Who was Harry Morse ?

[Scott Pitta]

Looks like I will interview a man who was visited the Apostolic Faith Mission during the 1906 revival.

What questions should I ask him ??

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

Looks like I will interview a man who was visited the Apostolic Faith Mission during the 1906 revival.

What questions should I ask him ??

First of all, ask him how in the world he has been able to live to be over 112 years old?

I would ask:

1. What were meetings like?
2. Have you noticed a change in the meetings from then to today?
3. In other words, is "Pentecost" the same now as it was then, as far as worship, prayer, preaching, holiness, etc?
4. Ask him for his testimony, how he got saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost?
5. What would he say to today's Pentecostals? What should we be doing, or stop doing, or doing more (or less) of?

Then ask him again how in the world he made it past 112 years old? (That would assume he was only about 1 year old in 1906...)

[Scott Pitta]

Not sure about the age issue. I just found out about this guy 5 hours ago. I knew his parents visited the AFM mission.

Whatever happens, I will post about it here.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

Not sure about the age issue. I just found out about this guy 5 hours ago. I knew his parents visited the AFM mission.

Whatever happens, I will post about it here.

Good. Nothing like history from the horse's mouth. (Not that the guy is a horse, of course...)

[Scott Pitta]

I have done dozens of interviews. They can be a bit frustrating. Memories are important to the witness, but not necessarily important to me.

Usually, I let them tell stories until they run out of them. I then ask predetermined questions about certain events. This sometimes brings up other memories.

The stories sometimes confirms data I already have. Sometimes the data is memories from their childhood.

One never knows what a senior might remember

[Scott Pitta]

New old data about a few of Harry's students came in this week. Looks like Ruby Martin was a student and secretary for Harry Morse from around 1932-1939.

So was a missionary kid. The following is her story, as told by Harry Morse.
Sister Ruth Bernsten Redmon was born in Cheng Ting Fu, Hopei, China, on August 26, 1910 and departed this life on February 20, 1947, at El Monte, California. She resided in China until the year 1934. Many and varied were her experiences in that land and God healed her from dread diseases on several occasions and preserved for her the work unto which she was called. Her parents brought the Pentecostal message into North China. Her father passed away in China in 1933 and her mother in 1935.

Sister Redmon came to the United States in 1934. Brother and Sister Harry Morse of Oakland, California, took her into their hearts and home and she became a daughter to them. After a short rest, she began preaching the message of salvation to the lost, not only in California, but also in various parts of the country. Her evangelistic trips took her into 20 states and also Canada. She was ordained in Bemis, Tennessee. On June 2, 1940, sister Bernsten and Herschel E. Redmon were united in marriage at Oakland, California by Brother Harry Morse.

Funeral services were conducted at the Apostolic Temple in El Monte with Edward F. Smith, pastor, officiating. Mrs. Harry Morse read two memorial poems and gave a short talk. Sister Redmond was laid to rest in the El Monte, California cemetery, there to await the sound of the trumpet from heaven at the first resurrection.

Sister Redmon leaves to mourn her passing, her husband, Herschel E. Redmon; a brother, an aunt and uncle; a half sister in Norway and a host of friends.

[Scott Pitta]

A productive week.

The Esther Redmond obit, penned by Morse was a great find. It also explains why she stopped deputizing. Still not sure how she died.

Ruby Martin was both a student and the secretary for Harry Morse for 7 years, probably from 1932-1939. I wish she had a diary or pictures.

Ray Jones was a mystery. He is in one picture once. I caught up with him when he crossed the border into Canada. Not sure of his connection to the Pentecostal Mission in Stockton. but his parents did live in Los Angeles.

William Manley had connections with a church in Denver in 1908. I finally figured out which one. I had given up on that problem when it solved itself when looking at something else.

Time to get back at it.

[Scott Pitta]

For the past ten weeks a steady revival has been on in which there have been many converted and wonderfully transformed. Among them are bootleggers, hold up man, prison termers and some nice college men and a prize fighter well known here in the city. Come and hear their testimonies. The sick are also being healed, freely.

Newspaper report of Big Downtown Mission from 1926.

[Scott Pitta]

Lucile Farmer wrote a book called A Willing Heart back in 1992.

While it does touch on a few persons of interests for my research, it provides no significant insights for the Harry Morse protect.

Hopefully, the William Booth-Clibborn book of his own personal testimony (1921) will have meaningful data.

I did compile a list of 1918 AOG ministers who lived in the San Francisco/Oakland area. I might end up hunting their descendants down to see if they have any old pictures or stories of Oakland.

[Scott Pitta]

August 7, 1926
Oakland Tribune

The Big Brown Tent revival has been consolidated with the Big White tent organization on East Twelfth street and Twenty-fifth avenue. The Big Brown tent has been dismantled. This union of the Downtown Mission with the General Council of the Assemblies of God, according to officials, means a strengthening of the revival forces which have been active here for the past three months.

This campaign is in charge of Pastor M.R. Tatman of the Assemblies of God and Pastor Harry Morse of the Big Downtown Mission. Evangelist Manuel Sequira will speak tonight and tomorrow.

The big drawing card of the union campaign for the month will be Dr. E. R. Driver of Los Angeles. Dr. Driver is a converted Buddhist from Bombay, India, highly educated and of the high caste. He was formerly a lawyer and orator.

Services are held every night at 7:45 and Sunday at 3 p.m. Young people’s meetings are held each Saturday evening.

A few things are noteworthy. Tatman and Morse would become lifelong friends and Oakland residents. Tatman did not remain in the AOG. Neither stayed in any denomination for long.

The speaker, Manuel Sequira, is Hispanic. The headliner is a former Hindu. With a name like Driver, he is probably English. Not sure. "Colored" singers sing for Morse. Japanese and black students are among the students accepted by Morse.

It was common for churches to team up for revivals in Oakland. It was just as common for an evangelist to preach at different churches in town before he/she left for the next town.

The current combined revival lasted for one month, as planned.

Notice the 3 pm start time on Sunday. Looks like during this revival, there was one Sunday service.

During this monthlong tent revival, there were no services at the brick and mortar churches pastored by Tatman and Morse.

What stands out to you about this article ? Am I noticing the important features ?

Yes, still working on that Morse biography