The Life & Ministry of William Irvine

CHAPTERS
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Chapter Index

Chapter 27
1980 to 1995
Revised October 6, 2012

The FOURTH Exodus

Douglas Parker
1982: The Secret Sect is published
1983, June - Public Debut of The Secret Sect
Reactions to The Secret Sect Is the Book True??
1990:  New Books published
1990: The FOURTH Exodus

THE SECRET SECT:  Taking a leave of absence from his parish, Doug and Helen temporarily moved to England to research and gather data from sources in the British Isles. They rented a house in London, where they worked very hard, carefully documenting their research.  Since Helen was a librarian, she knew how to go about the research process, and her knowledge and orderly thinking contributed much to their work. They went to a considerable amount of trouble in their research, interviewing people, taking down their words verbatim and recording their statements.  The result of their labor was a book titled, The Secret Sect, privately published in 1982 by Macarthur Press (Books) Pty. Ltd., Sydney, Australia. Brian Ronald Wilson (1926-2004) was another man who gave the Parkers a great deal of assistance in writing their book.  He was one of the world's leading sociologist of religion, whose studies and writings on secularism and religious sects are classics.  He spent the last of his academic career at Oxford University.  The works and words of Dr. Wilson are quoted numerous times in the Parkers' book.  (Source:  Personal Testimony given by Doug Parker, June 9, 1995, Bellview, Washington)

1982:  Up until 1982, the 2x2 fellowship had generally maintained a fairly low profile in the USA.  A brother worker told a reporter:  "The organization has no name, no church buildings, no ordained ministers. There are no membership rolls, no official method of communication between groups. It has remained virtually unknown since its turn-of-the-century arrival in the United States.  'We don't seek publicity,' said Walter Pollock, one of the group's local leaders. 'But we don't turn people away.'" (August 20, 1983 The Bellingham Herald, WA)  'The rest of the world doesn't even know they are there,' she said.  They call it the spider in the palace—that's a quote from the Scriptures.  They say 'we're like the spider in the palace:  We're there but they don't know about it,' she said."  (August 18, 1983 Skagit Valley Herald)

Up until this time, there had only been a few articles carried in local newspapers written by curious reporters who had ventured onto various convention grounds and had for a brief moment in time placed the convention, workers and friends and their beliefs in the public limelight. THEN on June 11, 1982, an article was published in the Walla Walla Union Bulletin that brought two Washington conventions out of their seclusion.   "Their anonymity began to erode…with a Skagit Valley Herald article (Au­gust 30, 1982) that described the Miltown convention." 

The real history of the group had not been openly declared or revealed up until this time.  The reporter visiting Miltown convention questioned the group's origins:  "When one participant was asked when the fellowship began, he referred to the time of Christ." (June 11, 1982 Walla Walla Union Bulletin)  (David) "Kennedy, the worker-spokesman, agreed that the 'friends would probably tell you this fellowship began with Christ.'"  (Sept. 13, 1983 Los Angeles Times) 

1983, JUNE:   Doug and Helen Parker's book, The Secret Sect made its public debut in the United States in some newspaper articles printed while two large conventions were taking place in Washington and Idaho, simultaneously.  The conventions were held at Post Falls and Bonners Ferry, Idaho; and Walla Walla and Chelan, Washington; and the week after, at Miltown in Southeast Washington. Two articles published this June in The Spokesman Review, Spokane (June 5, 1983) thrust the group further into public view. These articles focused on the Post Falls, Idaho convention and included inter­views with ex-members of the group.[August 17, 1983 Skagit Valley Herald; and August 20, 1983 Bellingham Herald]

A Los Angeles Times reporter visited the 1983 Santee convention in southern California, and carried an article stating "this 80-year old church has no formal name..."  The article gave details about Parkers' book The Secret Sect, which allowed interested friends to find the book. (Sept. 13, 1983 Los Angeles Times)

A string of newspaper articles printed in 1983 carried viewpoints of the sect's friends and workers, as well as those of former members.

"Several former members said they had been led to believe the group went back to the time of Christ.  They said, 'We're the original church. We follow the Jesus Way,' one ex-member recalled.  Several former members report that discovering otherwise was the key blow to their faith in the Two by Twos. They point to a book that traced the group back only as far as 1897, to a movement founded in Ireland by William Irvine." (June 5, 1983 Spokesman Review) 

"The origins of the church are another source of criticism say ex-members. Ex-members contend they were led to believe the church is the continuation of the New Testament church, begun at the time of Christ's death.  An 11-year-old member, David Woods of Saint Helens, Ore., described his church this way during last year's convention:  'If you want to get the right way you have to get the oldest...the best church is the oldest church, and this is the oldest church because this church began when the first person was born.' " (August 17, 1983 Skagit Valley Herald) 

"Hidden from the glare of public scrutiny for a hundred years, the group today is being forced into the open in reaction to charges by ex-members that its leaders have systematically withheld the truth of its origin from its members.  'This group is unique in that it has no records to speak of, no printed matter,' says Ben Johnson, University of Oregon professor of the sociology of religion. 'Their theology is not particularly way-out. They're not dangerous politically. They don't brainwash or kidnap. It's a typical turn-of-the-century conservative Protestantism. What is unusual is their low profile and what looks now like a deception the leaders are practicing on the members. A lot of members would be blown away if they really knew the things their leaders were keeping from them.' " (August 20, 1983, Bellingham Herald)

BOOKSELLERS USA, of Richland, Washington was formed to help distribute Parkers' book in North America.  They promoted Parkers' book with a number of simple advertisements placed with the statewide classified advertising program. They advertised in weekly newspapers throughout the States and the Canadian provinces, using words that left no room for doubt in the friends' minds that, "This book is about US!"  Words such as: "workers, Nameless House Sect/Church; 2x2s; Cooneyites."  The friends obtained books from BookSellers, and these books traveled far and wide.  BookSeller's distributorship was assumed by Research and Information Services (RIS) in June of 1999. 

