2 /5 reginald Roper: We visited this congregation three consecutive Sundays. While we did not get a good feeling about the atmosphere, we found the two sermons on Nehemiah intriguing. After attending worship at Oak Harbor a third Sunday, the only CofC we found near NAS Whidbey Island, we learned that this congregation (1) allow women to lead public prayer in the Wednesday night assembly should they desire to, (2) allow partaking the LORDs Supper on Wednesday, and (3) encourage members to come forward to lay hands on any person in attendance (that has responded to their version of an invitation which did not include the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ during our visits) as the minister offers prayer for situational responses. Items 1 & 2 (as well as the Lords Invitation) were discussed with the minister who indicated that the elders had recently finished a five-month study on questionable practices. The following Sunday when item 3 occurred, we walked out of the congregation during that prayer. Leaving the area the following week, we have asked other Washington congregations to reach to Oak Harbor to help them in their erring ways.
