Brother W.W. Otey, in a letter to Yater Tant in 1957, wrote "No well-defined trend away from the New Testament order of things has ever stopped till a full apostasy matured." He could speak from personal observation, having seen the birth of the Christian Church in 1906. This apostate church resulted from the controversy that began with the birth of the first human institution among the Lord's people in America, the UCMS. Early in his life as a preacher he debated J.B.Briney, a proponent of the Society. (Otey-Briney debate, 1908, Louisville, KY). So he understood clearly the attitude that brought about the Society, then the apostasy. An attitude that rejected the authority of the Scriptures, preferring to use the silence of the Scriptures, substituting human wisdom for divine, and the rule of expediency(?) to justify the forming and maintaining of their human organizations and institutions.

Those left of God's people at the time following the division possessed significant doctrinal harmony. They rallied together in a common cause, the cause of truth. They believed the Scriptures presented a definite plan of salvation, served as a scriptural guide in all matters of faith and doctrine, presented a divinely ordained church pattern in organization, work and worship, thus sufficient to meet the needs of all men, in all lands, throughout all the ages of mankind. This was the attitude of those seeking to respect God and His word in all matters. The refused to go beyond the limitations of the Word of God. 2.Jn.9; 1.Cor.4:6; Col.3:17; 1.Cor.2:12-13.

During the first half of the 20th century, the Lord's church grew by leaps and bounds. The church enjoyed solid growth and development. The gospel spread at a rapid pace. The reason: preachers were aggressive, challenging and meeting error on every hand. Brethren were willing to stand and fight for the truth. The refused to compromise the truth at any cost (Prov.23:23). The church, members as well as preachers, were known as "people of the book." Great numbers were being baptized. There was a kind of distinctive, no-nonsense type preaching in the pulpits. Preachers were not trying to entertain, but to save people. Materialism was low, and spirituality was high. According to the religious census of 1926 there were 433,000 members of the Lord's church. Others estimated the number to be a half-million.

But, as in the days of the Judges, ". . .Another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel." Judges 2:10. It has been said that men could learn from history, but to disregard it is to repeat it. Men, seemingly, have never been satisfied with God's work, and in every generation rise up and say, "God, I think I can improve on your plan." They manifest a spirit of rebellion, thinking that in these years of enlightenment and progress, their human inventions will be more effective in saving souls and glorifying God, than a strict conformity to the methods God ordained in a past age. They feel that by altering, modifying or devising new ways they can do the job better. They forget the supreme end is to obey and glorify God, not to serve His arch-enemy, Satan, by beguiling and leading men away from God and His way through human wisdom, Col.2:8; 2.Cor.11:1-4.