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A History of the Congregation from 1951
When The Echo Lake Church of Christ was begun in 1951, there were six congregations in the State of New Jersey. The churches met in Newark, Fairlawn, Bernardsville, Eatontown, Tabernacle, and Trenton. There were scattered Christians living in Union, Middlesex, and Somerset counties who drove for worship on Sunday mornings to one of the above locations, or to Manhattan. In July 1951, a young couple moved to Roselle Park, NJ with the express purpose of organizing a congregation in Union County. They contacted some of the Christians living in Central New Jersey and proposed the establishment of a congregation nearer to their homes. The response was favorable and enthusiastic.
On Sunday evening, September 9, 1951, 16 persons met together for the first time in the living room of Glen and Betty Hemingway at 15 Balmiere Parkway in Cranford, NJ. They met on Sunday and Wednesday evenings for 3 weeks and on September 30, 1951, began meeting on Sunday mornings as well.
The group numbered 35 in September 1952. On September 21, 1952, the first weekly bulletin was published. Sewell Hall, a recent graduate of David Lipscomb College, became the congregation's first "paid" preacher in September 1953. Before that, several men took turns preaching with Arthur Moody preaching most Sunday mornings. When Sewell Hall resigned in mid 1956 to serve as missionary in Nigeria, the congregation numbered about 50.
Burney Bawcom, returning from mission work in Nigeria, replaced brother Hall in 1956. From 1956 through mid 1961, while brother Bawcom was the minister, the church grew rapidly reaching about 180 members by 1960. We had outgrown our facilities. Both the auditorium and class-room space were inadequate, and we began planning our new (present) building. We moved into our present facilities in May 1968.
In 1956, meetings were held in the YMCA in Morristown, NJ, and out of this outreach, the Whippany Church of Christ was begun in 1957. In 1961, three elders and eight deacons were appointed.
Brother Bawcom left in 1961 and was followed by Bernard Lemmons who also led another surge of growth. But, at about this time, an economic recession and the movement of industry to other sections of the country caused many families to be transferred. Our loss of members was much faster than they could be replaced by new converts, and the church's membership declined sharply.
The Lemmons family moved into the new minister's residence in late 1963. In 1964, brother Lemmons suffered a severe heart attack and in 1966 he died from an aneurysm. In late 1966, about one half of the congregation, who lived in communities to the north of Westfield purchased a church building in their vicinity and began meeting in Chatham, NJ. This development left the congregation in the midst of a building program they could no longer support, and plunged the group into years of struggle for survival. During these years, two of the three original elders moved away as did the elders appointed more recently. Financial help from the Hillsboro Church of Christ in Nashville, TN, for 2-3 years enabled the church to avoid defaulting on their mortgage payments, support a minister, and carry on minimal local programs - conditions that are usually not conductive to growth.
In the lean years, J. Paul DuBois served as minister in 1969 and 1970, Jerry Daniel was minister from August 1971 until his death in June 1993. Brother Daniel's death left only one elder. Therefore, the congregation was without elders once again, until 1996. Two elders were appointed in 1996 but one moved away in late 1997. Since then, the congregation has been without the leadership and shepherding of elders.
The building debt was finally completely paid in November 1992.
Ellis Long was minister from September 1994 until June 1997 when he and his wife, Doris, returned to Brazil to resume mission work there into which they have invested so many years of their lives.
Jeff Harris was minister from December 1998 until July 2002.
Brian Nicklaus is the minister of the church since October 2003.
In the 1970's and early 1980's, the church offered a Nursery/Day Care School in the church building. This program was enthusiastically received by members of the congregation and the community.
We continue to be optimistic for the future and look forward to spiritual and numerical growth and using our property and resources to bring the message of Christ to the Northeast and especially to the residents of Union County, New Jersey.
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Churches of Christ…Who are These People?
Reprinted from Upreach, Vol 19, No 1, 1997
You have probably heard of churches of Christ. And perhaps you’ve asked, "Who are these people? What--if anything--distinguishes them from the hundreds of other churches in the world?"
You may have wondered:
"What is their historical background?"
"How many members do they have?"
"What is their message?"
"How are they governed?"
"How do they worship?"
"What do they believe about the Bible?"
How Many Members?
Worldwide there are some 17,000 congregations of churches of Christ with close to 2 million individual members. There are small congregations, consisting of just a few members—and large ones made up of several thousand members.
The greatest concentration of numerical strength in churches of Christ is in the southern United States. There are churches of Christ in every state in the United States and in 109 other countries.
People of Restoration Spirit
Members of churches of Christ are a people of restoration spirit--wanting to restore in our time the original New Testament church.
