This brief history is about the Jerusalem World Headquarters, started through the efforts of Andrew N. Dugger. This historical perspective of the Church of God (Seventh Day), is written through the eyes of the Caribbean and African movement of the church.
During the fall of 1931, Andrew N. Dugger, was commissioned by the Executive Committees of the Church of God (Seventh Day) in Salem, WV and Stanberry, MO to set up a World Headquarters in Jerusalem. His focus was not to be on North America but on foreign countries. He moved to Israel and established a headquarters there with a printing press. Because of this, the gospel went throughout the Caribbean, Scotland, Africa, Europe, India, and other third world countries.
It seems certain that there were a few Churches of God (Seventh Day) in the Caribbean before the 1930’s ? because of the oral history that have been passed down through the years. The first islands known to have churches were Trinidad, Jamaica and St. Lucia. In years following, missionaries and evangelist were sent throughout the different parts of the Greater and Lesser Antilles and the Virgin Islands to establish churches.
Until his death in 1975, these churches benefited greatly and enjoyed years of progress. This was in part due to A. N. Dugger’s writing of over 150 different tracts and books such as Israel Correspondent Bible School lessons, the very popular Mt. Zion Reporter (also known to some as the Judah Magazine), Sabbath Lesson quarterlies, the Jerusalem Messenger, Jewish calendars and the Chart of the Daniel image and Beasts of Revelation. The Mt. Zion Reporter was such an intricate part of these churches that an article was read from this magazine every Sabbath morning during service. This tradition has continued to this very day. The three most famous books are Bible Home Instructor, History of the True Religion, and Daniel and Revelation.
The Jerusalem World Headquarters has representatives laboring in establishing this true faith in about every
country of the world, where many congregations have been raised up, and many evangelists are laboring. Calls come in to Jerusalem World Headquarters for Jewish ministers, and they are being sent to different countries. In 1970, Elder A.M. Shoemaker was sent in answer to a call from Kenya, Africa. In about two months labor there he baptized 284 converts and ordained sixteen men called to the ministry, and receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The Jerusalem Messenger, which was published at Jerusalem, gives many reports and photographs of groups and workers over the world who love Jerusalem. Psalm 128:5, 6. There are a number of other groups of this same faith with some slight non-essential doctrinal differences in various places carrying on a good work, and printing various publications from their national headquarters. We believe they are all gathering fruit for the kingdom, and the foundation creed of all of these groups is the same, viz., Revelation 12:17, ―the commandments of Elohim and the testimonies of Yahshua (Christ).
One of these headquarters is Denver, Colorado; another, Meridian, Idaho, and some that make the sacred Hebrew names of the Father and the Son, a special part of their message (Proverbs 30:4; Psalm 68:4, and 91:14, also 69:35, 36, and Isaiah 52:6) are located at Junction City, Oregon, and Jackson Gap, Alabama, also The Faith of Holt, Michigan.
We believe these will all fall in line with the Holy Scriptures and publicly affirm that Jerusalem was chosen of the Father, and must be recognized as the World Headquarters by all of the remnant people holding to the New Testament name, and the true faith once delivered to the saints, as they are led further by the Holy Spirit. ―Watch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man. — Luke 21:24 to 36.
