A Meeting with the Board

One week of victory passed for Joe, and as Sunday morning dawned, he and his wife prepared to attend services as usual at the little chapel where they held their membership. This week had been an unusual week for them. Their home had been entirely different from what it had been heretofore. The day began with reading the Scripture and prayer and ended in the same way. Or rather it was the reverse with them, for Joe said that he knew the Lord knew just what portion of God’s Word he needed; so therefore before he began reading the two would come before the Lord and ask Him to direct them to the portion of scripture they needed for that day, to enlighten them that they might know just what should be required of them that day.

On this Sunday morning as Joe opened his Bible, after asking God to direct him, his eyes fell on the tenth chapter of Matthew and he began to read from the sixteenth verse. Each verse seemed to bring new light to his soul. When he reached the twenty-eighth verse he could get no further, but laying his Bible down, he arose and walked to and fro in the room praising God. It seemed that heaven had opened to him and the blessings of God were pouring down into his soul.

After Joe had become calm enough that Susie might talk to him, she inquired into the cause of his great joy, and he said, “Did you not read what I read?” And again opening his Bible he read, “ ‘What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’* (Matthew 16:27-28) Don’t you see that is only a message from God to us?” said he, as he again placed the Bible on the stand. “I feel that I can go to church and face anything that may come up before us, for God has said, what He has told us in darkness to speak in the light, and I mean to tell what He said to me last Sunday night in that little pantry. I shall not fear what shall happen to me, for the people can do nothing to me more than destroy this body. God will take care of my soul.”

“But why do you talk like that?” inquired Susie. “Who do you think will try to do us any harm?”

“That I do not know,” replied Joe. “But ever since Brother Brumbaugh called upon us, I have felt that he might call us in question because we are attending these prayer meetings. You know how strange he acted when here a few evenings ago.”

“Surely he cannot call us into question for attending prayer meeting,” exclaimed Susie. “Why, what is there about praying that one should call another into question about? He has always exhorted the whole church to pray.”

“I know that he has,” replied Joe; “but, remember, we both testified on last Wednesday evening that neither of us had ever been Christians until last Sunday night when we found peace. That is the thing that displeased him and I have a feeling that he means to question us further in regard to it. But I have decided that what God revealed to me in the darkness I mean to speak in the light that others may hear, for I am sure there are others who hold membership in that church that are in the same condition that we were. We know they can do nothing more than to erase our names from their ledger. Thank God, they cannot reach our souls.”

What Joe feared was really true, and after the morning’s service, before dismissing the congregation, Preacher Brumbaugh stated that he desired to meet the official board of the church. As Joe was one of the official board, of course he remained with the others. He was entirely ignorant of the order of the meeting, but was kept in ignorance just a short time, for after the others had left Preacher Brumbaugh explained to the board why the meeting had been called. First he read Matthew 18:15-17, and then, clearing his throat, said, “It might be that some of you do not know why I have called this meeting, but I shall explain. I know that some of you understand, for I have fully explained it, and have found some of you feel the same as I do, and believe that this meeting is necessary.”

At this Joe spoke up and said, “I am sure that I do not know why it is necessary for a special meeting, but perhaps some of you may know and I am always willing to meet at any time. I am sure if it is to settle any grievance, that can be easily done on my part, for I have nothing against anybody.”

“I wish that all were that way,” replied Preacher Brumbaugh, “but as you are the one who has brought the grievance among us I trust you shall be as good as your word and be ready to settle it.”

“I brought a grievance?” said Joe in a surprised tone of voice, although light had begun to dawn upon him. “I am sure I do not know in what way I have wronged any of you, and I am more than anxious to learn.”

Preacher Brumbaugh seemed very nervous. Turning from one side to the other in his seat, he said, “We are coming to you as the Bible instructs us to come. I learned that you have not only disgraced your profession among us but you have forfeited your right as a member of our official board and even as a member among us, unless you can undo some of the wrong that you have done to yourself, to the official board, and to the church.”

At this Joe rose to his feet and said, “If I have wronged anyone I am here to rectify that wrong if I possibly can, but I must first know the nature of that wrong.”

