Clarence Orvil Dodd
Encyclopedia
Clarence Orvil Dodd often known as C. O. Dodd, was an American
author and magazine editor and an Elder of a particular Church of God (Seventh Day)
denomination church in Salem, West Virginia
in the early 20th century.
In 1920 he married Martha Richmond, whom he predeceased. They had one child - Mary, now Mary Dodd Ling.
He worked as a clerk for 35 years for Hope Natural Gas Company (now absorbed into ExxonMobil
) while writing, editing and publishing his magazine, and serving his church, until he retired early due to Hodgkins' disease
. Two years subsequent to his retirement he died.
cause as well. In The Encyclopedia of American Religions
scholar of American religions J. Gordon Melton
wrote of the magazine, "No single force in spreading the Sacred Name movement was as important as The Faith magazine."
Andrew Nugent Dugger, fellow church Elder of Dodd's and one-time editor of the long-running Adventist magazine Bible Advocate, co-authored a book with Dodd valued in many parts of the Adventist community, A History of the True Church. Having worked so closely together over so many years they undoubtedly influenced one another. Melton says that Dugger accepted the same basic theology as Dodd. One writer considers Dugger to be the most famous Church of God (Adventist) leader in the 20th century.
Mildred Kelvig, a lifelong acquaintance who had served for many years as his personal secretary, claimed that Dodd's acquaintance with Worldwide Church of God
founder Herbert W. Armstrong
influenced the latter's views. She specified that Dodd convinced Armstrong of Greenberry G. Rupert's (author of The Yellow Peril) assertions that observing Hebrew holidays is mandatory for a Christian.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author and magazine editor and an Elder of a particular Church of God (Seventh Day)
Church of God (7th day) - Salem Conference
The Church of God – Salem Conference is a seventh-day Sabbath-keeping Christian denomination. The Church of God observes the seventh-day Sabbath, which is ) the Biblical Sabbath for the Judeo-Christian tradition.-History:...
denomination church in Salem, West Virginia
Salem, West Virginia
Salem is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,006 at the 2000 census. It is located at the junction of U.S. Route 50 and West Virginia Route 23; the North Bend Rail Trail passes through the city...
in the early 20th century.
In 1920 he married Martha Richmond, whom he predeceased. They had one child - Mary, now Mary Dodd Ling.
He worked as a clerk for 35 years for Hope Natural Gas Company (now absorbed into ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
) while writing, editing and publishing his magazine, and serving his church, until he retired early due to Hodgkins' disease
Hodgkin's lymphoma
Hodgkin's lymphoma, previously known as Hodgkin's disease, is a type of lymphoma, which is a cancer originating from white blood cells called lymphocytes...
. Two years subsequent to his retirement he died.
Influence
In 1937 Dodd founded The Faith magazine, where he served as editor for many years. Initially the primary focus of The Faith was advocating for observation of Jewish holy festivals on the part of its Christian readers but in the early 1940s Dodd took up the sacred nameSacred Name Movement
The Sacred Name Movement is a movement within Adventism in Christianity, propagated by Clarence Orvil Dodd from the 1930s, that claims to seek to conform Christianity to its "Hebrew Roots" in practice, belief and worship. The best known distinction of the SNM is its advocacy of the use of the...
cause as well. In The Encyclopedia of American Religions
The Encyclopedia of American Religions
The Encyclopedia of American Religions is a reference book by J. Gordon Melton first published in 1978, by Consortium Books, A McGrath publishing company. It is currently in its eighth edition and has become a standard reference work in the study of religion in the United States....
scholar of American religions J. Gordon Melton
J. Gordon Melton
John Gordon Melton is an American religious scholar who was the founding director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion and is currently a research specialist in religion and New Religious Movements with the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara...
wrote of the magazine, "No single force in spreading the Sacred Name movement was as important as The Faith magazine."
Andrew Nugent Dugger, fellow church Elder of Dodd's and one-time editor of the long-running Adventist magazine Bible Advocate, co-authored a book with Dodd valued in many parts of the Adventist community, A History of the True Church. Having worked so closely together over so many years they undoubtedly influenced one another. Melton says that Dugger accepted the same basic theology as Dodd. One writer considers Dugger to be the most famous Church of God (Adventist) leader in the 20th century.
Mildred Kelvig, a lifelong acquaintance who had served for many years as his personal secretary, claimed that Dodd's acquaintance with Worldwide Church of God
Worldwide Church of God
Grace Communion International , formerly the Worldwide Church of God , is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Glendora, California, United States. Since April 3, 2009, it has used the new name Grace Communion International in the US...
founder Herbert W. Armstrong
Herbert W. Armstrong
Herbert W. Armstrong founded the Worldwide Church of God in the late 1930s, as well as Ambassador College in 1946, and was an early pioneer of radio and tele-evangelism, originally taking to the airwaves in the 1930s from Eugene, Oregon...
influenced the latter's views. She specified that Dodd convinced Armstrong of Greenberry G. Rupert's (author of The Yellow Peril) assertions that observing Hebrew holidays is mandatory for a Christian.