Hall of Fame Writers

Born in Saskatchewan in 1912, Reverend Aitchison began his working life as a civil servant and rose to the position of Mines Safety Manager for British Columbia and Saskatchewan before his retirement. There is no record as to when he learned the British Israel message but after his retirement, he was asked to move to Toronto and become a lecturer and radio broadcaster for B.I.W.F. This he did until 1977 when he accepted the post of Secretary-General with The Association of the Covenant People and moved to Vancouver.

Shortly after, he received his ordination as a minister. With this Association, he lectured extensively across both Canada and the United States and did much to spread the message.

He was one of the most powerful speakers in our organization. And a most energetic organizer! Reverend Batzold was a Congregational Church (later United) minister and in 1924 began to share his time between his church and the Association, conducting evening services on Sunday for the Association. He was a vigorous supporter of the Israel Truth and before long had established branches in a number of small centers throughout British Columbia.

Reverend Batzold was a popular speaker at service clubs and at Israel associations in both Eastern and Western Canada. He joined with Professor Odlum, Reverend Jukes and J.W. Parker to establish a successful Bible school. In time, he became Secretary-General of the Association and was a commanding representative.

Born in England in 1885, Mr. Brelsford came to Canada in 1910 and found employment with Imperial Oil Company in Port Moody. When he retired, he was the company’s personnel manager. He learned of the Israel Truth in the 1920’s and became very involved with the Association. For many years, he served as a member of the Executive Committee and also as President for a number of years until his death in 1960.

Mr. Brelsford particularly enjoyed his participation as a broadcaster with our radio ministry. He also wrote articles for publication in our magazine.

Editor’s Note: Mr. Cadwallader was a special correspondent for our magazine in the sixties and his column, “I See It This Way” was one of the most popular. Our archives do not appear to contain any biographical information on him so we shall let his articles speak for themselves.

The strength of an organization goes hand in hand with the dedication of its people. This Association was made much stronger through the presence of Joe Cranswick. He was a special servant of God. He served his country in World War Two as a member of the Royal Canadian Navy and in so many other ways. In recognition of his contribution, among many other honours, he was awarded a plaque for outstanding contribution in Canada’s 125 Centennial years 1867-1992, a Commemorative Medal from B.C.’s Legislative Assembly and a Heraldry Crest from the Monarchist League of Canada.

As a newspaperman, Joe used his artistic talents as a cartoonist, his personality doing promotion work and his administrative talents in circulation. Yet, nowhere was his contribution as strong as it was with this movement. He learned the Israel truth as a young boy attending meetings with his parents, became a member of the Association a couple of years after he returned from the war and wrote his first article in 1957. He was on the magazine committee for years and became editor in the late sixties until the mid eighties. After a couple of years sabbatical, he returned as a writer in the late eighties until shortly before he closed his life on September 11th, 2001. For many years, he wrote the very popular news highlights column.

Born in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Mr. Deans later moved to Victoria. He obtained his Civil Engineering degree from the University of British Columbia and after a two-year stint of teaching and doing research at Iowa State College, he settled in with a large Vancouver engineering company. Like so many others, he was a Christian simply going along, that is, until he met Jacob Parker. In his own words, he said, “All of the sudden, after studying everything except the Bible, Mr. Parker, our beloved President, spent one whole night re-educating me, and from that day to this all spare time is spent in research.”

Judging from the quality of his articles, Mr. Deans did indeed spend much time in study. One of his prime interests, other than the Bible itself, was to delve into the historical and scientific mysteries of the Book of Enoch, the Book of Jasher and the Apocrypha and to tie all this ancient record together with the Bible and such modern revelations as those of Stonehenge and Glastonbury.

Editor’s Note: The late Moana Finch was a regular contributor for our magazine in the sixties. Unfortunately, our achives have not produced any biographical information but we hope to add this later. Her articles were, however, very popular and easily understandable. We feel she truly belongs in the Hall of Fame category of writers.

Outside of Professor Edward Odlum, and the possible exception of J.W. Parker, Reverend Goard was the most important influence in the early development of this organization. On a world scene, his contribution to the movement was unequalled. Born in 1863 in England, he came to Canada as a young man and engaged in missionary work in the Methodist Church. When our good friend Reverend Merton Smith, also a believer in the Israel Truth, went overseas, Reverend Goard came to Vancouver to preach in his Congregationalist Church. He met Professor Odlum and the two of them worked closely together to strengthen and expand the work both here and abroad.

A great organizer, he was called back to England in 1921 to become Vice-President of the British-Israel-World Federation and remained so until the time of his death in 1937. In due time, he became the Editor of The National Magazine, a director of Covenant Publishing, the Principal of Garrison Bible College and President of World Council of the B.I.W.F. His writings, his radio broadcasts, his lectures, his willingness to travel to expound the message and his inspiration to others made him a key instrument for the tremendous growth of the Israel Truth in the early part of the century. When he died, accolades poured in from everywhere and just as Jefferson said of Washington, it was said of Goard, “Know ye not that there is a great man fallen this day in Israel.”

