Monday, April 4, 2011

A.N. Dugger and The Church of God 7Th Day.

ANDREW NUGGET DUGGER
AND
THE CHURCH OF GOD,
 7TH DAY.
                              




































                                                                                                                                                      


BY
MARTIN KHISA MAKOKHA, BTh, MLS.
An Olivet Research Group Academic Resource.



An Introduction:

“He was an outstanding leader of the Church of God in the 20th century!” That’s what I used to get when searching information about Andrew N. Dugger on the internet. If he was an outstanding leader why it is that information about him doesn’t exist? Why is it that most authors have decided not to write about him, apart from just saying ‘he was an outstanding leader?’ Even The General Conference of The Church of God 7th day an organization that he a leader for 18 years has no history about him! What happened that even current histories of many Sabbath keeping Churches of God are avoiding mentioning his name? These are just but a few questions that made me to write this book.


This has been a challenging and encouraging experience. My urge to write a history about Andrew N. Dugger came from a number of researches that I have been doing. In all history of the existing Churches of God 7th day or Sabbath keeping, the name Andrew N. Dugger must be mentioned. But it’s a bit surprising that getting information about this man is not as easy at it may seem. There are many books and articles written about Herbert Armstrong, C.O. Dodd and the rest but almost no history about A.N. Dugger.

Most of the Churches of God that keep the Sabbath in Africa, Caribbean, Asia, and  USA at one time or the other benefited from A.N. Dugger’s work and do recognize his efforts in their history. But it’s quite amazing that most of them differ with one another as far as Dugger’s stand on some issues is concerned.

I would like to register my appreciation to Leora Dugger, a granddaughter of A.N. Dugger who supplied me with pictures and some important information about her grandparents, Giving and Sharing by late Richard Nickels before the death of Nickels he allowed me to be using his articles on condition that I don’t change their meaning and give credit to giveshare.org. And other people that I may not mention all of them at this stage but at a later stage.

I hope that this small volume will serve as any eye opener to many Sabbath keepers, as they may understand one or two things that are quite different from what they used to think. Just as with my other publications, this volume should not be used as a basis of contention and division. Remember ALL doctrinal belief should be Bible based and not any human work.


Dedication:
I dedicate this work to my parents John S. Makokha and Christine S. Wamalwa from whom I learnt this truth, my wife Ruth Wambui and son Dennis N. Makokha.




















CHAPTER ONE:

The history of Andrew Nugget Dugger (A.N. Dugger) can not be separated from the history of The Church of God 7th Day as it will be noticed somewhere in this small volume, A.N. Dugger used most of his time in the ministry of The Church of God, 7Th Day.

EARLY HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF GOD 7Th DAY.

There are a contradiction between the history of  The Church of God 7Th Day and that one of the Seventh Day Adventist, each of this two groups claim in there history that the other group is an offshoot that departed from them. Adventists claim that Church of God are offshoot who splitted from them due to smoking, while Church of God claims that Adventist are offshoot as they splitted from them due to the name change and visions of Ellen white. It’s not our business in this volume to support any of these claims or to refute any. The truth is that both Seventh Day Adventist and The Church of God 7Th Day have a common source. They all came from the works of William Miller who started the Biblical Prophecies and came up to a conclusion that Jesus Christ would come in October, 22, 1844; some of Miller’s converts were Gilbert Cranmer and Ellen White. After the disappointment of 1844, Ellen white took over the prophecies and started giving her own prophecies of which Gilbert Cranmer and others were against.
Ellen White was latter to be a pioneer in The Seventh Day Adventist while Gilbert Cranmer became a pioneer in The Church of God 7Th Day.
The Church of God 7th Day started to publish a paper by the name “The Hope of Israel” earlier than or around 1863, in 1867 the editor was Samuel Everett. In 1871 the name of the paper changed to “Advent and Sabbath Advocate and The Hope of Israel”. In March 1874 Jacob Brinkerhoff sold his properties and purchased a printing house, the name “The Hope of Israel” was dropped altogether. In June 22, 1888 it changed again to “Sabbath Advocate and Herald of the Advent.” The editor of this paper had been Jacob Brinkerhoff, who resigned in October, 1887 then A.C. Long took over the editorship and ownership. A.C. Long health was failing and thus his brother W.C. Long bought the publisher and became the editor. It should be noted that the ownership of the publishing house was on the editor, any editor was supposed to buy the publisher from the outgoing editor.

A Sunday keeping minister by the name Alexander F. Dugger was commissioned by his church of study the Bible and come up with scriptures that refute the Bible Sabbath. In his studies A.F. Dugger came to a conclusion that the Bible Sabbath is to be observed and thus published a book entitled, “The Bible Sabbath Defended.” It’s not clear when A.F. Dugger started observing the Sabbath.

Alexander F. Dugger.

A.F. Dugger Sr. and his wife Virginia Miller Dugger resided in Nebraska had one daughter May Dugger and two sons, Alex F. Dugger Jr. (Born 1884) who by 1977 resided in Denver and Andrew N. Dugger born on Nov. 19, 1886 in Bassett, Rock Co., Nebraska (http://findagrave.com/dugger-andrew.)
       In 1874, A.F. Dugger Sr. entered the full ministry of the Church of God.
In Michigan Conference on October 5, 1884, it was decided to organize a General Conference made up of the state Conference of Michigan, Iowa and Missouri. The first officers of the General Conference were:
 A.C. Long, Iowa- President,
 A.F Dugger, Nebraska – Vice President,
 Jacob Brinkerhoff, Iowa – Secretary,
 I.N. Kranmer, Iowa – Treasurer.

Committee men:
A.C. Long, Iowa (President.)
W.C. Long, Missouri.
John Branch, Michigan.

