May God be with you and guide you!!

Hank Tankersley - Minister of Christ

Introduction:

After 49 years serv-ing various congre-gations in Tennes-see, Louisiana, Ar-kansas and Texas as pulpit minister, I am now "tired and re-tired" in Paducah, Ky., and because of serious health pro-blems, no longer am able to do "stand up" teaching or preaching. Much of my teaching can be found on my Web-site and accessed by searching the name. (Picture by Sarah Jane Nicholas, 12 year old granddaughter)

Biographical Information (Check Website if interested)

Studies & Sermons

    Our New Series Is On "The Simplicity And Purity in Christ," based on 2Cor 11:3. We ask, has "plain and simple" New Testament/Covenant Christianity become so complicated and sophisticated that we now have to have PhDs and University professors to explain it to us? Is the Holy Bible so unintelligible that the common man with diligent study can not understand it? Would such not be an insult to the Almighty God, who wanted all men to be saved? This series of studies will also address the matter of salvation "By Church Or By Christ.

Concepts & Philosophies:

    The church that Jesus said He was going to build, and is now building, is constituted of all the saved, redeemed souls; penitent, baptized believers who continue to serve Him as Lord. Each individual wherever he is, is a member of the spiritual body of Christ, a Christian, child of God, saint, or a disciple of Christ, as the Scriptures surely teach. All of these in a particular area constitute the church of the Lord in or of that area, according to the Scriptures. These of a located group have chosen to associate and identify with like minded brethren who choose to share their worship of God, co-labor in the good works for the Cause of the Lord, and for mutual edification and encouragement. (Heb 10:19-26.)

    I have been blessed by being the preacher in some 75 "Gospel Meetings," and in over 60 "Training For Service" series across the country, many of these as the keynote speaker. Including among these were appearances at Pepperdine, Abilene Christian, and Harding Universities, and at several smaller Christian Colleges. Approximately sixty times I was asked to be a part of, often as the keynote speaker, Bible Teacher training affairs. I have taught a congregational leadership series in some 120 congregations, and a Membership Edification Program (Bible defined Visitation) in some 100 instances.

Special Emphasis
     I am convinced that the greatest religious evil alive today, and the greatest hindrance to saving the world from sin is the secularization (splitting up) of the Christian religion generally. The Corinthians started it way back in the 1st Century (1 Cor.1), and those seeking their own brand of what they call "religion" have perpetuated it until this very day. According to one report, there are now 63,000 identifiable "Christian Churches" in America, each with some peculiarity of doctrine and practice. Have you noticed the number of denominational Churches that have in recent years left their denomination and gone out as "independent," or "community," or "united?" Some have done this to escape the negative prejudice by some toward their denomination. In one city, the ingenious Church founder ran a full page ad in the Newspaper stating that he and his group were going to take all the good features of all the other groups, and avoid all the bad features! (The effort lasted about one year before disbanding.)

      No one could possibly be unaware of the multitudinous offerings of religious merchants today. With the advent of marvelous communications systems, and now the Internet, we can probably understand the decline of simple Gospel preaching. Some religious solicitations with their peculiar promises, are rather outlandish. "Religion is big business," one business man said contemptuously when he was introduced to a preacher friend. Merchandising religion IS big business in America and often resembles entertainment more than the serious business of saving sinful souls, the very reason Jesus came in the first place.

      Why so many sects today? It seems to be because we humans want it "our way," as a popular singer of songs says. But a long time ago the prophet Jeremiah quoted the Lord God and said, "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (10:23). Solomon knew this truth, for this wisest of all men said, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Pro. 16:25). Is this applicable when applied to today’s religious offerings? I think it probably is! Pleasing the people seems to be the main emphasis of religious salesmanship today. “If your Church is not pleasing you, why not try _____,” a large billboard reads. The emphasis seems to be, “Choose the Church of ‘your choice’.” It can be legitimately asked, “if Christ were to come back to earth for a visit, would He even recognize many of these organizations and institutions called Churches? And, ironically, all claiming to honor Him!

Division? I Hate It!

