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PILGRIM NEWS & NOTES OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MIDWEST PILGRIM HOLINESS CHURCH OCTOBER 2016

Nothing Happened

By Dan Plemmons

In New England, there is a plaque on which is emblazoned some words from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s

famous Concord Hymn . . .

By the Rude Bridge that arched the flood, their Flag to April’s breeze unfurled

Here once the embattled farmers stood, and fired the shot that was heard around the world!

As you drive from place to place across this nation, you will often see markers that tell the visitor that ON

THIS SPOT, a great happening took place. . .

In Ardmore, Oklahoma, in a small Café there is a small sign that reads: On THIS SITE, in 1897 . . .

NOTHING HAPPENED.

As humorous as that may sound, that sign could very easily be posted on the outside brick wall of many

churches across the United States of America accompanied by today’s date.

Rev. James Keaton tells the story of a business that was preparing to close, and it was found after the clos-

ing that the Secretary of the Board had written these words into the Minutes of their last business meeting:

We have gathered here today to take care of some final business prior to going out of business . . . AND the REASON

that we are going out of business, is because we don’t rightly know what our business even is!

Sadly enough, there are churches which meet week after week, month after month, year after year, and

they don’t even know what their business is!

We have bought in to the GREAT AMERICAN LIE that says: “I got to where I am today because of blood,

sweat & tears”. When we pass the panhandler standing on the corner holding a sign that says, “will work for

food”, we feel pretty good about ourselves! But I would submit to you, my friends, that it is hard to maintain

our pride and prejudices when we are actively involved in the lives of hurting people!

I am not saying that if you pass that panhandler on the street without stopping to help him/her, that you

are in the wrong, but I AM saying that if the salvation that you have does not occasionally get you out of

your comfort zone and into the lives of hurting people, then you really do not have very much.

Too often, we look at others who are actively involved in personal evangelism, and although we want to

do something to win the lost, we just never seem to get the job done.

I had been asked to sing for the funeral service of a lady that I’d known since childhood. The service was

about two hours from my home, so I drove there and sang for the funeral. On the way back to my home, I

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decided to take a different route than I came. I used to be a courier in the Detroit area, so I decided to see if

the area had changed much since I made deliveries there. I took I-94 and when I reached the Livernois Rd.

exit in Dearborn, I exited, and I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to see.

It was around 30° outside and as I came to the stop sign, right in front of my car walked an African Ameri-

can male. As he got right in front of me, I noticed that he had BIG tears streaming down his cheeks. He was

carrying a very tattered duffle bag over his shoulder, his clothes were tattered, his shoes looked very old, and

I felt for him as I watched the tears flow down his cheek.

My FIRST thought was, “Plemmons, get out of your car and see if there is anything you can do to help this

man!” I’m embarrassed to tell you that my SECOND thought was, “What can I do? I can’t take him home?

I’ve just cleaned this car out!”

But here is what I COULD have done, had I not been so “ME oriented” . . .

I COULD have sheltered him in my warm car, or taken him to a nice restaurant and fed him.

I COULD have taken him to a store and bought him some clothes.

I COULD have taken him to the Glorious Freedom Rescue Mission, which was less than 5 minutes away...

BUT INSTEAD, I did nothing.

What would JESUS have done? Can you point to ONE place in the Word of God where Jesus saw a

genuine need and passed on by?

He DID say in Matthew 25 . . .

Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto

me.

So - - WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED that day at the Livernois Rd. exit off of I-94 was that Jesus Christ,

Himself, walked right in front of my car. He was needing help, but I passed on by.

There is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. In regards to

winning the lost, Everybody was sure that Somebody would get the job done! Anybody could have, but No-

body did. Somebody got angry because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Anybody could

win the lost to Jesus, but Nobody seemed to realize that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Every-

body blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

My friends, the task to win people to the Lord has been given to US. If souls are going to be brought into

the Kingdom of God, we’re going to have to realize that it is our job to bring them in.

May God forgive us for our lethargy and help us to realize that it is OUR TURN to step up to the plate, to

be the witness that we need to be . . . souls are at stake, and it is UP TO US!

What Role Does Music Play in Worship?

The oldest known music is church music – music written for the specific purpose of honoring God. From

the opening sounds of a reverent Sunday morning prelude to the closing chords of an invitation hymn, mu-

sic is used in our services as a means of worship.

