What is this Web Site for ?

We want there to be in the public domain a list of the important beliefs and teachings of Struthers Memorial Chruch. This would tell everyone what happens in SMC and let members know what biblical, moral and spiritual teachings they have signed up to live by.

We believe the process of producing and making available this statement of beliefs and teachings would be of huge benefit to many people.

• We can see the benefits to the SMC leaders of consistent teachings across all the churches and the definitive answers to pesky recurring questions.

(We are not suggesting that consistency of teaching across all the churches does not exist. We don't know if it does or not. We are suggesting that if it does exist, it should be easy to write down and share)

• The process of producing a statement of beliefs would provide the opportunity for the SMC leadership to identify any inconsistencies or any biblically unjustifiable teachings or beliefs and drop them.

(or to confirm that there are no inconsistencies, or biblically unjustifiable teachings or beliefs)

• The membership and attendees would benefit as they would have available to them a powerful resource for presenting with authority, the teaching of SMC on all important matters, and revealing what Biblical principles those are based on. It would silence those who seek to say that the absence of intelligent answers to important questions in SMC is a matter for concern.

• It will silence the critics who claim that there are un-Biblical, legalistic restrictions and controls placed on people in SMC, which have no link back to a coherently argued case from scripture.

• And it would help another very important and very sizable group of people – those who have left the church deeply confused about what they did wrong to fail to live up to God's requirements as presented by SMC. This document would give them a chance to understand from a Biblical perspective why that situation arose and why the way they were treated by SMC leaders was right, moral, loving and God's perfect will for the leaders’ conduct  towards them.

We can't really see a downside for anyone.

The articles on this web site

To initiate the work that would need to happen for a statement of beliefs to be published we have produced an initial set of articles asking questions about belief and practice in SMC. We have tried very hard to base these articles on public statements and sources put out by the SMC organisation - mainly their published books, web sites and the sermons that they have chosen to make available. We have also included questions on issues arising from the direct testimony of those we have spoken to about their experiences in SMC.

It is possible that the SMC leadership may reject the call to produce a clarification and justification of their teachings in a document that can be circulated and scrutinised by the public. If so we will be very interested to hear the reasons they give for not doing so.

If that proves to be the case we will carry on the discussion about the beliefs, teachings and practices of Struthers Memorial Church without their involvement.

We do not at all expect every reader to agree with every comment and every bit of analysis in these articles. In fact we would welcome input to the debate on these important subjects from any and all interested groups or individuals. There is an e-mail address which we would invite you to use. If you want to send in comment  under a username which does not identify you, we understand why you might want to do that and we will have no problem with it.  

We do intend to keep these articles and this discussion in the public domain.

Feedback and future contributions

Please let us know if anything in these articles is helpful and if they relate in any way to your personal  experience. Please also let us know if there are any errors of fact. If there are any factual errors pointed out to us we will happily and willingly revise any article or statement in the light of new evidence. We are open to contributors expressing honestly held opinions and we will not condem them for doing so. All contributors are open to new information. If it is their opinion that a teaching is un-Biblical, or has not yet been explained in Biblical terms, then the arrival in the public domain of a clear and comprehensive Biblical case will be the event which can change that opinion. We will be happy to acknowledge progress. We are a site based on a belief in the importance to personal and spiritual growth of the freedom to express views, opinions and ask any and all questions which might be helpful to the person asking.   

We commit to those commenting and contributing for whatever reason that we will never judge your heart or condem your attitude to God based on the questions you ask or the points you raise.

Names

We are not placing the names of those contributing to this web site online as we do not want to cause difficulties for those still in contact with people in SMC. Also we do not want web searches for SMC to connect with contributors’ names since many involved feel they do not want that association and we respect that. The only person who may be identifiable is our web site coordinator and this person has indicated that is not a problem to them.

We also want the questions we are asking to be addressed and answered but we have sad and common experience from the past of seeing a lot of effort put by the SMC leadership into avoiding questions by rubbishing the character of those asking. We suggest the problem is not in the identity or character of those asking questions on this web site  - but that these questions are important and the answers either do not exist, or do exist but have not been made public.

In the excellent book on the subject of churches who avoid questions -

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse by David Johnson & Jeff VanVonderen

there is a very relevant quote on page 68:

The most powerful of all unspoken rules in the abusive system is what we have termed the “can’t-talk” rule.

The “can’t-talk” rule has this thinking behind it:

“The real problem can’t be exposed because then it would have to be dealt with and things would have to change so it must be protected behind walls of silence (neglect) or by assault (legalistic attack).

If you speak about the problem out loud, you are the problem. In some way you must be silenced or eliminated.”

........... The truth is, when people talk about problems out loud they don’t cause them, they simply expose them.

We think questions should be answered irrespective of who is asking them. Satan was not asking "valid" questions or questions that came from a "right heart" but Jesus, our wonderful Saviour and the example we should follow, answered Satan's questions, using scripture quotations to make his case. If Jesus answered Satan's vile questions perhaps SMC leaders should emulate that - even when, rebels, sinners, or the unspiritual ask them to justify from the Bible their conduct and teachings.

Public availablilty of information

If the SMC leadership do make answers to any of our questions available we will hopefully pick these up in public communications from SMC, or have the evidence of new answers pointed out by friends. If so we will rejoice and we will properly acknowledge that these questions are no longer being ignored and have publicly available, credible, Biblical answers.

 Our Hope

We do not claim to be anything. We are not asking anyone to follow us. We do not want to lead anyone. We are just poor vile sinners saved by grace. In common with the leaders of SMC churches and all other Christians - all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6). The only good in us comes from Jesus and what He has done for us all.

It is our genuine hope that a more open, honest and therefore stronger church will result from this public scrutiny – however unwelcome that scrutiny may be by some.

If you think it is terribly wrong for us to talk about these things please forgive us. We do not think it is wrong. We think this is one of the most fundamental and important duties of a Christian leader to provide what their people need. The best way to know what people need is to ask them and then have the courtesy and respect to listen to what they are saying. If people are asking for answers to important questions we think you should stop whatever you are doing and get them answers.

That is what a pastor does. It’s their main job. What is more important?

Now please answer the questions.