The Blessing of Small Churches

One comment on the three columns I have done on large churches is “You are ignoring the many thriving small churches.” I agree. One good example is Fulton Union Christian Church on County Road HJ near Delta, Ohio. I have preached there on apologetics around twice a year for the past six years or so. This church was as welcoming as any large church that I have ever attended, if not more so. The around 80 members that attend the Sunday service have made me feel comfortable and more at home with each new visit. It also helps that several members were students of mine when I was teaching college. The congregation’s commitment to the scriptures is also illustrated by the fact that several young person’s attending the church were home-schooled.

Each time I pull up to the church parking lot, several young-men members unload my 8 boxes of books and then neatly sort them on the large book table. For a small church, they are very supportive of my work, both financially and by taking advantage of my writings. If only my home church was half as supportive as they are! To keep the small struggling apologetics movement alive, church support is critical.

Most important is the fact that Fulton Union has been very receptive to the creation message. On my first visit, I noted in their small library there were numerous videos and books on the creation worldview. I also noted from conversations with those I talked to that they were obviously very well-informed on this topic and asked insightful, probing questions.

Because many churches are not very receptive to this branch of apologetics, I was curious about their statement of belief, part of which follows: “The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, God's infallible written Word, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that it was uniquely, verbally, and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit and that it was written without error (inerrant) in the original manuscripts.” They also specifically hold to the Biblical view of creation, writing on their website, “God spoke, and all things came into being from nothing. We believe the whole of Creation being completed within six literal days. God created human beings in His own image, and as male and female to procreate and complement each other. See: Genesis 1-2, 2:24, 5:1-2, 9:6; Psalm 24:1, 33:6-9.” On abortion, they teach that “life begins at conception, and since all humans are created in God's image, all unborn children have intrinsic value and are to be treasured and nurtured.” They also take a firm Biblical stand on social issues such as the LGBTQ+ issue.

My ministry is supported by PowerPoint presentations and printed material. A 45-minute presentation only introduces the topic, and my writing reinforces and provides added support to my outline. Support for apologetics was also apparent from discussions with a couple of members who experienced their children, or grandchildren, leaving the faith after being exposed to evolution at a secular college. One member recognized that Darwinism was the doorway to atheism, especially a concern for those whose children pursue higher academic education. Evidently some former members had opened that door and stepped through it after accepting a secular worldview. My book, Darwinism is the Doorway to Atheism, deals with this concern in detail.

I put an enormous amount of time and work into my writings and presentations. Some of my now 60 books I have published, I have been working on for decades. I began working on my President Eisenhower book when I was in high school and it was published only last year [2023] by Wipf & Stock, a leading academic publisher. The book carefully documents my PowerPoint that highlights the fact that WWII was a war between creation and evolution, and creationism prevailed, thank God. My work has paid off in one way. My new book is already in 67 libraries including in London, Belgium, Australia, and Turkey.

Another book titled The Other Side of the Scopes Monkey Trial documents that, at its heart, the trial was not about science vs. religion as is universally assumed, but rather about racism vs. the Genesis teaching that all men are descendants of our first parents, Adam and Eve. This book is already in 48 libraries including in England, Germany, and Greece. Most authors want to change the world as Darwin did with his book. That is too optimistic, but I do have a few readers tell me my writings have changed their life. I continue to write for this reason.

Curious about the Fulton Union Christian Church, I learned that Rev. James Fowler Given, a Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) pastor, founded the church in 1864.  Pastor Given was forced out of the itinerant pulpit ministry because, based on his Biblical stand, he refused to adopt certain political views. Pastor Given also objected to MEC forbidding laymen to interpret the Bible. Given was part of the Restorationism Movement that restored the early beliefs and practices of the followers of Jesus that were lost, or adulterated, after Jesus’ death. A return to the teaching of Genesis is one example of the return to the Bible, a return has reaped many blessings.