The purpose of church music is to enable the congregation to corporately worship God in one voice of joy

and gratitude. Music unifies. It communicates. Psalm 147:1 says, “Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing

praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!” (NIV)

It is amazing how much emphasis God placed on the ministry of music in the service of the tabernacle

and temple. Four thousand people were dedicated to the ministry of music in Israel in I Chronicles 23. The

Lord is serious about music in worship! They used their instruments and voices to prophesy. How wonder-

ful it is when the music in our church services isn’t presented as a performance to highlight personal talent,

but as a message about the glory of God. Then, those who are listening are made ready to receive the Word

that will be preached. Music and preaching should never be in competition, but be complimentary to each

other.

Music isn’t worship. It is a way to express worship. Music is a means by which a worshipping person

expresses his thanks and praise to God. It enhances and enriches, but worship is an attitude of the heart, not

a mood created by music. It often surpasses spoken words in expressing the emotions and feelings of the

heart. Psalm 98:4-6 speaks of singing and playing instruments when praising the Lord.

There are many Biblical examples of using music to worship:

The dedication of the Temple in King Solomon’s time. II Chronicles 5:12-13

The disciples sang a hymn, together. Mark 14:26

Paul and Silas sang praises to God, while in jail. Acts 16:25

Harps are played and the redeemed sing a new song around the throne in Revelation 14:1-3

“The music of the redeemed is alien to the music of the world.” It is beautiful, lofty, exalted, skillful, intel-

ligent, systematic, timeless. When our church music ceases to be all of this and stoops to the level of secular

music it is no longer a “new song”, no longer the song of the redeemed.

O worship the King, all glorious above, And gratefully sing His wonderful love!

Credits: Is Music Worship gty.org; The Ro le o f Music in Worship ministry127.com; Why Music is Im-

portant in Worship lds.org

By Connie Hilligoss

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Our Offering + His Blessing = Abundant Provision

Are you feeling completely overwhelmed by a circumstance that is out of your control?

Is your mind preoccupied with problems that are larger than life? Are you spending your emotional and

mental energy attempting to conjure up solutions that will “fix” the issues plaguing your family, your min-

istry, your career?

As Christian women, we are called to bring a positive influence to the situations we encounter, but the

weight of the burdens we carry can threaten to suppress the ultimate purpose God has for our lives. The

truth is, we can be paralyzed by the enormity of the load and fail to effectively execute the mission for

which God has equipped and empowered us.

In the Gospels, we are presented with one of the most popular Bible stories ever told. Jesus had taken

His disciples away for awhile, and as they walked the dusty roads, He turned and saw a multitude of peo-

ple following along. You know the story. The people gathered (5,000 men plus women and children), and

Jesus taught them. After a period of time, the disciples became concerned about how this crowd would be

fed. One noticed that a boy had a lunch consisting of five small barley loaves and two little fish. Jesus

asked one of the disciples to bring this lunch to Him. He blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples to

distribute to the crowd. Every single person was fed, and there were leftovers. Plenty of them.

There are so many lessons we can glean from this simple version of an amazing New Testament occur-

rence. When circumstances threaten to overwhelm your soul, reflect on these principles:

Recognize the problem and bring it to the One who can solve it.

Avoiding the issue never makes it go away. The disciples knew the crowd would be hungry. Howev-

er, they didn’t call a “disciple’s meeting” to set up food solution committees. They didn’t get aggravat-

ed with one another. They didn’t ignore the problem. The disciples came to Jesus and they followed

His instruction.

Remember that God will never ask you for more than what He has equipped you to give.

Some of us are carrying burdens that aren’t ours to carry. Jesus said to the disciples, “Bring Me what

you have.” At that point, they had five loaves and two fish. Did Jesus tell them it wasn’t enough? Did

He reprimand them for not being able to, in a crowd of nearly 20,000, gather more than just a small

lunch? Of course not! Jesus knew what was there, and He also knew that, through the meager provi-

sion, His strength would be manifest in a way that would bring honor and glory to His Father. It

would also be a reminder of God’s faithfulness to generations following.

A Woman’s Perspective By Stephanie Burley

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Release the small thing that is in your hands so that it can be made much bigger by His hands.

This is the part of the story that brings me to tears. A young boy let go of his sustenance, not knowing

whether it would be replaced. He was on the brink of seeing the greatest miracle of his life. What hap-

pened next is what made all the difference. Jesus blessed the lunch. Sometimes we look at what we

have to offer, and we minimize its value. And in a sense, we are right. In our hands it is almost noth-

ing. But when we give our offering to God and let Him bless it and distribute it as He sees fit, it be-

comes something far greater than we can ever imagine.

Remain accessible as the channel through which God’s provision may be shared.

There are many ways Jesus could have chosen to perform this miracle. The simplest way, in my mind,

would have been for Him to simply speak the word and have boxed lunches land in each person’s lap.

