Otto Fetting

Otto Fetting in 1916

Otto Fetting (born November 20, 1871 in Casco , St. Clair County , Michigan ; † January 30, 1933 in Port Huron , Michigan) was the founder, apostle and leader of the Church of Christ (Fettingiten) , which later became the Church of Christ with emerged from the Elijah message .

According to his own confession and the faith of this church, Fetting, who was a member and apostle of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) until 1929, received a total of 30 divine messages from 1927 to 1933, which were brought by the risen John the Baptist who appeared as an angel .

Serving the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Already in his youth he entered the church and was in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (English. "Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints", abbreviated RLDS), since 2001 with the new name " Community of Christ "(English" Community of Christ ") baptized on February 9, 1891 and ordained a minister in 1899. When the Church voted in 1925 that the ordained apostles of that Church and its President should no longer have supreme and direct control over the Church, it caused much dissatisfaction among members. Therefore, Fetting and many other clergymen and members moved to the Church of Christ, Temple Lot.

Work in the Church of Christ (Temple Lot)

Otto Fetting on April 6, 1929 laying the foundation stone for a temple.

In the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) Fetting was called and ordained an apostle in the spring of 1926 when new apostles were elected . At the Church's Spring Conference in 1927, he announced that since February 4, 1927, a heavenly messenger had appeared to him twice. Fetting read the two messages to the audience. These messages were recognized as divine and genuine and accepted by the Church. The Church of Christ (Temple Lot) was also receptive to the supposed visits of John the Baptist at this time and recognized his messages. The texts and details of the angel visits were first published and then regularly published in the church's monthly newsletter "Zion's Advocate".

On July 18, 1929, however, the supposed messenger John the Baptist gave the instruction in the 12th message that those who come from other churches - ie also from other Mormon churches - to join the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) or have already joined earlier, in the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) including fetting must be baptized again. This met with great rejection within the Church of Christ (Temple Lot).

Message 12: 4: “Behold, the Lord has rejected all denominations and factions that have deviated from the word of the Lord and become an abomination in his eyes. Therefore, let those who come to the Church of Christ be baptized so that they can get rid of the traditions and sins of men. To prepare themselves so that they may be fit and worthy of the Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit and because the greater power is to come, that they may be ready to receive it with joy. For this is the time of the rebuilding and restoration of all things; and this must come to all who will be allowed to live in the presence of Christ, for sin cannot receive the glory of God nor the power of the Holy Spirit. "

Otto Fetting was then baptized again on September 2, 1929. Because of the controversy of baptizing believers who had already been baptized by other churches before, a division occurred within the Church of Christ (Temple Lot). Five men of the church council brought about a resolution to expel all members who were baptized again under Fetting on the basis of the 12th message. Fetting as well as some apostles and about half of the members of the Church then left the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) along with the excluded. After the break with Fetting and his followers, this church rejected not only the controversial 12th message, but also all previous messages that the risen John the Baptist is said to have brought to Otto Fetting as purely human.

Foundation of the Church of Christ (Fettingite) and work there

Otto Fetting founded his own Church of Christ in 1929 together with other former apostles and members of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot). To distinguish it from other "Churches of Christ", the name of the church founded by Fetting was supplemented with the bracketed term Fettingite ("Fettingit (en)"). In later years came from this church showing the "Church of Christ with the Elijah Message", which is labeled "The in German-speaking Church of Christ With the Elijah Message bears" and WA Draves was founded (1912 to 1994). This addition was chosen because John the Baptist is said to have come with the strength and power of the Old Testament prophet Elijah , Latin "Elias", and is already referred to in the Bible as "Elijah" when he first came at the time of Jesus. To this day, this additional designation identifies all those congregations of the church who believe in messages received from Fetting and Draves of John the Baptist, who appeared as an angel messenger.

The church founder Fetting received from February 4, 1927, mainly in his house in Port Huron, Michigan , until January 28, 1933, just under two days before his death, many other messages (30 in total) that still exist today in addition to the Bible and the Nephite account (a separate edition of the Book of Mormon) are among the holy scriptures of the Church of Christ with the Elijah message. These messages were published in the monthly magazine "The Voice of Warning" while Fetting was still alive. The gathering of these messages has started to be published in book form. In the meantime, all of the 117 messages that both Otto Fetting and WA Draves (1912–1994) received have been published in “The Word of the Lord Brought to Mankind by an Angel” and are also in various translations such as French and Polish and Russian language.

Written testimony about the visits by the angel messenger

Testimony from Otto Fettings

To testify the truth of his alleged experiences on oath instead of personally, Fetting wrote the following personal testimony on October 9, 1929, after the 14th message of October 7, 1927:

“ To all those concerned: I am giving this solemn testimony before God on oath, God is my witness, and I expect to stand at the gate one day to give an account of this statement.

The appearance and the words of the messenger's visits are true. I've seen him from time to time. I heard his voice; i saw his face. I saw the light; I felt his hand on my head and the blow on my shoulder. I was wrapped in that wonderful heavenly and divine power and the words that I have given you are not my words, but the words that God sent through John the Baptist.

I want to make this statement so everyone can know this is true. It hardly matters what will become of me in the future, but I cannot and will not deny the things that I have seen and heard from the Heavenly Messenger, as long as I have my right mind and God gives me life and His grace gives to abide here on earth.

Others may make statements about me, but I want this to be understood, that this testimony is true. And I will be faithful to the advice and directions given by the messenger regardless of what people may say. - Signed Otto Fetting, Independence, Missouri, October 9, 1929. "

Testimony from four other people

Four other people besides Fetting himself, namely Fetting's wife Jennie M. Fetting, geb. Mills, with whom he had been married since January 30, 1893, his son Roy and his mother-in-law Elizabeth M. Mills as well as the eldest (presbyter) WR Dexter, claimed the risen John the Baptist as messenger angel during his last visit to Otto Fetting on January 28, 1933. These witnesses had the following testimony notarized on March 8, 1933:

“ The testimony of the Four Witnesses regarding the Thirtieth Message as it was brought on by the messenger sent by God

It is made known to all nations, genders, languages ​​and peoples to whom this message will come that we, the undersigned, were in the room at the time when the messenger of whom the message is spoken was in the room came and held the role of which Otto Fetting read the 'Word of the Lord' spoken of in the thirtieth message. We felt the presence of the messenger as he held the scroll and we heard the 'Word of the Lord' of the scroll delivered through the mouth of Otto Fetting, whom God used as his human mediator.

Witnesses: WR Dexter, Roy E. Fetting, Jennie M. Fetting, Elizabeth M. Mills

Signed and sworn under oath before me, a notary public in and for the counties of St. Clair and the state of Michigan , on this 8th day of March, AD 1933.

Russell A. Young "

literature

• The Word of the Lord. Independence , Missouri 2005
• Huonker, Martin (Ed.): The word of the Lord brought to mankind through his angel, Wegweiser-Verlag Wannweil ​​1974.
• Hans-Dieter Reimer: Material service of the Evangelical Central Office for Weltanschauung questions . Volume 38, Quell Verlag Stuttgart, p. 297 - p. 298,
• Georg Schmid et al. (Ed.): Churches, sects, religions. Religious communities, ideological groups and psycho-organizations in the German-speaking area. A manual. Founded by Oswald Eggenberger, Theologischer Verlag Zurich 2003, 7th edition, p. 196 - p. 197.
• The Passing of Otto Fetting. Missouri, undated.

Web links

• The Word of the Lord - All 30 messages from Otto Fetting in English
• The Passing of Otto Fetting - Life and Work of Otto Fetting in English