Italian Report - June, 2008
posted in Missions, Europe |Italian Report - June, 2008
WHY DID I DECIDE TO BE A PREACHER?
God answers prayer! The day I was born, my mother started praying I would become a preacher. She never told me she was praying for this, but my mom and dad showed me the way.
In 1952, I enrolled in college at Oklahoma A & M at Stillwater, Oklahoma. I went to worship Sunday morning and the church received me with open arms. There were many other students there. Eldred Stevens was the preacher and he was a good one. He was preaching a series of sermons on world religions each Sunday night. It was a big thing. The elders put a big ad in the paper each week. One week it would be on the Baptist Church, one week on Pentecostalism, etc. This drew big crowds. When he preached on Roman Catholicism even the local priest was present. The next day he called Bro. Stevens and challenged him to a four day public debate. Naturally, Eldred accepted the challenge. I was there every night. Eldred did a masterful job. He built a fire in my soul. Eldred loved to teach young men to preach. He had classes for all the young men each Sunday afternoon. I decided I wanted to become a preacher. Eldred encouraged me to transfer to Central Christian College (the forerunner of Oklahoma Christian University) located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. I sat at the feet of L. R. Wilson, Roy H. Lanier, Sr., Hugo McCord, Joe Spaulding and the other fine Christian teachers. This changed my whole life.
MY HEALTH
I have had a hard time for the last year and I still have a long way to go. However, I am doing a lot better. Last week I had to have Vitrectomy surgery on my left eye, as well as some laser procedures done and it went well. I am able to work most every day corresponding with the churches and preachers in Italy. I also receive several letters, E-mails and phone calls each week, almost every day.
PROBLEMS IN ITALY
All churches have their problems from time to time. This is true here in the States and also in Italy. This problem has to do with instrumental music. I know of three churches in the Dallas-Fort Worth area that use them and perhaps there are others. Recently, a front page article in the Oklahoma City area told that the largest Church of Christ in Oklahoma City had instituted musical instruments in their worship.
This is not our problem in Italy. We do not have a single congregation that uses instruments. Our problem is the problem that is sweeping America - the desire to have unity with the Christian churches in Italy in spite of what they teach and practice.
Recently, the congregation that we began in Rome held a lectureship near Rome and asked a Christian Church missionary to be one of the principal speakers. I was shocked. Immediately, I wrote to Vittorio Vitalone, my son in the faith, objecting. I wrote the elders of the church in Rome also. Several other former missionaries wrote to them. Another Italian preacher (another son in the faith) told the Roman elders that he could not attend the lectures in good faith and he didn’t. I asked them why they didn’t just go ahead and ask other denominational church preachers to speak. The conservative Christian churches have existed in Italy for over 50 years. We have talked with them again and again, with no avail. We went our own way and let them do the same. I warned the brethren to “beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, for a little yeast ruins the entire lump”. I also pointed out, “How can two men walk together except they be agreed?” Vittorio and the Roman elders replied that they were just trying to unify the churches and that the use of instrumental music was not used in the church at Rome and would not be used.
GOOD NEWS
Other than this all goes well in Italy. I have heard of 29 Baptisms since my last report. They have had some great lectures and gospel meetings. The churches are growing. I stay in contact with them weekly. I am happy to be able to work with them even though I still have to remain in bed.
God bless all of you. I am thankful for the elders at Prestoncrest who are not afraid to take a stand for the truth.
Until next time,
Charles Moore