The dramatic effect would have been stunning, and the immediate need would have been met. Quick,

easy, done. But Jesus saw this opportunity as much more than meeting a physical need. Isn’t that the

way He always works? After blessing the lunch, He gave it to His disciples and they distributed it to

the crowd. What does this tell us? God wants to allow us the opportunity to receive the blessings of

kingdom work. If I were following one of the disciples, I may have seen him nervously removing pieces

of bread and fish from his basket. At first, he may have thought, “Is this the last piece? Am I going to

be mocked and ridiculed when I reach my hand into the basket and it comes up empty? Maybe there’s

more. Maybe this is happening. We are going to feed this crowd!” As he continued to pass out the

food, his faith grew. He became confident that he would feed the next row, and the next row, and the

next. And that’s just how God will use us. If we stay close enough to His hands, He will entrust us

with the blessings that He wants us to bring into the lives of others. He could do it all on His own, but

He chooses us.

Earlier this year, I noticed that I was carrying a lot of worry about a situation in my ministry. It was not

an eternal issue, so it didn’t have the weight of some burdens; however, this worry was consuming a fair

share of my mental energy. One day, it occurred to me that I couldn’t fix this problem, and furthermore I

didn’t need to fix this problem. This problem was not a burden that I was equipped to bear. I specifically

remember transferring this concern to the shoulders of my Heavenly Father. Within a week or so, He pro-

vided a solution. It wasn’t an easy fix, and it required a lot of personal sweat equity, but the need was met.

If today you are struggling with a heavy load, I challenge you to put it into the hands of the One who

can move mountains. Someone has said, “Pray like it all depends on God; work like it all depends on

you.” I’m not crazy about that idea because many of us already work like it all depends on us. And many

times we are tired and ineffective. Let’s pray like it all depends on God and work like it all depends on

God. Because His blessing makes all the difference.

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News from around the Conference News articles on this page have been submitted by various Pilgrim Churches. We reserve the right to edit

the submissions as necessary to fit space requirements. E-mail all news to: pauldplemmons@yahoo.com

Rochester Hills, MI - by Dan Plemmons

God has been blessing in Rochester Hills! For quite some time, we have needed the north side of our church

roof repaired, but we lacked the finances to have the work done. A gentleman stepped forward and said that if

we could raise the money for the labor, he would buy all materials! I was elated, so we brought the need to the

church, the people rallied behind the need, the money was quickly raised, and the roof replaced!

We are also looking forward to a special concert of music by our own, Chad Ackerman, on Sunday, October

9, 2016, followed by a pitch-in dinner at the parsonage. Chad has been attending here for a few years and his

music is always a blessing to our people.

Jerry Glick and Clayton Plemmons

working hard tearing off the old roof!

Clayton decided to take a break! Almost finished!

Evansville, IN - by Justin Jackman

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Sarah and I

would like to introduce you to the new addition to our family, Adileah

Elizabeth Jackman.

She was born Saturday, September 17, 2016, weighed 6 lb. 5 oz., and was

19 ¾ inches long. We refer to her as our little rainbow baby, and she is a

true miracle from the Lord! For those of you who are not aware, a rain-

bow baby is one that follows the loss of a previous child within a family,

including miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death or infant loss. After going

through two consecutive miscarriages, God has been so gracious in giving

Sarah a very smooth pregnancy and blessed us with a beautiful, healthy

little girl. Sarah and I are so thankful for the prayers of our Pilgrim family,

and God answered many, many prayers through Adileah!

I would also like to encourage each one by saying God is still on the throne

and answering prayer! Here in the Evansville Pilgrim Holiness Church,

News from around the Conference News articles on this page have been submitted by various Pilgrim Churches. We reserve the right to edit

the submissions as necessary to fit space requirements. E-mail all news to: pauldplemmons@yahoo.com

Continued from previous page

we are seeing souls saved, new families joining us for worship, and best of all a consistent outpouring of the

Holy Spirit in the midst of our services and our people. Our vacation Bible school had over 75 children present

during the week, with over 50 of them having never before attended our church. Since then, several of these

children are still attending, and two other sets of parents have started to regularly attend our worship services!

One gentlemen in our church had been praying years for his unsaved wife, and she recently was gloriously

saved in her home and has been coming to church with a beaming smile and glowing countenance. Friends,

there are hungry souls in this day who still have a longing to know Jesus and live a holy Christian life!

