Who was Harry Morse ?

[Scott Pitta]

I just found the article. Not the sort of news any church want to see on the front page of the paper.

William Seymour came to Oakland 3 years prior to hold a revival. "Apostolic Faith Mission" was also the name of the mission on Azuza Street.

I do not know who Mr. Sparks is. I do not understand the San Jose connection.

This is 6 years prior to Harry Morse starting his mission in Oakland. In 1909 Morse is still in Stockton.

The mystery continues....

[Charnock]

Wow, that's a damning article. I'm enjoying this thread, Scott.

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

Oakland Tribune Feb. 7, 1909
Holy roller horror invades

Immorality, lewd and improper conduct, interference between husbands and wives, coercion of prospective young women converts and flagrant insincerity, are the charges which are made against the leaders of the "Holy Rollers," by Mrs. J. F. Holland of Stockton.

She is a pretty and intelligent young woman, who, with her four babies, is existing in destitute circumstances in a two-room shack in the rear of 904 Harrison Street, Oakland, because, she claims, her husband refuses to work and devotes his time and energies to the promulgation of the ten tenets of the faith of the Apostolic Faith, otherwise known as the "Holy Rollers."

Mrs. Holland and her four small children arrived in Oakland four days ago to join the husband and father, who deserted his home and work in Stockton four months ago to join the "Holly Roller" band at San Joseand expected to become a worker in the missions of that cult. When she arrived she found that Holland was without funds, had no work, and was unable to provide fo her and their children.

She and her little ones were housed in a little shack in the rear of the rooms formerly occupied by the Apostolic Faith Mission at 904 Harrison Streeet. For furniture there is one stove and a bed. For food she has been dependent to a great extent on the charity of neighbors. The husband, she declares, had made no effort to find work and alleges that because he as devoted his life to the work of the mission, there will be some miraculous provision made for them by the Lord.

Mrs. Holland was present at the meeting in San Jose some weeks ago when Miss Daisy Moore of Oakland fell under the influence of the leaders and teachers of the cult that her family physican beleived for a time that her mind had been permanently affected. She had been present at other such meetings and tells of numerous instances of this kind.

Because she will not become a member of the cult and because she resents the ruin of her family life through the influences of the organization, she declares she had been persecuted, reviled, kept in actual want and destitution, and, more than all, the leaders here attempted to force her to join the band by working on her mother's live through threats that if she does not "come into the fold," her babies will be stolen away from her.

"These people have cast such an influence over my husband that our family life, once very happy and peaceful and prosperous, has been utterly ruined." said Mrs. Holland."They have taught him that he need not work and provide for us and he believes that he is called to teach that faith of the cult.

"I can not believe in them. I know that they are insincere and bad people, and because they have been unable to make me join the band, they have subjected me to all manner of hardships. They have giben us but a few shreds of clothing and an occasional loaf of bread and but for the help rendered me by charitable people my four babies and I would have suffered far more creully than we have.

"I have been with these people for three months now and have watched them and they are immoral and indecent, they are breakers of homes, and makers of bums and loafers.

"Their actions in their open meetings are decidedly immodest and the things they do in their secret sesssions, which are held behind closed doors, are not fit for publication.

"I was present at the meeting in San Jose when Miss Moore of Oakland was made the subject of their influence. I have known of other such affairs and I know that their influence makes for anything but good.

"Mr. and Mrs. Sparks, who are now conducting the Oakland mission at Tenth and Webster streets, where there at that meeting and it was them that my jusband has followed up here. Thye were formerly the leaders of the sect in San Jose and I believe were chased out of there by the highly incensed people of the town."

Sparks declares that he was not responsible for the leadership of the band at San Jose and at the time of the collapse of Miss Moore, who is now slowly recovering from the effects of the mental excitement to which she was subjected at the meeting of the Holy Rollers in that city refered to. On that occasion it is declared she was subjected to an influence akin to hypotism and led to such a pitch of excitement that she fell on the floor in an insensible conditon and remained so for several hours.

"Ther leaers of the band would not allow anyone to touch her," said Mrs. Holland. "They declared that she was receiving the "Spirit" and that it was blasphemous to try to break the spell. Her own mother, who was present, was not allowed to try to revive her. They often take those who have thus received the "Spirit" into an inner room, after the public meeting is over, and keep them there for hours and tat this tiem they undulge in practices that are unspeakable."

