To my brothers and sisters in Christ, and my friends around the world, All Hail,

What a great privilege to write you on this anniversary. It has now been eight years since the official launch of this website in infancy form. The website has undergone three or four transformations evolving one from the other. Each day, in every way, God is pouring out his spiritual blessings.

My focus this year will be building the “real world” side of this ministry. I would now like to officially announce that in January 2008 Father Hurley Media Services LLC was legally formed. I am still in the process of completing the final elements, but the company is in order. At the April 2008 convention of the Universal Hagar’s Spiritual Church, several products will go on sale. They will not be elaborate, but symbolic because it will be the first income produced by this ministry. To this point, I have funded FatherHurley.com out of pocket, with the help of three financial donations received several years ago.

Other major projects are in the wings; they will stay “secret” for now. Hopefully at the August convention at least one of them will be ready. Members and friends of the U.H.S.C. look for our table at the convention. Truly this is the Year of Boldness, that the spirit revealed some time ago. The next immediate order of business is to write a series of articles on the Year of Boldness. Once the major projects are ready for sale, the website will be transformed once again.

Stay tuned—same Hurley time, same Hurley station. Glory, peace, and power are in the hands of God. God dwells within us. Therefore, glory, peace, and power are in our hands. Praise God.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the last eight years. I really cannot believe it has been that long. The writer was right who said, “The days go by slowly, but the years go by quickly.” But the songwriter said, “It’s sweeter as the years go by.” I thank God for where the ministry stands today, on the brink of prosperity and true self-sufficiency. No matter how financially successful Father Hurley Media Services LLC becomes, the original vision of the Internet Ministry will NEVER be lost. Amen. Amen. Amen.

I have the honor to be your obedient servant,
Reverend George Hubert Latimer-Knight
Written March 17, 2008

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The world Father Hurley and his contemporaries lived in was very different than ours, although we are still struggling with its legacy. The United States of America was partially founded, unfortunately, on racism and slavery. The Civil War, along with pressure from the Radical Republicans (the abolitionist party), forced President Abraham Lincoln’s hand to draft the Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect on January 1, 1863. (Wormser: (a)) Though the war had to continue before the slaves began to be released, it marked the beginning of the end of the physical slavery; mental slavery, however, continues to this day. In 1875 the Civil Rights Act was passed to ensure “full and equal enjoyment”. (Wormser: (b)) In 1883 it was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. (Wormser: (c)) Congress did not pass another Civil Rights bill until 1957. (Wormser: (c))These events, plus the continued racism, caused the former slaves to live in a horrible world of lynching, burning, and general unfairness. Imagine walking out your door and seeing your best friend dead, hanging in a tree, or maybe your cousin, or even your mother or father – this was a reality for African-Americans. Imagine having to bow your head low whenever a certain kind of person walked by – this was how Blacks had to respond to Whites. Imagine being told everyday that you are an animal, worthless, less than human, and not worthy to live – this was the reality of the former slaves.

Marcus Garvey, DuPont Bell, Noble Drew Ali, Wallace D. Fard, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Father Divine, Sweet Daddy Grace, Father Elias Dempsey Smith, and many other Black leaders emerged in the late 19^th and early 20^th century to respond to this worldview. They also took issue with the American Christian world’s apparent inability to reach out to the Black race and uplift them. It is no secret that some racist White ministers used their pulpits to preach discrimination and oppression.

A great deal of academic work has been done on all of the leaders just mentioned, however one of their most powerful, intelligent, and spiritual contemporaries is still largely unknown and ignored by scholars. This leader is Father George William Hurley….

Father Hurley was raised in the Protestant tradition. His mother, Tina Hurley, began raising him as a Methodist, but after a few years they became Baptist. At the age of seven he began to preach in the churches and challenge the ministers and was ordained at the age of 11. In 1897, at the age of 13, the Spirit of God revealed to him his great Commission. After high school he went to Tuskegee Institute and Phelps Bible Hall Training School to receive ministerial training. Dr. E. J. Penny was Phelps’ dean and Father Hurley’s ministerial instructor.

By the time he reached his early 20s, Reverend Hurley… was known, especially among southern Baptists, as a dynamic preacher and orator with a seeming special relationship with God. It was not just his ability to ‘woo’ the crowd that made him popular; it was his ability to expound on the teachings of Christ in such a way that even the more uneducated members, which were many times the majority, were able to comprehend the lessons of the Gospel.

