We use and defend the King James Bible

Bible for Today Baptist Church
Collingswood, New Jersey
September 16, 2007

This church has an interesting ad in the yellow pages. It proclaims “We use and defend the King James Bible.” Well, I thought, who doesn’t? I mean, most churches use a more modern translation of the Bible, but everyone loves the King James Version (KJV). That’s the one with the gorgeous language, the one that has influenced English literature so profoundly. As it turned out, I was about to discover a kind of church I had never heard of before, the King James-only church.

The ad contains other slogans about the church: “Fundamental; separated; Bible Believing”; “Verse by Verse Exposition and Teaching”; “Internet Church Broadcast – Live and On Demand Streaming 24/7”; and “The difference is worth the distance.” So I gathered that the church was using lots of modern technology; they weren’t Luddites, just strong believers in the KJV. I checked out their website.

It’s an incredibly colorful website, was my first thought. Ouch, my eyes! They have a webstore, news updates, a system for making online donations. Was this some kind of big local church I had somehow completely overlooked while driving around the area?

I clicked on a side link, BFT Baptist Church, and scrolled down a bit to find a photo of the pastor, Dr. D.A. Waite (a nice-looking older gentleman), and more information about the church itself. They describe themselves thus: “The Bible For Today Baptist Church is a unique church. We hold to all of the doctrines taught in the Bible that Baptists have always believed. We are a fundamental, independent, unaffiliated, pre-millennial, separated, Bible-believing Baptist church.”

I also discovered that BFT does not meet in a church building, but in the home of Dr. Waite, which is probably why I had never noticed it. According to the website, people drive from over an hour away to come and have “sweet family fellowship” at BFT. In addition, I learned that: “Our pianist, Mr. Dick Carroll, is one of the most accomplished musicians in the United States of America.” (Pretty big claim there – I’ll see about that.) The church uses the Defined King James Bible, a version I’ve never heard of before. This sounds interesting.

To prepare for this visit, I pulled out my first Bible, a small King James version with black leather zippered covers. It looked quite shabby. The binding is split and fraying in spots, although the zipper still works. It’s a red letter edition (the words of Jesus are printed in red ink), and it has those incredibly thin, slippery pages – that kind of paper is, in fact, called Bible paper. In the middle is a section for recording births, marriages, deaths, and for filling in a family tree.

I read the dedication. This Bible had been given to me by a beloved Vacation Bible School teacher, Mrs. V, in June of 1961. I was nine years old that summer, and my mother had enrolled me in the Vacation Bible School at Millburn Congregational Church, where I was confirmed a few years later. Mrs. V had written on the flyleaf, “Emilie – May you always enjoy your Bible, and may you enjoy practicing God’s word. I have faith and high hopes in you.”

Mrs. V had been a figure of almost unimaginable holiness and sorrow in my childhood. My mother always spoke of her in a hushed, significant voice, because she had suffered so much at such a young age. Mrs. V had been widowed in her twenties, and had raised an only son. At the age of sixteen her son had gone on a Boy Scout camping trip in the mountains, and had never returned. No one ever found out what happened to him.

I thought next about Rev. Messerschmidt, the pastor of Millburn Congregational Church. He was also the teacher of the confirmation classes for twelve-year-olds.

One morning in confirmation class I had asked Rev. Messerschmidt if God would send people who had never heard the gospel to hell -- such as babies dying in some country that had never seen missionaries. He looked very serious, and launched into his thoughts on God’s goodness and salvation. He said that we do not know the mind of God. What we do know, from I John, is that God is love, God is light, and God is love. Whatever the fate of anyone in the world, in any country or condition, we know that it will be, in the end, in accordance with God’s nature – light, life, and love.

He looked troubled as he spoke, and he paused often, carefully choosing his words. I was overcome with shame, because, as a matter of fact, I hadn’t asked the question out of any concern for unsaved babies. I had asked it because I was being a smartass, and I wanted to put Rev. Messerschmidt on the spot. As he kept on talking, taking my question as seriously as if I had been an adult seeking to follow Jesus more perfectly, I became hotly aware of the kids sitting in the pews all around me, squirming and muttering under their breaths. They just wanted the class to be over, and I had extended it with my stupid question. I realized that I was being both a smartass and a dumbass at the same time -- not the first time in my life I would accomplish that particular feat.

