Bible Students ecclesia breaks up on a sectarian rock, "Consecrated Epiphany Camper" class

"...and knowing your fascination with Hoefle, We don’t see any possibility to continue to study Bible Truth together!" 

From a letter sent to Octaman from his brethren who he had fellowshipped with across three decades...

Octa-Blog Announcement:  "The Everett/Gig Harbor/Fife Bible Students have crashed against the sectarian rock called the "Consecrated Epiphany Camper" class.  

One student in this class was asked point blank if he accepted a doctrine called "Consecrated Epiphany Campers".  The answer was no, he couldn't find that teaching in the Bible.  He never interjected his view into the class studies, nor asked for any special hearing.  He suggested it be left up to the class to decide if they'd ever care to study it.

The interrogators became the silencing minority.  In the course of answering them they learned he did not accept the "CEC" class.  Not willing to hear him, they decided to split the class, cutting tender friendships that spanned three decades.  

They still meet with High Calling brethren who also do not see a "CEC" class in the Bible.

In any event, ALL Bible Students should know that The Ransom is the only doctrine that determines fellowship. 

The End of the Fife Bible Class

Our record will show how we left off as a class in the Photo Drama of Creation on the chapter about the faithful Martyrs and reformers and how they where mistreated for asking questions..."Huss, Wycliffe, Tyndale Etc.

The lessons of the past should never be forgotten."..."Fortunately there are always advanced thinkers on all lines. Such are generally considered fools, and persecuted. In reality they are the greatest benefactors of mankind. Huss suffered for his faithfulness to the Bible. Wycliffe and Tyndale were persecuted. Tyndale's Bible was burned publicly by high ecclesiastics, in front of St. Paul's Cathedral, London."

That Servant and the Epiphany Messenger taught against sectarianism.  How the majority have branded the minority as "heretics" through the age!

For FEAR of one person's independent study, one elder and his wife cut off from fellowship five of their brethren.  aIt split a class that had grown at some meetings to about 10 or 11 people, mainly from two families.  

They used a misapplied text to split the class, wrongly applying Amos 3:3 to Christian fellowship.

The proper usage is plain from the context of the Bible, and has a clear explanation from That Servant, and by The Epiphany Messenger as referring to the separation between natural Israel and God because of sin.  So this verse is NOT used as an excuse text for separation of christian ecclesias over non-essential doctrines.

In searching all of Zion's Watchtower I could find Amos 3:3 quoted just three times.  How ironic is the added strength of admonition to study here, since one of the accusations against me was that I "study too much".

We cannot have the heart filled with two things at the same time. If we are filled with love there is no room left in our hearts for evil. (`2 Cor. 10:5`.) 'Casting down imaginations and bringing into captivity every thought to Christ Jesus.' There are two indispensable things for the Christian to do. He must study, study, study; and he must read, read, read. It does not require much to decide your chance. Love and trust the brethren if the heavens fall. You will be misunderstood, but God is for us. Keep with those who have the same mind that you have, the same hope, the same desires. What concord the Apostle advises! How can two walk together unless they are agreed? '

Our Pastor himself quotes Amos 3:3 only once, teaching how it properly applies to natural Israel.
Since I can't quite see the "Consecrated Epiphany Camper's", perhaps they are just so high up, and I don't see as high as they, to see well enough to endorse a course of division over one person's non-intrusive, independent study.  It seems they're walking in the very footsteps of those who persecuted some who dared to read the works of Paul Johnson, telling them their fascination with him could get them second death.  Now they say such things of Bro. Hoefle.

Yes, Bro. Hoefle, the pilgrim appointed by Bro. Johnson who funded nearly the entire Epiphany movement by himself, was slandered and smeared simply for asking the question,where in the Bible is the consecrated Epiphany Camper class taught? He never got an answer. (It came from Krewson). He was simply murdered - spiritually -  by R.G. Jolly in order to avoid the question.  

Brother Johnson tells us on p. 585 of Vol. 10 that R. G. Jolly had a “bad” conscience, and often “misrepresented” Brother Johnson.   Notice also on the same page 585 that Brother Johnson openly accuses R. G. Jolly of being “unfair and unkind”... 

Now I know just how he felt.  I had no idea that accepting the doctrine of CEC's unquestioningly was a requirement to study with the L.H.M.M.  Yet the Epiphany Truth is shining so clearly as I'm more "epiphanized" day by day, thanks to this experience. 

We seek others in Christian fellowship   

In contacting the brethren from Bro. Hoefle's original Mt. Dora class, we inquired and received the names of four local brethren who had also contacted them, willing to study apart from the L.H.M.M.  Two of the names were the very same individuals who just split our class and left us.

All should escape and be free from the smoke of confusion of any Babylon system of relgion, both big and small, because I can tell you this, it's causing it's adherents to act confused.  

Come out of her, my people! Rev. 18:4

Yours in Truth,

Bro. Regan 

P.S.  What Pastor Russell taught regarding hearing minority views:

"Any one in attendance at such a class should have the privilege of presenting his question or topic, and the spirit of love and sympathy and helpfulness and consideration pervading all should be such that all proper topics would be accorded a respectful hearing. And in the case of a special request for a topic supposed to be contrary to the general views of the congregation, yet fully within the lines of the foundation principles of the Gospel, the person desirous of having the subject discussed should be granted a reasonable time for the presentation, and should be the chief speaker for the occasion, his time possibly being limited, say, to thirty minutes or more or less, according to the importance of the topic and the interest of the class in it. Following his presentation the question should be open for discussion by the others of the class, the propounder of the question having a few minutes granted him subsequently for a brief answer to any objections brought forward by others, the Chairman having the final word in closing the meeting."

P.P.S.Exhortation and warning of the beloved Epiphany Messenger:

‘‘Among many Truth people, therefore, clericalism is one of the burning questions. It is almost everywhere rampant. In Little Babylon we have a little presbyterial system of church government – the rule of elders. In its work-director we have its ecclesial bishop..... In the Society pilgrims we have the little cardinals, and in the Society’s president we have the little pope. Trampled under the feet of these clericalists the democracy that in Brother Russell’s day exercised the autonomy and independence of the ecclesias, varyingly in the organizational Levite subdivisions, is being destroyed. Some of the brethren have been aroused to appropriate action in this matter; some are very timidly resisting.....

‘‘And to you, dear Epiphany-enlightened brethren, we would address a suit­able exhortation: ‘Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage.’“ (See E:9. pp. 349-350 for the complete warning and exhortation)

P.P.P.S.  

March 15, 1918 Watch Tower, as follows:

"With deep regret we here mention that the practice of some is to go about the classes and at first, by soft and smooth speech, assure the dear sheep that they have deeply the interest of the Lord's work at heart; and then suddenly they bring a tirade against the work as the Lord is conducting it through the channel that he has used for the past forty years.  Some of the dear sheep become very much disturbed, and some are shaken out. This is another evi­dence of the great shaking now in progress. It would seem that any one who is loyal to the Lord and his cause and the brethren would not seek to disrupt his work; at least, if they could not see eye to eye with the manner in which it is being conducted, the proper spirit would prompt such to remain quiet or quietly to withdraw. Any other spirit would not seem to be the spirit of the Master.''

The foregoing quotation is from That Evil Servant, J.F. Rutherford