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The Cole Family

NB: I am seeking information on other early members. If you know anything and to assist with filling in the gaps in our history, please send to me.

E-mail from Wayne Cole 31 May 2008 to Craig White

Hi Craig, 

xxxxx forwarded your message to me regarding my Dad's association with both the CoG7 and also the Radio Church of God/Worldwide Church of God. I will try to answer your inquiry to your satisfaction. 

My father was baptised in 1917 and was part of the CoG7thday from that time forward.  He attended church in and near Fairview, OK until the family moved to Oregon in 1936.  Then, he and the family attended with The Church of God in and around Jefferson, Oregon.  In the late 1930s and into the mid 1940s the Church of God met in different school houses and had no regular pastor.  At this time different ministers preached when available.  Among those who preached at these services was Herbert W. Armstrong, Roy Daily, Rob Barnes and others.    

In the early 1940s my father was ordained a "local elder" in the Church of God at Scravel Hill, near Jefferson, Oregon.  (The church had built a building by this time).  My Dad did not preach.  I never heard him give a sermon.  But, he did conduct lessons, Bible Studies and was more or less in charge of the Church Services.  He always introduced the minister -- if one was visiting for the sermon. My father was also a member of the Board of Trustees for the Oregon Conference of The Church of God 7th Day during the early and mid 1940s.   

In 1945 my parents attended the Feast of Tabernacles in Belknap Springs, OR with the Herbert Armstrong group.  This was their first attendance at the F. of Tab. From then on they slowly began to observe all the Holy Days.  This evolved over a period of several years but they believed the Holy Days were to be observed. In 1947 my brother Raymond Cole attended Ambassador College during its first year.  He was one of the pioneer students.  Even though my parents continued to attend services with the Church of God 7th Day at Scravel Hill, they were slowly transferring their allegiance to the work of HWA.  I then attended AC in 1950 and my folks were becoming even more entrenched in the work of HWA. By 1954, my dad and mom totally ceased their participation with CoG7 and attended full time with the Radio Church of God.  My Dad was never an "Elder" in the Radio Church of God, as HWA did not feel the ordination from C0G7 should transfer.  He was however, a deacon in the Radio Church of God.   

I believe the report you may have heard that my grandfather observed the Feast Days as early as 1917 is in error.   Both my paternal and maternal grandparents were Sabbath keepers and both accepted the "British Israel" teachings  in the early 1900s, though I do not know the actual history.   I believe the 1917 reference may have been that my dad was baptised at the age of 18  in 1917. On the maternal side of my family, one of my mother's uncles was a Sabbath keeping minister in the early 1900s.  His name was Merritt Dickenson.  I do not think he was ever aligned with COG7 but worked as an independent, itinerant minister in western Oklahoma. 

I hope this is reasonably clear and answers some of your questions.   If there are others I will try to supply some info.    

Take care.

Wayne Cole 

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NB: Herman L Hoeh in a sermon on church history delivered on 14 March 1953 at Pasadena, California, stated:

·       The holy days were kept by some in the Church of God with headquarters in Stanberry, Missouri and had some understanding of them

·       Mentioned that Wayne Cole’s uncle on his mother’s side held to the ‘British-Israel’ doctrine 

You can listen to the sermon here. The information declared above commences around 16:30 minutes.