Following her terrible experience, Miss Moore, who was a well known and highly respected Sunday school teacher and religious worker, was taken to her lodgings in San Jose and there revived sufficiently so that her mother coudl bring her back to the family home at 1284 Franklin streat, Oakland. There she was kept under the care of physicans and the police were appealed to to prevent her being sen by any of the Holy Roller cult for fear their terrible influence might again be cast over her. For a time it was learned she would never recover her mind, but, although her nervous system is badly shattered and her physical health affected, her family and friends say that she is gradually gaining her former normal self.

"I have seen a young girl, whom the speakers had tried to influence, taken, against her will. from the audience into the mysterious back room where the secret sessions are held. and the door locked to prevent the entrance of any of her friends," said Mrs. F. M. Mummert, wife of the maganger of the Boys' Retreat and who lives near to the hall formerly occupied by the Apostolic Faith sect on Harrison Street.

"During the servies both emen and women would become so enthused by the strange influence of the leaders that they would fall to the floor and roll about together howling and screaming in unintelligible jargon. Their actions were positively indecent and the jibberish they gave voice to was idiotic. They believe that this raving is the "gift of tingues" and think the people thus affected are taking in the languages of long dead apostles and religious teachers of foreign lands.

"We who live near to the hall where they held their meetings were often disturbed by their wild disturbances and have often had to appeal to the police when the nice was continued until long after midnight. The band always had a watchman out and whenever the police came near they subsided.

"On one such accasion," said Mimmert, "I climbed over the roof of the verandah and started to rap on the window of their rear room,the "inner chamber" or "holy of holies" I was bent on stopping their noise only. The window was open, and before I rapped I looked in and the things I saw in progress there quite substantiate the charges Mrs. Holland has made."

The Oakland band is now composed of about thirty people and is led by Sparks and his wife. They hold mightly meetings on the street at Ninth and Broadway and semi-weekly meetings at the rooms formerly occupied by the Peniel Mission on Tenth Street. Sparks declines to assume any responsibility for bringing Holland to Oakland and for the destitute condition of his family.

[Scott Pitta]

Joseph Sparks was at the Azuza Street revival. He had a pair of article published. It makes sense that a minister from Azuza would take over the church started by Seymour.

That's all I know for now. This mission had to move 3 times. Odd behavior. But did it still exist in 1915 when Morse started his mission in Oakland ? Did Morse know Sparks ?

He was a minister in San Jose in the 20's and 30's. He died in a car crash in 1948.

[Steve Epley]

For perspective we have no idea how much if any of the information is accurate?

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Charnock

Wow, that's a damning article. I'm enjoying this thread, Scott.

Sounds like an original ad for the movie "Reefer Madness."

[Scott Pitta]

I'm not sure what the services were like. The reporter and the other spectators have never been in a Pentecostal church services before. I'm not sure how Pentecostal services were different from1909 from how they are today.

As I find more data about Sparks, I will post it.

[Scott Pitta]

Joseph Sparks stayed put in San Jose for over 20 years as a minister. I wonder where ? Was he in the UPC ?

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by Scott Pitta

Those Azuza preachers did have some quirks.

One taught it was a sin for Christians to use medicine.

Another taught the annihilation of the wicked.

Some taught the second work of sanctification, others did not.

With regard to Harry Morse, I want to write who he was and what he taught without judging the merit of his beliefs. I do not have an ax to grind. I want to let him tell his own story.

One thing is certain: they all had unique beliefs.

I want to know what Harry believed, as normal or as odd as it may or may not be.

There are Pentecostal Christians who still believe it is sin to use medicine.

As to the doctrine of "annihilation" meaning sinners will die in the lake of fire Charles Parham the founder of Pentecostalism believed it. He was right.

[Scott Pitta]

Interesting...I am a writer, not a critic.

The range of belief and how it has changed over time is something I find very interesting.

[Scott Pitta]

The following is a reply provided by the Apostolic Faith Mission of Oakland dated Feb. 13, 1909. It was penned by FC Velder. He has some run on sentences. Some of the words were impossible to read such readings are identified by (...).

Now I need to find out who Velder was.

