Читать книгу Betrayal In Blood - Michael Benson - Страница 16

CHAPTER 9

The Community of Christ

So how did the world of a small-town teenager and a middle-aged city lawyer intersect? The answer is, they shared a common faith. Asked if her entire family belonged to the Community of Christ Church, Samantha Bassett said, “Oh yes—and then some! It’s an important part of our lives.”

Both the Bryants and the Bassetts were active in the Community of Christ Church, which had congregations both in Greenwood, in Steuben County, and in the Rochester suburb of Pittsford. The church mission was to “proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace.” Although this was not the same church as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, there were similarities. Both churches, for example, traced their roots back to the early nineteenth century and proclaimed Joseph Smith—a resident of Palmyra, New York, only fifteen miles from Penfield—to be their first leader.

According to church literature, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded on April 6, 1860, in Amboy, Illinois. Their headquarters has moved several times, but, ever since 1920, it had been in Independence, Missouri. A new temple/headquarters in Independence was opened in 1994. The church’s “original temple” was in Kirtland, Ohio, and was maintained as a historical site.

Members of the Community of Christ Church did not call themselves Mormons, and will correct outsiders who erroneously refer to them as such. (There are two reasons why this is a touchy subject. For one thing, the term Mormon connotes for many people a belief in polygamy. Members of the Community of Christ are supposed to believe in monogamy. Also, they do not believe that the term “Mormon” was “part of the original church.” They referred to themselves only as Christians.)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (referred to as LDS, Mormons) and the Community of Christ were the two largest denominations in the Christian “Restorationist” movement. At least, originally, these denominations believed that the true Christian Church died out in the early second century C.E., and was restored by Joseph Smith’s ordination and his subsequent founding of the original LDS church. The Community of Christ had since abandoned this belief.

The church was originally known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but it was agreed at a 2000 conference in Kansas City, Missouri, that this was quite a mouthful. So, by a vote of 1,979 to 561, it was agreed to change the name to Community of Christ. The new name took effect on January 1, 2001.

From an outsider’s point of view, the Community of Christ seemed more greatly in touch with the modern world than the Mormon Church. For example, they did not baptize or marry by proxy their ancestors. They rejected the “Eternal Progression” theory, which was believed by some LDS membership in the nineteenth century: “As man now is, God once was; as God now is, so man may become.”

They criticized Brigham Young’s practice of “blood atonement”: that if persons who commit murder are executed so that their blood is spilled upon the ground, then they might obtain forgiveness for their sins. Although, to be fair, that doctrine was no longer emphasized by the Mormons, either.

The Community of Christ Church rejected the sexism of the Church of Latter-day Saints. Women had been ordained since 1984. The leadership of the C of C Church has been gradually moving in a more liberal and ecumenical direction.

According to their Web site: “The C of C does not have a formal creed that its members must accept.” However, a consensus existed on the following beliefs:

They viewed God as the “eternal Creator, the source of love, life, and truth.” Most viewed God as the first element of the Trinity. They considered Jesus Christ as the “living expression of God in the flesh.” They believed in Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Most considered Jesus to be the second element of the Trinity; some Jesus and God as two different persons. Most perceived the Holy Spirit as a person and as the third component of the Trinity. Some considered the Holy Spirit to be the “continuing presence of God in the world.” Salvation and eternal life in heaven after death were available to all who accepted the Gospel. Salvation was by belief and works. The Book of Mormon referred to being “restored to Grace, according to your works.” The Doctrine & Covenants also encouraged “works” for salvation. People who did not accept the Gospel would be given a second opportunity after their death. God’s revelation continued to expand in the present day. They had eight sacraments: blessing of children, adult baptism by immersion and the laying on of hands, confirmation of membership, The Lord’s Supper (Communion), marriage, administration to the sick, ordination to the priesthood, and the evangelist’s blessing. Both women and men were eligible for ordination and assignment to all offices within the denomination. Members were expected to tithe by giving 10 percent of their after-tax earnings (in excess of that needed for basic living needs) to the church.

Kevin’s family helped operate the church in Pittsford and members of Tabatha’s family were officials in the Greenwood church. Church activities, for both adults and children, allowed members of various churches to get together.

“There are three churches in our area group,” explained Samantha Bassett. “There’s the Buffalo branch, the Rochester branch, and the Greenwood branch. We would get together every once in a while, as a church. We would have services together, and afterward we would have what we called pot luck. Everyone would bring a dish to pass and we’d all eat together.”

Tabatha, known for her singing voice, did not sing in the church choir because there was no choir. The congregation was too small. If there had been a choir, there wouldn’t have been anyone left to listen to it. Tabby did sing solos during services, however, and after she moved away, her singing voice was missed by the other members of the church. Ginny Winebrenner has taken credit for Tabby’s love of music: “With all my kids, I sang them to sleep at night.”

The Bassett girls were involved in their church in many ways—they would help set up before an event, help clean up after, and do just about any task that was asked of them.

According to Kevin’s father, Vivian, and Tabatha’s uncle the Reverend Terry Smith (husband of Leroy Bassett’s sister Carolyn), the Bryants and the Bassetts had known each other for fifty years. Tabby’s grandmother Essie Bassett first met Vivian Bryant, Kevin’s father, back in the 1950s, and the two families had known each other through church get-togethers ever since.

And so it was that one summer during the 1990s, Kevin Bryant, son of the minister of the Rochester branch of the Community of Christ Church, first took special note of a pretty blond teenager named Tabby Bassett, who was the granddaughter of his father’s longtime friend Essie Bassett.