Who was Harry Morse ?

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

So she was stateside from 1934-1936. Gray knew her during that window of time, but where ?

Gray’s wife I think was a missionary? Something in the back of my mind connects her to China?

[Scott Pitta]

Emily Belle Butler was born and raised in Oakland. She met David Gray when he was at the Morse mission. They were married in 1936 by Harry Morse.

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

Emily Belle Butler was born and raised in Oakland. She met David Gray when he was at the Morse mission. They were married in 1936 by Harry Morse.

Maybe his Mother was the Missionary I will ask his son?

[Steve Epley]

Missionaries to Japan. Frank & May Gray.

[Scott Pitta]

Yes, David's parents were missionaries to Japan. In fact, David was born Yokohama.

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

Yes, David's parents were missionaries to Japan. In fact, David was born Yokohama.

He told me y’all was in contact.

[Scott Pitta]

Yep. The children, or grandchildren of many students have contributed data and or documents to the project. They have also leaned on me to finish the project. Their favorite part is having new old pics of their parents.

[Scott Pitta]

One tool I use to find more data for the project is by writing the history of the Peniel Mission movement. I cannot find any useful books on the subject, so I have ended up collecting data on my own.

As it shows up, it is tossed in the Peniel Mission file. Eva Shearer was a Peniel Mission worker who worked at the San Pedro Peniel Mission. So did Harry Morse, or so it seemed.

Until today, there was a bit of confusion. There is a San Pedro Peniel Mission. There is a different mission on San Pedro Street, nor far from Azusa Street. Which one did Harry oversee ??

Frank Bartleman visited him, and wrote about it, but did not leave enough clues for exact time or location.

Today, when hunting down data about Eva Shearer, I found enough hard data to pin down when Harry and Maude moved down to San Pedro. This verifies not only which mission was the right one, but also when.

I am very excited.

Harry Mors is connected with 3 Peniel Missions. Santa Cruz, Stockton and San Pedro. After the Azusa Street outpouring, Morse parted with the Peniel Mission and began his own mission in Stockton. He called it the Apostolic Faith Mission.

Not an orignal church name, but a real eye opener for paper shuffling researchers such as myself.

[Scott Pitta]

San Pedro Daily News, 7/24/1906, page 2

The Holy Kickers of Los Angeles, known as the Church of the Apostolic Faith, called the church of the Gift of Tongues by the members, are at Terminal today to the number of 600 people They are holding a general service of baptism and this morning 135 were baptised into the faith, the service being performed by Rev. W. J. Seymour, of Los Angeles, who is the head of the California branch of the faith. He is assited by Rev. H. W. Smith,' also of Los Angeles. One half of the number baptized are colored. After the baptism service has been performed the converts fall upon the sands, kick up their heels and shout, ‘‘l've got the Faith. ’ ’

Fun article of the day

[Scott Pitta]

That church has a story that has yet to be told.

There were a handful of Pentecostal churches in Pasadena that nearly as old as the 1906 outpouring at Azusa Street.

When Margaret Peden and Ella Andrews came down from British Columbia, they stopped at the Big Downtown Mission in Oakland. Not long afterwards, they were in Pasadena, pastoring one of those Pentecostal Missions. Peden pastored there from 1929-1937.

David Gray was the next pastor. He said the church met in a house when he began there. He pastored there from around 1937-1942. Peden has passed away the day before Gray arrived.

After David Gray moved to Turlock, Clyde Haney became the new pastor in Pasadena. He built the church building. He was there from around 1942-1946. In late 1946, Haney moved to Stockton.

John Arthur Johnson, District Superintendent of the PCI pastored in Pasadena next. He was there from around 1946-1949.

Not sure why Harry Morse had such oversight over the church in Pasadena. It may have been PCI related oversight.

David Gray was ordained in the PCI when he was pastoring in Pasadena.

Isaac Hunnicutt 1951-1954
S. Edgar Langford 1955-1959
James Silvernale 1960-1973
Francis Mason 1974-1976
Euell Watts 1977-2004