I could also see that the question I had asked was a version of a question that Rev. Messerschmidt had been asking himself for quite a while now, and one upon which he had thought deeply. And one with which he still struggled. I don’t mean that I understood all that in just that way at that moment, but I sensed something of the sort.

It always surprises me when people assume that pastors and Christians have simple, easy, untroubled faith. Some of them do, but most of the ones I’ve met struggle their whole lives to figure out how to believe. Pastors probably struggle more than most, because they are forced to think about faith more than most people. An individual may have trouble reconciling belief in the existence of God with some heartbreaking instance of unanswered prayer; a pastor has to reconcile belief with hundreds of heartbreaking cases of unanswered prayer in the lives of his or her parishioners.

Decades too late, I’d like to thank Rev. Messerschmidt for his kind, thoughtful, serious response.

Shortly after my conversion at the age of eighteen, I had picked up the old King James Bible Mrs. V had given me. Eager to learn of God, I read the Old Testament through once and the New Testament through four times within a few months. The beauty of the language was entrancing.

So now I picked up my old Bible again, almost forty years later, curious to see what passages I had marked in those early days of being a believer. Mrs. V had underlined some passages for me. I could easily tell which ones she had marked, because the ink she used had turned from red to a kind of pale purply-pink, and because she had used a ruler to keep her lines straight. The passages I had marked are still red or blue, and the lines are wobbly.

She had underlined the Ten Commandments (both versions), and many of the more famous lines from Psalms and Proverbs. She hadn’t underlined anything in the New Testament, I think because she thought all the passages were so good that there was no need to single out a few.

I had marked a little in the Old Testament, mostly Psalms and Proverbs (lots of underlining in Psalm 19, which is surely one of the most beautiful Psalms), and had made something of a mess of the New Testament, with lots of underlining and little scribbled stars. I wasn’t an organized student of the Bible in those days, but I was enthusiastic.

At any rate, I felt ready to visit the Bible for Today Baptist Church, to see what these fellow lovers of the King James Version are all about. I decided to wear a skirt, just in case they are old-fashioned about dress styles as well as translations. I do remember my KJV instructions for how to dress; women should be adorned in “modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety, not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.” Most of that seems pretty easy, at least the part about avoiding broided hair, gold, pearls, and costly array.



I find the house easily enough. It’s directly across the street from a large Lutheran church. A car is parked on the street in front of the house, and it is covered with magnetic signs advertising the church.
This must be the place.

I walk up the steps and through the open front door, and see that chairs have been set up in the living room, directly to my left. I have been in house church meetings before, and had expected chairs in a circle, couches, maybe people sitting on pillows on the floor. (House church meetings that I have attended have been quite informal.) Instead, it seems the Waites have tried to recreate a regular church sanctuary atmosphere in the tiny space of their living room. They have somehow managed to get a pulpit, a large American flag on a stand, a piano and organ, and five rows of folding chairs with a middle aisle into the room, plus a table in back with a soundboard and computer equipment, and a camera. It’s amazing! On the other hand, a few things are very living roomish, such as the fireplace with a large photograph of their very attractive family hanging over the mantel.

A framed motto sits on the piano: “Flee from the wrath to come.” As if to balance that message, opposite, on the fireplace mantel, is a large PEACE.

I am greeted warmly by both Rev. Waite and his wife, Yvonne. Mrs. Waite is busy getting everything ready, including the computer equipment. They seem to be in their early seventies.

I am given a bulletin printed on bright blue paper, reminiscent of the colors and typography of their website -- obviously designed by the same person. The front of the bulletin notes that this is the 466th Sunday service in this spot. Inside is information about Bible for Today radio services, a weekly Bible verse, and a weekly Bible reading. The order of the service is laid out like any ordinary church service, beginning with the piano prelude.

There are about twenty or so people in attendance, and we pretty much fill up all the seats. Also, I notice that this little group is not all white; there are at least two African-American congregants.

The first hymn is “Lord, Speak to Me.” I had been skeptical about their website claims for their pianist, but my skepticism vanishes when he begins to play. He’s a distinguished-looking elderly man, and he is rocking that piano with some great old-fashioned gospel styling.