Dr. Hans Kung, a well-known European theologian, published a book a few years ago entitled The Church. Dr. Kung lamented the fact that the established church has lost its way; has become burdened down with tradition; has failed to be what Christ planned it should be.
The only answer, according to Dr. Kung, is to go back to the scriptures to see what the church was in its beginning, and then to recover in the twentieth century the essence of the original church. This is what churches of Christ are seeking to do.
In the latter part of the 18th century, men of different denominations, studying independently of each other, in various parts of the world, began to ask:
- Why not go back beyond denominationalism to the simplicity and purity of the first-century church?
- Why not take the Bible alone and once again continue "steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching…" (Acts 2:42)?
- Why not plant the same seed (the Word of God, Luke 8:11), that first century Christians planted, and be Christians only, as they were?
- They were pleading with everyone to throw off denominationalism, to throw away human creeds, and to follow only the Bible.
They taught that nothing should be required of people as acts of faith except that which is evident in the scriptures.
They emphasized that going back to the Bible does not mean the establishment of another denomination, but rather a return to the original church.
Members of churches of Christ are enthusiastic about this approach. With the Bible as our only guide we seek to find what the original church was like and restore it exactly.
We do not see this as arrogance, but the very opposite. We are saying that we do not have the right to ask for men’s allegiance to a human organization-but only the right to call upon men to follow God’s blueprint.
Not A Denomination
For this reason, we are not interested in man-made creeds, but simply in the New Testament pattern. We do not conceive of ourselves as being a denomination--nor as Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish--but simply as members of the church, which Jesus established, and for which he died.
And that, incidentally, is why we wear his name. The term "church of Christ" is not used as a denominational designation, but rather as a descriptive term indicating that the church belongs to Christ.
We recognize our own personal shortcomings and weaknesses--and this is all the more reason for wanting to carefully follow the all-sufficient and perfect plan God has for the church.
Unity Based Upon The Bible
Since God has vested "all authority" in Christ (Matthew 28:18), and since he serves as God’s spokesman today (Hebrew 1:1,2), it is our conviction that only Christ has the authority to say what the church is and what we should teach.
And since only the New Testament sets forth Christ’s instructions to his disciples, it alone must serve as the basis for all religious teaching and practice. This is fundamental with members of churches of Christ. We believe that teaching the New Testament without modification is the only way to lead men and women to become Christians.
We believe religious division is bad. Jesus prayed for unity (John 17). And later, the apostle Paul begged those who were divided to unite in Christ (1 Corinthians 1).
We believe the only way to achieve unity is by a return to the Bible. Compromise cannot bring unity. And surely no person, nor group of persons, has the right to draw up a set of rules by which everyone must abide. But it is altogether proper to say, "Let’s unite by just following the Bible." This is fair. This is safe. This is right.
So churches of Christ plead for religious unity based upon the Bible. We believe that to subscribe to any creed other that the New Testament, to refuse to obey any New Testament command, or to follow any practice not sustained by the New Testament is to add to or take away from the teachings of God. And both additions and subtractions are condemned in the Bible (Galatians 1:6-9; Revelation 22:18,19).
This is the reason the New Testament is the only rule of faith and practice we have in churches of Christ.
Each Congregation Self-Governed
Churches of Christ have none of the trappings of modern-day organizational bureaucracy. There are no governing boards--neither district, regional, national nor international--no earthly organization.
Each congregation is autonomous (self-ruled) and is independent of every other congregation. The only tie that binds the many congregations together is a common allegiance to Christ and the Bible.
There are no conventions, annual meetings, nor official publications. Congregations do cooperate, in supporting children’s home, homes for the elderly, mission work, etc. However, participation is strictly voluntary on the part each congregation and no person nor group issues policies or makes decisions for other congregations.
Each congregation is governed locally by a plurality of elders selected from among the members. These are men who meet the specific qualifications for this office given in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
There are also deacons in each congregation. These must meet the biblical qualifications of 1 Timothy 3.
Items of Worship
Worship in churches of Christ centers in five items, the same as in the first-century church. We believe the pattern is important. Jesus said, "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). From this statement we learn three things:
· Our worship must be directed to the right object…God
· It must be prompted by the right spirit
· It must be according to truth
To worship God according to truth is to worship him according to his Word, because his Word is truth (John 17:17). Therefore we must not exclude any item found in his Word, and we must not include any item not found in his Word.
In matters of religion we are to walk by faith (2 Corinthians 57) Since faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), anything not authorized by the Bible cannot be done by faith…and whatever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23).
The first items of worship observed by the first-century church were singing, praying, preaching, giving, and eating the Lord’s Supper.
If you are acquainted with churches of Christ you are probably aware that in two of these items our practice is different from that of most religious groups. So permit me to focus on these two, and state our reasons for what we do.
