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Testimonies about Frank W. Sandford's
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We present these testimonies simply to counter the negative information and distortion of the truth on other websites concerning the ministry of F.W. Sandford. These three devoted Christians were eyewitnesses of F.W. Sandford's life and ministry. Every honest inquirer should have the benefit of both sides before drawing their own conclusions. MRS. EUNICE STREET JEWELL--written May 1996 In view of the possibility that some of you may have been hearing some negative things about Mr. Sandford, I have been feeling an urge to share my own experience with you. I frankly admit that I don't understand any more than most of you may feel you do, all of God's thoughts in regard to the role he thought he was destined to play in God's plan, but I feel I don't have to understand. I am leaving that with God, not feeling qualified to make a decision myself. However, there is so much that I do know concerning the last twenty years of his life, that I am happy to share it with you in the interests of all truth. I won't bore you with the details leading up to the fact that God Himself gave me the privilege of spending what I have often referred to as twenty of the happiest years of my life in the home of Mr. and Mrs. F.W. Sandford (from the time I was 21 in 1928 until God took him in 1948). For most of that time I was his secretary, which involved traveling thousands of miles in the car with Mr. and Mrs. S. and party. As far as I know, there is no one living who had an opportunity to observe the life of that dear man of God any better than myself. In 1927 (while living in Ottawa, Kansas) I received an invitation to attend a September gathering in Boston which I very much wished to do. It was at that gathering that I met Mr. Sandford for the first time since I had become an adult, and my heart was so moved, thrilled, and satisfied as I heard him speak of God's Word and his own experience with Him, his absolute faith in God and His Word, etc., that I was spoiled for wanting to continue my life as I had planned (to work so I could attend college) and felt moved to approach him with the offer of my services anywhere they could be used in God's kingdom, never dreaming he might need help himself. At that gathering I told God I "had to have more of this." But I had to go home for a while as I wasn't yet of age. Without taking time and space here to tell how God worked it out, in 1928 I returned east with my trunk and had the privilege of joining with a Bible School Mr. S. was training, and there had the opportunity "to have more of this" for which my heart longed. Eventually he began using my services as a secretary, and at first dictated articles which I took in shorthand, but later he like it better to be able to see what he had dictated sooner than having to wait for me to transcribe what he dictated, so I took his dictation right onto the typewriter. So it came about that I had the opportunity to observe the life this man lived daily, whether in his home or traveling as God led him, for when the car went it was almost inevitable that I went also much of the time. He was totally committed to seeing this world won for Jesus Christ, and to seeing that awful blindness (the covering on men's eyes that kept them from seeing God as real) removed. Of course the Bible was always the Source from which he taught, with confidence in the Holy Spirit to lead into all truth. His faith in the gospel and the power in Jesus' Precious Blood to make a soul perfect was absolute. He always taught that we could be what God required in His Word. There is power in Jesus' blood to enable us to meet God's demands. In other words, he didn't dodge any Scriptural requirement, but had absolute faith in the power of the gospel to save to the uttermost. And his faith in God's Word concerning the future was also absolute whether he ever saw its fulfillment or not. For instance, he saw the Bible plainly referred to the restoration of the Holy Land to Israel, which didn't take place until the year he died, but he faithfully believed that it would, and it did. It is true, that like the apostles of old, he expected Jesus' return in his day and his whole life was geared to that. But when he found his own thoughts were not in harmony with God's he immediately switched them to what he saw God doing. He told us near the close of his life that he knew less now about the fulfillment of the book of Revelation than he did when he was teaching it; and he advised us that we earnestly seek God that when the time comes, we will know what we need to know. He made no predictions, but maintained absolute loyalty to God. And I can testify that his loyalty to God and confidence in Him was absolute to the last. In memory I can see that dear man of God on his knees leading us in prayer: "Make me the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible." +++++++++++++++ MRS. EILEEN SANDFORD'S STORY OF WHY SHE LOVES GOD AND HIS KINGDOM written for honest inquirers August 1995 This morning I read in the book of Galatians. Paul was struggling to convey to the church there that they should not go back to the Jewish laws of circumcision, but that they were new creatures in Christ, not under bondage to the law. Then I was praying for God to