I see from the bulletin that nine members of the congregation today are visiting members of the Waite family. They may be the people filling the first two rows of chairs. In his opening remarks, Rev. Waite mentions how happy they are to see their daughter, granddaughter, and nephews and nieces. He also greets me by name, several times, and I try to look suitably friendly. After another hymn and an opening prayer, we participate in a group reading of Philemon 1:1-12. That is, Rev. Waite reads a verse and we repeat it, and so on. I love the archaic language here, in verses such as “For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.” It’s really nice to read these verses heartily together.

The pew Bibles are the Defined King James Version. This turns out to be a handsome, large volume, each page containing rather voluminous footnotes explaining archaic words and phrasing. Some pages require equal amounts of text and footnote.

There are announcements, during which I am mentioned and greeted again, and I have a suspicion that the camera in the room has panned over me more than once. Is the service being recorded for posterity? This seems like such a tiny group to be doing such intensive recording.

Next on the schedule -- “Favorite Hymns.” Someone in the congregation calls o ut the number of a hymn, and we sing a verse or two (again, fabulous piano accompaniment). The big surprise to me is that we seem to be getting hymn requests from people who are watching via a webcast. So that’s what the camera is all about! At some point Rev. Waite mentions that 32 families are worshiping with us today, over the Internet. This lends a whole new meaning to the term house church!

Also, I am quite impressed with the tech skills exhibited by the Waites, who seem to have seamlessly incorporated cutting-edge web skills with King James Only doctrine. I had assumed both from their doctrine and their ages that they would be rather old-fashioned in all things. (I know I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again – this church visiting project has been very good at overturning all kinds of stereotypes, particularly the ones I didn’t even realizing I was harboring.)

At some point in the service a man enters and takes the empty seat next to mine, which is notable only for the fact that he is wearing blue jeans. I had assumed that King James Only folks would be adherents of a rather formal dress code. More stereotypes punctured!

There is a solo, performed by the visiting Waite daughter. Rev. Waite’s sermon, “God Saved a Runaway Thief,” focuses on the irenic point that we can disagree with someone and still love that person. His preaching style is mostly just to read a verse and then restate it in other words, add a sentence or two of interpretation, and then go on to the next verse. It’s a style I do not find compelling. But I’ve certainly seen it before.

At the end of the service Rev. Waite mentions that everyone plans to go to Wendy’s for lunch and then return for the 1:30 Bible study. (I think I would be welcome to accompany them to Wendy’s, although no one asks directly.) Still, it reminds me comfortably of our Jesus People church in Carbondale, Illinois. In the summers particularly, church seemed to last all day on Sunday, because we usually met for an informal outdoor service at Giant City State Park and then spent the rest of the day together, sharing lunch and even dinner, sometimes hiking or doing other outdoor activities, watching each other’s kids, chatting, and then sometimes going back to someone’s home for a prayer meeting or Bible study. It had the effect of really seeming like a day of rest.

Mrs. Waite asks me to sign the visitor’s book before leaving (just like in an ordinary church, they have a big book on a stand). Then she asks if she can take my picture, and does! Well, that’s a first. Perhaps they pin up photos of visitors somewhere and then pray for them. Perhaps my photo will end up on their website (I hope not). She then gives me two presents: a small book of poetry and a CD.

As I leave, Rev. Waite asks if I’m a Baptist. “Presbyterian,” I answer. I’m getting used to the tiny, uncomfortable pause this word seems to engender. He finally says, “Well, we’re Baptists, and you’re very welcome here.” I thank him again.

At home, I look at the CD and book. The CD has five lectures by Mrs. Waite: Post Modernism – What is it?; Why So Much Cleavage?; Nakedness – what is it? (part 1); Nakedness – what is it? (part 2); and Woman, how do you dress? So I'm guessing she is interested in modesty and postmodern theory.

The book is a collection of poems written by Mrs. Waite’s mother, Gertrude Grace Sanborn. Mrs. Sanborn spent a good part of her life caring for a disabled daughter, an experience that inspired stanzas such as this:

Lord of the shut-ins,
Stay close by my side
And give me a song
Whatever betide!


I like that phrase, “Lord of the shut-ins."

There is a nice photo of the Sanborn family on the back cover – what a good-looking bunch!

