George Washington Morse
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George Washington Morse | |
|---|---|
 George Washington Morse | |
| Born | June 24, 1816 |
| Died | November 9, 1909 (aged 93) |
| Occupation(s) | Minister/Preacher Conference President Colporteur Justice of the Peace Farmer |
| Spouse | Olive Buzzell |
George Washington Morse (1816-1909) was a Seventh-day Adventist pioneer. As a Millerite Adventist, he experienced the Great Advent Awakening including the Great Disappointment of October 22, 1844. He joined the Sabbath-keeping Adventists in the late 1840's and remained a member until he died 60 years later.`He witnessed the SDA Church's development for over a half of a century. [1]
The Millerite Movement
Washington Morse studied William Miller's message in the late 1830's and became a Millerite Adventist in 1842. [2]
Morse said that up until January, 1844, few people opposed the movement, but that a change in support took place at the beginning of 1844. A misunderstanding arose regarding the end of the time prophecy. Miller had taught that March 21, 1844 would be the end of the 2300 day prophecy of Daniel 8:14. [2]
Morse refers to the Advent message of Miller as the first message of Revelation 14. Then, in the early spring of 1844 the second angel's message joined with the loud cry of Revelation 18, and many people left the organized churches. Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).
Adventist pioneer Joseph Bates visited. He introduced them to the Sanctuary doctrine and further explained the Sabbath. In 1850 they began receiving Present Truth published by James White. The Morse's appreciated the White's Biblical stand but they remained skeptical regarding Ellen White's visions. After a meeting at E.P. Butler's in Waterbury, Vermont they accepted Ellen White's ministry. Morse became convinced that her work was in harmony with and prompted by the Spirit of God. He reported that fanaticism was rampant in those early days and that James and Ellen White stood firm against it. This impressed him. [3]
Morse attended the 1852 meeting where it was agreed to purchase a printing press and found a publishing enterprise. According to available records, in 1852, he became the first Sabbath-keeping Adventist minister to be ordained. [3]
Minnesota Territory
In 1856 he and his family moved to the town of Deerfield in Steele County, Minnesota. He took up evangelistic work there. He wrote, "I walked hundreds of miles in Minnesota, visiting the widely scattered settlements, carrying my Bible, chart, and tracts, endeavoring to awaken an interest in the truths of the third angel's message."
Histories of Steele County, Minnesota, list him as being one of the first settlers of the town of Deerfield, [4] surviving the Indian outbreak in 1862, performing the first marriage in the town, and serving as the pastor at the first religious service which was a funeral – mention being made that, at the funeral, Washington “took the occasion to enlighten his audience as to the particular and distinctive tenets of his religious views.” Steele County histories also mention the Adventist organization in Deerfield Township that was led by Morse as being one of “two church organizations – the Adventists and the German Methodists – though neither of them have a church edifice, but hold their service in the school houses.”
In 1858, Washington Morse along with D. B. Parsons and J.H. Abbott was commissioned by the government of Minnesota to establish as State road from Waterville to Owatonnia. [5]
In May, 1862, he attended an organization meeting for the denomination and in October, 1862 he became the first president of the newly organized Minnesota Conference until 1865. After that, he continued working for the church but in less prominent roles.
1863 Minnesota Delegate to Church Organization
The Seventh-day Adventist General Confernce organized in 1863. Washington Morse represented the church in Minnesota at the meetings.
Moved to Ontario, Canada
In 1896, he and his wife moved to the Peterborough, Ontario area to be closer to family. He worked as a colporteur there. In 1908, a year before he died, they moved to a family home in Florida. [6]
References
- ^ Minnesota Seventh-day Adventist Leaders: Minnesota Conference Presidents. Washington Morse. Accessed April 9, 2011
- ^ a b Morse, Washington. Items of Advent Experience During the Past Fifty Years. No. 1 Review and Herald, September 11, 1888, p. 2 Accessed April 9, 2011
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Sabbathwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Mitchell, W. H. History of Steele County from its earliest settlement to the present time. Embracing leading incidents of pioneer life, names of early settlers, Nature of Soil, Advantages to Settlers, Etc. Etc. (1868) Accessed April 10, 2011
- ^ General laws of the State of Minnesota (Google eBook) Secretary of State, Minnesota. Treasurer's Office. Pioneer Co., 1858. p. 118
- ^ Morse, G.W. and Morse, Lizzie J. A Pioneer Gone to Rest. Review and Herald, December 23, 1909, p. 17 Accessed April 9, 2011
See Also
External Links
- Seventh-day Adventist Leaders: Minnesota Conference Presidents. Washington Morse. Accessed April 9, 2011