A Cappella Singing
One of the things people most frequently notice about churches of Christ is that we sing without the use of mechanical instruments of music--a cappella singing is the only music used in our worship.
Simply stated, here is the reason: we are seeking to worship according to the instructions of the New Testament. The New Testament leaves instrumental music out, therefore, we believe it right and safe to leave it out, too. If we used the mechanical instrument we would have to do so without New Testament authority.
Historically, the first appearance of instrumental music in church worship was not until the sixth century A.D., and there was no general practicing of it until after the eighth century.
Instrumental music was strongly opposed by such religious leaders as John Calvin, John Wesley, and Charles Spurgeon because of its absence in the New Testament.
Weekly Observance of The Lords Supper
Another place where you may have noticed a difference between churches of Christ and other religious groups is in the Lord’s Supper. Jesus inaugurated this memorial supper on the night of his betrayal (Matthew 26:26-28). It is observed by Christians in memory of the Lord’s death (1 Corinthians 11:24,25). The emblems-- unleavened bread and fruit of the vine--symbolize the body and blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 10:16).
Churches of Christ are different from many in that we observe the Lord’s Supper on the first day of every week. Again, our reason centers in our determination to follow the teaching of the New Testament. It says, describing the practice of the first-century church, "And upon the first day of the week…the disciples came together to break bread…"(Acts 20:7).
Some have objected that the text does not specify the first day of every week. This is true—just as the command to observe the Sabbath did not specify every Sabbath. The command was simply, "remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy" (Exodus 208) The Jews understood that to mean every Sabbath. It seems to us that by the same reasoning "the first day of the week" means the first day of every week.
Again, we know from such respected historians as Neander and Eusebius that Christians in those early centuries took the Lord’s Supper every Sunday.
Terms of Membership
Perhaps you are wondering, "How does one become a member of the church of Christ?" What are the terms of membership?
Churches of Christ do not speak of membership in terms of some formula, which must be followed, for approved acceptance into the church. The New Testament gives certain steps, which were taken by people in that day to become Christians. When a person became a Christian he automatically was a member of the church.
The same is true of churches of Christ today. There is no separate set of rules or ceremonies which one must follow to be inducted into the church When one becomes a Christian he, at the same time becomes a member of the church. No further steps are required to qualify for church membership.
On the first day of the church’s existence those who repented and were baptized were saved (Acts 2:38). And from that day forward all those who were saved were added to the church (Acts 2:47). According to this verse (Acts 2:47) it was God who did the adding. Therefore, in seeking to follow this pattern, we neither vote people into the church nor force them through a required series of studies. We have no right to demand anything beyond their obedient submission to the Savior.
The conditions of pardon which are taught in the New Testament are:
- One must hear the gospel, for "faith comes by hearing the word of God" (Romans 10:17).
- One must believe, for "without faith it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6).
- One must repent of past sins, for God "commands all men, everywhere to repent" (Acts 1 7:30).
- One must confess Jesus as Lord, for he said, "He that confesses me before men, him will I also confess before my father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32).
- And one must be baptized for the remission of sins, for Peter said, "Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins..." (Acts 2:38).
Emphasis on Baptism
Churches of Christ have a reputation for placing much stress on the need for baptism. However, we do not emphasize baptism as a "church ordinance," but as a command of Christ. The New Testament teaches baptism as an act which is essential to salvation (Mark 1616; Acts 238; Acts 22:16).
We do not practice infant baptism because New Testament baptism is only for sinners who turn to the Lord in belief and penitence. An infant has no sin to repent of, and cannot qualify as a believer.
The only form of baptism we practice in churches of Christ is immersion. The Greek word from which the word baptize comes means to "to dip, to immerse, to submerge, to plunge." And the Scriptures always point to baptism as a burial (Acts 8:35-39; Romans 6:3,4; Colossians 2:12).
Baptism is extremely important because the New Testament sets forth the following purposes for it:
- It is to enter the kingdom (John 3:5).
- It is to contact Christ’s blood (Romans 6:3,4).
- It is to get into Christ (Galatians 3:27).
- It is for salvation (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21).
- It is for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).
- It is to wash away sins (Acts 22:16).
- It is to get into the church (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:23).
Since Christ died for the sins of the whole world and the invitation to share in his saving grace is open to everyone (Acts 10:34; Revelation 22.17), we do not believe that anyone is predestined for salvation or condemnation. Some will choose to come to Christ in faith and obedience and will be saved Others will reject his plea and be condemned (Mark 16:16). These will not be lost because they were marked for condemnation, but because that ‘s the path they chose.
Wherever you are at this moment, we hope you will decide to accept the salvation offered by Christ--that you will offer yourself in obedient faith and become a member of his church.
Joe R. Barnett
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