The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-24
AS Viewed Bv
Mr.. Kenyon.
INTERESTING FACTS
Concerning the Tabernacle
Movement.


ing the evangelization of the world by
apostolic methods. On the first of
May, with barely dozen followers, the
first service was held in a room in the
Y. M. c. A. building. Mr.. Kenyon was
laughed at; his friends gave the move
ment but one month to live. Five
months have passed, the dozen follow
ers have grown to over 100. A hall-the
Tabernacle-has been procured at 113
Main street. A home for the family in
which all men are brothers. has been
opened on Dix street. A 12-page paper,
the Tabernacle Trumpet. has been
started A school for Bible training
will be instituted Tuesday at the
Tabernacle. All this has been done
without collection being taken or a
contribution solicited.
Money sufficient for all the needs of
Mr., Kenyon, his family and his work
has come to him from sources known
and unknown. As the needs have
grown, so have the contributions. and
now at the home on Dix street the poor
are fed and clothed when necessary.
Then the sick are cared for.
A Spy man called upon Mr.. KENYON
the other evening and found him busy
talking to visitors. It was Just at din
LII tlIllS, etIlu QlS table sat IL
guests, poor people who had come to
the home for help. When the meal was
over the young evangelist was ready
to tell the reporter about himself and
his work
Our creed" he said, 'is, Believe the
Bible and on that line we work. We
are testing the word of God; so far that
test has not failed to prove its truth
On May list, Mrs. Kenyon and [ opened
1 n a in
building, independent of any organiza-
ton or of any person, but entirely de-
pendent upon Him who had hidden us
to come out, and Who said, 7 will sup
ply all your need, and is there any
thing too hard for me to do?
1t was against our natural inclina-
tons, for we knew it would mean mis-
understanding and misrepresentation
from those who had been of service to
us before. But realizing the divine will
that prompted us, we began to preach
the eVangelization of the world by
apostolic methods.
I'm order to be more In touch with all
the people, we moved into the present
quarters at 113 Main street The ex-
penses there have been 800 a month,
sometimes more and though there has
never been collection taken or a con-
trfbution solicited, every bill has been
met promptly. Those who have given
are those who have but little of the
worlds goods, but we believe that in
Gods own time people VIII be sent who
are wealthy.
we shall soon need larger quarters.
we want tabernacle, home for the
SICK and for Children printing office
ana school FOR Bible study, where men
may be trained for mission work.
Worcester will be the center of the
work, and from this place men will be
sent out to the smaller towns and to
foreign fields, taking with them no
money and only the clothing they wear
Christ said: Go We into all the world
and preach the gospel to all the people;
taking no money, accepting no salary;
heal the sick, go empty handed that my
power may be manifested even in your
support 1t is the one God given com
mission to the church of God today, and
woe to the man who dare preach or so
out under any other.
From belief comes obedience, and
from obedience comes power limited
only by the power of God, who is omni-
potent. And these signs shall follow
them that believe. In my name shall
they cast out devils, they shall speak
with new tongues, they shall take up
serpents, and If they drink of any
dealy thing it shall in no wise hurt
them, they shall lay hands on the sick
and they shall recover. And they went
forth and preached, the Lord walking
with them and conforming their words
with signs following:
If this was true then it is now, or else
the gospel was but for a period. This
is Christ's commission for this age.
Now, what is the church to do with it?
1t stands on the statute books of eter-
nifty as the living command of the Son
of God This was to be the key that
opens the heather fields for the gospel.
A gospel that does not care for the
body as well as the soul is not the Cos
pei of the compassionate Son of Cod
The atmosphere of churches is
against the work Christ came to do. 1t
is social, intellectual and moral, while
Gods work is spiritual and should take
in the whole man. MY relation to
churches is purely friendly, but my
relation to truth makes me preach for
humanity.
Christianity is supernatural and
must be conducted on supernatural
lines. Pew rents, salaries, church debt,
world conformity have no place in the
word of God. Large churches are So
clal clubs for rich men.
God said that minister should not
be a servant of men, and any preacher
or teacher who is employed by a COM
mittee or a church is the servant of
hired; otherwise he is a dishonest
man. If he breaches as man desires, he
can not preach as God wishes, for God
and man have never wished alike. He
can not be the tool of man and the
mouthpiece of God both at the same
time The accepting of salary by
preacher dullS the finer SenSibilitieS.
THE actual powerlessness and weak
ness of churches are well known. TAX
ing 400 churches in New England, there
are but five net additions during the
past year. Missions have failed in their
work because they have not followed
the method God has set down. There
are ten heather born to one converted.
There are all classes Of people con-
nected with our work, and the intelli-
gent can not be told from the ignor-
ant / do not think l have any per-
sonal magnetism that draws men to,
me. have only the magnetism of
truth. Young men recognize that hon
esty has its price and merit wins its
place"
Rev. Mr.. Kenyon is not a fanatic, but
an earnest man, enthusiastic over what
he believes to be the truth. His move
ment is not the only one of the kind in
the country. lie says they have sprung
up spontaneously all over the land.
Beginning Tuesday a convention will
be held in the Tabernacle. and Rev. F.
w. Sanford of Lisbon Falls Me, who
is the head of a movement similar to
that of Mr.. Kenyon, will speak
At Ware and at Spencer, branches of
the work have been organized by Mr..
Kenyon and have proved successful
Mrs. Kenyon said as an Illustration of
how God prospered them, that when
they moved into the Dix street house at
five o'clock one Saturday afternoon,
they were without provisions for the
next day, but when Sunday came
enough food was sent in to supply them
for several days.