lead me this day. It swept over me "What should be our attitude about our church? Why is it something special? I call it God's priceless, peerless Kingdom." I feel deeply in my heart that God led to our church being formed back in 1893 when Mr. Frank W. Sandford felt called to leave the Baptist Church where he had been the pastor. Just as Paul the Apostle was called of Jesus Christ to carry the Good News to truths to the Gentiles, which apparently was shocking and unheard of to the Jewish believers who had to be convinced of his authenticity, just so Rev. Sandford's call from God became controversial and shocking to many Christians of his generation. His love for the truths of the Bible, such as trusting for healing of the sick and his desire for the Bible School to live a life of faith were just a few of the drastic things he stood for. Being led of God to circumnavigate the world in a sailing ship was another radical approach to God's call. It took a man of tremendous spiritual and natural strength to be able to do all this, in spite of opposition. I knew Mr. Sandford and attended his services for about sixteen years, whenever he came to visit in our area. His genuineness was so powerful, his love for God's highest calling so strong, I was drawn to God myself in a way that is tremendously precious to me. But it was not the man that I saw. I could see Christ as the One to revere and honor. He pointed us to God. Nothing was too great to sacrifice for the One who died for us. He made the Christian life vibrate with action and loyalty. Just as he played baseball and loved the sport, following Jesus was exhilarating and thrilling! He would tell us this, and just to see him talk about the things of the Bible made you happy to delve more and more into it. How he loved the Bible! This helped me as a young girl to do the same. I longed to go to the Bible School and get more training in how to live a Christian life. This I was able to do for four years when I graduated from High School. After I finished four years at the Bible School, I was privileged to transfer to what he called "The University of Truth." For four years I attended this college for our church. Although the students were only a small group because World War II was going on and almost all the men were called to serve, it was a joy to study under college teachers that loved Mr. Sandford and had studied under him. Also he came to visit the school every few months and held services with us. When Mr. Sandford died in 1948, we all felt a great sadness, although he was 85 years old and had won his "well done" from the Lord. Mr. Victor Abram, who had been his assistant for almost twenty years, carried on for our church as its leader until 1977, when God called him to heaven. Gradually our leadership has changed and today it is governed by a board of ministers and pastors that meet once a month to pray and lead in church matters. Having been in the church 63 years, I see the changes and my heart longs for our young people to realize the greatness of our "roots" in the Lord. How can they take in the value of what Rev. Sandford started and carry it on? This is a challenge that every Christian group has. Even Paul spoke of it in Acts 20:29: "I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter among you not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Wherefore watch ye..." How true those words are today! People I thought were so loyal have actually become enemies and tried to draw away young believers from our church. Also I see it happening here and there as someone drifts away to another church. They fail to see the importance of loyalty to God in sticking to what they have been taught of the Bible, as given by revelation to men of God in our fellowship. Some leave because they want to be worldly. The pressure of their peers is overwhelming. I can readily see this. The glamour of doing what everyone else is doing is a powerful thing to a woman, whether in dress or actions. A woman is extremely sensitive to how she looks. Some just cannot stand to be different. Some of the younger people like to speculate on what they call "The Elijah truth." Did Rev. Sandford get it right when he said God gave him the message, "Elijah is here"? He felt, as many Christian people did in 1900, that there would be a man to prepare the coming of Christ in His second coming, just as John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ in His first coming. This person would have the "spirit and power of Elijah," the old testament prophet. It did not mean that he was that prophet reincarnated. It just meant he would have a mighty walk with God that was like the spirit of a prophet. I can say from my own witness of Mr. Sandford that he had a power from God that was so outstanding, I have never seen it in anyone else, no matter how godly and wonderful they were. My father sensed it when he was a new convert in England in 1901 and heard Mr. Sandford for the first time. He felt it was so unusual, he wanted to go to his Bible School in Maine to hear more. He and my mother attended the Shiloh Bible School for about 16 years and he later became a teacher there and was sent out as an evangelist. They endured great hardships as well as the joys of following the Lord. In 1916 they left the Shiloh Bible School with their two sons, the older age two, and the second four