Josh wrote:Anyone who believes that their church is the true church is not invited unless they are seriously open to questioning that belief.
It looks like this event specifically excludes Holdemans. Is there any way to get an exception so I can attend?
For example, we could be asked to refrain from pushing or talking about that belief. In exchange, other attendees could be asked to refrain from arguing/trying to convince Holdemans to abandon this belief.
I'd really like to have you there. I don't think you would try to convince my friends to join your church. I also know its not your fault that your church took this position about itself and you might not have this belief if they had not generated it.
Yet its hard to have much camaraderie and Christian fellowship with folks who have this belief because at the end of the day, I'm still in the wrong church no matter what good fellowship we enjoyed during the day. If my friends became friends with you, they would feel the same thing at whatever point in the future they learned what your beliefs are.
The purpose of events like this is to help destroy walls like this that various groups of plain people have created the last few hundred years. I'm not interested in making provision for these two belief systems to co-exist at an event like this. I feel strongly about this because this kind of sectarianism in the Body of Christ is what I think Jesus came to destroy. (There may be events where the two beliefs could easily co-exist.)
There have been many groups with this belief over the centuries who have either died out or eventually given up this belief. So if there is anyone from your group or a representation from your group who is seriously open to revisiting this belief then they would be welcome. From what I understand, you used to receive instruction from a church like the rest of us that did not have this belief, and now you are receiving input from a church that does have this belief. I can get along just fine with you as a person and I don't hold anything against you for taking this step. Everyone has the freedom to pursue whatever doctrine or church they wish. But as people of integrity, we need to live honestly with our choices and realize how those choices will affect our friendships.
I don't go to the same church that I used to and that has cost me certain "fellowship privileges". I accept those consequences.
I've interacted with Church of Christ people in the past who have had this belief. We had good times together and enjoyed a certain level of friendship. But outside of this friendship, I was his church's "mission field". I don't want my friends who come to this event to learn later in life that these nice people they visited with at SG would gladly help them join a Holdeman church.