A.F.DUGGER. In that position A.F. Dugger established the first Sabbath school department. He was also a contributing editor to the church’s paper. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Church of God was small and scattered with fewer than 1,000 members, living mostly in the American Midwest. The General Conference of The Church of God legally incorporated in 1900 in the state of Missouri. The Church’s newspaper underwent a name change that same year to become, The Bible Advocate.—(God’s Church through the Ages- Joseph Ogwyn) In 1900 A.C. Long died, In 1905 the General Conference elected elder A.F. Dugger to be the paper’s managing editor. A.F. Dugger and Elder Brinkerhoff contributed many of the articles that helped to clarify and solidify doctrine in the Church. Articles on prophecy, clean and unclean meats, tithing, proper observance of the Passover and what it means to be “born again” were printed. One belief held by A.F.Dugger, was that the Gentile Times would end in 1914.This was based upon his understanding of Bible Prophecies concerning a 2,520 year period. Based upon the “seven times punishment” prophecy of Leviticus 26 and the “overturn, overturn, overturn” of Ezekiel 21:25-27, Dugger concluded that “As it required three consecutive strokes in the destruction of the kingdom of Israel by the overturning three times by Nebuchadnezzar, so it is to require three strokes for the destruction of all Gentile nations,” that is three world wars. Judah was restored in three successive returns, just as it was destroyed in three strokes. Elder A.F.Dugger, Sr. became the sole editor of the Bible Advocate in 1905 at the ousting of W.C. Long. Dugger’s health was failing, and to assist him in the publishing work at Stanberry, he requested sixty six year old Jacob Brinkerhoff, who became office editor in March of 1907.On Sabbath evening, December 20, 1907, the Advocate building and offices were destroyed by a fire, and the press was damaged. Most of the printing type and cases were carried out into the street. However, the upper story where the tracts were stored was entirely destroyed. Insurance did not cover the loss, and a drive was started for financial contributions for another building and office. The “new” building was purchased for $1,000 on West First Street . In 1903, Gilbert Cranmer, a minister since the 1850s and one of the chief builders of the Church in the aftermath of the Seventh Day Adventist/Church of God spit in the 1860s, died at age 89. In 1909, Alexander F.Dugger’s health would no longer permit him to continue as editor, so Brinkerhoff became sole editor. 1910, Alexander F. Dugger, who had served as a leader of the General Conference since its inception, as well as having served as editor of the Bible Advocate, also died. A third faithful pioneer, Jacob Brinkerhoff, died on May 12, 1916. He had served as editor of the Advocate on and off for 21 years. Mr. Brinkerhoff was considered by many to be the most outstanding leader of the Church in his time. “Jacob Brinkerhoff had served the Church of God for over 40 years….Instead of buying a home in 1874, Brinkerhoff used the money instead to buy the press equipment for the Advent and Sabbath Advocate…. Single handedly, it seems he had prevented the total collapse of the Work.” “In a private conversation between Elder A. N. Dugger and Mr. Hugh Sprague… the latter stated that the Pilgrims were his direct ancestors, and that he very well knew their religious beliefs and practices. And, in addition, he stated that all his grandparents and great‑grandparents knew that the Pilgrims of the Mayflower were strict Sabbath‑observers on the seventh day of the week, instead of on Sunday.” History of Church of God (7th Day) by John Kiez.
Posted on: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 15:05:31 +0000
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