    It is, and has been for many, many years, the belief of many that the greatest evil confronting the church of the Lord is division. Call it denominationalism, sectarianism or congregationalism, it's all the same -- division of God's family. Jesus prayed that it would never happen (John 17), but it has happened, and continues to happen. It has been estimated that there are now some twenty divisions among our people, even among those who proclaim a strong doctrine of unity among believers. Surely, surely, each split (sect, party) is displeasing to the Lord, who prayed that we might all be one.

Peace maker," not "piece maker."

    While embarrassed at time because of poor performance, I am not ashamed of my faith in Christ, my love and respect for my family, or my desires to work for the Lord till my life on earth shall end. My abilities at my age are limited; my sincerity, dedication and devotion to Christ are not. Your reading of my teachings in this material, or on my Website, is appreciated, and all suggestions for correction of doctrine or improvement in presentation will be sincerely appreciated.

My Religious Background

     Religiously speaking, I was raised (grew up, etc.) in the oldest congregation in our part of the state of Tennessee. I was more or less the product of the preaching of a fine man who was the Sunday pulpit preacher there for over 20 years. He was concurrently, for a time, the editor of our brotherhood's most prestigious journal. He was not the most exciting preacher around, but he seemed to know the Book, and I have always respected that quality highly. He dwelt firmly on the very basic "first principles" as he saw them, over and over, until they were ingrained into our minds and hearts as having to be the absolute truth. The numerical strength of the congregation waned however, largely because the demographic character of the community changed. The High School was eventually closed, families moved away into more modern areas of the city, until the old congregation became very few in number, with scarcely any of the younger families remaining. Regrettably, later in his service at this congregation he turned very negative and became a leader and spokesman in the non-cooperating movement of the 40's. He began to edit and publish his own journal, of some significant influence. As preachers come and go, this preacher left after 20 years to work with his Journal, in semi-retirement.

      In his place there came a young man who stayed for a time, full of enthusiasm and personality, who vitalized the congregation. (This preacher became over a period of time at a different congregation, arguably the most popular and sought after speaker and religious leader of his day among the churches of Christ.) At first, as a teen-aged "Sunday go-to-church Christian," I listened to this man with surprise and awe, and later with much respect. I began to hear another side of preaching with which I had not been accustomed to hearing. From the emphasis of accepting the authority of "our Church," and following the demands and privileges of the leaders, we began to hear the emphasis of the Gospel being Good News, that it must be preached "in love" (Eph 4:15), that Christ is our Savior and Judge, but also the Lord and Master of our lives who came to give life and give it abundantly. In the proverbial "nutshell," we began to learn that our salvation was not in our loyalty and faithfulness to "our church," but in each soul having a right relationship with the Almighty God. It is because of this man, largely, that I am in many respects what I am today. He helped develop in me the interest in preaching that I gave my life to, and teaching the Sacred Scriptures that I now hold dear to my heart.

One Body Emphasis

     The following Scripture has been a dominating emphasis in my preaching from the very first even unto now. Jesus prayed for it and died for it, and the great apostle Paul taught and practiced it until his death. Paul does not say that it would be good if all recognized their relationship with all others in the One Body, but he did say that this is the acceptable reality. All other systems, organizations, fellowships, etc., are NOT acceptable!

"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (Jesus in John 17:20,21),

"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many" (Paul in 1Cor. 12:12-14).

Strangely enough, the subject of the One Body of Christ is so simple and understandable in theory, but in implementation becomes complex and controversial. If anyone has any first hand experience with preaching and teaching the universality of the One Body, and the absolute fact of their being but "One Body" in God's Kingdom today, they know that certain things are probably going to happen -- both good and bad -- if it is pursued.

      Many sincere Christians will acquiesce in the doctrine, but hold those who practice it suspect. It sounds good -- "One Body" of God's children all over the world, undivided. But many of these often don't understand. it, and they would rather have something they do understand, and in which they can place their time, talent and loyalty. They want something they can see -- the "visible system of churches." And here is where the problem begins! Many Bible scholars and Church (group, congregation) leaders believe and teach that the One Body is constituted of all local groups, and not Body Members. We hear of "congregational autonomy," and past a certain point it becomes nothing less that sectarianism or partyism. We can see this doctrine taught and demonstrated all over the world today, but can it be defended by the Scriptures? Some think they can prove that their Church is "righter" than any of the others, but then some in their Church become "righter" than others, and then, division, denominationalism, sectarianism, etc., etc.