Carry forward the banner of Christ with boldness and pride, praying much, and believing in God for a true

revival in our midst! It is our privilege to labor alongside you for the glory of God, and we thank you again for

your prayers.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING ANNOUNCEMENT BELOW

If you are planning on attending the Annual Ministers & Wives Retreat this month, you are invited to come

early, and attend a Wednesday evening IHC Rally that will be held at the Palestine, Illinois, Pilgrim Holiness

Church on Wednesday, October 19, 2016.

You can go to the “Announcements” section of the Pilgrim website for further details on this special service.

Annual Ministers & Wives Retreat (Held at the Crest Haven Family Center near Oblong, IL) October 20, 21, & 22, 2016

For further info, please call: Leanne Zeigler (812.454.7501) Paul Gray (618.553.2260)

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I was scheduled to teach a series about worship at a holiness camp. My friend asked, “What are you speak-

ing about?” I told him and he responded with dismay, “Worship!? We need teaching about holiness. Don’t

waste your time on worship!” He felt that worship is something that big (probably liberal) churches think

about. But, “we holiness people need to focus on holy living.”

Someone once described a discussion about worship as “straightening the pictures on the walls of a burning

house.” They said, “Our world is falling apart. It is time to focus on evangelism and quit worrying about wor-

ship.” In this person’s view, worship is a minor issue in a world that is headed for destruction.

Now let me begin by saying that I agree that we must give more attention to holy living. Our world is in

trouble and we do need a new passion for evangelism. However, the Bible shows that worship is vital to the

church. I believe that true worship will inspire us to holy living and to evangelism and mission. Isaiah 6 shows

three reasons why worship matters to the Pilgrims.

In worship, we see God. Isaiah wrote, “I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up.” The

seraphim worshiped as they cried out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts. The whole earth is full of His

glory.”

A.W. Tozer wrote that worship was the missing jewel of the evangelical church. In Tozer’s view, even

though the church does many things well (evangelism, Bible teaching, and personal devotion to God), we of-

ten fail in worship.

The loss of true worship is dangerous because in worship we see who God is. As Tozer put it, “The first

step down for any church is taken when it surrenders its high opinion of God.” Our “opinion of God” is

shaped by worship.

In worship we see who God is. Revelation 4:10-11 shows us a picture of worship in heaven. When these

worshipers saw the glory, honor, and power of God, they fell down in worship:

The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and

ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and

power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

When we truly worship, we see God. As holiness people, this is vital! Holiness is showing the character of

God in our own lives. Jesus said, “Be ye therefore perfect.” How will I know what that perfection looks like?

Jesus pointed to the model for us, “…even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matt 5:48). As we see

Him, we see what it means to be holy. And as we see Him, we are transformed into His image. We become

like the One we worship.

Pastors, here is a good test for your worship service next Sunday: “Did my people see God?” Please don’t

be offended if I say that your opinion on the political issues of the day matters far less than your revelation of

God to the people who God has put in your congregation. If our people leave service without knowing what

Pastor to Pastor Pastor to Pastor

Ministering to those who minister

What Is TRUE Worship? By Dr. Randall McElwain

we think about Facebook’s topic du jour, they have lost little. If they leave without seeing God, we have failed

to accomplish God’s purpose for worship.

Pastors, one of our biggest goals should be to bring people into God’s presence. We should pray that no one

leaves our worship without a greater view of God. What a tragedy if they laugh at our stories, nod agreement

at our opinions - but leave without seeing God! Musicians, we must lead people into God’s presence. What a

tragedy if they weep at the emotional climax of our special song, stand in awe of our brilliant piano playing,

and run the aisles while we sing – but leave without truly seeing God!

In worship, we see ourselves. After seeing God, Isaiah saw himself through God’s eyes. “Then said I,

‘Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of un-

clean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.’”

John Calvin wrote that true wisdom consists of two things: knowing God and knowing ourselves. Worship

enables us to see God as He really is; worship enables us to see ourselves as we really are. When we worship,

we get a true picture of our need.

God rejected the worship of Israel because their life did not reflect their worship:

I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings

and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts (Amos

5:21-22).

God rejected Israel’s worship because they did not truly know Him. They thought that God could be

“bought” with sacrifices. God rejected Israel’s worship because they did not understand their own heart con-

dition. They went through the rituals of worship, but they do not live lives pleasing to God. In true worship,

we see ourselves and our need for God.

This is particularly important for us as holiness people. Because our doctrine emphasizes the possibility of

living a life of victory over sin and because we use the language of “Christian perfection,” we are sometimes

prone to denying the reality that every Christian, no matter how deep our walk with God, stands in need of

continual grace.

