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3 David Antion says Christians know all about how to overcome death 3 John Adkins responds to Herb Solinsky’s views on the sacred names 4 The history of the church in Big TheJournal Sandy interviews Dorothy Williams 24 The PCG of Edmond, Okla., buys a News of the Churches of God mansion for its U.K. headquarters Vol. XVIII, No. 10 Founded 1997 Issue No. 167 (Nov. 30, 2014) Feasts in Oregon and Texas Read this issue helped shape RCG history for history The following is an update of an In this article we focus on what lesson No. 2 article that appeared in issue No. 67 Sabbath and Feast services were like IG SANDY, Texas—JOURNAL of THE JOURNAL, dated Aug. 30, 2002. in those early days and the chal- writer John Warren is hot on This article is the second in a series. lenges that confronted church mem- Bthe history trail again. bers. The focus of his second monthly By John Warren Several people who attended fes- installment is IG SANDY, Texas—Last tival and church services in the a little softer. month we wrote about the 1940s and ’50s provided THE JOUR- Much of the Bgrowth of the Radio Church NAL with their remembrances for this narrative of God in East article in interviews in 2002. does concern Texas from its Buck Hammer of Gladewater, the Big Sandy beginnings in who died in 2003, remembered the area, but this the early 1950s first church service on the property time the anec- up until the two miles east of Big Sandy on U.S. dotes and pho- tos also come early 1970s. Highway 80. This was in 1952 dur- from Oregon, We chroni- ing the spring feast, with services California Dorothy Williams cled the church that year taking place at the Hammer and England. in 1978 in this area be- home near Gladewater. Prominent ginning with After discussions with Mr. Arm- Happy Feast 2014 in this month’s installment are two the 13 people strong, founder of what was then more COG members with good who observed Buck Hammer called the Radio Church of God, memories Mr. Warren interviewed that first Pass- about the need for a larger facility for 2014 FEAST IN FLORIDA—Friends and relatives attended many Feast of Tabernacles several years ago: Dorothy Williams over and Days of Unleavened Bread observing the Feast of Tabernacles sites in October. In this photo Pam Kurr of Mounds, Okla. (left), enjoys a Feast observance in and Ken Swisher. And Buck Ham- at the Roy Hammer residence near later that year, a group traveled from Destin, Fla., sponsored by the Church of God Big Sandy with her daughter Brandi Cartwright mer’s remembrances are back. Gladewater in 1951. Gladewater to the unimproved Big of Nacogdoches, Texas, grandson Cater of Nacogdoches (right) and granddaughter Cara of See the photos on this page and We saw the founding of Imperial Sandy property one afternoon during Nashville, Tenn. See Feast reports and photos from readers beginning on this page of THE pages 4-5. The article begins at left Schools near Big Sandy in 1954 and the Days of Unleavened Bread. JOURNAL. [Photo by Dixon Cartwright] on this page. the opening on the same property of Compared with services in later Ambassador College in 1964. years in air-conditioned buildings, that first meeting was rather primitive. Under the spreading oak tree “Mr. Armstrong stood under an Dwight Armstrong’s daughter is releasing her The college campus at Big Sandy oak tree,” remembered Mr. Ham- had a major impact on church growth mer. “There was sort of a natural in East Texas, but an earlier major amphitheater on a hillside near the father’s unpublished hymns into public domain factor was Radio/Worldwide Church spring [a spring near the site on of God founder Herbert W. Arm- which Mr. Armstrong would later By Edward Malone father’s unpublished hymns. “He made freely available to all of the strong’s decision in 1952 to develop oversee the construction of the eborah L. Armstrong of Spo- [Dwight Armstrong] had a number of tribes of WCG, especially since, as I the church property as a Feast of Redwood Building]. The audience kane, Wash., daughter of them.” understand, there is some disagree- Tabernacles site for the fall of 1953. Worldwide Church of God ment as to which of these groups is See FEASTS IN OREGON, page 4 D Public domain (WCG) hymn writer Dwight Arm- God’s chosen. strong, recently announced her plans In a series of E-mail messages to “I believe we are all equal in the to place her late father’s unpublished this writer for THE JOURNAL on Oct. 29 eyes of God or the universe or what- hymns into the public domain. and 30, 2014, Ms. Armstrong clarified ever you choose