Re-establishment
Prophet William Saunders Crowdy (1896-1908)
Prophet Wm S Crowdy
In the footsteps of Jesus Christ, his teacher, Prophet William Saunders Crowdy came with a message of immediacy, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). This prophet came in the Volume of the Book, in the spirit and power of Elijah the Prophet to ‘turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers’ lest the Lord would come and smite the earth with a curse. The world had become as a land full of dry bones, and like prophet Ezekiel, God commissioned Prophet Crowdy to preach His word and make those dry bones live again and perform the will of their Creator. Confronted with resistance, God strengthened him and like Prophet Amos, he boldly proclaimed, “Thus saith the Lord God’
Prophet William Saunders Crowdy, the Re-establisher of the Church of God and Saints of Christ was born on 11 August 1847, in St Mary’s County, Md to Basil and Sarah Ann Crowdy. His birth name was Wilson. At the age of 16 he ran away from home to escape from slavery. From 1863 to 1866 he joined the Union Army. At the end of the civil war he served as a Quartermaster from 1867 to 1872 in the 5th Calvary. Prophet Crowdy then moved to Kansas City, Missouri where he worked for Santa Fe Railroad and U.S surveyor’s office as a cook. Prophet William Saunders Crowdy was formerly an active deacon in the Baptist Church, and God called him to be His Prophet in the Church of God and Saints of Christ.
The revelations that brought about the re-establishment of this Church began on Elul (September) 13, 1892 when the Eternal God revealed Himself to Prophet Crowdy. As the Lord had spoken to Prophet Ezekiel, he said the same words to Prophet William Saunders Crowdy, that, “Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel that hath rebelled against me:”
One spring morning he went to a new field he had bought and was clearing ground for a new crop farm, trying to withstand the voice that was urging him to go away, moving his lips in quiet but forceful inner speech. He was felling trees, digging up stumps and clearing up and hacking away effortlessly at an old stump. And the voice of God came to Him saying, “run for your life”, dropping his ax, and grabbing his mattock, the prophet took off to his feet and started running through the thicket. Overcome with a thought that he might die in this long run, he went about cutting down trees, in case he dies, then it would be easier to follow the spool and find him before the vultures eat him. When his strength began to fail him he stopped to rest and while resting, he fell into a deep slumber.
When God wanted to establish a nation through Adam, He made Adam fall into a deep sleep and a nation was born. At this time the God of heavens was about to bring back the Church of God and Saints of Christ, which had disappeared during the Dark Ages. God had said in (Numbers 12:6), “…. If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision and will speak unto him in a dream.” Prophet Crowdy had a dream and in the dream he found himself in a large room and tables descending from the ceiling. On each table a name of a church was written and as each table descended to the floor, it was full of filth and vomit. Well had Isaiah said about this,
“For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean” (Isaiah 28:8)
All these churches we see today, Prophet Crowdy saw them already but they were all filthy. Being a Baptist Deacon then, he was thrilled to see also a table with the Baptist’ church name. The table was big but filthier than them all and he lost interest in the Baptist Church and resolved not to go there again. Afterward he saw a little table descending and a name was inscribed on it, ‘Church of God and Saints of Christ’ This table began to expand and outgrew all the other tables. (Isaiah 2:1-4) prophesied that this Church shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills. These hills are metaphoric symbols for churches, meaning that in the last days, the Church of God shall grow and swallow all these other churches and shall stand forever.
Finally he was shown the Seven Keys coming down on a table , each key bearing related biblical references. The Seven Keys and the Church of God and Saints of Christ are inseparable, and that is why, we, the offsprings and remnants of this great and divine revelation continue to uphold them. After that he was shown the bible and told to eat it, just like John in (Revelations 10:2-10) , the book, which is the bible, was sweet in his mouth but bitter in his belly, thus God was compelling him to go out into the nations and proclaim His word. It was this sword, the bible which he ate that started this great battle in the land.
Prophet Crowdy awoke from the vision and headed home. When he went to sleep, that night he was very restless, kept on getting up at night to write on a tablet. When morning came, he could not remember that he had been getting up at night. It was his wife who reminded him, that is when he realized he had been writing the Seven Keys which God had shown him in a dream.
It took Prophet William Saunders Crowdy some time to fulfill the divine will of the Lord. He made some excuses saying if the Lord blesses him in the field with a good harvest he would go. He wanted to make sure his family had enough to eat whilst he was gone. The Lord hearkened to his voice and granted him the desire of his heart, but still he could not go, he petitioned God for the same request again and the Lord gave him increase in the fields. Still he made yet more excuses and this time he did not have a good year’s increase, he fell off sick and he knew the Lord whipped him for this delay. He promised the Lord that if He would restore his health, then he would rise up and fulfill his promise. Starting in Guthrie, Oklahoma he began preaching and communicating the will of God to mankind. He preached on the corner of Broad and Rodman Streets creating a great stir among the churches, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, the observance of the Sabbath, the Ten Commandments and abstinence from wine. Many were baptized and the church began to expand to other states.
On November (Bul) 8, 1896 the Church of God and Saints of Christ was incorporated in Emporia, Kansas.
The Church of God and Saints of Christ thanks God for sending her a prophet to bring back the Ancient of Days. What God revealed to the Prophet, this Church will never depart from it. Prophet W.S. Crowdy said “I William S Crowdy, was shown by the Seven Keys the work of our God pertaining to our salvation….which if the one who reads it and will do it, will surely reach eternal life without fail, for Jesus words are as true as the Rock of Ages”
Prophet William Saunders Crowdy fell asleep on 4 August 1908 in Newark, New Jersey, in the house of Evangelist Malinda Morris.
Jesus Christ said to Simon Peter, ‘…upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’ St Matt 16:18. And the Church of God and Saints of Christ is still moving in the land.