“Amen,” said Preacher Brumbaugh. “I felt that you had been just a little excited and would soon come to your senses, for you have been too sensible a man to be led very far wrong. The charge against you is that of heresy, for you told me, when I visited you last week, that you had never been a Christian until last Sunday night, although you have been a member of our church for a number of years. In saying this you cast a reflection upon yourself, your official board, upon me, and upon the entire church. I have taken the steps which I just read to you. I went to you privately and you failed to hear me, and now I have you with these brethren here, and we are ready to hear what you have to say.”

Joe stood for some time at a loss to know just what to say, but at last the Scripture which he read that morning came to him, that when he was brought before magistrates, to take no thought of what should be said, for God would give in that time the things that were needed, and as he opened his mouth to make reply, he became lost to his surroundings and to the passing of time. For a half hour he stood before those men, telling them of his life, his inability to control himself at times, and of the longing that had been in his soul to really know he was right with God and ready to meet Him at any time. He then told of his visit to Preacher Brumbaugh and his admonition, and of the godly life that had been lived before him all summer, and then of his own surrender to God and the perfect satisfaction he had in his soul, the peace that had come and the week of perfect victory. At last, looking about him, he said, “Men, I want to tell you I never have been able to pray until last Sunday night. But after God spoke peace to my soul I felt that I was in touch with heaven and I could pray. I never prayed before. I only repeated words, but I really prayed last Sunday night and have been praying all week and it has really brought satisfaction to my soul.”

Here Preacher Brumbaugh interrupted him by saying, “You are trying to get too good, but I don’t think that you have sprouted wings yet, even if you do say that you touched heaven.”

The men all laughed at this, but Joe found nothing to laugh at, for his soul was burning, he felt the presence of the Lord with him so strongly. Turning to Preacher Brumbaugh, he said, “I do not fear that I shall ever be too good, but I see that I have been living beneath my privileges and I was not satisfied with such a life. I could never say, ‘I know that I have passed from death unto life because I love the brethren’ [1 John 3:14], for I did not do it. There are some in the church that I did not love, and one on the official board that I hated until last Sunday night.” And, turning to Mr. Peters, he said, “Mr. Peters, I love you now.”

At this Preacher Brumbaugh said, “We have done all we can do, brethren. You see he is not willing to hear us; so we shall have to take the next step and bring it before the church.” Turning to Joe again, he said, “Now, Brother Holmier, aren’t you willing to give up these ideas and be as you have always been among us? You know you need the church and the church needs you, but, much as we want you to stay among us, we cannot forfeit the faith of our fathers for some new-fangled whim. Now, all we are asking of you is to be sensible and be as you have always been. Aren’t you willing to do that?”

“God forbid that I ever shall be as I have been for so many years,” exclaimed Joe hastily; “for I have been burdened down with a profession of Christianity, trying to make myself think that I was all right because I had been baptized and lived up to the teachings of the church. I have carried a heavy load on my soul for some time, but I can say now, ‘Thank God, I know what it means to be right with God,’ for He has spoken peace to my soul; and I can truthfully say, ‘I know that I have passed from death unto life because I love the brethren.’ In this I do not feel that I have wronged anyone, and I am sure that I shall never consent to go back to a life of burdens when there is such freedom in store for me.”

Here Preacher Brumbaugh spoke again: “But, Brother Holmier, in your statements you deny the faith of this church, and by so doing forfeit all right to any fellowship among us. We have done all that is required of us thus far, and the next step will be to bring the matter before the entire church.”

“You may do as you like,” replied Joe, “but the way I can see things, it seems strange to me that you were willing to extend fellowship to me when I know that I was not right with God, and now that I can tell you that God has pardoned my sins and the peace of God has come into my soul, you are ready to set me aside. You may do as you like, but of this thing I am sure—you cannot destroy my peace with God.”

“That is all right and you may take your choice, but we cannot forfeit the faith of our fathers for some religious whim of one of the official board,” indignantly replied Preacher Brumbaugh.