Church of Christ at Halley's Bluff
Church of Christ at Halley's Bluff (formerly known as the Church of Christ at Zion's Retreat) is a small denomination within the Latter Day Saint movement. It was formed in 1932 by former members of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot), and in 1972 it lost most of its members to the leadership of Dan Gayman, who left the church and established the Church of Israel.
The Church of Christ at Halley's Bluff split from the Temple Lot church over disagreements about the validity of revelations received by Otto Fetting. In 1929, most of Fetting's followers had left the Temple Lot church and established the Church of Christ (Fettingite), which later split into factions including The Church of Christ (Restored) and the Church of Christ with the Elijah Message. However, one congregation in Denver, Colorado that accepted Fetting's revelations did not immediately break with the Temple Lot church. This congregation was led by Thomas B. Nerren (b. May 16, 1878 - d. April 1, 1967 Denver, Colorado) and Elmer E. ("E.E.") Long (b. January 4, 1872 Westerville, Ohio, d. September 27, 1952 Lee's Summit, Missouri).[1] By 1932, Nerren was receiving his own revelations and the church had abandoned the Church of Christ (Temple Lot). Initially, the congregation called itself the Church of Christ.
In 1941, Nerren received a revelation that the church—which had since been joined by five other former Temple Lot congregations in the United States—should relocate to northeast Vernon County, Missouri. They built their church building on a hill called Halley's Bluff; the adherents called their 441-acre (1.78 km2) tract Zion's Retreat and incorporated their church as the Church of Christ at Zion's Retreat.
In the 1960s, Dan Gayman became the editor of the church's periodical. In the magazine, Gayman began to advocate racist and anti-black sentiments that were more prevalent following the death of Joseph Smith. These attitudes were not supported by the leaders of the church, though they gained popularity among its members. At a 1972 meeting of the church, Gayman deposed the leaders of the church and had himself elected leader of the church. Although most of the church members followed Gayman, the deposed leaders sued Gayman and the courts ordered that the church's property and name be returned to the deposed leaders, Gerald Hall and Duane Gayman.[2] Hall and Duane Gayman reincorporated their church under the name "Church of Christ at Halley's Bluff", and in 1981 Dan Gayman incorporated his church as the Church of Israel.
The Church of Christ at Halley's Bluff now is composed of fewer than 100 members. The church is headquartered in Schell City, Missouri.
See also
- Factional breakdown: Followers of Granville Hedrick
References
External links
- Max McCoy, "Separatist by faith: Church of Israel's patriarch rebuts claims of racism", Joplin Globe, January 28, 2001.
- J. Gordon Melton (1993, 5th ed.). Encyclopedia of American Religions (Detroit: Gale, ISBN 0-8103-7714-4) p. 573.
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- t
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Church of Christ
Organized by: Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith's original
organization; multiple sects currently
claim to be true successor1863 Church of Christ
(Temple Lot)
Organized by: Granville Hedrick
7,310 members1851 1850s
[note 1]1929 1932
[note 2]1946 Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints
(Gladdenite)
Organized by: Gladden Bishop
Defunct, Dissolved after
Bishop's death in 18651864
DissolvedChurch of Christ
(Fettingite)
Organized by: Otto Fetting
Sect divided into various factionsChurch of Christ
at Halley's Bluff
Organized by: Thomas B. Nerren
and E. E. Long
less than 100 membersChurch of Christ
(Hancock)
Organized by: Pauline Hancock
Defunct as of 1984ca. 1937 1943 1965 2004 1972
[note 3]Church of Christ (Restored)
Organized by: A. C. DeWolf
approx. 450 membersChurch of Christ
with the Elijah Message
Organized by: Otto Fetting and
William Draves
approx. 12,500 membersChurch of Christ
(Leighton-Floyd/Burt)
Organized by: Howard Leighton-Floyd
and H. H. Burt
approx. 35 membersThe Church of Christ with
the Elijah Message, The Assured
Way of the Lord, Inc.
Organized by:Leonard DravesChurch of Israel
Organized by:Dan Gayman
- ^ While not considered a predecessor to the Church of Christ (Temple Lot), in the 1850s, many of the followers of Gladden Bishop, also known as Gladdenites, abandoned him and joined the movement that would later become the Church of Christ (Temple Lot).
- ^ While not considered a schism of the Church of Christ (Fettingite) and its founder Otto Fetting, the Church of Christ at Halley's Bluff accepted Fetting's revelations, but it did not immediately break with the Fettingites in 1929. Nerren and Long instead formed a separate sect in 1932, which was later joined by five other former Temple Lot congregations by 1941.
- ^ While this sect broke from Church of Christ at Halley's Bluff Name, few Latter Day Saint beliefs or practices remain and it is now considered a Christian Identity church, as opposed to a Latter Day Saint sect.