In that position A.F. Dugger established the first Sabbath school department. He was also a contributing editor to the church’s paper. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Church of God was small and scattered with fewer than 1,000 members, living mostly in the American Midwest. The General Conference of The Church of God legally incorporated in 1900 in the state of Missouri. The Church’s newspaper underwent a name change that same year to become, The Bible Advocate.—(God’s Church through the Ages- Joseph Ogwyn)
In 1900 A.C. Long died,
 In 1905 the General Conference elected elder A.F. Dugger to be the paper’s managing editor. A.F. Dugger and Elder Brinkerhoff contributed many of the articles that helped to clarify and solidify doctrine in the Church. Articles on prophecy, clean and unclean meats, tithing, proper observance of the Passover and what it means to be “born again” were printed. One belief held by A.F.Dugger, was that the Gentile Times would end in 1914.This was based upon his understanding of Bible Prophecies concerning a 2,520 year period. Based upon the “seven times punishment” prophecy of Leviticus 26 and the “overturn, overturn, overturn” of Ezekiel 21:25-27, Dugger concluded that “As it required three consecutive strokes in the destruction of the kingdom of Israel by the overturning three times by Nebuchadnezzar, so it is to require three strokes for the destruction of all Gentile nations,” that is three world wars. Judah was restored in three successive returns, just as it was destroyed in three strokes.
Elder A.F.Dugger, Sr. became the sole editor of the Bible Advocate in 1905 at the ousting of W.C. Long. Dugger’s health was failing, and to assist him in the publishing work at Stanberry, he requested sixty six year old Jacob Brinkerhoff, who became office editor in March of 1907.On Sabbath evening, December 20, 1907, the Advocate building and offices were destroyed by a fire, and the press was damaged. Most of the printing type and cases were carried out into the street. However, the upper story where the tracts were stored was entirely destroyed. Insurance did not cover the loss, and a drive was started for financial contributions for another building and office. The “new” building was purchased for $1,000 on
West First Street
.
In 1903, Gilbert Cranmer, a minister since the 1850s and one of the chief builders of the Church in the aftermath of the Seventh Day Adventist/Church of God spit in the 1860s, died at age 89. In 1909, Alexander F.Dugger’s health would no longer permit him to continue as editor, so Brinkerhoff became sole editor. 1910, Alexander F. Dugger, who had served as a leader of the General Conference since its inception, as well as having served as editor of the Bible Advocate, also died.

A third faithful pioneer, Jacob Brinkerhoff, died on May 12, 1916. He had served as editor of the Advocate on and off for 21 years. Mr. Brinkerhoff was considered by many to be the most outstanding leader of the Church in his time. “Jacob Brinkerhoff had served the Church of God for over 40 years….Instead of buying a home in 1874, Brinkerhoff used the money instead to buy the press equipment for the Advent and Sabbath Advocate…. Single handedly, it seems he had prevented the total collapse of the Work.”

“In a private conversation between Elder A. N. Dugger and Mr. Hugh Sprague… the latter stated that the Pilgrims were his direct ancestors, and that he very well knew their religious beliefs and practices. And, in addition, he stated that all his grandparents and great‑grandparents knew that the Pilgrims of the Mayflower were strict Sabbath‑observers on the seventh day of the week, instead of on Sunday.” History of Church of God (7th Day) by John Kiez.



















CHAPTER TWO:

A.N. Dugger Joins Ministry.

 In his early years, he was a school teacher twenty miles south of Bassett. In the summer and his spare time, he and his brother Alexander F. Dugger, Jr., each homestead 640 acres, raising cattle and hay. Andrew saved up enough money to buy another 640 acres, which had a natural artesian well.

 A.N. Dugger taught by his parents to tithe and apparently readily accepted the Church of God teachings. Andrew was granted his ministerial license, and received into the ministry, in 1906 at the Church of God camp meeting at Gentry, Missouri. He began his ministry in 1906 he became an elder although he had not completed college. He was a school teacher and allegedly the most educated Church of God minister of his day.  After his father died in 1910, Dugger saw in a vision the light of heaven shining around him, and the moving in the direction of Jerusalem. In 1912, he held meetings around Stanberry in November which resulted in a “good interest to hear the truth presented.” In October 19, 1913, Andrew N. Dugger was elected to the Executive Committee of the General Conference. In 1914 Dugger disposed of all his worldly possessions, his cattle, horses and land, and answered the call to the executive board and editorship of the Bible Advocate. In the move, he cleared some $5,000.00 debt that the Church press owed. A.N. Dugger went to the University of Chicago, where he majored in theology and public speaking, mastering Greek, Hebrew, and German.
         
 Andrew N. Dugger followed his father’s footsteps becoming editor of BA and president of General Conference. The same year that A.N Dugger took leadership and editorship of the Bible Advocate, World War I was beginning, as soon the way was opened for the Jews to return to Palestine: these prophecies that the Church of God had taught were being fulfilled. This seems to have been an impetus for the year 1914 marking “a decided awakening in the church.” It marked the beginning in an explosion of “missionary work” performed by the Church of God in the years the Great War and into Roaring Twenties.

In 1919, Dugger wrote The Bible Home Instructor, which publicized the Seventh Day Church of God, and substantially increased its membership during the 1920s.
The issue of organization and government had long been a source of controversy within the Church of God. Recognizing that no Work of any consequence could be done with the meager amount of monies coming into the headquarters in Stanberry, Missouri (less than $1,000 in 1917), Andrew Dugger took steps to correct the situation. He sent a survey to the membership in 1922 to find out how much tithe they had paid over the previous year and to whom it was paid. It became apparent that most of the tithes were being collected by individual ministers and that one particular minister who "worked little" had collected the lion's share. Soon, a policy was enacted that all tithes were to be paid into the State Conferences and that a tithe of that tithe was to be sent to the General Conference. In 1923 the income of the General Conference in Stanberry jumped to over $18,000.
A.N. Dugger and Elder Milton Grotz.
 
In January of 1923, Dugger reported that “there have been a number of ministers come in among us lately from other churches to whom we’re giving encouragement until they prove their ability as workers of the Lord.” One of this prominent Pentecostal Church of God ministers that appears at this time is evangelist Milton Grotz of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He emphasized in a “divine healing” ministry. A.N. Dugger himself noted that he had believed from a child in the doctrine of prayer for the sick.

Returning to his home in the east after a trip to Old Mexico, Grotz stopped at Stanberry in the spring of 1923, and held a general revival. There were a number of reported healings. A.N. Dugger said, “Stanberry has been stirred by the power of God during the past week as never before in her history…..we are living in the days of the Latter Rain…….The Church house, although large, will hardly accommodate the crowds. Brother Grotz is a minister of the Church of God…..We hope that God will pour out His Spirit on more of our ministers and our people….”

