In Search Of A Unicorn

About the Book

Scanning back to the 1500’s, glimpsing the 1600’s, scrutinizing the seventeen and 1800’s, while melding with the 1900’s and today, this book deals with many of the attempts by men of various persuasions to revitalize the church that Jesus spawned in Matthew 16: 18 when He said, “I will build MY church.”

Basing his book on his membership and ministry in the predominant restoration movement churches (the churches of Christ, the independent Christian churches, and the Christian Church--Disciples of Christ), the author cites situations that show the differences among these three, but dwells mostly on ways that he has seen that they are similar and have worked together.

The Macedonia congregation of North Carolina is featured as an example of efforts to maintain a Christian witness in rural America--long before lines were drawn in 1906 between groups that use musical instruments in worship and those that don’t.

The Hutterites (and other Anabaptist bodies) from the 1500’s have kept to “the old way”, the New Testament way as they see it, while the Presbyterians, the Anglicans, the Methodists, even the Mormons, and many others have launched movements to restore the New Testament church. Throughout the religious world there have been many efforts to go “back to the Bible.”. . . some sincere and well-founded, many spurious and self-serving. The author quaintly uses the unique and elusive unicorn as a metaphor for the object of all these searches.

About the Author

Fifty-seven years after leaving Clinton, Mississippi, Tommy Downs has returned to retire there. No trouble finding churches of Christ nowadays! Born in Brandon in 1928, he moved to Clinton and attended Tinnin School, then Clinton Elementary and High Schools, graduating in 1948. To Mississippi College for three years toward a B.A., then to the army where he served as Chaplain’s Assistant, graduated from the Chaplain School (Fort Slocum, New York) then back to M.C. to finish the degree, to Southwestern Seminary (Fort Worth) for a B. Div., and later an M. Div. Attending the Banff School of Fine Arts (Alberta) in summers he studied short story/television writing, and he earned a Bachelor of Education from the University of Regina (Saskatchewan). In 1954 he married Marie Rushing. Later they moved to Canada where she taught school and he pursued several careers: preacher, adult education consultant, writing and producing radio and television for schools and teaching high school English. Playwright and poet, Tommy Downs is also the author of short stories. Son Everette died in a car crash at 21 and daughter Melanie is a teacher. Green alligators, long-necked geese, hump-backed camels, chimpanzees: but poet Shel Silverstein says that “the loveliest of all was the unicorn.” “I’ll go along with that,” says Mr. Downs. “I have devoted my book to looking for one.” The unicorn is a metaphor for the church of Jesus in Matthew 16:18: “I will build my church.”