When I hear a preacher say, “I don’t pray the Lord’s Prayer. I don’t need to pray for forgiveness; I am en-

tirely sanctified,” I fear we have forgotten that when we see ourselves in light of God’s divine purity, we will

always pray with the disciples, “I stand in need of God’s continuing grace.” This was brought home to me

when I received a note from one of the godliest people I have known. We had met the day before to discuss a

staffing need. She had said nothing that struck me as unkind or inappropriate. But the next day, I received a

note that read in part, “As I had devotions this morning, God convicted me that part of what I said regarding

this situation did not need to be said. Please forgive me for failing to reflect fully God’s standard for a holy

tongue.”

This was not a sinner. This was a godly woman! But as she spent time in God’s presence, she was convicted

of her need to be more careful in her speech. When we worship, we see God.

In worship, we see God. As a result, we will pray in humility, “I need God’s continuing purifying grace

today.” Are we called to be holy? Absolutely! Did Jesus really command, “You therefore must be perfect, as

your heavenly Father is perfect”? Yes. Is it possible to obey this command? Yes! God is a good Father who will

not command something without providing grace to obey the command.

BUT – and here is where worship is so important – Christian perfection is not a “Holy Shot” that now im-

munizes us once and for all against sin . N0 - We are holy only as we walk daily in God’s grace. Worship

reminds us that none of us have reached the point that we can say, “I am entirely sanctified. I can face this temptation on

my own.” In worship, we see ourselves and our continuing need of God’s grace.

In worship, we see our world. After seeing God and seeing himself, Isaiah was prepared to see the need of the world

around him. When God asked for a messenger, Isaiah responded, “Here am I. Send me.”

True worship does not detract from evangelism or mission. Instead, if we truly worship, we will evangelize. If we truly

worship, we will have a passion to take God to those who have never had the privilege of worshiping Him. To quote a

teacher from a different theological perspective, John Piper insists that “Missions exist because worship doesn’t.” We

evangelize in order to create worshipers!

We cannot see God without offering ourselves as His servants. We cannot see ourselves and be transformed by Him

without yielding ourselves to His purposes. We cannot see the need of our world without understanding that God calls us

to accomplish His mission in the world.

The Jewish Temple complex included the court of the Gentiles, a place where Gentiles could share in Temple worship.

Gentiles could not enter the Temple proper, but they could participate in worship through prayers in the court of the Gen-

tiles. Worship in Israel was a means of evangelism. One of the ways we evangelize our world and accomplish God’s

mission for the church today is through worship. Worship draws people to God.

Again, this aspect of worship is important for holiness people. If we are not going to disappear into the pages of church

history, we must regain a vision for reaching our world. A mark of the Wesley revival was evangelism. A mark of the

nineteenth century holiness camp meeting movement was evangelism. The Methodists had a passion for holiness and a

passion for reaching the lost. Thousands of Christians were brought to the experience of a pure heart and thousands of un-

believers were brought into the Kingdom. Both holiness and evangelism were important. Why? Holiness people had seen

God and they had seen the need of their world. True worship led to evangelism.

Worship is not straightening the pictures on the walls of a burning house. Worship empowers us to extinguish the fire.

Worship enables us to accomplish God’s mission in the world. Worship is central to everything we do as a church. Mis-

sion outreach creates new bodies of worshipers. Christian education raises up a generation of young people who know and

worship God. Evangelism brings others into the family of worshipers. Everything we do is inspired by worship. Wor-

ship matters to the Pilgrims.

Dr. Randall McElwain is married to Susan, and they live in Hobe Sound, FL where he is a

Professor of Bible and Music at Hobe Sound Bible College. They also have two grown children.

He has Pastored in Taiwan, and has also spent 25 years travelling to teach in several countries.

We wish to thank Dr. Randall McElwain for taking time out of his busy schedule to share with

our Conference via this excellent article.

BRETHREN WE HAVE MET TO WORSHIP

Brethren, We Have Met To Worship, and adore the Lord, our God

Will you pray with all your power while we try to preach the word

All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down

Brethren, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around

Brethren, see poor sinners round you, slumbering on the brink of woe

Death is coming, Hell is moving, can we bear to let them go?

See our fathers and our mothers, and our children sinking down

Brethren, pray and holy manna will be showered all around

During the summer of 1981, Gary spoke with Rev. James Southerland about starting a Pilgrim Holiness

Church in the Westfield area. Bro. Southerland talked with Mark Ranke, a student at Union Bible Seminary,

asking him if he would be willing to be the pastor of this new church. He said consented, and graciously

offered their home for our services.