On October 31, 1923, Grotz and A.N. Dugger began evangelistic services in a hall at Bassett, Nebraska, the home town of A.N. Dugger. It was reported that even the cripples were healed. Among those who were healed was Effie Carpenter’s older sister, who was healed of a very serious heart ailment. Mr. Carpenter and his household were among those converted. After Grotz left Bassett, Dugger stayed on, and organized a local church.
In early January of 1924, Grotz again teamed up with Dugger, this time at a meeting at Los Angeles, where a California State Conference of the Church of God was formed.
In 1931, The General Conference voted to have a world headquarters of the Church of God in Jerusalem, Palestine.

Dugger’s Debates


Dugger was the vigorous leader of the Church at its headquarters in Stanberry, Missouri. At times, Dugger was quite a showman and debater.

Younger Church of God ministers often were challenged for public debates on the Sabbath question. Often they called for the well-versed Dugger to take over in their place. Statham and Canadian, Oklahoma were scenes of two 1921 debates recalled by Dugger. His debate at Canadian shows how he operated.

Dugger’s opponent at Canadian was Elder Searcy of Oklahoma City, one of the leading theological and political debaters of the south. They signed an agreement for ten nights of discussion in Canadian and Dale, Oklahoma. Each night there were two thirty-minute speeches by each debater. The one on the rostrum could ask questions to his opponent that had to be answered by a yes or no. Dugger deliberately played weak on certain scriptures, leading his opponent to grasp at them, resting the entire Sabbath question, and a $1,000 bet, on whether the word rest in Hebrews 4:9 was translated from the Greek word sabbatismos, meaning Sabbath instead of katapausis meaning rest.

Having held so many public investigations with different clergymen, Dugger had previously written ahead to a local university professor of Greek, and already had a letter from him stating that the word was sabbatismos, meaning a keeping of a Sabbath, and thus won the debate.

The whole town was said to have been convinced of the Sabbath, but Searcy refused to pay the $1,000, even though he was well able to do so. The debates at Canadian and Dale resulted in the conversion of T.J. Marrs and his sons Burt Marrs and Mitchell Marrs, all of whom later became Church of God ministers. Forthwith, a Sabbath meeting was set up at Dale by Dugger, led by T.J. Marrs.

Frontiersman Davey Crockett has been quoted as saying, Be sure you are right, then go ahead. Today, if some young minister wants to debate others on the Sabbath question, it would be wise to be well-grounded in the Truth before such a thing is even considered. Think what might happen if you end up facing a Sunday-keeper who is more prepared than you are. 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.

A.N. Dugger marries Effie Carpenter.
 As mentioned somewhere in this volume early years of A.N. Dugger he was a school teacher, he proposed to one of his students, Effie Carpenter in 1911, when she was 16 years.  Effie was the daughter of Charles L and Arminda Grimm Carpenter. She was born on Nov. 4, 1895, in Creighton, Knox Co., Nebraska. Her siblings were Homer, Paul Revere, Seeley, Charity, Hester, and Maurice.
 A.N. Dugger & Effie

On 28 May, 1925, A.N. Dugger and Effie Carpenter got married and they were blessed with a son John Paul Dugger who died when still young. God blessed them with other four children: Charles Andrew Dugger *1927-xxxx); Orabelle Dugger (1928-xxxx); Naomi Dugger (1930-xxxx); and Mary Dugger (1954-xxxx). (www.findagrave.com/dugger-effie)


EFFIE CARPENTER Recounts’
Effie Carpenter Dugger was a woman blessed with a number of talents, she was able to play a number of musical instruments including accordion and a harp, and she was also an artist who drew a prophetic chart labeled “Bible Chart.”
“When I first became acquainted with him (A.N. Dugger) I was a child in school and he was the teacher. Through his teaching I and several other small children finally passed through the 8th grade and became eligible to enter High School.
My father was a strict Sunday keeper and we thought that Mr. Dugger was very peculiar because he kept the Sabbath. After Mr. Dugger felt called to ministry we did not see him much except when he came back to our home-town where his mother lived. On one of those visits he proposed to me the first time. I was 16.
 My determination was to get an education. After finishing High School and 3 years in College and returning home, my health was not good. We heard that Elder Dugger and Elder Grotz were holding meetings In Missouri and praying for the sick. My father took me from our hometown in Nebraska down to Missouri so I could be prayed for. I was healed and received a wonderful spiritual blessing and accepted baptism.
   I wanted those two ministers to hold a meeting in my home town in Nebraska, which they did and many were healed and converted. My older sister was healed of a very serious heart ailment and my mother and two sisters were converted and with my father came into the faith.
  From that time on my heart toward Bro. Dugger was changed. I could consider that we could become one indeed. When I told my father that Elder Dugger and I were going to get married he said, “I thought you would come to your right senses.” The Lord truly leads when we get ‘self’ out of the way.” (The Mount Zion Reporter- August 1976, pg 13)


A. N. Dugger's son Charles Andy Dugger broke with the family and began another group, “Workers Together with Elohim,” Membership: Not reported.

                                          
       Naomi Ruth Fauth.            Mary Fauth.                     Charles A. Dugger.






CHAPTER THREE:      
A.N. Dugger visits Jerusalem.

On October 3, 1931, A.N. Dugger gave his farewell address to the Stanberry Church and left with his family for Palestine. His mission was possibly to prepare for the establishment of a world headquarters there, while he was in Israel he sent many articles and notes of experiences on his travels to be published in the Bible Advocate.

In the picture Effie with her three children Andy, Orabelle and Naomi, Mary wasn’t born yet. During their trip to Palestine 1931, the man in the picture is their guide. Elder Dugger took the picture. He drove this car all the way from Sinai to Cairo, Egypt where they visited the pyramids.

He returned back to U.S.A and arrived in October 1932. He returned to live in Sweet Home, Oregon.



A.N. Dugger and the church split.

In January 9, 1933 Bible Advocate, A.N. Dugger stated that the Church of God has only one creed: The Bible. “We do not stand upon any one-minded interpretation of the Word of God, or any one-minded leadership, save Jesus Christ the Son of God….Paul warned the Church of God nearly two thousand years ago that men would arise among us speaking perverse things ‘to draw away disciples after them.’ Read, and re-read, Acts 20:28-31.