1984:  Some news reporters for the Coeur d'Alene Press (Idaho) attended the Post Falls, ID convention. The June 8, 1984, newspaper came out while convention was being held and contained two articles about the reporters' convention experiences, critics' viewpoints, interview replies, and comparisons with information contained in Parkers' book, The Secret Sect. The newspaper also mentioned a store where Parkers' book could be purchased locally.  Word went around the convention grounds and the newspapers sold out fast. So did the books.  News about Parkers' controversial book slowly trickled to the East coast over the next ten years.  Many friends knew a book existed, but because it was privately published, the book title was not known, and they were unable to locate a copy.  Some spent countless hours trying to locate it, including this Author.  The difficulty experienced by the Author made her determined to make information easily assessible to all those ever associated with the 2x2 sect. Meanwhile, workers warned against reading "the black book."  (Parkers' book has a black cover.) 

REACTIONS TO THE SECRET SECT:  The old adage again proved true that "The Truth Will Out," when Doug and Helen Parker their book titled, "The Secret Sect." With this book, the rapidly disappearing truth about their origins and founder resurfaced.  Not everyone welcomed the information it contained…

"Walter Pollock, a 'worker' or minister, said he was disappoint­ed to learn the Spokane articles were published simultaneously with an advertisement for a book by ex-member Doug Parker, 'The Secret Sect,' a historical account of the group's origins and an exploration of its theologi­cal positions that members con­sider unflattering. Mike Archhowld, The Spokesman-Reviews assistant city editor, denied any collaboration between the editorial and advertising departments on the story." (August 17, 1983 Skagit Valley Herald)

"Parker last year published his findings in 'The Secret Sect,' a book available at area bookstores.  The book and the publicity about the group that has followed its publication, threatens a crisis within the group that may alter it forever, says Johnson of the University of Oregon…Parker charges leaders have worked since the early 1930s to conceal the group's origins, substituting a version more to their liking." (August 20 1983 Bellingham Herald Saturday) 

"However, according to author and ex-member Doug Parker, the church actually was founded in 1897 by William Irvine in Ireland. Irvine was joined in 1901 by Edward Cooney, who assisted in leadership organization until his excommunication in 1928.  When Parker's book 'The Secret Sect' first appeared, workers denied his historical account of the group's origins, say ex-members.  Now they say the ministers are 'whitewashing' the revelation, saying it isn't significant." (August 17, 1983 Skagit Valley Herald)

The workers responded with…   

"Pollock said he doesn't understand why the question of the group's history should be traumatic for ex-members.  'I don't know how they could have come up with that,' said Pollock, who denied that the fellowship makes unsubstantiated claims about its origins. 'We know that it began with a group of men in the British Isles around the turn of the century. That's as far as we've been able to trace it.'"

"Sylvester, responding to Parker's charges, says deciding which version is the truth is unimportant. 'Jesus himself set us up,' he said. 'Whether it was planted in the first century, the 10th century or the 20th century, the message is the same, it produces the same thing. They say we're a secret thing. But anyone that has the Bible has the way. People spread wrong reports about us. They spread wrong reports about Jesus. Prejudiced and bitter people will tell you things that are not true."  (August 20 1983 Bellingham Herald) 

"'We, don't deny that,' said Therald Sylvester, Washington overseer, when asked if the historical account was  true.  He refused, however, to discuss why ex-members had a different impression.  'I won't go into that detail,' he said."  (August 20 1983 Bellingham Herald) 

"(The origin)'…makes no difference because the Spirit of God can do anything, said Harold Silvernail, member of the church and owner of the Miltown land where the church is meeting this week." (August 17, 1983 Skagit Valley Herald)

"Richard Wulf, 27, a Two-by-Two worker in Mexico for two years, was asked about this apparent suppression of the sect's origins.  'Near the turn of the century God raised up godly men in Ireland and Scotland,' Wulf acknowledged. 'We respect them and what they established. But we don't hold to that history and line of succession.'  Added (David) Kennedy: 'Now we're not following these men but the New Testament. What we have today is the New Testament fellowship.'"  (Sept. 13, 1983 Los Angeles Times)

Sources for Quotes:

Spokesman Review (Spokane, Washington)

RE:  Convention at Post Falls, ID

Two by Twos: Victims of Anonymous Cult? 

By Bart Preecs

June 5, 1983, Pg 1

Skagit Valley Herald (Mt. Vernon, Washington)

RE:  Convention at Miltown, WA

By Kathleen Hosfeld

Aug 17, 1983, Pg 1 - Criticism Clouds Church's Gathering - Miltown

Aug 18, 1983, Pg 1 - Former Members of No-Name Church Continue Quiet Protest--Miltown

Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Washington)

RE:  Convention at Miltown, WA

By Kathie Anderson

Aug 20, 1983, Pg 1 - Religious Sect Follows Different Path

Aug 20, 1983, Pg 4A - Church Without a Name Meets Again Amid Controversy

Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California)

RE:  Convention at Santee, CA

By Russell Chandler

Obscure, Silent Nameless Sect Travels 'Secret' Path

Sept 13, 1983

The far reaching effects of Parkers' book on individuals around the world can never be measured. The Author feels most indebted and grateful to the Parkers, as well as to other Authors for their books about the 2x2 sect; for all their hard work, dedication and perseverance. Many people have strong feelings about the Parkers' book—both positive and negative.  Some who haven't even read the book have been quite vocal. Some comments heard are: