History of the Seventh Day Church of God
(Volume 2)
compiled by Richard C Nickels
- For other free Church of God History literature go to the extensive online library here
- Volume I is available here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section A - General Information
Section B - Stanberry Material
Section C - Denver - Merger Group
Booklets (a folder of literature, zipped)
Section D - Dugger Material
Section E - Meridian, Idaho Group
Section F - Salem, West Virginia Group
Section G - Caldwell, Idaho Group
Section H - Sacred Names Material
Section I - Bible Sabbath Association
Section J - Gathering Call Material
Section K - Miscellaneous
DETAIL TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part A: General Information
Chart on the Origins of the Bible Advocate A1
Chart on Origins of the Church of God (Adventist) A2
Chart on Stanberry and the Post 1933 Divisions A2
Editors of the Hope of Israel, Sabbath Advocate, and Bible Advocate A3
Graphs on Church of God Membership, Churches, Ministers,
Dates of Organization A4
Census Reports of 1906, 1916, 1926, 1936 A9
Chronological Chart Compiled by Stanberry A21
1859 Sabbath Recorder Re: Samuel Davison A28
1872 Sabbath Recorder Re: H.E. Carver A31
1942 Sabbath Recorder Re: Review of "A History of the True Church" A32
August 25, 1865 Hope of Israel A33
Davison Family History A35
April 9, 1907 Bible Advocate Re: Katie R. Gilstrap A39
100th Anniversary Issue of The Bible Advocate, August 12, 1963 A40
"The Sabbath Through the Ages," by John Kiesz in July 26, 1965 Advocate A62
April 1972 Mount Zion Reporter Re: Halbenslaben and A.F. Dugger A66
Sabbath Recorder Re: I.N. Kramer A67
"General History of the Church of God (Seventh Day) of Michigan" A68
Partial Copies of Tracts by Jacob Brinkerhoff, Almon Hall, H.C.
Blanchard, Uriah Smith, R.V. Lyon A72
Copies of "Age-to-Come" paper, Expositor and Advocate A84
Iowa Archives Letter Re: Snook and Waggoner Conscientious Objector
Petition During the Civil War A88
Marion, Iowa Church of God History A90
"Correspondence Relative to the Michigan Conference, Church of God
and Seventh Day Baptist" A94
"The Backward Look," by Adelbert Branch A111
Picture of S.W. Mentzer A113
Pictures of Dugger, Rodgers, Presler, Davison, Carver A114
Ministers, Churches, Offering Reports A116
Article, "A Dying Church" A120
Bible Advocate articles on Church History A121
Anti-Dugger Notice of October, 1933 Messenger A134
1949 Merger, Picture of New Executive Board A135
"What the Church of God Believes" A136
1949 Church of God Tracts A139
Puritan "Sabbath Keepers" A141
"Enright’s 1000 Dollar Offer" A142
Letter from Rudolph Haffner Re: Church of God Ministers A143
Part B: Stanberry Material
"The Adamic Sin or Forbidden Fruit" B1
"The Third Angel’s Message" B18
"The Battle of Armageddon" B35
"The 1000 Year Reign With Christ" B59
"The Doctrine of the Immortal Soul" B67
"The Administrations of God’s Law" B74
"Divine Healing" B84
"Hard Questions for Seventh Dayists Reviewed and Answered" B91
"Christian Standards for Young People" B101
"Suggestions for Ministers and Officers of The Church of God
(Seventh Day)," Second Edition B140
"The Bible Sabbath Defended," Fifth Edition, Revised 1944 B146
Part C: Denver — Merger Group
General Conference Officials C1
Headquarters Buildings C6
Foreign Workers C7
Midwest Bible College, Courses and Students C9
Tribute to John Kiesz C20
Sabbath Services Bulletin C23
"Doctrinal Beliefs of the Church of God (Seventh Day)" C26
"An Invitation to Learn for Yourself (About the Church of God)" C34
"What Must I Do To Be Saved?" C40
"Bible Baptism" C42
"The New Birth," and "The Ordinance of Baptism" C44
"About Face, The Meaning of Christian Conversion" C53
"Wondrous Grace, God’s Life-Saving Gift" C59
"Keeping Fit Spiritually" C75
"Adam’s Apple" C79
"If a Man Die — Does He Still Live?" C81
"The Soul of Man — Is It Mortal or Immortal?" C93
"Life Ends, What Then?" C95
"The Ten Commandments, As Found in The Old and New Testaments" C101
"Which Day is ‘The Lord’s Day’?" C105
"The Change of the Sabbath, Who Authorized It?" C116
"Should the Seventh-Day Sabbath Be Observed by Christians Today?" C125
