All Hail to the Christ Within,

On September 23rd we celebrated the 85th anniversary of Father Hurley’s founding of the Universal Hagar’s Spiritual Church. The old church hymn rings in my mind, “This is a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle; and it’s washed in the blood of the lamb.” Father Hurley had a vision beyond just having “a good time” in church. He believed in helping the people in practical matters like education and finances. Three organizations or auxiliaries that he established have faded from memory but will be resurrected in due time are the U.H.S.A. Press, the Hagar’s Rescue and Orphan Home (later known as the Cassie Bell Hurley Rescue Home), and the Hagar’s Loan Association. In this article we will deal with the third organization.

The Hagar’s Loan Association is a mystery to me because I never heard anyone talk about it. It is only known because it is listed in some of Father Hurley’s books under his picture as one of his organizations. The thought of it is tantalizing and provocative. According to several of his neighbors on McDougall Avenue in Detroit, Father Hurley paid off their mortgages during the Depression and never asked for the money back. This just shows the love of the man. However, it shows he need have an economic mind. In the 1945 Constitution of the U.H.S. Church which still included much of Father Hurley’s own words decreed we take care of our retired ministers so that they wouldn’t have to depend on government assistance. His call for business ownership among Blacks also gives us a glimpse of his economic outlook.

However the Hagar’s Loan Association works under his leadership, I can imagine the power of resurrecting it in our today. The financial meltdown taught us a harsh lesson on living under too much debt and depending on the system to be there for us. We as people much learn how to create our own institutions. My father often recounts a group of Detroit businesses who formed their own loaning organization by giving equal amounts and investing it. When short on cash they would petition for a loan. It worked well. This is the basic concept of a credit union.

I think the idea of self-help is one that must be explored with self, in this case, referring to the community. I saw a news story criticizing the U.S. government for spending so much money having portrays painted of all the outgoing administration officials. This may in fact be wasteful spending but where are the voices decrying the wasteful spending of ordinary people. Think of all the money we spend on things we don’t need. I have coworkers who have bought four or five different cell phones this year alone, then turnaround and complain about money troubles. We have teenagers paying $200 monthly cell phone bills. We have young people buying $200 pairs of jeans so that they can where another person’s name on their rear.

I want to see, and will personally work, the Hagar’s Loan Association revived. There are enough similar programs in existence to make research easy. At the same time, I believe, Father Hurley based the Loan Association on his philosophical principles. A balance of spiritual and material is possible. This organization, of the three mentioned, will probably take the longest to start and really make solvent. Nevertheless I believe the benefits to future generations will be immeasurable.

Father Hurley cannot be underestimated. He was beyond his time. I hope we can catch up to the vision.

I have the honor to be your obedient servant,

Rev. George H. Latimer-Knight

Written October 23, 2008 at age 26