months old. They moved to West Acton, Massachusetts and attended other churches for three years. In 1919 after a chance to talk to Mr. Sandford in Boston at the Convention Center there, my parents were "restored" back into fellowship in the Kingdom. In fact that memorable act was put into the name of their first baby girl Marion Alah Morrison. Alah means "Restored." Many years later when I was in the Bible School in New Hampshire, Pa said to me, "I'll always be loyal to the Kingdom." Also he emphasized the fact that he felt "Mr. F. W. Sandford will yet be vindicated in the eyes of the world." He knew of the criticisms and ridicule of many worldly people and also denominational Christians. He had lived through all those years in Maine at the Shiloh Bible School. He knew of all the trials and court appearances, but he also knew the man himself and his straight teaching of the Bible and a life that was full of the power of the Holy Spirit. He had been rebuked and purified like many others. But he never gave in to discouragement after the restoration experience. The last convention he attended at 547 Massachusetts Ave in Boston, he was gotten after about catering to worldly audiences. (He was a good speaker and received invitations to speak at clubs, etc.) The day before he died he was home and talked about it to his wife in my presence. His spirit was so humble and kindly about it all, no trace of irritation or being upset. It was beautiful to hear him talk about it. He truly graduated to heaven. The night I heard of his passing, I had returned to our apartment in New Boston with Kenath and our new baby, Glorilyn. Kenath took the phone call and came into the bedroom to tell me. I was lying in bed. It was a great shock as I had just seen my father that afternoon and he had joked about our new baby taking after him in good looks. I could not believe he had died so suddenly. But as sure as can be, I felt God gave me a vision. I saw my father going up in the air and he kept shouting to me: "Carry on! Carry on! Carry on!" As I write this tears are streaming down my face. Just remembering it is a deep experience though he died in 1947. I believe God has helped me to keep that commission alive. It has been the wonderful help of God through the Holy Spirit. Time has a tremendous way of sifting our loyalties. What was so real when Mr. F.W. Sandford was alive is slowly fading. A new generation is coming along that never knew him, or even knew Mr. Victor Abram, his successor as leader. But this is not a bad thing. This is part of the ways of the Lord. Our country was founded by men of great courage and sacrifice. They did their work for God and paved the way for the whole country to be a new nation. We are reaping the benefits of their martyrdom, their suffering. I believe that in the Kingdom, we are reaping the joys and blessings that our pioneers in Christ gave us. But how awful if we lose our sense of appreciation, become disenchanted, doubters, antagonistic against the sacred people that laid the foundation for our church. They fought for Truth when it was unpopular with many worldly-minded men and even with the denominations of the Christian world. No sacrifice was too much to endure for Christ and His Kingdom! I want to carry on that devotion. It changed me and gave me such a wonderful joy and peace of soul. It is alive today, August 1995, and I am honoring the Holy Spirit to convey it to this generation of young people. The Testimony of RK Stamps I had the privilege of living with the man of God for over three years and am convinced that he was the Elijah promised in Malachi 4. I shall write of some of the experiences I had while at his home, trusting that those who never knew the man of God will be enabled to sense that he was truly that prophet. Of course he had so many different aspects to his character that no one can truly do him justice in what he says or writes. Malachi said this prophet would "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers..." This the man of God actually did. His ministry included caring for the families and turning their hearts to God. He was a family man himself and dearly loved all the members of his family and turned the hearts of his children to God. He often said that his message was to the heart and not to the reasoning head in argument. The several letters to our family he signed, "a friend of the family." He set the family in order: the children submissive and obedient to their parents, the wife submissive to her husband, and the husband submissive to Christ. He adhered to all the Bible directs concerning the family. There were dozens of families at the Bible School who experienced his ministry along this line. He directed that a children's building be erected where they would be cared for and taught the Bible. He placed Mr. Joseph Harriman in charge. Today we can see how necessary is this ministry. The strength of the family spells the strength of a nation and of the church. Ever since Satan succeeded in turning the first family away from God, he has persisted in doing everything in his power to corrupt families. After God created Adam and Eve, His verdict was "very good." Satan is the author of many devices to destroy the home--divorce, adultery, abortion and abuse of children by their parents. One of the most outstanding qualities of [Frank W. Sandford, henceforth