It turns out that Rev. Waite is a faithful follow-upper of his visitors. On Monday he left a voicemail on my answering machine inviting me to come back, and on Tuesday I received a letter inviting me to return. The letter also explains that all their services are streamed live to viewers all over the world. There are more than 1,869 sermons available at the website, as well as Mrs. Waite’s Just for Women program. They are also available via Internet radio. They also send me a snapshot -- of myself!

Next I did a little research on King James. Ironically, if Rev. Waite had lived in England during his reign, the King probably would have had him thrown into prison until he confessed allegiance to the Church of England. King James did not like Baptists, to put it mildly.

I have to say that, on the face of it, King-James-only doctrine sounds goofy. Why would one particular English translation be the only acceptable translation? I figured they must have some sort of reasonable or semi-reasonable explanation of such an odd position, so I tried to learn more.

Wikipedia has a nice summary, which references James White’s division of the King-James-only movement into five types: 1) I like the KJV best. This group doesn’t believe that KJV is the only acceptable version, just that it’s their favorite translation; 2) The textual argument. These folks would accept another translation, as long as it is based on the same documents used by the KJV translators. In other words, they don’t accept translations based on documents and scholarship after the KJV era. 3) Received Text only. This group believes that the Hebrew and Greek texts upon which the KJV is based were supernaturally preserved free from error, and that, although the KJV is a wonderful translation, the possibility exists that other translations based on the same text could also be good. There seems to be a hair’s-breadth of difference between group 2 and group 3. 4) The inspired KJV group. This group believes that not only the documents upon which the translation is based are inspired, but the translation itself. Some apparently go so far as to exclude translations in other languages, claiming that only the KJV is inspired. I thought you couldn’t go any further than this, but there is a group 5: KJV as new revelation. This group holds that the KJV is so very inspired that you could correct the original-language Greek and Hebrew texts from it. KJV is itself a new revelation from God, and thus it follows that a Spanish translation, for example, should be based on KJV rather than on the Greek and Hebrew documents. Groups 4 and 5 are also known as Double Inspiration.

Whew.

The impetus behind views 2-5 is a resounding rejection of modern Biblical scholarship, of course. The Bible for Today website contains several articles dismissive of Bruce Metzger, whose Text of the New Testament is the standard handbook on New Testament textual criticism, even at some very, very conservative schools. KJV advocates feel that their opposition to modern scholarship has been more than vindicated by the fact that one of Metzger’s most famous protégées is Bart Ehrman, the best-selling author who has famously renounced his fundamentalist background and become an agnostic (or maybe an atheist – I’m not sure which).

Oddly, I happen to have met both Drs. Metzger and Ehrman, while Neil was a student at Princeton Theological Seminary. I shook hands with Dr. Metzger, and my acquaintance with Bart Ehrman was almost as brief – we shared a sandbox at the student apartment complex, CRW, while watching our 4-year-old sons dig tunnels and pits. Bart told me a little bit about his research, which involved searching for New Testament quotations in ancient sermons, letters, and other texts. It sounded like exhausting work. He was very nice, and I remember thinking that it must feel a little odd to come to Princeton after graduating from Moody Bible School (although PTS was then and is now a very, very big tent, theologically; conservatives need not fear it). I’ve read several of Bart’s books, and I like them.

But the Bible for Today website isn’t upset only about folks like Bart Ehrman. They seem to have arguments with other groups, too, particularly Bob Jones University, which has said or done something that makes the BFT group just hopping mad.

Months went by, and just before my birthday, in December 2007, I received another letter from the church.

Dear Emilie,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
What do we say to a person who has had as many birthdays as you have had?

My goodness. You certainly can’t accuse this church of being, in KJV lingo, ear-ticklers. I’m expecting the next line will be something like you’d find in one of those insult birthday cards: hasn’t your birth certificate expired yet?

Actually, the next line is “Not that you are that ‘old;’ but you are older. Where have the years gone? What have we done with those vanishing days?”

Bummer of a birthday greeting, I must say. True, but still a bummer.

A little 2008 calendar is enclosed, and an announcement about a King James Bible conference to be held in Princeton, New Jersey in January. Pastor Waite will be the main speaker. I am surprised to learn that Rev. Waite also has a December birthday; he just turned 80. I thought he was at least a decade younger. He seems to have the energy of a teen-ager, so this King James Only life is certainly agreeing with him.