"Has Time Been Lost?" C135
"Religious Surgery, What Has Been Cut Out of God’s Law?" C144
"The End of the Law" C146
"The Resurrection of Christ Not on Sunday" C150
"The Time Element in the Crucifixion nd Resurrection of Christ" C152
"What Christians Should Know about Easter" C169
"The Observance of the Lord’s Supper" C176
"A Study of the Feast Days Given To Israel" C188
"God’s Treatment of Jews and Gentiles" C209
"The Bible and Man’s Food" C225
"Christmas Investigated" C243
"When Was Christ Born?" C258
"The Teaching of the Bible Concerning Tithes and Offerings" C262
"Can Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare?" C274
"The Rich Man and Lazarus, Is it a Parable or Literal Fact?" C281
"Palestine, Jews, and Bible Prophecy" C295
"World History Foretold" C308
"The Next World Dictator" C326
"The Battle of Armageddon" C328
"The Destiny of the Earth . . . Destroyed or Restored?" C339
"The 1000-Year Reign with Christ" C348
"The Punishment of the Wicked" C357
"A Scriptural Examination of The 1844 Investigative Judgment Doctrine" C370
Part D: Dugger Material
Pictures of A.N. Dugger and His Associates D1
"What Started Us to Israel" D11
"Explanation of the Prophetic Chart: The Future of Israel And All People" D15
"The Rebirth of Israel, The Greatest Miracle of the Age" D31
"The Restoration of the Kingdom to Israel; A King to Reign on
David’s Throne" D39
"Crises Dates in Bible Prophecy; The Resurrection in This Last Generation" D47
"Signs of the Coming Messiah, and Events of Tomorrow" D55
"Seven Reasons Why the Seven Last Plagues are Literal and Future" D63
"The Daughter of Jerusalem And The Daughter of Babylon" D65
"Has Our Messiah Come?" D73
"Easter, Christmas and Sunday were Pagan Holidays, 600 B.C." D77
"Death in the Kitchen" D81
"Hell, What and Where is It?" D85
"What Was Abolished By Christ" D93
"The Change of the Sabbath, Who Authorized It?" by A.F. Dugger, Sr. D101
"Why Israel Is Here to Stay" D105
"Bible Lessons for The Church of God, Seventh Day," First Quarter 1971 D113
Part E: Meridian, Idaho Group
"General Council of the Churches of God, Seventh Day: A Bit of History" E1
"Constitution and By-Laws of The General Council of the Churches
of God (Seventh Day) Inc." E7
"A Declaration of Things Most Commonly Believed Among Us" E13
"Maranatha College E19
"Meridian Group Ministers and Churches" E32
Part F: Salem, West Virginia Group
"The Constitution of The Church of God" F1
"The New Testament Church: Its Foundation, Name, Organization
and Standard of Righteousness" F5
"The Battle of Armageddon" F15
"The Third Angel’s Message" F17
"The Unpardonable Sin, What Is It?" F19
"The Spirit of Ecclesiastes 12:7" F23
"The Spirit of Prophecy" F25
"Bible Baptism" F29
"The Doctrine of the Trinity" F31
"Bond or Free" F35
"The Two Covenants" F39
"Conditional Immortality, Eternal Life" F45
"Sabbath School Lessons," Fourth Quarter, 1970 F55
Part G: Caldwell, Idaho Group
"Doctrinal Points [of] The Church of God" G1
"The Sacred Appointments and Holy Days" G5
"Sabbath Lesson Quarterly," First Quarter 1972 G17
Part H: Sacred Names Material
Letter from Paul Penn, December 22, 1970 H1
Letter from A.B. Traina, January 28, 1971 H5
Letter from Ruth Fink H7
Sacred Names Broadcaster, November-December 1972 H9
Sacred Names Broadcaster, January-February 1973 H11
"A Brief History of The Name Movement in America," by L.D. Snow
in Eliyah Messenger, May 1966 H13
"Reply to ‘The Unknown God’ in ‘The Plain Truth’," by L.D. Snow in
March-April 1966 Eliyah Messenger H18
"Hebrew Names Historical Sketch," by Lawson Briggs H32
"North American Names Movement Start," from March 1969 The Word H37
The Faith, February 1969 H39
The Faith, February 1970 H44
Assemblies of Yahweh Statement of Doctrine H45
Interview with Joe B. Walker, October 21, 1971 H50
"Origin and History of the Sacred Name Movement," by Richard C.Nickels H53
"The Sacred Appointments, Feasts of Yahweh" H71
"They Kept Yahweh’s Feasts" H97
"Yahweh’s Feasts" H101
"The Apostles Doctrine versus Tradition," by L.D. Snow H109
"The Major Beliefs of the Assembly of Yahvah" H112
"The Constitution of the Assembly of Yahvah" H126