called] the restorer was that he dearly loved the souls of people and was a soul winner. He loved to tell that after his conversion he testified at every religious service of his salvation and faith in Christ; he led many to the Saviour. He also delighted to tell of the day he was baptized. To him it was one of the greatest days of his life. He sang with joy, "Happy day, happy day when Jesus washed my sins away...." All through his Christian life he retained his warm convert love for his Savior. He often related his experience as a young minister at Whirlpool Rapids, Niagara. He was so impressed by the falls that he wrote in his Bible, "O God, help me to do my part in keeping a poor lost world from the terrible rapids of sin and that terrible fall which breaks over the edge of time and plunges the sinner into eternity. To this end I solemnly dedicate my every voluntary word, thought and deed to one all-absorbing purpose--this world for Christ during my lifetime." He was true to this vow as long as he lived. On April 14, 1898 God spoke to him, "Remove the covering cast over all the earth," Later, "each one of you"; still later, "Oversee it." He frequently reminded us that one of our greatest responsibilities was to lead souls to Christ--not to just some happy experience but to complete surrender to the Son of God. On several occasions he asked us if every one of our [Christian] brothers and sisters around us failed to carry out their commission could anyone of us be depended upon to do it [by ourselves]? He often sent those around him on evangelistic missions. It was a trial to his soul to be isolated in the Hills (of upstate New York) instead of being out on the field working with souls. My own heart was turned to God when I read his book Seven Years With God. The man of God lived and breathed the Bible. It was a vital force in his daily life. What God directed in the Word governed his life. He asked God to keep him on the back side of the desert until his life conformed to the Bible. He was a Bible on fire and prayed that his followers would be also. Often he prayed, "Oh God, set my people on fire." The Spirit of God equipped him to restore the power, the authority, the meaning, and the reality of the sacred writings. [Frank W. Sandford] was also the messenger of the covenant described in Malachi 3. In the New Covenant the Spirit of God writes His laws on our minds and on our hearts. Through the blood of the eternal covenant God makes the believer perfect to do His will. The Lord's Supper is part of this covenant. The Lord changed the wine into "this is My blood" in the "new covenant." Readers, you should have heard the restorer when he applied the blood of Christ to himself and to kingdom members. We had a sensing that the blood of the Lamb made our garments snow white and ushered peace into our souls. He had a positive faith in the power of the blood of Christ that dispelled all doubts. He effectively used "the blood of the Lamb" to overcome the devil. Every prayer we heard the man of God pray was a prayer of Spirit-inspired faith. He would not tolerate unbelief in himself or those around him. The Bible directs, "give no place to the devil"; he refused to grant the devil as much as a blade of grass on which to camp. Saturday night of each week was a time set apart to prevail for God's will to be done in our lives for the ensuing seven days. Just as God's will was done specifically for each day of creation, so the man of God claimed His will for the following week. He often sang, "Thy will 'tis the gladdest, most glorious thing that even thy heart, Lord, can give." He insisted we be bound to God's will, "come life or come death." He declared if we were faithful in "cutting out" God's will for each week we would be ready for translation. The 144,000 overcomers are translated without seeing death; the dead in Christ are also resurrected and translated. [He] ...asked the Lord to grant him the spirit of discernment; his petition was answered. He keenly discerned what was scriptural and what was unscriptural and helped all who kept close to him to avoid unscriptural pitfalls. He preached separation--not separation for separation's sake, but separation unto God. He asked God to lead him into the best He had to offer, and paid the price to get it. When he asked for the best, he wasn't talking comparison; hewanted the best God had to offer. He maintained the 144,000 would have the same quality of religion that he had. He declared he had set the standard for these overcomers. God promoted him from teacher to pastor, pastor to evangelist, evangelist to prophet, prophet to apostle, and then something even higher, greater even than a prophet--herald of the coming King. Like Moses, there was a regal dignity and air of authority about the restorer based on his intimate relationship with the Supreme Being that dominated every situation he encountered. He brooked no familiarity nor did he compromise with evil. Yet he radiated a certain charm that appealed to all classes of believers. The man of God deplored mixture and anything that watered down the truth. He embraced all truth and jealously guarded it against anything that would sully it. God help us to preserve it and not allow error to creep in here and there almost unnoticed. God had called him to prepare the bride for the Bridegroom. To us the Restoration