In August 14 issue, just before the Conference began, A.N. Dugger in the “Question Corner” stated that ‘the congregational form of government is both unreasonable and unscriptural, and if permitted to go uncorrected in the church, the body of Christ, the body becomes paralyzed and deformed, and unable to carry forth the work God has designed.”

August 20, 1933 A.N. Dugger brought up the issue of Church reorganization at the Church of God Conference at Stanberry. Dugger wanted the church to be reorganized following what he termed as Scriptural organization of 12 to look after the spiritual affairs of the Church, 70 to go two by two in giving the warning message of the hour and 7 to take charge of financial business.

This issue was to split the church down the middle, on one side was A.N. Dugger and others who held to “reorganization” of the Church government, clean and unclean meats, no tobacco, and Passover on Nisan 14. On the other hand was Burt F. Mars and other “Independents” who were pro-pork and tobacco, and felt that Passover should be on Nisan 15.

William Alexander, President of the General Conference was stepping down. The center of the struggle concerned the election of the next president. Burt F. Mars fronted for A.S. Christenson to be elected President of the General Conference while A.N. Dugger wanted himself elected. According to the President of Arkansas Church of God conference at the time Elder Robert A. Barnes, the split was not about doctrine but about Church leadership. Elder Robert A. Barnes and his delegates refused to attend the meeting saying: “If you love the church, you’ll withdraw from the presidential race and accept any other office. If you split the Church, I pronounce the curse of God upon you.” Votes were cast and ballot resulted in a tie vote. Thus the outgoing President (William Alexander) had to cast a deciding vote, and he voted in favor of A.S. Christenson. A.N. Dugger and Burt F.  Mars had refused to back down and thus the split resulted.
A.N. Dugger did depart as he said he would. He succeeded in drawing nearly half of the church with him.




The choosing of the 12, 70 and 7.
The church splitted into two, A.N. Dugger and his group went to Salem and started to reorganize the church in what they termed Scriptural organization. They agreed on November 4, 1933 as the date they will choose the 12, 70 and 7 to lead the church.

Several weeks prior to November 4th 1933, a call was sent to many countries for prayer that God would again choose men to lead His church as in the former time. These countries were: Jerusalem, South Africa, Australia, Egypt, England, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, China, India, New Zealand, Panama, Japan, Jamaica, Cuba, Trinidad, Guam, Canada, Nova Scotia, Liberia, Barbados, Venezuela, Syria, Madagascar, Burma, New-foundland and Mexico.

Some about ten thousand letters were sent allover America to ask people to pray that the Lord may restore His Church. Then the day came and lots were cast according to Acts 2:23-26.Elder C.O. Dodd was nominated one of the 70 and also among the 7, Elder A.N. Dugger was selected as one of the 7. A letter was written and sent to the 70 that they might accept the call, the letter read in part;

“Dear brethren: I am anxious to begin the ministry which has fallen to me by lot in the body and am determined by the help of the Lord to live and teach the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus as found in the Holy Scriptures, and as outlined in the constitution of the Church of God with world headquarters in Jerusalem, Palestine. Will you please record my acceptance and have a credential issued to me according to my ministry in the Body.” (www.thejournal.org/issues/issues132/former-cog7-president-discusses-church-history-and-herbert-armstrong-html.)
Although A.N. Dugger was not among the 12 or 70 he remained the leader of the group as the 1936 Census lists A.N. Dugger as General Overseer.
“Being a member of The Church of God, 7th Day, which was called the REORGANIZED Church of God which established Headquarters at Salem, W. Va., November, 1933, A.N. Dugger, who was chosen General Overseer, called a ministers' meeting during the Camp meeting at Galena, Kansas in 1936. Elder Dugger requested that the ministers make a decision as to the exact words for the ceremony of water baptism used by the Apostles. This was made known several months before, i.e., that this subject would be discussed, so we would make a special study on it. I was convinced from the discussion and decision made concerning this subject at that time (1936) by these Church of God ministers, that Jehovah was THE NAME AS FAR AS I could see, yet being a young minister, I decided to study more on the subject to BE SURE before I SPOKE OUT ON IT.” History of sacred Names by L.D. Snow
The November 4, 1933 Salem, West Virginia, meeting followed with the establishment of Salem as U.S.A headquarters for this group and Jerusalem as the world headquarters. On November 6, the Bible Advocate was printed at Salem, with the continuing volume number as the one still being published in Stanberry. Shortly thereafter, the number sequence was changed due to copyright laws.

Elder and Mrs. L. D. Snow were sent as representatives for the Church of God to Jerusalem to work among the Jews and try to establish a headquarters there. They spent nearly a year there, facing ‘many disappointments.” Before the Snows left for Jerusalem, Elders Dugger and Robert Young, a converted Jew, traveled extensively throughout America to raise funds to send Young as a missionary to work with Snow by several months, but “his venture did not turn out well for the church.”

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. 
 From 1933 to 1949 there were two separate Church of God organizations, one at Stanberry, Missouri and the other at Salem, West Virginia. A united Church of God (Seventh Day) was never to be again.

Andrew N. Dugger and Burt F. Marrs burry hatchets.

The division had certainly been a damaging influence on the Church of God as a whole. Numerous members were grieved at what occurred as Church of God leaders attacked one another in print. A number of people became discouraged and gave up the faith altogether. A definite movement toward union came to the fore in the 1940’s, in order to salvage what remained and to unify the Church of God.

Younger elders were taking administrative positions in both churches. One of them was E.A. Straub who became one of the twelve in the Salem group in 1942.They convinced the older elders to attempt a merger and in 1942 a committee comprising of the two churches was formed to look at the possibility of a merger. These talks suffered a major blow when the Salem group published Bible Home Instructor that was same as that of the Stanberry group and thus Stanberry group filled a lawsuit.

On November 7, 1947, another meeting was held and most of the points resolved. The Stanberry Church accepted the form of Scriptural government and the 38 points of doctrine that the Salem group had. On February 12-17,1948, ministers from both Salem and Stanberry had a meeting at Fairview, Oklahoma  among those who attended were A.N. Dugger, A.F. Dugger Jr, and Burt. F. Mars.