In around 1918 or 1919 Reverend Hurley met Father Elias D. Smith, founder of the Triumph the Church and Kingdom of God in Christ, which was founded on January 20, 1904, popularly known as the Triumph Church (Triumph Church website). He was spiritually moved by Father Smith and his teachings and consequently joined. After several years, he reached the level of Elder and the presiding Prince of Michigan, but became dissatisfied with the teachings of the Triumph Church. He disagreed with the way they taught the Bible and how some of the ministers purposely lacked clarity in their explanations of the Gospel to the congregation, among other things. [This possibly could be due to the fact that the Triumph Church began moving away from its original teachings after Father Smith passed away in January 1920 while on a trip to Addis Ababa Abyssinia.] After this he briefly joined the International Spiritual Church, but again he was not completely content. So on September 23, 1923 he founded the Universal Hagar’s Spiritual Association (later changing ‘Association’ to ‘Church’).

References

Triumph Church website. “History of Triumph Church”, 19 Feb. 2004 <http://www.triumphchurch-jax2.org/history.html>.

Wormser, Richard.(a) “The Emancipation Proclamation (1863)”, 19 Feb. 2004 <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_emancipate.html>.

Wormser, Richard.(b) “Civil Rights Act (1875)”, 19 Feb. 2004 <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/ stories_events_civil.html>.

Wormser, Richard.(c) “Civil Rights Act of 1875 Declared Unconstitutional”, 19 Feb. 2004 <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_uncivil.html>.

Chris (www.youtube.com/InfamousChris1) asked the question, “What words define your world?”

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Father George W. Hurley Memorial 2007. A prophet does more than predict the future. A prophet is one with God, and loves all of God’s creation. Father Hurley, founder of the Universal Hagar’s Spiritual Church, was/is a true loving Prophet. Amen.

Here on FatherHurley.com I post articles on a variety of issues. Some have questioned this practice, especially since the website is centered on Father Hurley, and not me, Rev. George Latimer-Knight.

As an ordained minister of the Universal Hagar’s Spiritual Church, it is my duty “to preach the true Everlasting Gospel of Christ unto the world”, according to the minister’s license. None of us can really know, materially speaking, what Jesus or Father Hurley would say, if they were still on earth. What we can know are the everlasting principles of the Everlasting Gospel. Once we learn them, then we can apply them. We cannot be afraid to speak on today’s issues, whether social, political, educational, etc. To do so, would be to limit the Everlasting Gospel to Church business only.

The Everlasting Gospel has its name for a reason. The Gospel of Christ shall always be relevant. The reason people think the Gospel, the Bible, is old fashioned is because they have not studied to find its practical or pragmatic uses. In so far as the Biblical characters are people just like us, we must learn to relate to them, and learn from their lives.

The Everlasting Gospel, as presented by Father Hurley, is relevant for today. The best way I know to show this is to talk about current events in a spiritual manner. We can find the answers to society’s problems through spiritual means, that is prayer, fasting, meditation, scientific concentration, creative thinking, visualization, etc. Hallelujah!

All my writing and sermons may not line up exactly with the Everlasting Gospel. I write as I am impressed. Like Father Hurley wrote in The Ethiopian Context Bible, “Should I make an error, it is an error of the head and not of the heart”. However, we cannot let the possibility of failure hinder us. We are human, failure is bound to occur. I personally like to focus on the flip side of that equation: We are spirit (God) within, success is bound to occur.

If we never try to expound on the Everlasting Gospel, we will never make a mistake in our exposition. BUT if we never try to expound on the Everlasting Gospel, we will never see lives changed, bodies healed, homes restored, hearts lightened, confused minds regulated by the power of an Almighty God.

I am just not willing to hide my light under a bushel because of fear. Let Father Hurley speak today, THROUGH YOU. Amen. Amen. Amen.

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Fellow citizens of the world, brothers and sisters in Christ, All Hail:

On March 17, 2000, what we now know as FatherHurley.com, was formed. The spirit of Father Hurley came to me on a cold winter day, and declared, “Build a website about me.”

