Jon Gary Williams
Articles / Resources
0875
G. K. Wallace vs James P. Miller (Orphan Homes - Cooperation)
September 16, 1965
Tampa, Florida
(By W. L. Totty)
Tampa, Fla. August 16-20.
G.K. Wallace and James P. Miller. Students from Florida College asked the elders at the Florida Ave. church if hey would endorse G.K. Wallace for debate. They agreed. Then they asked James P. Miller if he would meet Wallace. He also agreed. Since the students started the debate, the loyal brethren (Fla. Ave. church) wanted it in November when students would be there. Miller very definitely refused to have the debate when students could attend.
For two nights bro. Wallace affirmed: "I is in harmony with the scriptures for churches of Christ build and maintain benevolent organization for the care of the needy, and homes for the aged among us." Wallace laid a foundation upon which he defended the scripturalness of churches supporting children's homes, basing his arguments upon James 1:27-2:2; Gal. 6:10 and Acts 10:7 with related verses.
Miller is a good speaker and a good debater when he has truth on his side. But instead of answering Wallace's arguments the first night , he made an attempt to be facetious. His people accepted that as argument and did quite a bit of laughing, but the following night the laughing diminished considerably. Miller said preachers on his sided had taught against orphans homes for decades and he tried to make a parallel between orphan homes and the missionary society. But after Wallace read from articles written by bro. Miller in 1946, urging churches to help orphan homes, Miller admitted that he had changed, thus contradicted his statement that he had opposed orphan home for decades.
Bro. Wallace showed that the Seminole church (where Miller preached) has sent children to the orphan home at Mt. Dora, Fla. Miller then admitted that the orphan home is scriptural in organization; that the only thing wrong with it is that it takes money from the churches. From the pulpit he told bro. Boyd, superintendent of Mt. Dora's Children's Home, who was present, that if he would stop receiving money from churches and get it from individuals only, then he would get behind the home and help him support it. That statement completely demolished his contention that the orphan is parallel with the Missionary Society; otherwise, he could also get behind the Missionary Society and help support it.
Wallace asked Miller if he agreed with A.C. Grider that a church would go to hell if it took money from its treasury to feed hungry, destitute children. Miller answered by saying that to say that the Seminole church would let hungry children starve insulted his intelligence.
The 3rd and 4th nights Miller affirmed: "Such an arrangement and cooperative effort on the part of the churches of Christ for the preaching of the gospel as 'Herald of Truth' is without scriptural authority. His speeches were empty. He charged us with having women preachers and taking the Lord's supper during week days, but offered no proof.
Miller's main contention was that churches, to be scriptural, must send money directly to the preacher and not to the elders, notwithstanding the fact that the elders are appointed as overseers over the church to feed the flock (Acts 20:28). Such a doctrine would elevate a teenage boy over mature elders. With this false doctrine Carl Ketcherside divided churches for many year s with his evangelistic authority. This doctrine has the seeds of Catholicism which exalted the pope over the people in the 7th century. Miller suffered on these points and all could see it.
Bro. Wallace said at one time all the churches on the west coast of Florida were united and working harmoniously together for the advancement of the gospel, but that when James Miller, James R. Cope, and Homer Hailey came to Tampa they divided the church. Under severe pressure, Miller admitted that they were the ones who caused the division.
Bro. Wallace is one of the best debaters that has been my pleasure to hear. He did a wonderful job. He had an abundance of material and knows when and how to use it. This debate should be repeated in every city and town on the west coast of Florida.
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