has been committed. Let us be diligent against the wiles of Satan and continue on with the work he so nobly began and carried on. Mr. Joseph Harriman felt the man of God was an "apostle of the Millennium." What rare treats we experienced in observing Sabbaths at his home! Looking forward in faith to see that millennial bells rang out; the Prince of Peace was on the throne; Satan was in the pit; and the earth was filled with His glory! We beheld the majesty and grandeur of the King of Eternity. To the man of God the unity of the Spirit was a matter of prime importance, for "there Jehovah commanded the blessing." As Frank Murray wrote in The Sublimity of Faith, the unity of the Spirit was achieved and maintained aboard the Coronet on its worldwide cruise and was noticed in the many ports that she visited. "Take diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." [He] was a man of immediate action when he sensed what God wanted done; at once he threw every resource he had into promptly doing His will. He enjoyed quoting from Henry W. Longfellow's poem, "The Psalm of Life"--"Act, act in the living present, heart within and God o'erhead." To him God was the God of the present tense. He often said, "Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts" by postponing the action God requires. [He] was a man of great reverence. He helped me to understand what a wonderful and truly marvelous God we serve. On many occasions he stood in awe of Jehovah and fell on his knees in profound worship. He advised us to worship God wherever we go. When James Audubon's beautiful book of paintings of every North American bird was presented to him, he would often show the paintings to us and exclaim over the Lord's wondrous work of creation in the bird family. He launched a project for all the members in his household to bird-watch until 100 species had been listed and identified. One year two elderly saints who lived in Boston journeyed to the country and kept at bird-watching until they, too, had sighted the required 100 species. When he heard of their achievement he was delighted. Today some of those who knew him are still avid bird-watchers. He valued quality more than quantity and often said, "The good is the enemy of the best." The danger is that people will be satisfied with the good and fail to pursue the best. The good and the best do not mix well. Let us hold fast to the Restoration so that those who want the best will find their hearts satisfied with the Kingdom. Like Moses, he was a very humble man. If he made a mistake he would freely acknowledge it, even publicly. He stated that he was "nothing" and that we should keep our eyes on Jesus the Great. He wrote the following words: "Limp and Lowly, Meek and Holy, Light and Glory" and lived by them himself. Whenever he reproved anyone, he only sought to help the individual become more Christ-like. There was never anything personal or any attempt to belittle. Once he reproved a number of us and several days later, when reminded of it, we found he had entirely forgotten the matter. One of the noblest acts of the man of God was the great remission [a special time of connecting with God's forgiveness]. All the memories of the wrongs done to him vanished; he felt remission included him personally, and he wept for over an hour. The grace of God had prevailed over the devil and reigned in the Kingdom for the rest of the prophet's life. He was truly an apostle of grace. He told us that the Kingdom religion would enable us to endure the great tribulation. A picture of this is in Revelation 15 where a company of overcomers are standing on a sea of glass mingled with fire and singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. Just as the Lamb of God empowered Moses to triumph over Pharoah, the Lamb of God enables those overcomers to triumph over the antichrist and refuse to take his mark, his name, or his number. Their song embodies both the Law of Moses and the Gospel of the Lamb. Whenever the Lord answered prayer, he turned like lightning and gave God the glory. He loved to sing, "To God be the glory, great things He hath done. So loved He the world that He gave His own Son...." He retained his convert love for Jesus until his death. When he read about the crucifixion of our dear Lord, he wept. To him it was ever a precious story. He declared the greatest victory we could win on the battlefield of faith was to have our names written in the Lamb's Book of Life. In conclusion, this man of God was one who made no provision to fulfill the lusts of the Adamic nature. He had in reality "put on the Lord Jesus Christ." When he vigorously exclaimed, "All flesh is grass but the Word of our God shall endure forever," I could sense my carnal nature expiring. There was nothing small-sized about him. He didn't harbor grudges or show partiality; he was never envious, but always sought the best for his people. If someone prayed a better prayer than he did, he would say so. He knew just when to encourage one. He truly loved God with all his heart, all his soul, all his mind and all his might. He forsook all to follow his Lord and Master. He was noble, nobler, noblest. He forgave his bitterest enemies who sought to destroy him and his work and who were responsible for his confinement in prison. God help us all to sing for joy at this glorious restoration, for God is its author.