This ministry has reached far beyond wires and computers. FatherHurley.com has been quoted in books printed by major publishers and in academic papers across the nation. FatherHurley.com has drawn new members into the Universal Hagar’s Spiritual Church and brought old members back. FatherHurley.com has caused me to write many more articles than I ever thought I could. FatherHurley.com, I believe, gave me the confidence to kneel down before the altar on August 17, 2002, and become an ordained minister of the U.H.S.C.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) That elementary website I put up seven years ago, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, reaped FatherHurley.com. Now, I will sow FatherHurley.com, and reap an even fuller ministry. You will soon find out what I mean. Phase 2.0 of FatherHurley.com is approaching fast.

I will tell you this, the launch will not be perfect. However, the original launch seven years ago was not perfect, but look where Father Hurley brought us from. The launch of the Universal Hagar’s Spiritual Association was not perfect, but after nearly 84 years we are still here.

Thank you to all who did anything to support FatherHurley.com. You sowed your support, and I declare right now, you will reap a bounty of glorious blessings. Amen.

I have the honor to be your obedient servant,
Reverend George Hubert Latimer-Knight
Written on March 17, 2007 at age 25

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Fellow citizens of the world, brothers and sisters in Christ, All Hail:

The world is blessed because of Father George W. Hurley. I see a renewing of his complete doctrine. We, of the Universal Hagar’s Spiritual Church, have faithfully preserved the religious aspects of his legacy. However, his philosophy, economics, politics, etc. have not been expressed clearly enough.

The year 2007 will be remembered as the year the complete Father Hurley was introduced to the world, and the U.H.S.C. for that matter. There are seven principals we must adhere to, to make this prophecy, such as it is, come to pass.

1. Learn the history of the world Father Hurley lived in.
Father Hurley was born into a world where many Blacks had just come out of the shackles of slavery. In 1875 the Civil Rights Act was passed to ensure “full and equal enjoyment”. In 1883 it was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Congress did not pass another Civil Rights bill until 1957. So Father Hurley never lived in an America with Civil Rights. Of course, a more recent study of history will show that Civil Rights did not destroy the spirits of racism and inferiority.

2. Internalize the basic tenants of the spiritual doctrine.
The following five statements are just a part of our philosophical/spiritual foundation. To speak is to create. The thought of a thing is the prophecy of its fulfillment. God dwells within. There is no reason to be jealous. I am the creator of my own destiny.

3. Learn to tie in Father Hurley’s doctrine to university training.
When you go to college (young people), make sure you have the teachings well in mind. You will see various aspects of the doctrine confirmed. In other cases, the doctrine will shed light on your studies.

4. Apply Father Hurley to daily life.
The spiritual doctrine is pragmatic (practical). Let me offer you an old example. During my senior year in high school (1999), I had a college recruiter tell me, “You may not be college material.” I can show you my transcripts, and prove he was a liar. But beyond that, with Father Hurley in mind, I knew my thought was more important than his. Even if I was not college material, with persistent effort, I could still make it. Amen.

5. Identify and understand the major issues of today.
Poverty, drugs, alcohol, lack of education, sexually transmitted diseases, hidden racism, and slavery worldwide, are some of the major issues of today.

6. Apply Father Hurley to the major issues of today.
Spiritualism can answer all issues, in one way or another. If you know your body is the temple of God, you will not abuse drugs and alcohol. If we who are spiritual, engage in both religious bodies and social-political bodies, we can come up with solutions to the problems of our time.

7. Intelligently tell the world about Father Hurley.
Some of you think, “Well the truth is already on TV and the Internet.” Indeed many more prominent television preachers are talking more spiritual. But the talk is cheap, unless it is an essential part of their doctrine. Furthermore, since most of them, publicly at least, preach against the simple truths of spiritualism, we cannot rely on them to be our ambassadors. And yes, we can find a great deal of information on the Internet. As some of you have proudly declared, “There are no secrets!”

The devil is a liar! The world still needs to be spiritualized! If it did not, why are the prisons overflowing with our people? Why do women, on average, still make less than men? Why are there still stark differences amongst the races in regard to health and education? Why are graduation rates among the races as follows: Asian/Pacific Islander-76.8, White-74.9, Hispanic-53.2, American Indian/AK Nat-51.1, Black-50.2? (http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2005/Blacks-Pushed-Down14apr05.htm) Should it not be 100 for all? This means Father Hurley in 1907, was more educated than nearly half the Black youth in 2007!

Saints and friends let us wake up to our responsibility.

I have the honor to be your obedient servant,
Reverend George H. Latimer-Knight
Written February 18-19, 2007 at age 25