Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-29
WATERVILLE.
"BROTHER" BRANCH
Has Much Secret Work in
His New Religious Faith.
Some Strange Actions Reported on
the Part of the sisters"
Cncrn; Qanticp Aroitpr Feature Look
Secret Baptisms Another Feature Now Lock
ing TOR Larger Quarters.

ScCTCt 6dpttSWS HEOIHcF AoCh-
ing tor Larger Quarters.
Secret baptisms are in order among The
disciples Of the Church Of the Living God
on Oakland street. this being the latest
revelation that Mr.. Branch has received.
II was The custom. to hold the baptisma
openly ana last Sunday large crowd ri
people gathered AT ihc banks VI the Mcs-
~alonskce where the baptisnls have been
! hcId. The crowd. however was liaap-
pointed Tor INC rite ala not take place.
When asker about the omission, ye,ter
dan. AIr. Branch sad iha; !, had been
revealed t. him that the haptisms should
! W. held in 4 secret manEer ANA u@ often
as was convenient. Therefore he had
\ deemed il best nor TO have the buptisms
AZ chs stated time. Accordingly they
Were hrid earlier in the day when one
person WAS taken in his church.
/ In thc evening his sermon Was alon=;
| the line ut his being called 10 found the
church u ;Ar !iyiu- Goa. 4; one w thu
| previous meetings. hr Says. one VI ,hc
ii mbers iu tap church arose during ID
| .npmrnt IA inspiration and quoted. 'AnI
| his name shall Ia john rh.- with a
! passage thar his eye has ,.t.n fallen On.
| ;hat tHc onc tp ac called ''shln b. thc
/ lraurh. has sy,l!td in his mind thIt h,
IS thc one ~ AN called lorih - found tbs
| church ia This ,i,y. il. SAYS that fur
many years although h.s eye uad been a..
| tracted ~ that passage. That his Bible
| hld opened rrp,a,y liN at THAT passage, H..
| refused tI believe ne was the. one called
Wv. hr SAWS rs has resisted Gods call
uto tha work tha; he has Been called.
t2a- of founding what u" say> .a Inv Only
church Of the true God.
Mr.. Branch thoroughly believes that
it will be the secular press that will
| spread the Gospel rs revealed to him.
/ The dcnominationul papers. he says,
are ton active in promoting their own
doctrines to notice the Gospel as it has
| been revealed to him. The telephone.
| he believes. is another Of Gods nstru-
rnrnts and he fondly looks forward To-
the time when his disciples Will be able
! to communicate to each other by the
| patent Of Prof. Bell.
Just what viii be done about erect
| ing a place for worship 10 does not
vet know as no new light has been
given him On this subject He has a
tent here, he says. in Which he expect
! ans
.ri,-. Tiki. ~ s,.,', ,,,,., 49,, l., ,,,.I i.
II tban himself 81 tr,t H.. IL 1lo,, vim
out a place for worship except SO far
rs thai furnished by those of his flock
! who have turned over their homes to
Him ~ 4 place for holding the meet
ings.
| Hr anticinltrs fiat another tent NAV
In forthcoming How. he does not
| know. one of his flock. a carpenter.
h.,s already made him the offer OF i
lot IF land on which the tent may be
erected. and has offered to erect the
seats and do all the carpenter work
himself without 4 cent Of expense to
he faithful The fact that q lot Of
Iord naar thn Oakland street school
bo,,so bae haa,, offered seems douDlv
.f,rr,i4,.,,,+ An Az pr,rcb II was To-
tlTot locaIitv he saws tba+ he was
G,.st callod TJa,-inr bean forbidden to
u,+ar TIA echooI house ana hold SER
,.icae thare he thinks thar if is won
darf,l manifestation that he should be
Ind to have 2 place near the same
building from which he was excluded.
1t is not at all clear to him that he
| will have a tent 1t may be, he says,
Il temple. That rests, he says, with
God.
There Il but one thing that he is at all
! roticent about. This is the manner in
which the meetings are conducted. Re-
carding the open meetings he freely
talks. The secret meetings, he says. are
| FOR the preparation and edfication Of
| those who are not Vet strong enough o