I noticed you gave large space to the so-called "Holy Rollers." Will you kindly give this communication as prominate a position in your paper ? In the first place, there are no such people as the Holy Rollers in Oakland, nor never has been to my knowledge. This name "Holy Rollers" is applied as a nickname to the Apostolic Faith Mission work, which name does not apply to them.

Allow me to make an explination of the Apostolic movement. It is simply a band of people who believe the teachings of Jesus Christ as He taught His Apostles and Disciples before He was crucified. Jesus promised to send the promise of the Father which was the Holy Ghost or Comforter- St. John 14:26, but commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem until they were endowed with power from on high- St. Luke 24:49. They were not commanded to attend some college until they received a polished education and became orators, but to tarry until they received the promise of the Father.

Word was fulfilled

This was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost and the Word of Jesus was fulfilled and as the 120 tarried as commanded ( this commandment is as much for this day as for that) The Holy Ghost fell upon them and they all spoke with tongues as the Holy Ghost gave utterance according to Acts 2:4, 10:45 and 19:6. This was the Holy Ghost Himself speaking the same Holy Ghost power has been poured upon all who have asked and believed and tarried according to the commandment of Jesus at this present time and is spread all over the world so it is not only in America bu the world over and ministers and Christians who ought to have received the outpouring and the Holy Spirit has taught it and denied it is from God. But they cannot show a passage in the Bible where God ever withdrew His Holy Spirit.

Why pay salaries ?

Peter said it was for every one as many as the Lord God should call Acts 2:38. And to all who obey Him Acts 5:32. Has God ...calling sinner to repent and be sanctified and baptized in the Holy Ghost ...keep up these big churches paying big salaries to preachers many who are not sanctified. The fact that preachers are preaching without the baptism in the Holy Ghost according to Acts 2:4 etc. This why the ministers Rev White and Vosburgh and Baker take up the fight against the Holy Ghost ... not one of them ever having attended any of the meetings. Nor have they any personal knowledge of them. They only go by hearsay. No court of law would take that kind of testimony.

Misrepresentations

I cannot take time to deny all the misrepresentations outlined in these articles published. There wasn't a grain a bit of truth in any of it. As regard the investigation that the Unitarian minister made I do not consider it worth noting for anything who denies the divinity of Jesus Christ and the precious blood of Jesus Christ knows nothing about salvation let alone the baptism in the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost cannot be investigated by that kind of people.

Will produce witnesses

If the Revs White and Vosburgh want to hear them and whence ...to this Holy Ghost movement Let them appoint a time and place and I can bring scores of men and women who can testify to the saving sanctifying and Baptism in the Holy Ghost as recorded in Acts. I can produce men who have been ministers ...and all manners of evil and who have been healed according to the promise of Jesus. Deep confessions have been made. Testimony have been made and the people now enjoying perfect peace through the Lord Jesus Christ and through His cleansing blood all since this Pentecostal movement began.

The apostolic people ...of Christians that can preach the whole gospel against all sins and immoralities Jesus said the devil was a liar. Jesus knew and he is a liar still and would blind the eyes of honest seekers after the truth if he can, by publishing a lot of stuff through his own agents to destroy if possible God's work.

If the ministers of this land were to receive this Penetcostal experience and preach it to their congregations there would not be this deadness in the churches there is today. In the apostolic they took only such as were saved, but for the past century they take any one in if he only will contribute to the expenses of the ...church. That is why there is so much worldliness in the churches today. Just think of it- 175 ministers have left the pulpits within a year or so. No doubt many were attracted by the salary. Some of these ministers smoke in public...attend banquets the good fellows everywhere. Do you think Jesus Christ would approve such doings if he were here ? No, a thousand times, no.

Never take collections

The apostolic people never take up collection for the hall rent or for their preacher. They hold big camp meeting conventions, et. and never take up collections. Thousands of copies of papers and thousands of copies of pamphlets booklets etc. are published and sent everywhere free of charge leaving all with the Lord, the Holy Spirit telling you what to donate. How does this ...with the way our churches are emptied ...have any of our churches go on this plan ? They dare not try, It is the Holy Ghost way, and they must practice Holy Ghost commandments before they can do it. The whole world is being stirred with this Holy Ghost movement, it is even in Jerusalem again where it first ...and it all ...as the soon coming of our Lord Jesus again as he promised.

This is not preached nor believed in our churches today, neither is the king casting out demons. All of them where before Pentecost. Why are they not in the church today ?

T C Velder