingdom of God, contains items which indicate anabaptism or anabaptist origins. There is no evidence that "feet washing" as an ordinance had ever been practised in early Christianity. That "citizenship in the Kingdom prevents serving in the armed forces" is clearly an anabaptist position. In early Christianity, sometimes the church did avoid serving, and at other times it served. John the Baptizer did not instruct soldiers to leave the army, but to "rob no one by violence, and be content with your wages." Neither Jesus nor his apostles forbade serving in the army. Perhaps some of the words of Jesus could be interpreted to mean that one should avoid serving, but he taught nothing explicitly from which one could take that position.

I certainly approve of sisters who do not cut their hair. But should this be a rule in the church?

I also allow my beard to grow, out of devotion to God. He caused it to grow, so what right have I to cut it off? If I did, would that not indicate that I am presumptious enough to think I can improve upon the appearance of my face, by changing it in a way that God did not intend? Nevertheless, I don't try to instruct other men by telling them that they should cease from shaving. I don't consider that to be my business. And I would not attempt to impose it, if I were a church leader.

I also agree with the devotional head covering, a tradition which Paul asked the churches to remember. But does that mean that the church should require a woman to "cover her head with a distinctive Christian veil" as this group advocates? Should there be a uniform head covering, or uniform mode of dress in the church?

Perhaps all the people of a church might choose to have uniform clothing, but should it be required? And doesn't the practice, even if not required, separate the people from other Christians?

"Come out from among them and be ye separate" is misapplied when it separates brother from brother and sister from sister.

I would like to read the thoughts of others about such matters.

[Guest]

Paidion: I am familiar with your trepidation with this group of folks.

Yeah, I'd say a fusion of fundamentalist Baptist and Anabaptist. Denny Kenaston, a Baptist preacher, and Mose Stoltzfus, a former Old-Order Amish man, collided back in the early 1980s, to form “Charity Ministries.”

I don't agree entirely with their position on Divorce/Remarriage. Jesus Himself gives an exception for divorce - "except it be for fornication." They have about 50 “like-minded” churches sprinkled throughout the U.S. and Canada. And several do not agree completely with their position on D/R. There may be extreme cases where God might actually want a couple separated (i.e. – homosexual marriages; where it is questionable if the marriage is valid to begin with).

But their position on the head covering I partially agree with. But should it be uniform (everyone wear exactly the same size, shape, color)? Some variety may be healthy. Huge variety may not be so healthy. Should it be absolutely mandatory? Well, there are a lot more destructive things women could do … a good tract to read is “The Veiling, a Symbol of Divine Order” by K. D. Witmer.

And this “heavenly kingdom” I agree with as well. What covenant are we living under? New or Old? What law are we living under? The “law of sin and death” (law of Moses), or the “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:2). Are we “new wine in old bottles,” or are we “new wine in new bottles” (Mark 2:22).

I think that verse in 2 Corinthians “old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” is relevant not only to the new birth, but to the New Covenant, which is indeed a “better covenant … not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers” (Hebrews 8:6-9)

I believe that the New Covenant has replaced the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant is now null and void. I see it clearly in the scriptures. Hebrew 8:13 – “A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” The Old Covenant served its purpose. But now it’s time for a “new and better covenant.” The Old Covenant was an earthly covenant, with earthly manifestations of God, with an earthly tabernacle, with earthly battles, with earthly high priests, and with earthly promises. The New Covenant is a heavenly covenant with spiritual battles, and with heavenly promises. The Old Covenant was a national covenant. The New is an individual covenant. Eph. 3:20 – “For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour.” In the Old Covenant, citizenship was earthly. In the New Covenant, citizenship is heavenly. And I could go on and on about the divergence.

Throughout the Bible, Jesus repeatedly refers to His kingdom as the kingdom of heaven: John 18:36 – “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight” as opposed to the “kingdoms of the world” (Matt. four-verse eight) that Satan rules over. Jesus said that his kingdom is not of this world. The “kingdom” of the Old Testament was very much of this world, and physical, and tangible, and outwardly. The kingdom that “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6), was not an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly kingdom. Jesus time and time again speaks of the kingdom of heaven as opposed to the kingdoms of earth.

“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Cor. 5:1)

“But Christ being come an high priest … by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands … not of this building” (Hebrews 9:11)

“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17)