Reverend Goard wrote many articles, many of which we published and many published in other vehicles, primarily “The National Message.”

Mr. Jolly was born in the North of England and moved to Victoria, British Columbia in 1912. He was brought up in the Anglican Church, but like many others fell away during the years. It’s interesting to read his own words about his return.

"I began to return to the Bible in or about 1931 for I had a feeling that there was something in that story of the Bible that was somehow connected with the chaotic state of the world, and that this story also pointed to the fact that Britain was the Israel of God.

Yet, I was confused! I was almost agreed with my fellow workers that when a man died, he was finished. Now, I know that is not so. It is just the beginning! I know now, also, that God send His angels, His messengers. (Luke 1: 32).

In 1932 I met a man on the road who pointed out to me the fulfilling of that great prophecy in Isaiah 31:5, "As birds flying, so will the Lord of Hosts defend Jerusalem, defending also He will deliver it, and passing over He will preserve it."

A great beam of LIGHT came into my life, for that prophecy was literally fulfilled when General Allenby drove the Turks out of Jerusalem. The end of the Times of the Gentiles (see Luke 21:24) had come! The Bible became alive with a flood of fulfilled prophecies and it was the time for action! The man whom I met on the road was Mr. Pilling of Victoria, a great exponent of British Israel Truth, a great worker for the Kingdom of God, a man who knows what he is talking about. He taught me much. And an intense study of the Bible and the Great Pyramid of Gizeh brought me humbly to the foot of the Cross.

My one desire, now, in the twilight of my life is to show others that we Anglo Saxons are Israel, that our economic system is all wrong and must be changed before we can have Peace and the Restoration of the Kingdom of God on this earth, under the rule of the King of Israel, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST."

Born in Ontario (then Upper Canada) in 1842, Reverend Mark Jukes was one of the more popular leaders in the Israel Truth movement. He was orphaned at an early age, educated in England and a Christian all his life. He was living in Vancouver when he met Professor Edward Odlum and was very instrumental in the early organization of our Association. He was made Honourary Secretary at the initial meeting in 1909. He was active in the Association until his death in 1932.

Mr. McGill was often heard to say he had read all of the books written on the Israel Truth. He took up the study in 1916 and never stopped appreciating Gods Word after that. He served as the Secretary-Treasurer of our Association from 1929 to 1934 and later served as a special correspondent to the Anglo-Saxon World, our magazine name in the fourties, fifties and sixties.

He was also a staunch worker for the Salvation Army for the greater part of his life and along with his equally committed wife; they pioneered the Prairie Provinces, British Columbia and even the Yukon during the days of the Gold Rush.

Part 4 of the Israel Truth reveals quite a bit about the professor so we will not be repetitious. Still, there is little doubt this was a most remarkable man. He was such an influence of others that he inspired them to great heights. Once he learned of the Israel Truth, he traveled extensively organizing, lecturing and teaching. He was a prolific writer and used his many books, phamplets, newspaper articles, lectures and sermons to spread the message. Yet, his radio program, “The British Israel Hour,” helped lift the blindness of many Israelites and it became a Sunday favourite.

Still, every Sunday evening, he made sure he was at the Bethel Mission preaching the Gospels of the Kingdom and Salvation, along with the Israel truth. Wherever the Professor spoke, he attracted a large following. He was a sought after speaker for churches right across the country.

He was active in the community in other ways as well. He was a columnist with the “Vancouver Star” and “Vancouver Sun.” He also served as an alderman for some years and as president of the Art, Historic and Science Association. He also found the time to engage in real estate and other businesses. He was a man of unbounded energy.

The professor was born in Ontario in 1850 and died in 1935. He was still the president of the organization he founded when he passed on.

Professor Odlum wrote dozens of articles and over the course of time, we will display as many of these as possible. To begin with, we present a small article that reflects the intellectual depth of Mr. Odlum and how he was always thinking and studying.

Born in Ontario in the year of Canadian Confederation (1867), Mr. Parker became one of the earliest workers and founders of the Association. He became intensely interested in the Gospel of the Kingdom after he met Professor Edward Odlum and volunteered the rest of his life to any and every phase of the work that needed him. He had always been devout and had been a staunch church worker, particularly a teacher with Sunday School and Young Adult programs. Yet, it was not until he had been introduced to the Israel Truth that so many of the questions that previously could not be answered instantly became clear to him.

Mr. Parker traveled many times across Canada and the Western United States delivering the message and as he was oft to say, “no audience is too small.” Yet, great numbers turned out for most of his lectures, because of his knowledge, sincerity and ability to express. He appealed to all classes of people. He was a prolific author and made a special study of the symbolism of the great pyramid. His son, Clifford, was associated with British Israel World Federation in London and was a regular contributor of articles to our magazine. Mr. Parker was understandably very proud. Our August, 1946 magazine summed it up this way, “The father laid the groundwork, and the son is carrying on in a wonderful way."

He became President of the Association when Professor Odlum closed his life and remained so until he too passed on in 1947. The following article was one of the last he penned.

