Who was Harry Morse ?

[Scott Pitta]

Harry Morse Bible School class notes from 1903

White Horse- worldwide revival that began in 1906

Red Horse- war, from 1914 on

Black Horse- troubles and famine making death

Pale Horse- death proper

Yes, I am still typing up class notes.

[Scott Pitta]

I'm still in the process of typing up old Bible college notes. I have 78 pages done. Around 30 to go. Typing up notes bow is about as much fun as when I was in college. An old Imperials album is playing, just like it did in Stockton 30 years ago.

I learned new things about William Francis Manley yesterday. The Apostolic Faith Mission in Portland sent me some records they had about the beginning of Pentecostalism in Oakland. So that picture is clearing up.

The Volunteers of America archive person is prepping documents about Harry Morse from 1902. No one has copies of the Peniel Herald Magazine.

The other Pentecostal mission training home in Oakland found a few boxes of documents that need to be sifted through. Hopefully, I will be able to do that in person...someday.

The chapter on William Francis Manley was sent to the AG archive for review.

Curtis Young lives in Sacramento and "they say" he knew Harry Morse. I am awaiting a phone call from him.

Back to work in the morning.

[Garbonzo]

Thanks for the update.

It was this thread that roped me in to joining and commenting on AFF. Always look forward to the next post.

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by Garbonzo

Thanks for the update.

It was this thread that roped me in to joining and commenting on AFF. Always look forward to the next post.

Agree.

[Scott Pitta]

I interviewed a former student today. Carl Adams was short on details, but he shared the impact his time in Oakland had on his ministry. He also described the character of Harry Morse.

'Morse was his own man. He was not a copycat. He was not cut out of the pattern. He would not be accepted by a majority of the people now a days. He was a solid Bible teacher. He was reaching people no one else reached. He loved people. He was a great man of God, a man of integrity, who had compassion for people."

Morse was a Sabbath keeper. Carl Adams did not know where or how Morse became a Sabbath keeper.

He was the only Azusa Pentecostal that I am aware of who kept the Sabbath.

[Scott Pitta]

I chatted with the son of Carl Adams prior to calling him. This is how I usually approach interviews. His son called his dad to make sure he was in his room, etc. Then he asked his dad if he remembered Harry Morse.

"Of course I do !!" he proclaimed. 74 years after he left school, he still remembered his old teacher.

Teachers have profound positive impacts on their students !!

[Scott Pitta]

A box came in the mail today.

Phenomenon of Pentecost by Wart
Echoes of the past- biography of Odell Cagle
The Witness of God magazine 1917-1946

The Cagle biography has a picture of the Morse mission students from 1940. It also has a picture of students at a street service.

New data to search !!

[Scott Pitta]

Frank Ewart quote form the Phenomenon of Pentecost

Pastor Harry I. Morse has been one of the most efficient of our ministers in this Latter Rain movement. Brother Morse has enjoyed a long and very successful ministry. He is essentially a pastor and a teacher. He has been over thirty years in his present place of abode, and during this time he has been the pastor of a large missionary church. Most of this time he has conducted a training home for missionaries and workers in the home lands. Solid, spiritual, scriptural training has been given the students, and they were out to work in the big, downtown mission church in a practical way, and taught how to face an audience, conduct the preliminaries of the meeting and them they were given training in handling the word of God.

During these thirty years, Pastor MOrse has been famous as a friend and supporter of the missionary cause. He has topped the lists in his state in missionary contributions and this in a state that has been noted for its missionary liberality. Numbers of our best young workers have received their training and early experiences in Pastor Morse’s mission home. A good number of these are successful workers today both at home and abroad.

Brother Morse has always stood for the unity of the spirit until we all come into the unity of the faith. His policy has been questioned, but on the whole, it has proved eminently successful and practical. I have known Pastor Morse intimately for thirty years, and my every memory of him brings to mind the words of Jesus: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.” He has passed through long years of hard work and lucrative experiences, which have had the ultimate reaction of developing in him characteristics that are very rich and exceedingly rare. He has a disposition that makes it natural and easy for him to be courteous, gentlemanly and kind. His influence for God and righteousness throughout the long years and the steady grind had been of the highest quality. I doubt whether any one man has wielded a more beneficial and lasting influence on this Latter Rain movement and the end is not yet--- praise the Lord !

