Almost All Are Welcome
Based on a True Story
Brother Dufer looked out over the congregation. Nearly everyone was measured up. True, some were not as whole-heartedly measured up as others, but what wasn’t done out of conviction, was done out of respect… well, fear… of the opinions of others. Some were motivated by convictions, but others were not.
Of course, then there were those who were motivated by different convictions. Human nature was an awful thing to deal with, he thought wearily. Now, take Brother Schwab. He was as kind and blameless a brother as anyone that Brother Dufer knew, but he came up with these ideas… and then he felt obligated to express those ideas in services; felt that God required him to do so. He was so sincere and humble about those… ideas, but he wouldn’t drop them—even when nearly every other minister had disagreed with him, some vehemently.
Brother Schwab didn’t know it yet, but the decision in the gathering of the ministers had been that he would not be allowed in services from now on. Nothing else had worked. He would not be silenced; he would not voluntarily keep his seat. He had felt obligated to speak of teachings that were condemned by the ministers, and he always seemed to find some way or time to say something.
But this was his last meeting. He would not be allowed to come in the meeting house again. Brother Dufer thought of Uzziah. “They thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.” (2 Chronicles 26:20) Could not Brother Schwab respect and be in submission to the convictions of the ministry sufficiently to be quiet? But if he could not, God required them to thrust him out from thence; his teaching was spiritual leprosy; all could be infected.
Brother Schwab’s children were members of the congregation. His kin and his wife’s kin were either in the congregation or connected with it from other places. Perhaps he would learn from this. Perhaps it would do him good. But all must teach the same thing; all must have the same judgment. One must keep in step with the convictions of the other ministers.
“Brother Schwab.” The service had concluded, and now Brother Dufer drew the other man aside as the congregation dispersed. “I have to tell you something.” He paused. “I am supposed to tell you not to come next Sunday. The ministry is not in agreement with you, and it has been decided that they will not allow you to enter the church building.”
The man did not look happy at this news. He just nodded his head and thanked Brother Dufer for telling him.
That was Wednesday night. On Sunday morning, as the faithful gathered, Brother Dufer was surprised to see Brother Schwab and his wife walking across the parking area to the front door of the church house. He quickly signaled another brother minister in the congregation to come with him and met the line entering the door. When Brother Schwab and his wife approached the entrance, Brother Dufer and the other brother blocked the door.
“I’m sorry, Schwab,” he said, “but I can’t allow you to come in.”
“I just want to go to services,” Brother Schwab said, making no attempt to pass the human barricade before him.
As each of the other members of the congregation came to the door, the two entrance keepers allowed them to pass, while continuing to deny entrance to Brother Schwab and his wife. Finally, after all the others had entered, Brother Dufer stepped inside and closed the door, leaving the Schwabs standing outside. Then the door was locked from the inside. The Schwabs stood there for a little bit, saw that it was no use, and returned to their home.
They tried coming again the next Sunday, with the same result. And the next. After that, the Schwabs came no more.
Sometime after these events, the congregation planned a series of revival meetings, and announcements were printed.
You are invited
to an old-fashioned revival
at —— Church
October 20 - 27
7:30 P.M. nightly services
10:00 A.M. Sunday
All are welcome.
The printed announcements were stacked on a table in the vestibule, so they could be distributed by members of the congregation. Before the Sunday service began, however, a small boy was working industriously with a pen at the table. When the time came to pass out the announcements, the last line read like this:
almost All are welcome.