A.N. Dugger with tears in his eyes exhorted that the true church of God should be one, as John 17:11 states, he narrated how he has been in the Advocate office since 1906 and how he has seen so many divisions’ happenings.

On August 12-20, 1949, a joint camp meeting was held and the proposal to merge the two churches was put forward and the vote results were as follows; Stanberry:- Unity 121 Against 15 votes, Salem:- Unity 75 Against 1 Vote. Straub reports that A.N. Dugger attempted very hard to prevent the merger, but to no avail. They went forward to elect the 12. A.N. Dugger was elected one of the seven, in charge of foreign missions and B.F. Mars was elected in charge of Ministerial. The headquarter of the Church was moved to Denver, Colorado

In March of 1950, A.N. Dugger and a few other ministers started what they termed as “Back to Salem” movement in an effort to break the Merger. Straub moved with speed to counter the movement and succeeded in overcoming Dugger. There was another group that remained and continued in Salem. In July, 1950 the Salem Apostolic Council met at Salem and voted that the headquarters be transferred from Jerusalem to Salem.

In September, 1952, Dugger had just returned to Oregon from an extended trip to Nigeria. Along with five native ministers and Elder A.C. Olson of Wisconsin they had ministered there. Upon return the whole family contracted typhoid. (Follow the story “what made A.N.DUGGER to migrate to Jerusalem.)

The “back to Salem movement” broke into at least three factions;
a)       The original Salem people who stayed at Salem with it as headquarters,
b)      Dugger and Severson, who went to Jerusalem, and Severson is reportedly to have died there later.
c)      Olson and Groshans, who formed the Seventh Day Church of God in Caldwell, Idaho.














CHAPTER FOUR:

A.N.DUGGER MIGRATES TO JERUSALEM.

It was a dark rainy night in September, 1952 when, A.N. Dugger with his two girls, Naomi and Mary, ages 22 and 18, went on top of the big hill above the hospital in Portland Oregon, USA. Intending to pray all night for their mother, Dugger’s wife Effie that the death warrant would be cancelled. She was to die that Friday night.
The Dugger’s were living in the Willamette Valley in Oregon at the time. He had just returned to USA, after an extended trip in Nigeria, Africa, where with five native ministers and Elder A.C.Olson of Wisconsin, U.S.A., rode bicycles through the jungles visiting groups of converts from the heathens. Soon after reaching home Dugger suddenly became ill, and they thought it was just an ordinary sickness they call flu. No doctor was called because they used not been accustomed to doing this in time of sickness, but prayers had always been amply sufficient, and wonderfully effective during the years they were raising their family.
Dugger’s wife, however owing to the severity of his sickness, fearing he might have contracted some contagious disease while in Africa, called a physician for the safety of others calling on them. The doctor mistakenly pronounced that it was just the flu, while it was the typhoid fever. At the time of Dugger’s partial recovery. Effie took sick, and after she had lingered in a serious condition for several weeks with much internal bleeding, Dugger examined an old doctor’s book and found that her symptoms correspond to those with the typhoid. In the meantime their children had all taken it and had recovered.

Effie was in a very serious condition and had not responded to anointing and prayer. They had a blood test taken which proved it was typhoid fever so she was rushed immediately to the Contagious Isolation Hospital in Portland, Oregon, where she was given blood transfusions. Members of their local church offered blood, and considerable was given by Brother Yancy McGill, as it was of the same type, but the bleeding continued for nearly two weeks and instead of getting better daily grew worse and worse. They had to get blood daily from the blood bank in Portland.
  
Their two girls, Naomi and Mary, stayed with Dugger in Portland, and they fasted three period of three days each and prayed for her recovery, but it was not effective and she grew weak and worse. She was losing blood so fast that they had to put a needle into each arm, and had put in eighteen pints of blood.

 Finally, on Friday afternoon the head doctor told Dugger they had just taken a test and she was now losing blood faster than it was running in her at both arms. He said they could operate and remove the intestines that were bleeding, but she was too weak to stand and operation, and would never survive. He said there was nothing that could save her, and she would pass away sometime during that night.

It was a dark moonless rainy night, but with the girls, Dugger went on top of the big hill back of the hospital among the tall trees intending to stay there all night and pray. The rain was dropping down through the trees on them. They had their Bibles and a flashlight. Naomi would let the Bible fall open, then with the aid of the flashlight, read a while. Then they would all kneel down and pray. This was repeated a number of times. Finally Naomi said: “Daddy I just know Mama is going to get well”. Dugger said: “I know she is too.”

That assurance came suddenly over the two of them at one time. Dugger had that night repeated his vow that if the Heavenly Father would restore Effie back to health again, he would sell all of their belongings, and go to Jerusalem.

 Dugger had many times definitely felt the urge to go to Jerusalem and publish a paper there but had made excuses. At night it would come to his mind. In the morning it would come again. It constantly plagued him, and he could not throw it off. It was on his mind that night. Dugger felt like he was a Jonah, and promised he would leave his children and grandchildren and go to Jerusalem if God would save his wife, See Jonah chapter one.
 As they walked down the hill at a late hour through the weeds and brush in this pasture, they saw above the hospital a plainly visible glow of light like a small cloud the size of a door over the hospital building. They climbed over the big pasture gate, and walked around to the hospital entrance, went up the broad steps and walked inside. It was so timed that night at that moment the head nurse of the hospital with the nurse taking care of Effie were walking down the wide central hall.

Dugger stepped out in front of them and said: “How is my wife now?”
They replied: “There is no change yet.”
Dugger said: “Well there is going to be a change tonight.”
“Why what do you mean?” was there answer.
He said: “We have been on the hill praying and we got an answer. She is going to get well.”

 The head nurse with an expression of disdain straightened back, lifted her head a little higher and without a word pranced down the hall. Effie’s nurse, Mrs. Osborn, patted Dugger on the shoulder and said: “Good for you”.