So our journey began in the little red brick home across the street from the Bible College with twelve in

attendance on the first Wednesday night prayer meeting. We grew in attendance, and definitely sensed the

Blessed Holy Spirit. (While we were there, Bro. Ranke’s mother knelt and found Jesus as her personal Savior.)

Attendance continued to grow, so we rented the Chapel from Union Bible Seminary, known today as Union

Bible College. We worshiped there until July 1982, while praying about a church.

God heard and answered our prayers in a way that no one expected when Rev. R. C. Boynton called Bro.

Southerland, telling him that he wanted to retire and his congregation wished to join the Midwest Pilgrims and

offer their church to us. Both church boards and church congregations voted unanimously to come together

and worship the Lord. So we journeyed over to 10th St. in Noblesville, where Rev. Mark Ranke served as our

pastor until September 1983, when Rev. Howard Baker came and pastored until 1984.

Bro. Southerland, along with all his many other duties, became our interim pastor until we found another

one. Rev. Michael Hobbs and family came to pastor our flock in 1985. The church on 10th Street was bursting at

the seams and we decided we needed to expand our horizons. We sold the church and property in 1987 and

began another journey, which lasted for four years, worshiping in several different locations.

In 1988, the Hobbs moved on to another church and we had several ministers fill in while the church Board

searched for a new pastor.

Rev. Phil Harris, one of the fill in ministers, became our full time pastor in 1990. Our congregation was aver-

aging 65-75 in attendance.

The property had already been purchased, so Bro. Harris became our pastor and our general contractor, do-

ing paper work, breaking ground, pouring concrete and raising the walls. Many of our church members were

very involved in the process, also. Bro. Harris continued as our pastor until 2000, leading us in purchasing the

home in front of the church for a parsonage, and starting committees that still continue to this day.

When Bro. and Sis. Harris moved on to other ministries, we were averaging around 150 in attendance.

Celebrating 25 Years of god’s faithfulness The Noblesville Pilgrim Holiness Church

By Brenda Fish

11

Dr. Craig Dahler and family came to pastor in July of 2000, and he was shepherd to our church for 12 ½

years. Bro. Dahler encouraged us to start our Bus Ministry, which continues today under the direction of Dean

Welbaum, and we had Family Life Retreats every fall. Because of Dr. Dahler’s involvement in the Hamilton

County Ministerial Association, our church became very involved in the community improvement of River-

wood, where our bus ministry is still involved today. We sold a portion of our property to American Senior

Living, who built the Riverwalk Commons Assisted living facility, which is next door. This sale enabled our

church to become debt free and we held a Mortgage Burning service. We have encouraged the residents to

come to our services and we hold services there.

In February 2013, after an extensive parsonage renovation was completed, the Forsee family came to minis-

ter to us. Thru his ministry, our media presence has expanded with a website, a Facebook page, and live

streaming of our services. We have had people watching our services in India, South America and Canada.

One couple who watched live streaming from Canada, is now worshiping with us and is enrolled in Union

Bible College. (Another way Bro. Forsee is enlarging our church is by praying for babies. He has already dedi-

cated sixteen babies, with three more in October)

Under Pastor Forsee’s leadership, we are in the process of building a fellowship hall behind the church. The

loan for funds needed has been approved and most of the paperwork has been completed. We’re planning to

break ground this fall.

We just celebrated our 35th and 25th Celebration on September 18th. Our church was started in 1981, we

moved into our new church building in 1991.

We just concluded revival services with the Rev. Daniel Stetler, who inspired us to remember that “Jesus is

Near, that we can live above sin, there is Hope after failure, and to always remember that we are in a Spiritual

Warfare. We were blessed, encouraged and challenged, and we press on toward our Heavenly goal!

Pastors that were in attendance for the special 25th Anniversary service on September 18, 2016

are You disrespeCting god’s house?

By Rev. Roger Russell

At the closing of 2016 Camp at Frankfort, our newly elected Conference President, Rev. Donald Nichols,

admonished the young people to go back home and apply themselves to working in the local Church and

line up and get themselves “platform ready”.

This got me to thinking again of something that has been on my mind for some years now, and that is the

lack of respect for God’s house.

Too often, parents turn their children loose after dismissal to have a free for all, running up and down the

aisles. I have been told that I am just an old fuddy duddy from a rigid generation.

Possibly, but at least I wasn’t turned loose to climb in the pews of the church and run up and down the

seats. It makes me wonder about the parents who come to Church in flip flops or get up in their unpolished

work boots to sing a special song.

They say when something is bothering you it sometimes helps you get it off your chest if you write it

down, so that is what I am going to do.

