By Jerry Harris
It’s easy to take something for granted, especially when it seems as if it’s always been there. But if you’ve ever had to fight to save something, you tend to view it much differently. These statements can apply to many things, including the Restoration Movement. As mentioned in this issue’s “From the Publisher” column, the Restoration Movement gave birth to the nondenominational church in America, now the largest group of Protestant churches in our nation.
If you’ve ever had to navigate the rough waters of denominationalism, you would more personally recognize the importance of the incredible blessing that is the Restoration Movement. Denominations frequently own the church property, hold the retirement and health insurance of ministers, and expect a portion of church income to support their denominational offices and vision. And when the denominational decision-makers decide to change their stance on any substantial cultural issue, the church is required to toe the denominational line.
FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY
News websites these days are filled with stories of churches seeking to disconnect from their denominations for this very reason, and it can be a difficult undertaking . . . in fact, it can be quite painful. People within Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ tend to take for granted that the church building and property we occupy is our own, that our ministers are provided for through our tithes and offerings, and that our leadership consists of local people we know and trust. These leaders have the same passion for the community that we have. That isn’t always the case for denominational churches.
Nondenominational churches have the freedom to choose their own teaching materials, hire their own staff, and expand or do business as they see fit without seeking the approval of some distant hierarchy.
But with that freedom comes heightened responsibility, and churches and church leaders can feel alone, disconnected, or isolated. At these times, being independent can present a challenge. It’s at times like these we need to feel the fellowship, connection, and encouragement of other churches and ministry organizations in our movement. We can network through conferences like Spire, ICOM, and Renew.org. We can partner with and support missionaries through our various mission organizations. We can send our students to incredible colleges and universities for training and ministry placement, and we can enjoy abundant resources for teaching and growing in the local church through our publishing partners. There are lots of entities out there to help no matter what challenge or obstacle may be in front of us.
The Solomon Foundation is here to help, too, because we are absolutely committed to this movement. We are a church extension fund that takes the resources of our investors and uses them to empower Restoration Movement churches to get to the next level, all while providing our investors a great return on their investment, both financially and for the kingdom.
Since our founding, The Solomon Foundation has been the fastest-growing extension fund in the history of such funds, and we attribute that growth to the blessings and grace that flow from our heavenly Father! We now manage over $1.1 billion in assets from people just like you who enjoy a great return on their investment while fueling incredible kingdom growth. With these monies, we’ve removed obstacles for so many churches, helping them to get to the next level. We’ve played a key financial role in helping them to experience their hopes and dreams for their community or region. We’ve come alongside Bible colleges, Christian universities, and mission works to accomplish these same things.
REBUILDING BRIDGES
We’ve worked to rebuild bridges between the various streams of our movement that had been burned down. The goal is to bring us back into fellowship with one another in love. These initiatives have helped to overcome racial barriers and past hurts to pave a road to a more hopeful future. The Solomon Foundation took the burden of responsibility to save Christian Standard from being consigned to history. By saving the now 158-year-old magazine, we preserved our movement’s history, and enabled the print and online editions to continue to provide a conduit of communication about every aspect of our churches and ministries by reporting their stories. Christians today and in the future need to know what this movement has done and what it stands for. The staff of Christian Standard works to achieve this.
There is nothing more important to The Solomon Foundation than honoring God and taking Jesus Christ to a lost world . . . those are our first and second core values! That’s why we celebrate attendance growth and tens of thousands of baptisms that our loans have helped to make possible, because we know that the true bottom line isn’t financial, it’s people!
While nearly every denomination is declining, some of them severely, the fellowship of Restoration Movement churches and the greater group of nondenominational churches is surging outward to a lost world and downward to future generations. It is sharing the transformational power of what it means to have an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The Solomon Foundation is proud to play a key role in this effort through the gifts with which God has blessed us, so that we might be a blessing to others. We are bullish on the trajectory of this movement as we experience together the harvest only God can provide! Check us out at thesolomonfoundation.org.
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