At the desk they told Dugger to leave them his telephone number so they could call him. Dugger knew what it was all about, and would not give them the phone number, for it would show a lack of faith. Dugger and the girls went to their rooms, and the next morning he got into his car drove to the girl’s room, picked them up and they went to the hospital without any fear whatever.
 They walked in and he asked: “How is my wife this morning?” They answered “She stopped bleeding last night.”
That was sufficient. They went into her room and talked with her. She was brighter than ever. It was only a few days until she was home with the family.
As they talked to her that morning, she suddenly said, “Did you hear that voice?” They said, “No we did not hear anything.” She said, “I heard a voice, and it said tell your husband to be sure to keep his promise.” All of this was very miraculous for she knew nothing about the promise Dugger had made on the hill that he could sell off everything and go to Jerusalem.

 They began making definite arrangements to go to Jerusalem. They sold their little place, paid off the mortgage, and got rid of other little belongings. They left their four children, two in school and two married and all of the grandchildren, and in a little less than a year were on their way to Jerusalem, where they published magazines and have been in the Father’s work ever since.
(Tract-What started us to Israel- by A. N. Dugger)

                                  

The Mount Zion Reporter House
Naomi Dugger's memories
"All of us recovered from the typhoid fever except my mother Effie [Andrew Dugger's wife]," began Mrs. Fauth. "She had the fever extremely bad and went into a coma."
The Dugger’s were living in the Willamette Valley in Oregon at the time.
"We took her to the hospital, and they did not give her any chance of survival. After being in a coma for more than a week, the nurse asked my father for a phone number where he could be reached that night because they did not expect my mother to survive through the night.
"This was a Friday afternoon. She was bleeding so bad that they were giving her blood infusions more than her body could take because it was coming out so quick.
"They told my father that, even if by some miracle she did not die, she would be a vegetable and would never regain consciousness again.
"My father had been praying and was told by God that my mother would be healed, so he told the nurse there was no need to give a phone number, which my mother was going to be healed.
"Well, we left and saw such a beautiful sunset, and for the first time since my mother was sick I knew she would be okay.
"My father had prayed that afternoon that if God would heal my mother he would keep his promise to God to go to Jerusalem and start the end-time work there.
"The next day we went to church and then went to the hospital. When we arrived, the nurse called my father frantically, saying, 'Come quickly.'
"When we came around the corner we entered my mother's room and she had come out of the coma and was awake and completely healed without even any side effects.
"The doctors were amazed and told my father that no one had ever recovered from typhoid that was that progressed. The doctors were so amazed at the miracle that they put my mother in the health medical books as an unexplained healing.
"When my father went over to my mother, she told him that the first thing that happened to her when she awoke was that she heard a voice from the Holy Spirit clearly speak to her and say, 'Tell your husband to remember his promise.' Needless to say, my parents moved to Israel a few months later." (www.thejournal.com)
                   

Andrew N. Dugger with wife Effie (Playing accordion).  Their daughter Mary is playing her marimba. This photo was taken in Jerusalem in 1954. Soon after, Mary returned to America and married Sam Fauth.






A.N. Dugger and the Jerusalem World Headquarters of the Church of God, 7th Day

This brief history is about the Jerusalem World Headquarters, started through the efforts of Andrew N. Dugger. This historical perspective of the Church of God (Seventh Day) is written through the eyes of the Caribbean and African movement of the church.

During the fall of 1931, Andrew N. Dugger, was commissioned by the Executive Committees of the Church of God (Seventh Day) in Salem, WV, and Stanberry, MO, to set up a World Headquarters in Jerusalem. His focus was not to be on North America but on foreign countries. He moved to Israel and established a headquarters there with a printing press. Because of this, the gospel went throughout the Caribbean, Scotland, Africa, Europe, India, and other third world countries.

It seems certain that there were a few Churches of God (Seventh Day) in the Caribbean before the 1930s because of the oral history that have been passed down through the years. The first islands known to have churches were Trinidad, Jamaica and St. Lucia. In years following, missionaries and evangelists were sent throughout the different parts of the Greater and Lesser Antilles and the Virgin Islands to establish churches.

Until Dugger’s death in 1975, these churches benefited greatly and enjoyed years of progress. This was in part due to A. N. Dugger’s writing of over 150 different tracts and books such as Israel Correspondent Bible School lessons, the very popular Mt. Zion Reporter (also known to some as the Judah Magazine), Sabbath Lesson quarterlies, the Jerusalem Messenger, Jewish calendars and the Chart of the Daniel image and Beasts of Revelation. The Mt. Zion Reporter was such an intricate part of these churches that an article was read from this magazine every Sabbath morning during service. This tradition has continued to this very day. The three most famous books are Bible Home Instructor, History of the True Religion, and Daniel and Revelation. These are all available from Giving & Sharing,
PO Box 100, Neck City, MO 64849
.

The churches that began in the New York metropolitan area of the United States are the results of evangelists and ministers migrating to America during the 1960s and 70s. Even though they moved for different reasons, the truth was preached and churches were raised up and continued to grow because of this Jerusalem work. For example, in the Greater New York area, there are about 15-20 churches that either came out of the Jerusalem work, have members who still support the Jerusalem work, or have ministers who originally grew up within the Jerusalem church. Since the Jerusalem work has been stagnant for some time, some of these churches have joined the Denver group or became independent.

From the beginning, the Denver group did not support the idea that a world headquarters was necessary and needed. The committee appointed A. N. Dugger to Israel. The Jerusalem work in the early stages was supported by the Denver group but things changed some years later.

During the progressive years, when an abundance of printed materials and teaching come out of Jerusalem, many were not informed of the history and origin of the Jerusalem work. There is some misinformation about these groups. The history of the beginning of the Jerusalem and Denver work is the same.

What you will find today is that some of the churches that came out of the stagnant Jerusalem movement have shifted focus, and have left and have become affiliated with the Denver Conference. There are a number of reasons for this but here are the two main reasons:

It is very important that the history of the Church of God (Seventh Day) is shared. In doing so, there can be a unique opportunity for the churches to share in their strengths and realize that we all had the same beginning. But because of the mis-education and misinformation, the Churches of God remains further a part.






CHAPTER FIVE:

A.N. DUGGER’S CO-WORKERS.

William Heuer


William Heuer (1904-1994) passed away on June 16, 1994 at the age of 89 years 7 months, 15 days. He was born on November 1, 1904 in the Northwest Territories in Canada, near what in now Regina, Saskatchewan. He was the fifth child of Otto and Anna Heuer. He grew up on a farm at Burnham, Saskatchewan where he also received his education. He enjoyed playing baseball and hockey.