Mr. Powell was Vice-President of our Association in the forties and played an important role in the spreading of the message, particularly in radio broadcasts hosted by him. He was born in Iowa to a pioneer family who emigrated there in the early seventeen hundreds. With his staunch Methodist background, he was well acquainted with Scripture, yet, under the tutelage of men like Professor Edward Odlum, Dr. Pascoe Goard and other such scholars, he soon realized that the Israel Truth was indeed the sure truth of God.

Over the years, he made a study of the application of Christian principles to national economic life and as a broadcaster, endeavoured to encourage his listeners to live up to the Laws of God and to practice what we preach in everyday life.

He actively supported the former Canadian “Social Credit” party, which, at one time, was the theoretically closest approach to practical Christianity of any party in Canadian politics.

Sometimes we run into people who are selfless in their devotion to God and His work. Elsie Read was one of those. She learned of and embraced the Israel message from listening to Professor Edward Odlum’s radio broadcasts. Intrigued, she began to visit the Association offices and this led to her volunteering her spare hours for everything from clerical duties to writing for the magazine. In later years, she met and married Reverend Herbert W. Aitchison and began volunteering full time to the work. Her organizational skills enabled the Association offices to run smoothly. She served as Secretary of the Board for many years until her retirement in 2000.

Mr. Savage was born in England in 1876 and came to Canada with his family in 1889. He was always a studious person and settled on a career in Law. He practiced in a small city in British Columbia before moving to Vancouver where he established a successful law practice and took an active part in political circles.

It was when he met Professor Edward Odlum that he learned the Israel Truth. He had been raised in a Methodist home and received a strong grounding in Bible Study. Yet, once he grasped the truth, he pursued his studies with even greater vigour.

He joined Professor Odlum on the executive board at our organization’s founding in 1909 and was a strong contributor to spreading the Israel message across the nation. As a lawyer, he had a way of bringing a clear, logical approach to Bible study and this came across in the books and articles he authored, in his many lectures and in his popular radio broadcasts. His book, The Ten Commandments – Our Common Law” is still carried by our Bookstore and particulars can be seen in our website.

Mr. Savage was elected President of the Association in 1949 and held the position until his death in 1956.

Editor’s Note: It’s sad that some people are forgotten in history, like the late Reverend Sawyer. He was a powerful speaker, writer and scholar and in the early part of the century, he traveled across America many times with a message of hope. An American, he was among the first to preach the Israel Truth in the U.S. and the glorious Gospel of the Kingdom. It was our privilege to make him an honoury Vice-President and life member of our Association. God gave him a huge task and to his great credit, he never stopped his missionary work amongst Israelites.

He was ordained to the ministry of the Christian Church in Kentucky in 1890 and was well known right across America. He was a special correspondent for our magazine and his columns under the title “Along Life’s Highway” were popular and appeared monthly in our magazine for over ten years, beginning with our very first issue.

Born in Toronto, Ontario in 1897, Joe Sproule was a veteran of World War I when he served with the Canadian Machine Gun Regiment. In World War II, he enlisted again, this time with the Royal Canadian Air Force. We believe it was in the twenties that he learned the Israel Truth through his attendance at a lecture delivered by the Reverend Doctor W. Pasco Goard. Whatever, it was enough to get him involved in a lifelong pursuit.

By 1946 he was a Field Secretary for the British-Israel-World Federation in Toronto and contributed greatly to them for five years. Then, in 1951, he joined us as Secretary-General. We were known at the time as British-Israel Association of Greater Vancouver. Joe, as he was affectionately known, proved a remarkable public speaker, and his radio broadcasts were very popular. He lectured extensively and many of his articles were published in our magazines. He remained in the post to within a short time of his passing in 1977.

Colonel Wright was born in a small community in Ontario in 1877 but moved to Toronto where he graduated from the University of Toronto. He held a number of civic offices and was very active in military circles. He was an officer in the standing army and so was called for service early in 1914 when World War I broke out. The first year was spent in training officers at Niagara and then he was sent to serve in England and France. He was wounded in 1917 and was assigned the trans-Atlantic conducting service when he recovered.

It is not known when the Colonel first learned the Israel Truth but it must have been quite early in life for he had studied the Kingdom Gospel while associated with the Anglican Church. In any event, when he arrived in Vancouver, he soon was attracted to this Association and served as its Secretary for nearly twenty years. He was very well known as a Speaker and Teacher and traveled across both Canada and the United States, in addition to London England, and his congenial manner made him a most popular speaker. He was a great ambassador for the Israel Truth. He died in 1950.

Editor’s Note: E.W. Abraham is one of the old-time Bible scholars who made a tremendous impact on the movement through his lectures, artciles and books. One book, "The Perfect Prayer" is still carried by the Association Bookstore. Mr. Abraham's wife, Dorothy, was an author as well and her children's book, "The Forest of Happiness" is also carried by the Bookstore.

Editor’s Note: The late Reverend Thornton contributed articles for our magazine quite frequently, in fact he was a guest speaker from time to time. His church was located in Spokane, Washington. Unfortunately, our archives has not produced any biographical information but we intend to add to these remarks later.

W.H. Bennett, former president of Canadian British Israel Association.