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Arvin Hains Stith

(9 April 1880-23 April 1968)

NB: Some claim that elder Stith baptised or re-baptised Herbert Armstrong. In my article ‘Lists, Charts and Letters of the Early Years of the Ministry of Herbert W Armstrong’ I have the following: 

>1929, 8 May - HWA ltr to Dugger

“Last Summer while Bro. Stith was here in Oregon, I began to notice among Church of God people at Dever and under-current of feeling against me because I was originally baptized by a first-day preacher, and would not be baptized again by Bro. Stith. Every possible pressure was brought to bear upon me to make me “dissatisfied with my former baptism,” as it was put, and to be baptized all over again. I am afraid a misunderstanding arose because the circumstances were not known, and I kept quiet, said nothing, and did not make them known.” (p. 1) 

NB I have yet to see evidence that he was re-baptised. If he was, would that not have appeared in letters, the Autobiography or sermons?) Some claim that Stith re-baptised him later on. But unless there is real, hard evidence of this, it cannot be recorded as fact. There is no evidence that HWA mentioned this to anyone over the decades; and there is no shred of evidence of it in the letters I have been reviewing.< (p. 29)

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In The Autobiography of Herbert W Armstrong, (Vol 1, 1986 ed) he mentions Stith:

>Elder Dugger had invited me to join their church. I have explained previously that I never did formally join it. Here are portions of that letter:

“I appreciate your kind invitation to affiliate actively with the Church of God organization. Elder Stith approached me on the subject, also....

“However, for the immediate present, until further developments, I do not feel led to join any organization, and feel that I should not take matters into my own hands, or rush, or hurry. I believe the Lord is dealing with me, preparing me for a very active and definite calling and mission, and that until matters have developed further I should do as Jesus commanded the Apostles—tarrying until I have received full preparation and power....I feel it is absolutely necessary that we should permit ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit, and not try to launch into something half prepared, by taking matters into our own hands before we are sure it is the will of the Lord. I do not know exactly, yet, what my mission or calling is to be, or what the method of carrying it out is to be. Unquestionably it will require organized effort, rather than attempting to carry out the mission alone and unaided.

Writing—Not Speaking

“I can say this much—I feel that it is along the line of writing rather than oral speaking or preaching.

“I believe the Lord bestows gifts and callings upon men mightily according to their natural talents and experience, giving spiritual gifts along these same lines....

“My whole business experience has been along the lines of investigating, analyzing, and gaining an understanding of business problems and rectifying the situations, and in writing. Whatever natural talent I have is along those lines. I know something about public speaking, for I have studied textbooks on it, had contacts with professors of public speaking at the Universities of Illinois and Michigan, who are authors of the texts used in most colleges, and coached a brother-in-law into winning a big oratorical contest.... But he had the voice, and other necessary personal attributes for public speaking.

“If I am being given any of the gifts, it is that of understanding of the truth of scripture.... But I am not fully prepared as yet.”< (pp. 567-68)

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Why Stith's congregation withdrew from the General Conference in 1950 

"A. H. Stith was one of those ministers who believed the Bible did not restrict one’s diet to clean meats. He had been received into the ministry of the Church of God in 1908 with accolades from Conference President S. W. Mentzer and Jacob Brinkerhoff, editor of the Bible Advocate. They praised him as a man of courage because he transferred his membership from the Seventh-day Adventist Church to the Church of God as a matter of conscience. He could not accept or teach Ellen White’s dietary health reforms. He believed the distinction between clean and unclean meats had ended with the cross. 

Stith was not only welcomed into the Church as a minister but also respected as an able evangelist who worked diligently to establish congregations in the Treasure Valley of western Idaho. He was permitted to hold his conviction as a minister in good standing with the Stanberry church even after Dugger launched his doctrinal makeover in the 1920s, forbidding the use of unclean meats. But when the churches merged and the Ministerial Council took its hard stance against the meats question, Stith became expendable. 

As the council’s directives were implemented, Stith and his coneregation fell into disrepute with the overseer of his district because of the food issue. Under the council's interpretation it was a sin, and those who shared his convictions were forced to recognize their use of the unclean was sin, remain silent on the matter, or leave the Church. When unclean meats became a test of fellowship throughout the Treasure Valley, the congregation he pastored at Meridian, Idaho, withdrew from the General Conference in 1950." (Robert Coulter, A History of the Church of God (Seventh Day), pp. 344-45)