"The Father’s Revelation of Himself and His Son," by Charles C. Cramer H130
"The Supreme Being, Oneness, or Trinity? Name of Divinity," by John Kiesz H136
Part I: Bible Sabbath Association
B.S.A. Officers, 1965 and 1973 I1
Picture of Frank Walker I3
Sabbath Handbook and Miscellaneous Sabbath-Keeping Groups I4
Part J: Gathering Call Material
"The Sanctuary Question," by C.L. Price J1
"A Re-Study of the Sanctuary" J3
"The Reform Dress" J7
"Examining Seventh-Day Adventism" J9
"Seventh Day Adventists Weighed in the Balance of Honesty and
Found Wanting" J13
Miscellaneous Material J17
Part K: Miscellaneous
"When are the Voices of The Three Angels to be Heard?" by Elder A.C. Olson K1
The Present Truth by Dr. J. Franklin Snook, August 1965 K9
Interview with Cecile Hull K11
History of the Seventh Day Church of God
(Volume 1)
by Richard C. Nickels
©1977, 1987, 1994, 1996, 1999 by Giving & Sharing
Table of Contents | About the Book | About the Author | Andrew N. Dugger | John Kiesz | Download Zip File of Entire Book in Text Format
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to Raymond C. Cole, who asked me to write this book.
I am grateful for research assistance from the New York City Public Library, Aurora College, Midwest Bible College of Stanberry, Missouri and Floyd Turner, and Maranatha College of Meridian, Idaho. Thanks to many in the Church of God who answered my constant questions. Thanks to Ray Straub who encouraged me to copyright and distribute this book.
Thanks to my loving wife Shirley who retyped the original edition and ferreted out many typographical errors.
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22.
Original Edition completed August 31, 1973. Copyright © 1977 by Richard C. Nickels. Revised Edition completed December 31, 1987. Copyright © 1988 by Richard C. Nickels. Third Edition copyright © 1994 by Richard C. Nickels. Fourth Edition copyright © 1996. Fifth Edition copyright © 1999.
ISBN 1-887670-06-8
SECTION
I. Introduction - Controversial History
III. The "Church of God" Controversy
IV. The Question of Ellen G. White's Visions
VI. The Church of God in Marion, Iowa
VIII. Independent Church of God Splits - 1905
IX. Andrew N. Dugger and the Church of God Surge in the 1920s
X. The Division of 1933 - Stanberry and Salem
XI. Two Groups: Stanberry and Salem, 1933-1949
XIII. The Post Merger Period, 1949 - 1973
XV. The "Church Depression Period," 1974-1987
History of the Seventh Day Church of God covers the controversial history of the Sabbath-keeping Churches of God from the 1850s to the 1990s. Those who never accepted the visions of Mrs. Ellen G. White, founder of the Seventh-day Adventists, became known as the Church of God. From Michigan to Iowa to Missouri, they continued to promote the seventh day Sabbath from a loose coalition that frequently endured splits and divisions. Jacob Brinkerhoff, Andrew N. Dugger, John Kiesz, and Herbert W. Armstrong were the most famous Church of God ministers, whose writings have been preserved to this day. This book serves to preserve the history of the Church of God for future generations.
Richard C. Nickels (1947- ), a native of Oregon, has also lived in Texas, California, Missouri, Washington, and Wyoming. He and his wife Shirley have three children: Barbara, Rachel and Amanda. An accountant and computer consultant, Nickels currently works for a major coal mining company in Gillette, Wyoming. He is a graduate of Linfield College (BA, 1969, Summa Cum Laude).
Richard Nickels became a World Tomorrow broadcast listener in 1961, was baptized in 1969, and was employed by the Worldwide Church of God from 1971-1973 in festival site construction and church administration. Since 1978, he has written numerous articles and books for Giving & Sharing, a non-profit mail order bookstore serving Sabbath-keepers around the world. These include History of the Seventh Day Church of God, Six Papers on the History of the Church of God, Biblical Holy Days, Biblical Law, Biblical Health and Healing, Biblical Doctrine, Biblical Marriage and Family, Bible Studies, Newsletters, and other articles.