As a young man in his early 20s, he moved to a farm in North Eastern Saskatchewan. It was while living in that area that he met his future wife, Emma Baker. They were married on January 10, 1928. After there marriage they returned to the Burnham district.

In 1939 the family, which now consisted of Mom, Dad and two daughters, move to British Columbia. It was here that William Heuer met Elder Severson and E. A. Straub. In 1940 he accepted the Lord as his personal Savior and was baptized. He remained faithful to this commitment until his death. A few years after his conversion, he felt the Lord calling him to the ministry. Surely this must be a mistake, he thought, I’m a farmer, not a preacher.

Like Gideon of old, he put out a fleece and surely the Lord had called him. In 1947, the family sold the dairy farm and moved to the Yakima Valley. In November of 1947, he held his first meetings in the Toppenish area.

From that time forward, until ill health no longer permitted, he was busy working in the vineyard of the Lord. He labored extensively in the Caribbean, US Virgin Islands, South America, and Africa and made a trip to Jerusalem, Israel, to visit the Church of God World Headquarters. His greatest joy was to see souls accept the Lord. Even after his stroke in 1988, on days when his thoughts were clearer, he would talk about going to the mission fields. The Lord was very precious to him. Even during the past years when everything else was often in disarray, a mention of the Lord would change his spirit and he would praise Him.

Elder Heuer loved his family deeply and nothing would make him as happy as to have the grandchildren and great grandchildren stop by. He is survived by his loving wife, Emma, two daughters and their spouses, Gertrude and Reuben Fauth; Bernice and Theo Schelert. He was preceded in death by a great grandson, Scott Fauth, his parents, 3 brothers, 2 sisters and 2 nieces.

Source: This was written by Bernice Schelert and read at Elder Heuer’s funeral in Yakima, WA. Elder Gilbert A. Monrose (St. Thomas, VI) along with his wife, Elizabeth attended the funeral and provided this information. For more information see www.mtzioncog7.org/churchpioneers.htm.

Elder Heuer traveled a lot in answering calls worldwide, one of such call was in Kenya where he went in 1980’s to solve an imminent division about the feast days and Holy days of Israel. The meeting was held at a place known as Mona, Molo (Kenya).  Division occurred as Heuer proved not to take a clear stand pro or against the feasts. When asked if it’s good to keep the feasts, it’s said that he replied, “When am in Jerusalem I do keep them.” The statement led to two different interpretations with some arguing that feasts are to be kept only when in Jerusalem while others pointing out that they are to do as Jerusalem does, thus divisions occurred.


A.M. Shoemaker.
A white-haired traveling evangelist who was usually sent by A.N. Dugger to minister and open up churches in various filled around the globe. A Kenyan by the name Edward Macharia in 1960’s used to work at Limuru Theological College (a Sunday keeping college), where one day he picked a magazine there named “Israel’s Watchman”  Macharia wanted to know more about what he had read and he wrote to the publisher requesting for more. Instead of receiving the same magazine he received “The Mount Zion Reporter”. From there he developed correspondence with A.N. Dugger. Many brethren believed this new faith and needed baptism, most of their knowledge of the Bible was the one they had read in the Judah magazines, Bible lessons, Bible Calendars and thousand of tracts that they received from Jerusalem. They requested Dugger to send someone to Kenya to minister and baptize them. In August 6, 1970 A.M. Shoemaker arrived in Nairobi, Kenya. In about two months labor there he baptized 284 converts and ordained sixteen men called to the ministry. He left Kenya for Israel In October 15, 1970. It’s believed that he also traveled to other countries to minister. A. M. Shoemaker died on 23/3/1980 at the age of 74 years.
Elder Harry Schlenker
He was the manager of The Israel Bible Correspondence School, that by June, 1972, he had sent out 44 Bible lessons in seven languages. Much is not known of him.
A.N. Dugger and the Feast Days.
When still in USA, it’s not evident that Dugger ever kept the feast days. From his debates with Porter, it’s evident that while in America Dugger had a low opinion as far feast celebrations is concerned.

When he migrated to Jerusalem, he kept the feast days, according to the Jewish manner of calculating. Therefore Dugger believed it is not wrong to keep them, and can be good. In 1972, Dugger kept the feast of Pentecost on Friday (Sivan 6) with his group at Jerusalem (Mt. Zion Reporter, August 1972, 5, 7)
Dugger also used Yahshua as a descriptive title of Jesus.

In most of the questions that Dugger answered in The Mount Zion Reporter, he didn’t come out clearly against of pro feasts; “The question should not be if it’s good or not to keep the feast days, but the question should be, ‘Will the heavenly Father be happy with me when I join His children in celebrating this feasts” That was one of the answers that appeared in the Reporter. His wife Effie, usually wrote a column ‘Life in Israel’ where she narrated how the month was at during feast days, she described how they kept it.

 A.N. Dugger Dies.

Andrew Nugget Dugger died on November 2, 1975 at the age of 89 years after being sick for only ten days. He had spent 50 years in marriage to his wife Effie. His son in law Gordon Morris Fauth took over leadership of the Jerusalem church, while his wife Effie Carpenter Dugger took the office of editorship of The Mount Zion Reporter.


Inscriptions of II Tim.4:7, 8 at A.N. Dugger’s grave in Jerusalem.

           

AN ANGEL STORY.
As Reported By Naomi Dugger Fauth.
“My father was sick about 10 days before his death. The first few days he was very quiet. All the while his mind was clear and he seemed strong. I’ll try to tell you about the angels coming as he told it to me. It was about the middle of the week. He started by saying in an inspired deep and wonderful voice, ‘There were angels right here in the room with me last night.” “They were right here.” He said, “It was just wonderful,” and repeated several times how wonderful it was, and said, “There were three of them. They wouldn’t let me see them at first.” He said he kept trying to see them and finally they let him see them. He said there were three of them and that they were exactly side by side and when they moved, they moved exactly together and turned together. He said he wanted to see their faces. Then his voice became filled with deep sorrow and he couldn’t speak. I asked him if that was all or did the angels do something. He said slowly with great difficulty deeply sobbing and broken, “Yes,” he said, “They did something.” He continued very slow hardly able to speak, saying that the devil was there first with something in his hand and that he was trying to cut of daddy’s head: “and then the angels came”. He said there was a terrible fight, and finally after a long battle the angels made the devil go away. Then he got to see them. The last words he spoke to me later, towards the end of the Sabbath when I asked him how he felt he said. “Not very good,” and he said in that same strong moving and wonderful deep voice, “I’ve been having wonderful dreams, though.” Then I tried to encourage him to eat. We had walked all through the Old City and found him a piece of watermelon (which was late in season and none on the market) from a home in the Old City. He told me how good it tasted but he said. “I think it is more important for me to rest now than eat.” We never thought it was his time to go”.
(Reported by Naomi Fauth- The Mount Zion Reporter, August 1976, pg14)


After A.N. Dugger.

