Dear Brother Willis:

For several months I have had a dream for the Christian Chronicle that recent events have caused me to try to fulfill.

It has long been my belief that the Chronicle has had an opportunity and responsibility that we seemingly have chosen to ignore toward our brethren who choose not to participate in certain cooperative congregational ventures. We have established a boycott, unintentional but nonetheless effective, of all news among churches of Christ whose convictions on these issues differ from ours. This has led to the inference on the part of many Chronicle readers, I am afraid, that no evangelistic or benevolent work of any kind is going on among such congregations. Since I have personal friends of your persuasion whose sacrificial, zealous lives could be an inspiration to all who could know about them, I realize such an attitude is a misrepresentation of the facts. I am concerned to see that the Chronicle becomes a responsible newspaper in the truest sense, and that while problems are worked out in the opinion journals, we show that the "truth goes marching on" in our news reports.

If any of these views strike a chord with you, I am asking a favor that I believe will heal some broken hearts and establish a context of love and reason for our differences to be discussed. I am asking if you will, to print this letter, or a news article based on it, to encourage your readers to send news reports to the Chronicle. Some have done this in the past, and to them we invite a re-opening of channels that have been clogged.

I realize that such a move on your part would open you to criticism from some and that courage would be required. I hope you understand that similar pressure will be brought to bear on me, but I am willing to take it if you are. Somehow we've got to show the Devil that causing us to disagree on some fronts won't break down our communication on all fronts.

I prayerfully await your personal reply.

Sincerely,

Harold Straughn Editor

TRUTH MAGAZINE, XII: 8, p. 2
May 1968