Andrew N. Dugger (1886 - 1975) was the most famous Church of God leader in the twentieth century. Born in Bassett, Nebraska in 1886, Andrew N. Dugger's father, A.F. Dugger, Sr., had been an Advent Christian Minister. When commissioned by his church to do a study refuting the Sabbath, A.F. Dugger instead became convinced that the Sabbath should be observed. The result was a book he later published, called The Bible Sabbath Defended.
For more than thirty-five years until his death in 1910, A.F. Dugger, Sr., was a leader in the Church of God, Seventh Day. His son Andrew, a schoolteacher and farmer, was in his early 20's when his father died.
A bright light in the sky around him seemed to Dugger to be a sign from God that he should follow his father's footsteps in the ministry. A.N. Dugger immediately sold his large farm and equipment, and went to the University of Chicago, where he majored in theology and public speaking, mastering Greek, Hebrew, and German.
From time to time, Dugger returned to Bassett to visit his mother and Effie Carpenter (1895-1980), a student of his whom he wanted to marry. Although he first proposed to her when she was sixteen, it wasn't until 1925 until they were married. They shared fifty years together.
Soon after college graduation, Dugger was invited by the Executive Committee of the Church of God to move to Stanberry, Missouri, to become editor of The Bible Advocate, a position his father had held before being forced to retire because of ill health. In 1914, Dugger arrived in Stanberry to begin his work in the ministry. For eighteen years he was editor, also serving as President of the General Conference. As field representative, he traveled widely, holding evangelistic meetings and public debates. The famous "Porter Dugger Debate," between Dugger and W. Curtis Porter, a Church of Christ minister, was later published as a book of over 230 pages. In 1919, Dugger wrote The Bible Home Instructor, which publicized the Seventh Day Church of God, and substantially increased its membership during the 1920's.
Two of Dugger's most adamant doctrinal positions were: a scriptural form of church organization with leaders chosen by lot rather than election, and a world headquarters in Jerusalem, Israel. After visiting Israel for only a year in 1931-32, Dugger returned to live in Sweet Home, Oregon. In 1935, A.N. Dugger and C.O. Dodd published a book, A History of the True Church, which traces Sabbath-keepers from apostolic times to modern days. Dugger greatly influenced Herbert Armstrong, who was for years affiliated with the Church of God, Seventh Day, but later formed his own church, the Radio (later Worldwide) Church of God.
Dugger remained pastor at Marion, Oregon until 1953, when he and Effie settled permanently in Jerusalem, and launched the Mt. Zion Reporter. His aggressive leadership resulted in thousands of converts around the world. Andrew N. Dugger died in 1975 at the age of 89. Dugger's son-in-law, Gordon Fauth, continued the Jerusalem work.
John Kiesz (1903-1996), one of the most remarkable ministers of the Church of God, Seventh Day, greatly influenced the Church of God, Seventh Day, in the twentieth century. The grandson of Philip Kiesz, Sr., John grew up in a German Sabbath-keeping Church of God near Eureka, South Dakota. In 1898, a minister named Halbesleben accepted the Sabbath, and as a result, a number of Seventh Day Adventist churches became independent Churches of God. John's uncle Christ Kiesz was converted with a large group of younger people in 1910. It was not until 1923 that the Germans came into contact with the Church of God General Conference at Stanberry, Missouri. John Kiesz was converted in 1924.
About 1925, John Kiesz became contributing editor of the German Bible Advocate. He met his wife-to-be, Katherine, at a camp meeting near Eureka in 1927. They were married in 1929. After graduation from Arizona Teacher's College, they began to travel and sing gospel songs. Their unique style of singing brought them to over forty states and several Canadian provinces. In 1931, John first came to Stanberry, where he served for two years as editor of The Bible Advocate.
In 1934, the Kieszes went into full-time evangelistic work. During the 1940's, Kiesz worked closely with Herbert Armstrong. The Kieszes lost their first two children, but their two younger daughters, Pearl and Martha, assisted them in evangelistic meetings by singing, from 1940 to 1956. From 1959 to 1963, Elder Kiesz was a professor at Midwest Bible College in Stanberry, continuing evangelistic activity in the summer months. For several years, John Kiesz pastored a church in St. Louis, Missouri. The Kieszes traveled widely, building up many churches around the country. Gaining funds from the sale of a record album of their gospel songs, the Kieszes conducted a missionary trip to many foreign countries in 1971. For many years, the Kieszes lived in Canon City, Colorado. Even in his later years, Elder John Kiesz was an excellent speaker, and very knowledgeable of the Scriptures. His faithful wife of sixty-four years, Katherine, died in 1993.