There were no more printed materials or communication from Jerusalem because of the death of Dugger and old age of the Gordon M. Fauth. No more organizational structure with leadership in place to assist local churches. This created a big gap and many churches in need of support, printed materials (quarterlies, tracts, and magazines) and other assistance to help strengthen their local churches could not get any. Thus, some churches moved back under the Denver umbrella.

Another set back for the organizational structure was the passing of Elder William Heuer in 1994. He was very instrumental in forming the Caribbean Conference that was to serve under the auspices of the World Headquarters. He made many visits to the Caribbean and African region to continue building the work. Dugger gave William Heuer of Yakima, WA the reigns to serve as the Overseer of the Caribbean, Africa and the few churches that started in America. This Conference is very active today and holds yearly conventions in selected Caribbean islands. There have been delegate churches in most, if not all the islands. These churches have and will continue to consider Jerusalem as their Headquarters.

In 1984, an International Conference was held in Brooklyn, New York. Delegates from Africa, US and the Caribbean gathered at the Mt. Zion Church of God (7th Day). The Caribbean and African Conferences was formed at that time. Bishop Eckobu was picked to be the Overseer for Africa. This is the only formal African Conference that was ever established. Churches in Africa, North America, Canada and the Caribbean that were waiting for the work to revive are now independent. For a listing of churches, visit our Directory.
                                  Gordon M. Fauth.

Effie Carpenter Dugger Dies.
Effie Dugger the wife of A.N. Dugger died on March 3, 1980 at the age of 84 years; she was buried in Jerusalem.
Inscriptions at Effie Dugger’s grave.
What of Other Church of God Groups.
From the History of the True Church, 1972 Edition.
There are a number of other groups of this same faith with some slight non-essential doctrinal differences in various places carrying on a good work, and printing various publications from their national headquarters. We believe they are all gathering fruit for the kingdom, and the foundation creed of all of these groups is the same, viz., Revelation 12:17, "the commandments of Elohim and the testimonies of Yahshua (Christ)."
One of these headquarters is Denver, Colorado; another, Meridian, Idaho, and some that make the sacred Hebrew names of the Father and the Son, a special part of their message (Proverbs 30:4; Psalm 68:4, and 91:14, also 69:35, 36, and Isaiah 52:6) are located at Junction City, Oregon, and Jackson Gap, Alabama, also The Faith of Holt, Michigan.
We believe these will all fall in line with the Holy Scriptures and publicly affirm that Jerusalem was chosen of the Father, and must be recognized as the World Headquarters by all of the remnant people holding to the New Testament name, and the true faith once delivered to the saints, as they are led further by the Holy Spirit.
"Watch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man." -- Luke 21:24 to 36.















A letter from Gordon Morris Fauth announcing the death of Effie.







A copy of a ministerial certificate signed by A.N. Dugger as the General Overseer.







Books and Tracts written by Andrew N. Dugger.

Books.
1.       Daniel and Revelation.
2.       The Bible Home Instructor.
3.       The History of The True Church.- By A.N. Dugger and C.O. Dodd.
4.       Dugger- Porter Debate – By A.N. Dugger and W.C. Porter.
Tracts and Articles:
1.       Easter, Christmas and Sunday.
2.       The Greatest Miracle of Age- The Rebirth of Israel.
3.       40 Points of Doctrine- Covering the main Beliefs of The Church of God 7th Day.
4.       The Resurrection of Christ.
5.       The Third Angels Message.
6.       The Ten Tribes of Israel.
7.       The Law of the Spirit of Life.
8.       Death in the Kitchen.
9.       The Mark of the Beast.
10.   The Restoration of the Kingdom to Israel.
11.   What is the real baptism and Doctrine.
12.   Crisis Dates in the Bible Prophecy.
13.   What was abolished by Christ?
14.   Who are the Messianic Jews in Israel?
15.   Has our Messiah come?
16.   The Greatest Discovery of Age-Noah Ark found.
17.   Healing by Obedience.
18.   How Gentiles Get in.
19.   The Oldest Church of God Building.
20.   Judah’s Failure to Stand by Her Agreed Test.
21.   The Change of the Sabbath- Who authorized it?
22.   Doctrine and History of the True Religion.
23.   Why is the Jew Indestructible?
24.   Not under Law but under Grace.
25.   Hell what is it and where is it.
26.   The Daughter of Jerusalem and the Daughter of Babylon.
27.   Israel’s God A reality or a myth.
28.   Why the 7 last plaques are literal and future.
29.   Marriage Institution.
30.   The Master’s sign.
31.   I will bless them that bless thee.
32.   The Passover and Lord’s Supper (Feet washing)




A copy of the first paper published by The Church of God 7th Day.



References:

  1. Jerusalem Messenger, Volume 10, Chislev (December 1970).
  2. The Mount Zion Reporter Magazines (Judah)
  3. History of the Seventh Day Church of God by Richard Nickels.
  4. What Started Us to Jerusalem- Tract.
  5. The History of the True Religion by A.N. Dugger and C.O. Dodd.
  6. The Harvest Field Messenger, “Our Heritage Reveals Our Mission.”
  7. The Journal Website (journal.org)
  8. Internet (www.findagrave.com)
  9. Review You can Use, Jan-Feb 1994.
  10. Website (www.giveshare.org)
  11. Website (www.friendsofsabbath.org)
  12. The Story of the Church of God (seventh day) by Robert Coulter
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