"Ye Know Not What Ye Ask"
Oppose an institutional home, set up and operated by churches of Christ, and immediately some brother begins to cry, "Show us a better way. What are you doing about the aged and the orphans?"
Oppose the Sponsoring Church type of cooperation, and immediately the cry resounds, "Show us a better way. What are you doing about preaching the gospel?"
People who ask such questions as the one stated above, KNOW NOT WHAT THEY ASK. But I can certainly show them a better way. And it is the Lord's way. Concerning preaching the gospel, Paul said: "To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the CHURCH the manifold wisdom of God." (Eph. 3:10.) And again, ". . . . the house of God, which is the CHURCH of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Tim. 3:15.) And concerning care for the needy or preaching or any other work of the church, Paul said: "Unto him be glory in the CHURCH by Christ Jesus." (Eph. 3:21.) Yes sir, I'll put up the church of my Lord against their human institutions any day. And I know it's THE BETTER WAY. Each congregation composing that one church of Christ, is to have its own oversight, its awn work, and its own responsibilities. Each congregation can and must cooperate but the oversight of one set of elders begins and ends at the work of that local church. (Acts 20:28, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers." And the Holy Ghost made them overseers of one church only. Acts 14:23, "And when they had ordained them elders in every church." Every church had elders. not one set of elders for several churches.)
If each congregation will do what it can and follow the teachings of Christ, all will be well. The Lord's plan has never failed yet. Many more orphans and aged are being taken care of by brethren outside the institutional homes than by all the homes combines. Many more souls are being converted by churches not practicing the Sponsoring Church type of cooperation than by those who are. We have the better way any way you want to measure it.