to believe in, so my THE JOURNAL had previously heard the matter, stating that although PCG father’s hymns should be a gift for all Feast reports in from Jamaica, that Ms. Armstrong would donate the music director Ryan Malone (no rela- of creation to enjoy.” hymns to the Philadelphia Church of tion to this article’s writer) had her God, based in Oklahoma. father’s music in his possession and Through the Internet Arroyo Grande and more was currently attaching lyrics to them, According to Ms. Armstrong, her More than 20 unpublished hymns the previously unpublished works father’s hymns will soon be released east of Tabernacles reports witnessed the baptisms of their twin In a December 2013 online inter- would be released into the public do- and be available for interested persons sent in by readers of THE sons Jody and Cody. Pastor Smith view for the Secular Safe House pod- main for use and enjoyment of anyone, to see on the Internet. F JOURNAL begin below for had the rare but undoubtedly delight- cast, Ms. Armstrong stated she had in including all of the Churches of God. Concerning the titles of the forth- Feast 2014. Many, but not all, 2014 ful privilege—alongside Pastor Boyne her possession more than 20 of her “In my earlier discussions with coming hymns or any samples of observances started on the evening —of baptizing his own sons. father’s unreleased hymns and that she PCG, one of the conditions I gave them, Ms. Armstrong said that she of Oct. 8 and ran through Oct. 16. Two Feast sites had intended to donate all of them to them was that my father’s hymns could not provide any samples until You’re invited to send your Feast the Edmond, Okla.-based Philadelphia must remain in the public domain and she met with her attorney. report for THE JOURNAL at info@ Such has been the dynamism of Church of God (PCG) in consideration not be copyrighted, so really I never “I will be putting scans of my thejournal.org or P.O. Box 1020, Big the CGI Jamaican work that, for the of that church’s requests for them. intended to give the hymns to just one father’s hymns online soon,” stated Sandy, Texas 75755, U.S.A. first time, the island officially held “[The Philadelphia Church] had group,” pointed out Ms. Armstrong. Ms. Armstrong. “Once they are two separate Feast sites. The north- BEST-EVER FEAST IN JAMAICA long ago asked me for them,” ex- “I think that since the WCG, which scanned and online, I will edit my ern coastal resort town of Ocho Rios plained Ms. Armstrong to podcast my father was a member of, is now father’s Wikipedia page and place a INGSTON, Jamaica—The dy- hosted the main group, presided host Troy Fitzgerald concerning her defunct, that the hymns should be See PUBLIC-DOMAIN, page 22 Knamic Jamaican Church of God over by Pastor Boyne, which num- International (CGI) work held to its bered 355 at the capacity-full Casa steady growth pattern as this year de Shalom meeting hall. 442 persons attended the Feast of Ministerial Apprenticeship Pro- Tabernacles in the tropical Carib- gramme (MAP) candidate and lead- CGI Jamaica names Pasadena reunion won’t bean island. er of the Spanish Town CGI congre- The Jamaican work, spearheaded gation Pedro Hall presided over the winner of HWA contest turn anyone away by 42-year Church of God veteran second site, which hosted 87 per- pastor Ian Boyne, also added eight sons in the historic town of Morant INGSTON, Jamaica—Church of God Inter- ASADENA, Calif.—Anyone who wants to at- national Jamaica pastor Ian Boyne announced tend the reunion of Ambassador College students newly baptized members on the Last Bay, capital of the southeastern who studied on the Pasadena campus from 1947 parish of St. Thomas. the winner of his congregations’ annual Her- P Great Day. K to 1977 are welcome, say organizers Bob Gerringer Mr. Hall was supported in his bert W. Armstrong Memorial Speaking Competition at Canadian contingent and Cledice Decker. Feast work by Pastor Smith and his the Feast of Tabernacles in October 2014. THE JOURNAL had asked the two AC alumni if the re- It was an exciting and enriching Toronto copastor George Ramocan, CGI member Stephen Scale “upstaged the favorites union would welcome, for example, former students at Feast, with a refreshing international who serves as Mr. Hall’s MAP spon- and walked away with the coveted HWA trophy to Big Sandy and Bricket Wood, if they wanted to attend. flavor, as 18 Canadians, led by sor. (There was one baptism at this wild applause from the crowd,” announced CGI elder “Our reunion is for students from the first 30 years Jamaican-born Toronto pastor Ho- site.) Glenford Smith.