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NORTHERN INDIANA ELDERSHIP
The pagan system of Freemasonry began to make inroads in the body of Christians known as the Indiana Eldership of the Church of God. A storm of opposition arose from some who were of the more spiritual element of the Church when a number of the members became affiliated with the Masonic Lodge. It appears that the main body of the Eldership did not object to secret societies, and the result of the agitation was that a number of ministers who stood for the opposition and refused to fellowship Freemasons were expelled from the Eldership and were denied a renewal of their licenses. Others left the body of their own accord. In consequence a new Eldership was formed called the Northern Indiana Eldership.
Among those who constituted the original members of the new Eldership were Elders J. Martin, J. S. Shock, C. Clem, E. B. Bell, B. F. Bear, I. W. Lowman, and J. W. Ray. The new body came into possession of most of the church property and the best churches. They appointed a Board of Publication, which took steps to begin publishing a paper devoted to the interests of the cause for which they stood. Accordingly there appeared in January, 1878, the first number of the Herald of Gospel Freedom, a monthly periodical published from Wolcottville, Ind., at fifty cents a year. It stood for the promotion of gospel truth and freedom, opposition to all oathbound secret societies, Freemasonry in particular, and loyalty to God and conformity to his Word. I. W. Lowman was editor.
At the Eldership meeting which convened at Beaver Dam on Oct. 5, 1878, and which was the third annual session, Brother Warner was voted a member. In his diary for October 5 appears this account of the proceedings:
5. A good deal of time was given to prayer during the day. Much unnecessary business usually gone through within the various Elderships was dispensed with. All went off smoothly and with love. Not a grating word or discordant note in all that was said and done. No one was called to order; no one was materially out of order. The manner in which business was done and the good degree of devotional spirit with which it was pervaded was a great stride from the carnal and formal wranglings of Elderships of the present to the simplicity and spirituality of an apostolic Eldership. Praise God, he is leading his children out into the glorious freedom of the gospel.
The most of the time was devoted to the publishing interests. A very important measure was enacted—that of enlarging the Herald, issuing it semi-monthly and devoting a part of it to the promotion of Bible holiness. Praise God for this glorious movement. It is wonderful how he is controlling things for his glory. Probably a large majority of the Eldership are not in the experience of full salvation, and of course some are disbelievers in it, among whom are some of the preachers. Brother Shock, one of the number, the present speaker, is probably our most talented man. But all glory to the name of God, he controlled all these elements so that Satan could not move one to open his mouth against this work of God, and this Eldership voted to support holiness as a second experience. Trusting in God, I can see glorious results from this project. It is bringing about what the Lord showed me last winter; that is, a people straight before God in holiness and truth. By this blessed little organ God is going to bring the true church foundation and Bible truth into the hands of holiness people, and holiness doctrine into the hands of Church of God members, which must result in a divine union of truth and holiness. And this is just what is wanted to save the world. Holiness, the great lever of power, has since the Reformation been weakened and encumbered by party names and creeds and human traditions; whereas the Church of God, though established upon eternal truth, has nevertheless been without strength to accomplish her mission for the want of perfect holiness, the divinely appointed power to bring the world to God.
At this session of the Eldership, as Brother Warner says, special attention was given to the Eldership's paper, the Herald of Gospel Freedom. During its first year it had been a 10 by 15 four-column folio. It was now increased in size to a five-column 13 by 20. It was made a semi-monthly and its subscription price advanced to seventy-five cents. Lowman was reelected editor and publisher and Brother Warner was elected associate editor to conduct a new holiness department. A number of special contributors were chosen. A music department, already established and conducted by Professor J. F. Kinsey, of Cincinnati, was to be continued. The best exchanges were secured, and with this prospect the paper started on its second year, 1879. A portion of the prospectus for that year is here given.
PROSPECTUS OF THE HERALD FOR 1879
This paper was started one year ago as the organ of the Northern Indiana Eldership of the Church of God, a body of Christian workers who were raised up through the following circumstances: