Who was Harry Morse ?

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

Durham's associates in Los Angeles did not leave much of a paper trail. Harry Van Loon and Frank Ewart worked with Durham.

Looks like Frank Batchelder did not stay in Los Angeles for long.

He did publish a prophecy magazine in the 1950's. I have one issue.

I know I may not of ever asked this, but why is this preacher important?

[Scott Pitta]

Batchelder, along with Harry Morse and M.R. Tatman were probably the first ones to bring the Oneness message to Idaho and parts of Oregon.

Batchelder also rubbed shoulders with some rather important people such as William Durham and Aimee McPherson.

He is one of the original Oneness ministers. Writing about him and his ministry peers is important in understanding the spread of Onenss pentecostalism.

[Scott Pitta]

Batchelder, along with Harry Morse and M.R. Tatman were probably the first ones to bring the Oneness message to Idaho and parts of Oregon.

Batchelder also rubbed shoulders with some rather important people such as William Durham and Aimee McPherson.

He is one of the original Oneness ministers. Writing about him and his ministry peers is important in understanding the spread of Onenss pentecostalism.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

Batchelder, along with Harry Morse and M.R. Tatman were probably the first ones to bring the Oneness message to Idaho and parts of Oregon.

Batchelder also rubbed shoulders with some rather important people such as William Durham and Aimee McPherson.

He is one of the original Oneness ministers. Writing about him and his ministry peers is important in understanding the spread of Onenss pentecostalism.

So, Oneness Pentecostalism was a new issue that just sprung out of Trinitarianism? Like Mormons, SDA, Jehovah Witnesses?

[Scott Pitta]

Frank Ewart thought it was new. That is how he explained it.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

Frank Ewart thought it was new. That is how he explained it.

Did Harry Morse not think it was new? I asked a question, you told me it was to show how Oneness spread. It's like Azusa Street. Was that the first tongue talking revival? Was Agnes Osmond the first tongue talker? We who believe in One God believe the Bible. Whatever these people who lived in the early 1900s experience some recanted that experience. Who was Harry Morse? Who should care? Why should they care? That's an important question. The ways things are in religion if some Apostolics met Harry these days, would they agree with his theology? He soteriology? Or his eschatology? The spread of what I might add, what did this guy actually believe? Did he believe that all Trinitarians were lost? Did he believe that it was Acts 2:38 or hell? Since you are our resident expert on this guy, maybe you can help out with those questions?

[Esaias]

I liked Frank Ewart's book "The Phenomenon Of Pentecost." I liked Bartleman's book even better. I really liked Finney's works, and John Wesley's sermons. I even liked Luther's Commentary On Galatians.

But my faith is decided by God's Book.

And I also recognise there was and still is an agenda behind many statements of "early 20th century Pentecostals" both oneness and trinitarian. That agenda might be based on "good intentions" but we all know the saying about "good intentions". And that agenda wasn't really about Truth, but ecclesiastical politics. And the preachers and believers who didn't buy into the agenda were usually persona non grata as far as the new denominations were concerned.

[Scott Pitta]

The primary impact Morse had on Oneness Pentecostalism was in education. He ran a small training school which supplied dozens of early Oneness ministers with the training they needed for ministry.

Harry also promoted women in ministry. They became pastors and missionaries and educators.

Due to his close proximity to San Francisco, the Big Downtown Mission was the launching place for missionaries who travelled to the pacific by ship. It also was the first place homeward missionaries would stop at.

The interaction between these foreign missionaries and the students had a profound impact in either the students becoming missionaries or supporting them as pastors.

3 of the students of Harry Morse founded small Bible colleges of their own. 2 of those educational efforts are still in existence.

In Oakland, Harry Morse is not remembered for his theology. During the Great Depression, he fed hundreds every day at the mission. The mission also served as a place where drunks dried out and former prostitutes could reenter society.

Harry Morse wrote a handful of articles for publication. But not many. He was on the radio for 30 years. In fact, he may have been one of the first, if not the very first Oneness preachers on the radio. Proving "first" is impossible. As soon as the radio station was constructed in Oakland, Harry was on the air.

Harry' students were required to take class notes. Finding class notes from Bible school students from the 1920-1940 period has proven to be difficult, but not impossible.

One student was there for 2 years and I have that notebook. So I do have an idea about the topics he covered and how much time was spent on each topic. But it is not full of quotes, mainly a specific topic and the scriptures that when with it. Hopefully, a second set of notes will show up and a better understanding of what Harry Morse taught can be assembled.

There is no book that explores the spread of Oneness Pentecostalism from Azusa Street to California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Tracing that early spread and understanding who the principle person were is of importance to academics interested in the history of Pentecostalism.

Finally, those who I have interviewed find value in the book project. They share their handful of pictures and family memories with me and are interested in how it fits into the larger picture.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

There is no book that explores the spread of Oneness Pentecostalism from Azusa Street to California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Tracing that early spread and understanding who the principle person were is of importance to academics interested in the history of Pentecostalism.

Finally, those who I have interviewed find value in the book project. They share their handful of pictures and family memories with me and are interested in how it fits into the larger picture.

Scott, did people baptize in Jesus name, believe in the infilling of the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues, and non Trinitarian belief that there was only One God prior to the late 1800s and late 1900s?

[Scott Pitta]

My research is limited to the west coast. I do not know of any Oneness Pentecostals prior to 1914. I am not aware of any Pentecostals prior to 1906.

If there was any prior to those dates in California, feel free to post the data.