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Chestnut Street United Methodist Church Letter
The
official disfellowship records of the Harmon Family. The letter and church
records below were sent to me by Mr. Keith Moxon from Australia.
|
17 Chestnut Street
Portland, Maine 04101-4940
(207) 772-6123
June 3,1988
Mr. Keith Moxon
BO BO Valley
Via ULONG
NSW 2450
Australia
Dear
Mr. Moxon:
Greetings from Portland, Maine. Chestnut street church is still very much
alive; one of the oldest congregations in the United Methodist Church, founded
in 1795 when George Washington was President. I have responded to a series of
inquiries from Australia this year, and find your letter one of the more
interesting, since you raise a theological question.
As you can see from the enclosed photocopies of the original church records all
the members of the Harmon family were dismissed in September, 1843 from Chestnut
Street Church on the grounds of breach of discipline. You will note too that Robert,
Sr., Eunice and Sarah include the phrase under, peculiar circumstances.
The reason for their dismissal was not that they
preached the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. That
is a tenant of our orthodox faith which is confirmed from the Articles of
Religion 1784.
Their dismissal was occasioned by their breach of
discipline in proclaiming the views of William Miller's time setting. I
read these entries to mean that after much quiet counsel to refrain from their
disruptive behavior in church meetings the members of Chestnut Street Church
took what they believed to be their only recourse, to dismiss the Harmon Family.
I am unacquainted with Mr. F. D. Nichol's book The
Midnight Cry, and do not know if he quoted what you have in front of you or not.
These pages have been photocopied by the leadership of the Seventh-Day Adventist
Church, and are on file in Washington, DC. One more note, as the records state,
Robert Sr., and Eunice joined Chestnut Street Church in February 1840. Sarah
joined the church on May 17, 1940. (typo 1840) Robert Jr. joined in 1841, and
Ellen joined June 26, 1842.
Below are
three pages from the Chestnut Street Methodist Church that is handwritten
showing the church records of the Harmon Family dismissal.
It will take a couple of minutes to load
all three pages, please be patient.
ll
Page 1: By Robert and Eunice Harmon's name: "Sept. 1843 For a breach of discipline under peculiar circumstances." Note the above letter, as the Methodist Pastor makes reference to Robert and Eunice.
Page 2: By Ellen Harmon's name, "Sept. 1843 For a breach of discipline."
Page 3: The typed material:
"Harmon family disfellowshipped for "long absence from our Church and ordinances and supporting an anti-Methodist doctrine and congregation, viz.: Millerism, etc."
--Records of Stewards and Leaders of Chestnut Street M.E. Church of Portland, Maine, from February to September, 1843, regarding the case of Robert Harmon, Eunice Harmon, Sarah Harmon, and Ellen Harmon. (Quoted on p. 478, "The Midnight Cry" by F. D. Nichol.)
Elizabeth Harmon Bangs,
did not fall into the Millerite trap or for
her sisters visions
and remained a member of the Methodist Church
till she died, December 21,1891.
Ellen G. White with her twin sister
Elizabeth Harmon Bangs seated.
