The Real Issue
Article 3 of Childhaven Corporation Charter says: "The purpose for which this corporation is formed is to establish and provide a home for dependent, destitute or homeless children." Please mark this is not a charter for Childhaven HOME; it is the charter for the CORPORATION that was FORMED for the purpose of establishing and promoting that HOME. So it seems be me that our orphan home hobbyist brethren should affirm a proposition similar to the following:
"It is in harmony with the New Testament for churches of Christ to FORM corporations so that said corporations may in turn establish and provide homes for dependent, destitute or homeless children,, and other needy people."
Brother Gus Nichols, in a tape recording I have, emphasizes that "relieve" in 1 Tim. 5:16 is generic. That the passage does not say where or in what kind of a home to do the relieving, that it does not specify whom the church shall have to see after the relieving, "and the like." I agree. The church can rent a home, buy a home, or provide an abode in any honorable way at hand. "IT" may secure somebody to care for these needy, if they are unable to care for themselves — cook, etc.
But when the Spirit says, "that IT may relieve them that are widows indeed," that is not GENERIC. "IT," the church, is to do the relieving. "IT" is not authorized to FORM a corporation, that in turn will do the relieving. When the Spirit says of relatives, "let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged," that also is specific.
Let the orphan home hobbyists face the real issue. Let's stop chasing them all around the world of irrelevant, distractive false issues. Read the sentence from Childhaven Corporation Charter again.