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Mrs. Eunice Street Jewell was born at Shiloh in Durham, Maine, the second of four children born to William and Sarah Abram. Her father died when she was young and most of her growing up years were spent in Ottawa, Kansas, her mother's hometown, after the family moved back there. Mrs. Jewell writes here of her move east to live in Mr. Sandford's home in Hobart, New York, when she was 21. She spent several years as a single young lady there and then married David Street and raised five children in Mr. Sandford's household (the youngest being born the year FW Sandford died). Mrs. Jewell knew the joys and sorrows of the Kingdom fellowship and its ministry over many years, including the 50-plus years after FW Sandford passed away. She experienced both heartbreak and joy in this fellowship. All through those experiences she maintained her love for the Lord and a conviction that this fellowship was a work wrought by God, and she steadfastly declared FW Sandford's life one of godliness, purity and humility. Mrs. Jewell could not fathom how anyone who knew FW Sandford could conclude that he was anything but a humble, holy man of God who sought to be totally under God and led by His Holy Spirit. Her life continued to radiate her love for Jesus, her loyalty to the things she had been taught from the Word of God, and an unshakeable faith that God was still on the throne and ruling in the affairs of men, even through declining health and mental confusion later in life. Mrs. Jewell passed away January 23, 2007, and was honored by a large extended family all still actively following Christ. They are a testimony to her sincerity and the fruit of her life.
Eileen Morrison Sandford died in 2003 near her home in Amherst, NH. She was the daughter of Robert and Mamie Morrison, who attended Shiloh Bible School in Durham, Maine and stayed on as part of the staff of that religious community. She married Charles Kenath Sandford, the grandson of FW Sandford, in 1946 and was the mother of six children, whom she and her husband raised in Amherst, NH. As her testimony indicates, Mrs. Sandford was a loyal supporter of the Kingdom fellowship throughout her 82 year life. She experienced the ups and downs of church life and had her share of trials and disappointments. She was a realist who was not ignorant of problems, mistakes, or shortcomings in the ministry. Yet that never deterred her conviction that the Kingdom fellowship was a genuine work of God and that its roots, though extraordinary and unexplainable to some, were solidly based on Christ and His Word.
Roy K. Stamps came in contact with the Kingdom movement as a young man and naval officer. He was gifted with a keen and sharp mind, but his heart was deeply influenced by Christ's love and salvation, and he wholeheartedly dedicated his all to Christ and His Kingdom. He had the opportunity to live with FW Sandford in Sandford's retirement years in upstate New York. Mr. Stamps lived in the home both as a single young man and as a married father of a young child. Quarters were tight and people's real selves are exposed under these conditions. Later Mr. Stamps moved to California, where he served as an electrical engineer with the US Park service. He retired to Arizona where he lived until his death in 199_, but he maintained his love and loyalty to Christ, the Kingdom fellowship, and the man of God he was convinced was a modern day prophet, sent to restore God's Word.
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