Our Approach to Religious Life
We believe some things are more important than others. “For what I [Paul] received, I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…” (1 Co 15:3, NIV).
We also believe religious life is shaped by three kinds of faith– some of which are more important than others. The most important is the “common faith”– the faith that binds all Christians together across time and space.
And by common confession great is the mystery of godliness:
He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Beheld by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory. (1 Ti 3:16, NASB)
After that comes the “corporate faith” of individual communities of believers– the kind of faith that raises up competing understandings and responses to group circumstances in prayer and then moves out with a unity of mind in faith toward God. “…[you all] work out your [all's] salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12, NIV).
Last comes the “private faith” of individual Christians– a faith that follows the same pattern of corporate faith but on a personal level. Private faith differs from other kinds of faith in dealing with personal (vice common or group) circumstances. In private faith, the individual raises up personal circumstances in prayer and then acts on those circumstances with a sound conscience in faith toward God. “So whatever you believe about these [private] things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves” (Ro 14:22, NIV).
What has all of the above got to do with anything? For one thing, ignorance of the three “faiths” has serious consequences. Try to make everything into a matter of common faith and you have a “legalism of words” that backfires into pious ungodliness. Absolutize corporate faith and you get a cult. Reduce everything to private faith and you get a “legalism of feelings” that collapses into gross subjectivity and sentimentality.
What to do? Every age has its weaknesses and strengths. The most pressing problem in the 21st century is the loss of corporate faith. Christian faith is community-oriented while the secular world is not. Corporate faith is therefore the most problematic of the three faiths. It is where Christian life is made concrete– but it’s also the least understood and the most violated kind of faith. Corporate faith is where moral struggles are won or lost and where most spiritual failures and successes occur.
Corporate faith suffers these days because it is the arena of secondary traditions– secondary traditions that have often become irrelevant or counterproductive through denial or neglect. Secondary traditions may of course be rooted in scripture, but they are also products of wisdom– of prior traditions, of reason, and of experience. They therefore should occasionally be pulled out and reevaluated to see if they are still appropriate to changed circumstances.
We are a community of believers that has and is going about that reexamination. We are also part of a larger movement with the same reputation and ideals. We invite you to join us.
1032 Pat Booker Rd.
Universal City, TX 78148
(210) 659-1373
MINISTRIES
Ministry is where Christian faith is put into practice. The New Testament pictures at least five ministries at work in the church– (1) Evangelism, (2) Edification, (3) Fellowship, (4) Worship, and (5) Service. Remarkably, with all of these ministries at work, the result was growth.
It is noteworthy that the focus of all of these but one– Evangelism– is internal, not external.
Our goal is to promote the New Testament model of ministry in pursuit of the New Testament result of growth, giving particular attention to those ministries we have been especially prone to neglect.
Families
Families today are in real trouble. Christian families should be different. Our aim is to promote a high view of family within the context of the Lord’s church– the family of God– of which we should have the highest view.
Men
Men are charged with the responsibility of spiritual leadership, both within the family and within the church. When men take that obligation seriously, they love their wives, take care of their families, and serve as worthy examples to all. Our aim is to promote a positive, distinctive view of masculinity within the contexts of both the family and the church.
Band of Brothers is a Men’s Fraternity designed to help men understand and achieve authentic manhood in their lives. If you have been searching for something to help you understand your masculine identity, this is it! Call 210-659-1373 for more info.
Evangelism
The church of the New Testament is not just an assembly of redeemed sinners, but the voice through which God communicates the gospel message of the saving power of Jesus Christ. Our aim is to promote such heartfelt concern for lost souls and confident trust in Christ’s blood that we simply cannot help but be directly involved– each one– in telling the story of Jesus.
The Truth Project
According to a Dec 2003 Barna study, only about 9% of professing Christians have a biblical world view. (“Worldview” is the mix of “pop philosophy” and “pop theology” that every person uses to answer the really important questions of life– what is the nature of God, good/evil, humanity, history, and on and on…. Although many people don’t know what theology and philosophy are, they all have a worldview.)
Do the math and the preceding statistic means that about 91% of professing Christians do not see the answers to the big questions of life from a Christian standpoint. Not surprisingly, most Christians do not live their lives much differently than unbelievers. That means most churches are constantly being rocked by the bad choices and moral failures of their members. Moreover, many church members are becoming increasingly intolerant of traditional biblical truth.