[Scott Pitta]

Echoes of the Past by Odell Cagle page 102-104

About this time came the early part of the “latter rain,” and I knew nothing of their doctrine. The difficult thing was they did not know about their doctrine either. One outstanding example was with a well known elderly brother. He was one who worked for our organization for years and was a great teacher and leader. When I talked to him, what they called the “new thing,” he wanted to be thrown out of the UPC and suffer martyrdom for this great revelation God had given him. So, the General Superintendent, Bro. Howard A. Goss, came out from St. Louis to help us in this unusual matter. Bro. Goss decided the best way for us to handle this case was to get on the inside of it.

We would act as if we were interested in this “new thing,” so we did just that, though we did get a lot of unfavorable publicity in doing so. We walked right in and made ourselves at home. The dear old pastor was happy beyond words to see us come into “the new thing,” and with outstretched arms he receive us. When they opened the meeting we were the first to “exhort.” I, being the first to speak, made mine shorthand and to the point. Then Bro. Goss was to “exhort” ! I knew his would not be short and I was right, for he spoke for about thirty minutes, telling them how long he himself had been in this latter rain. Looking over the congregation and reading the faces of the people, I knew he was out of the spirit ( in their way of judging). As soon as Bro. Goss sat down a message went forth in thundering tones. “Yes, I say, the first part of this service was in the sweet spirit of the Lord; after that the spirit of Satan took over, trying to turn us from this “new” and living way.” Then the kind old pastor tried to patch it all up for us. The pastor, standing to his feet, said, “Dear ones, we must all keep sweet, Our dear Bro. Goss had not heard the truth of this wonderful “new move.” It was not fifty years ago that this “new thing” started, but only three years ago up in Canada.” And then the old pastor began t give the names of men who had started it. After the good old pastor got everything fixed up for us, he called his evangelist to the pulpit and we were unwillingly subjected to a scatterbrained lecture of about two hours on the doctrine of the so called latter rain. His subject was Noah’s Ark and he compared all the animals to people and the art to the New Testament Church. He said, “Now, brother (calling the name of the pastor), he may be the buzzard and I may be the skunk, but oh, Glory to God, we are in the ark !” The good old pastor responded with a hearty Ah-men. Ah-men.

When the evangelist turned the service back to the pastor, the pastor called on Bro. Goss to pray the closing prayer. Bro. Goss moved up behind the the pulpit, as if he might preach again, but he did pray and prayed a good sermon. This was a little too much for one of the brothers sitting behind Bro. Goss, who was supposed to have the gift of casting out devils. I saw this man get up out of his seat and move slowly with his hands out in front of him, aiming for Bro. Goss, who was not aware that this man was creeping up on him. As soon as he was in reach, he suddenly slapped both hands on Bro. Goss’s back, crying with a loud voice, “I rebuke the devil and demand him to come out.” This was all so sudden and shocking that it startled Bro. Goss. He closed his prayer instantly and came back and sat down by me. Bro. Goss turned his head and whispered to me, “Don’t you tell this on me.”

From this meeting, Bro.Goss and I went to our hotel room. I did not say anything to him about the meeting, waiting for him to speak about it first. After some time of silence, Bro. Goss said, “I’m getting cold feet!” I acted as if I thought he meant that his feet were getting cold, so I said, “Turn up the heat a little. It does seem a bit cold in here.” Bro. Goss smiled and said, ”You know what I mean, this later rain deal. I have begun to see that the Western District Board was right about the whole thing.” I told him that I thought we had leaned over backwards, so to speak, to try to help this brother. I also told him that all the brethren felt the same way about this kind old pastor. so we left off the subject of latter rain for a little while.

It was at the meeting of the Western District Board at Oakland, California in 1949 that this long time “elder in Israel” was granted his request to be thrown out of the UPC. That was the way he put it i words, though we did not word it that way. Thanks God, my memory takes me back to more pleasant things than dealing with this case.

[Steve Epley]

The "latter rain movement" was very weird to say the least.