Some say that we worship the altar or perhaps our Discipline, and maybe our standards. NOT ME. I wor-

ship the blessed Trinity. I never enter God’s house without sometime in the days before scheduled services or

revival, inviting my best friends to come.

I wouldn’t go to someone’s birthday party if they were not going to be there. I expect God to be there be-

cause where two or three are gathered in God’s name, He has promised to be there and He doesn’t break His

promises.

I dearly love to bask in His Holy presence when during the call to worship, His presence permeates the

atmosphere and my soul is tuned to another world by hearing the playing of some old hymn. Yes, I know it

isn’t all in emotion but as J. Wesley Adcock used to say, “It’s not in setting like a bump on a log either.“

I don’t profess to be a great teacher or even a good one but I have read a considerable amount of the great-

est Teacher of all times and He used parables to relate. So I will do it in parable form.

So for a moment, let’s pretend . . .

The Queen of England was riding past Wesley Chapel and the dissenters grave yard one day and her

mind went to her beloved homeland and the rich history it had in forming western civilization. “I wonder if

the Wesley brothers, John and Charles, made a lasting impact on the new world, she thought?

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The next time I go to Lexington to see my horses I will inquire. She inquired at several large Methodists

Churches and got a similar story. . . Someone said, “Well, they were good in the pioneer days of the mining

camps but we are more educated today and their philosophies are not in keeping with this modern day.”

Then she asked, “Are there any people left in America who have adhered to Wesley’s original teaching?

“On one occasion she was told that the State of Indiana was called the Bible Belt of America because of the

number of conservative Churches that had their beginnings in the area, and Indy was the belt buckle!

Her quest gained importance and she really wanted to know the answer, so she kept at the job until she

was told that the Pilgrim Holiness Church was still a follower of the Wesley doctrine.

Upon further inquiry to see if there was one that she could visit, it turned out that she decided to visit one

of our Pilgrim Holiness Churches.

Imagine all the things that would suddenly be important. The parking lots would need a new cote of fin-

ish. The landscaping would need to be freshened. The entrance and sanctuary would need to be inspected for

paint missing or smudges on the walls and windows would be inspected to see if they were spotless.

The Queen would arrive at 10:30 on Sunday morning. Everybody had been instructed to be in the Church

and seated by 10:15 to leave the foyer open for the Queen and her security detail. You talk about order!!! All

are in their usual pew with their children who are still hearing in their minds the instructions before coming

to Church. . . “Don’t disturb by going out to the restroom or run up to sit with Grandpa and sit still!”

The service goes well. The Queen remarks that the family is the cornerstone of any nation and what a

pleasure it is to see entire families with well-behaved children attending morning worship. We all stand and

wave as the limo pulls out of the driveway.

I don’t know what others will think as they head home but my thoughts are something like this. . .

You know, everyone was dressed in their Sunday best! How easy it is to dress better for a wedding than

for regular worship services. The late S.D. Herron used to say, “Holy shoddy is still shoddy.”

I don’t dress up to impress people or because that is the way I was reared, but when I worship, I have al-

ready invited the King of Kings to attend, and I respect the person and the position.

I am actually living every day to be part of the bride of Christ and Christ himself admonished us to be

ready for in such an hour as we think not, He will return. I would hate to have Jesus come back on a Sunday

morning and find me worshiping in a disrespectable way.

I love what happens when I go to worship and to mimic the Prophet of old, “As for me and my house . . .

we will respect the Lord’s house!”

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Honoring . . . Dr. Harlan Sannes

Harlan Ralph Sannes was born into this world in the state of South Dakota on

May 8, 1926. He says that his life has been marked off in decades.

In 1936, at about 10 years of age, his father moved the family off the farm into

town due to the extenuating conditions of the dust-bowls, grasshoppers, and rust

on the grain resulting in crop failure which rendered his father unable to meet the

tax levy which caused the loss of their farm. This move, however, made it possi-

ble for Harlan to go to school, beginning his formal education.

Harlan was drafted into the U.S. Army during WWll and was sworn in on Nov.

15, 1944. Following his 17 week basic training at Camp Joseph T. Robinson in

Little Rock, AR, he attended a month of paratroop training at Fort Benning in Columbus, GA. From there he

was shipped to Fort Ord in CA, and then to the Philippine Islands, He was discharged on Nov. 15, 1946 being

then in the 3rd. decade of his life.

In 1948, Harlan married Mattie Potter. Three wonderful children were born into their home: Walter, John,

and Mary. On April 20, 1956, Harlan and Mattie both found salvation in the Ann Arbor, MI, Free Methodist

Church under the preaching of Evangelist Lily Mae Hall.