To counter this trend, Focus on the Family has sponsored “The Truth Project” (TTP) to help Christians recover a biblical world view. TTP is a DVD-based, small-group curriculum comprised of 12 one-hour lessons by Dr. Del Tackett. Each session is two hours to allow for further discussion of each DVD lesson. Each session looks at a major area of life from a biblical perspective, emphasizing the relevance and importance of living out the Christian world view
TTP is based on confidence in the transforming effect of a biblical world view and God’s design in using ordinary people to make an eternal difference in the world.
TTP is a “church health” initiative. It is designed for professing Christians, but is open to anyone receptive to a biblical world view.
Randolph has several sessions in progress. Everyone is invited to join. Call or email for details.
See the following for more details:
EARLY HISTORY OF RANDOLPH CHURCH OF CHRIST
In 1954 a small number of Christians borrowed $5,000.00, from a loan agency pledging their homes and personal security as collateral. With this money and a labor of love, they built a small building in Schertz, Texas, and began holding services. The church grew and many new members were added to the Lord’s work there.
In October 1963, after nearly ten years, the facilities needed to be enlarged. The decision was made to purchase new property in Universal city, on Pat Booker Road, 7110 mile from the main gate of Randolph Air Force Base. This property was ideally located for church growth.
Southwest Church Builders was selected to handle the construction and bond issuance. $85,000.00 in first revenue bonds were issued and placed on sale. In February 1964, construction began and the building was completed in June 1964. The congregation met in the building for the first time on June 14, 1964. The pulpit was filled by different part-time preachers until October 17, 1965, at which time Brother Jack Norman came as the full-time evangelist. In November 1966, the first elders were ordained. Brother Bill Phillips came February 1, 1967 to be the full-time evangelist.
On November 1, 1968 an additional $85,000.00 in series II bonds were issued and construction began on the auditorium we are presently worshipping in. In August 1969 the congregation moved into the new auditorium, converted the old building into classrooms. August 1, 1973 Brother Bill Phillips resigned as the minister and began working with the Herald of Truth. Brother Darrell McGlathery was hired as full-time evangelist. In August of 1976, Brother Jerry Yarbrough filled the pulpit until he moved to Marshall, Texas, in January 1979.
Brother Daryl Boothe and his wife Linda came to Randolph to work with the congregation before attending language school in Guatemala. In February 1981 they departed for Guatemala, Central America, as missionaries sponsored by Randolph Church of Christ. They returned in November of 1981 due to the health of their child and the political unrest in that country.
In May of 1980 Randolph began working on a team concept. Former Brazil missionary, Brother Kenneth Lewis, came to work at Randolph in May of 1980 (to July 1983). He worked with Brother Wayne Barnard who came in July 1980 (to August 1985), and Brother Gerald Elliott joined them in August 1980 (to July 1983).
In October 1983, Lionel Cortez and his family came to Randolph from Wichita Falls, Texas and continued the work here that he was doing in Wichita Falls, the Spanish Evangelism Endeavor (S .E.E.). He edits EI Expositor Espiritual, a quarterly magazine for the Spanish brethren all over the United States, parts of Latin America as well as areas in Europe.
Randolph Christian Academy (RCA), a ministry of Randolph Church of Christ, began in January 1984 with an enrollment of 30 students ages 3 through 5 years.
Donald Pharis moved to the area from North Little Rock and was pulpit minister in January 1984 to 1989. Allen Brown began work with the congregation in the visitation area in May 1987 until he retired in 1989.
Mike Ford was sent to Brazil for language training and a 6-month internship in 1984. Mike and Melody Ford went to Brazil for 6 months in 1987. Then in 1988 they were sent to Belo Horizonte as full time missionaries working under the oversight of the Randolph elders. They continue to work in Brazil at this time, but under the oversight of another congregation. .
Don Prather worked as pulpit minister from February 1990 to August 1992. Buck Hale was the interim preacher for a few months. January 1, 1993, G. Max Tarbet, began work as full-time pulpit minister at Randolph. Sean Andrews, son of Pat Andrews, followed Brother Tarbet after the latter’s retirement. Current ministers are Chris Schaefer and Rodney Ellison.