      The sad fact is that the church that Jesus said He was going to build (Mat 16:13-20), did begin to build at Pentecost and is continuing to build today, is today split up in many ways. In one of our largest cities (Memphis), with many congregations, it was generally accepted (as one influential leader put it) that "We don't have ‘one' church of Christ in this city; we have five." (Five split Bodies? How could this be?) Even in some very small communities you will find the church of the Lord divided into groups holding to different beliefs and practices, and having little to do with other "Churches of Christ." How sad! I have heard, and continue to hear, many sermons and lessons on "love of the church." But frequently what the speaker really means is, not the WHOLE church, but only his segment of the Body, i.e., his Church.

      A very interesting thing is that many congregational leaders do not seem to understand oneness (unity) in Christ, and therefore cannot teach others. I've preached where 4 of the 5 elders were converts (through marital influence) from sectarian groups, and had family members still involved in these groups, and the only church concept they understood was the denominational concept. They did not seem to appreciate Paul's "One Body" philosophy enough to study it, and grasp it.

      I've preached where one elder had a son-in-law who was a member of a prominent denominational group, but visited our assembly on Sunday evenings, to be with his wife, the elder's daughter. I was told that I would drive him away if I preached the "One Body" of Paul. I've preached where three men were prominent members of denominational groups (and among the largest financial contributors to those groups), but had permitted themselves to be baptized (into Christ?????) by previous preachers and attended with their wives on Sunday night. "You will drive them away," I was told, if I dwelt on the doctrine of the unity of all believers in One Body, the church.

      I sincerely believe that this doctrine, taught and prayed for by the Lord, and emphasized by Paul, is today one of the absolutely most needed, and most misunderstood, of all New Covenant teachings. G. C. Brewer was considered by thousands of the religious people of his day to be perhaps the outstanding Bible scholar among them. On his death bed, in 1956, as he was writing his autobiography he said:

"I only wish that the generation of preachers that have the responsibility of the work today will acquaint themselves with the works of A. Campbell, Moses A. Lard, Benjamin Franklin, David Lipscomb, F. D. Srygley and M. C. Kurfees, and get a thorough grasp on undenominational Christianity. The greatest grief of my soul as I face eternity is the fact that brethren have seemingly almost universally denominationalized the church. God have mercy on us!"

My opinion is, that if Brother Brewer was alive today, and could read some of the congregational bulletins that I read, and could hear some of the Bible sermons and lectures that I hear, and could be made aware of current words and terms that are commonly used by some of we "Gospel" preachers, he would be sadder today than in 1956 when he wrote those words. But I say again, preaching Paul's One Body teaching can be hazardous to a preacher's health and personal welfare.

Special Interest -

One Body Preaching & One Body Teaching & One Body Practice
(According to John 17; Ephesians 4:4; Etc.)

     Most preachers will tend toward, whether by design or natural gravitation, to a somewhat special interest in their teaching and preaching. Some, critically, would call them, "hobbies." My special interest is and has been for many years "One Body" preaching and I am not ashamed of it.

Aims, Goals, & Objectives

      I’m heard a hundred times or more in sermons, lectures and Bible studies, “We need to go back to the Bible.” With this I am in total agreement! But do we mean go back all the way to the Bible? Or, just to the part that compares with our preconceived understandings or convictions? Maybe to the part that comports with our brotherhood teachings? Or with our favorite teacher, preacher or professor’s teachings? I’m hearing today that many of our most respected preachers of a century ago really did not understand what we know today. And so, this series of articles will strive to “go all the way back to the Bible.” Surely Jesus, and Paul and Peter and John , and the other apostles did understand. Let’s study with them.

If you are interested in One God, One Lord, One Holy Spirit, One Hope, One Baptism, and One Body teaching Online, I would welcome your inquiry. I relish the opportunity to emphasize this subject Online in forums or Email discussion, as long as I am able, and welcome equally any Scriptural correction.