Soon after their conversion, they left the Free Methodist Church due to the drift and began attending the

Pilgrim Evangelistic Church in Adrian, MI, pastored by Rev. Don Baughey, who was an outstanding preacher

and expositor of Bible prophecy having developed an extended prophetic chart of end-time events on oil-cloth.

Bro Baughey made his material available to Bro. Sannes who reduced the near 50 feet long chart down to 6 feet.

Bro. Sannes became a bi-vocational minister as an employee of Chrysler Motors. His tenure with Chrysler

lasted for 30 years until his retirement on Dec. 31, 1981.

Bro. Sannes’ ministerial career began by leading prayer meetings and doing pulpit fill-ins for Rev. Donald

R. Baughey, who became a mentor to Bro. Sannes. On Sunday, Dec. 4, 1966, at the age of 40, he assumed the

pastorate of the Tecumseh, MI, Lower Light Church.

In 1976, when Bro. Sannes was then 50 years old, he was elected General Superintendent of the Lower

Light Churches, which office he held for 6 years. In 1986, at age 60, he became the pastor of the Petersburg, MI,

Lower Light Church and served in that capacity for 7 years.

It was in 1993 that Bro. Sannes’ dear wife of 45 years passed away. It was during those succeeding days of

sorrow and loneliness that the Lord allowed his path to intersect the life of a lovely and lonely widow, Siller

Mae Fletcher. They were married on Sept. 3, 1994. After living in Michigan for 9 years, in November, 2003, they

moved to Rockwell, NC.

Early in the 1970’s Bro Sannes was exposed to the Accelerated Christian Education program. In 1974, my

family and I were honored to serve as evangelist and singers at the Lower Light Camp Meeting in Petersburg,

MI. While there, Bro. Sannes seized the occasion to show me the ACE slide presentation which planted the

seed in my heart for the conviction for Christian Education.

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Along with Rev. Raymond Shreve and Levi Whisner, Bro Sannes was a pioneer in the Holiness Movement

for establishing Christian Day Schools. In the fall of 1974, the Lower Light Christian School was established in

Petersburg with Bro. Sannes serving as President, Administrator, and Principal.

Bro. Sannes’ own formal education has been ongoing. He fulfilled his ministerial ordination studies under

the program of the Lower Light Churches. He has studied electronics, as well as the CE studies under Chrysler.

He has educated himself in computer programing, even writing the accounting system program which he used

as church treasurer.

He has been a diligent student of God’s Word, theology and doctrine. Not all education is acquired in a

classroom. Bro. Sannes is an example of combining knowledge gained with wisdom and service to others.

When Bro. & Sis. Sannes moved to NC, they began attending the Archdale Pilgrim Holiness Church, and

then joined in the pioneering and founding of the Piedmont Bible Church. For 40 years, our friendship and fel-

lowship has grown steadily and solidly. We have traveled together, served together, and worshiped together.

As Rev. Harlan Sannes embarks on the 10th decade of his life by turning 90 years old, it is my honor and

privilege to bestow upon him an Honorary Doctorate Degree provided through God’s Bible School & College.

Dr. Edward S. Lecates

Editor’s Note: It has been my high honor to have known Bro. Sannes nearly all of my life. He has been a stalwart saint

of God with an impeccable testimony. The Pilgrim family extends warm congratulations to Dr. Harlan Sannes on this

very high honor being bestowed on him.

ATTENTION PILGRIM CHURCH NEWS REPORTERS . . .

We would love to be able to report on the happenings in and around your

church, but we need to here from YOU!

If you would like your church news to be included in the next PNN, please

have your report to the editor no later than September 15th. THANKS!

Email your report to: pauldplemmons@yahoo.com

Conference Info:

Conference President, Rev. Don Nichols

Conference Vice President, Rev. Mark Arnett

Conference Secretary, Rev. Tim Forsee

Conference Treasurer, Rev. Bryan Line

Conference Missionary Representative, Dr. Craig Dahler

Conference Youth Director, Rev. John Zeigler

The main goal of Pilgrim News & Notes is to be an encouragement to our readers, as well

as a source of information to those with connections or interests in our Conference.

All submissions are welcome, however, we reserve the right to edit as necessary to fit de-

sign and space needs. Not all submissions will be published.

Please email all submissions to the editor via the contact info below:

pauldplemmons@yahoo.com

About Pilgrim News & Notes

Pilgrim News & Notes is the official publication of the Midwest Pilgrim Holiness

Church, and is published bi-monthly.

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