Hymn writer's Jerusalem settlement goes awry

(Editor's note: This is Part 2 in a series on Horatio Spafford, author of the hymn "It Is Well with My Soul," and his wife, Anna. To read Part 1, click here.)

by Kate Uttinger

Jerusalem

Horatio Spafford

By the time Horatio and Anna Spafford and their two young daughters (born since the shipwreck), left America for Jerusalem, Spafford had amassed some $100,000 in debt, which by today's calculation amounts to over two million dollars. Some speculated that Spafford left for Jerusalem to escape his financial responsibilities. Since Spafford had stopped working, the new church subsisted mainly on the backs of wealthy widows and a hefty amount of borrowing. In tow with the Spaffords were 14 others, both men and women, some of whom would finance the Overcomers' stay in Jerusalem for years to come.

The Overcomers, as Horatio now called the group, had come to Jerusalem to wait for the Messiah's impending return. Their first full day in Jerusalem the pilgrims spent on the Mount of Olives, watching the heavens for a sign of the Second Advent. They were disappointed, but some stories tell of how a representative contingent of Overcomes picnicked every afternoon on Olivet with "tea and cakes," hoping to be the first to offer refreshment to a travel-weary Jesus. This first contact was important to the Overcomers, for they were "determined to be at the head of the line of office-seekers when the new administration comes in." Horatio expected Jesus to return to Jerusalem and establish his millenial kingdom. Jesus would wipe away all doctrinal distinctions and staff His cabinet with members who overcame sin and misery by love and good works, just like Horatio's Overcomers.

Undeterred by Jesus' delay, Horatio and Anna established their little colony in a rented house in the Old City. Here, the religious activities begun in Lake View continued, and Anna took a more active role in the community's worship. She insisted that the group members call Horatio the "Branch," and much to the dismay of the others, she appropriated for herself the groups' former title of "Bride." Anna also began to assert more power over the other prophetesses of the group. She started having what she called "manifestations" – apparently a significant step up from a mere sign. More than this, she soon insisted that she alone could accurately interpret any signs the other prophetesses might have. Anna believed that God now spoke through her to Horatio. In one event, Anna told Horatio that God commanded him to go pick up one of the other members – an old army captain left disabled from the war. Horatio struggled to lift the old man, but he did, thus reenacting by divine "inspiration" Paul's healing of the crippled man in Acts 14 and solidifying her prophetic control.

Anna's newfound zeal presents an interesting question, however. Though Anna might have considered herself devout while she was still in Chicago, her religious activity was primarily focused on practical pursuits. Theology was never in the forefront of her mind. But the situation in Jerusalem was different. The Overcomers were there to effectively jockey for position in the coming age. The cohesion of the group was crucial if they were to weather the difficulties of an unknown, and perhaps lengthy, time of waiting.

Coupled with this was Horatio and Anna's decided lack of finances. Three of the individuals that came over with the Spaffords were quite well off. One, Amelia Gould, and the group's most enthusiastic "prophetess," was an elderly widow flush with cash. The other two, John and Mary Whiting, were a young married couple with money and a very sizeable inheritance at their disposal. Anna did all she could to not only see that the Whitings and Amelia Gould were comfortable, but that they were still committed to the Overcomers' cause, despite the fact that Jesus hadn't returned. Slowly, but surely, Anna used her charisma to garner enough power, ensuring that their finances stayed intact, and that she herself would never lose control over the circumstances of her life like she had so many times before.

Word soon spread in Jerusalem that there was yet another contingent of the faithful eagerly awaiting the Messiah's return, but this group was different. The Overcomers –known to the locals as the American Colony – did not proselytize. They did not insist that Jews be trucked back to the Holy Land to hasten the Second Coming, though they were happy to see it done. They did not discriminate against who could come visit the Colony's increasingly popular times of singing and prayer. Horatio and Anna not only welcomed Jews and Turkish Muslims into their worship gatherings, but they also allowed them to participate. Love, according to Horatio and Anna, overcame any such theological wranglings – to the point that they could join in prayer with a visiting Muslim sheik who took to suddenly interrupting the meetings with a clear repudiation of the Trinity, crying out "One, not three!"

Check out an exclusive offer for readers of WND from the editors of Leben!

Good works

Just as Anna and Horatio had done in Chicago, so too in Jerusalem they began a vigorous crusade of good works. But sometimes performing good works – like feeding and clothing the poor Arab women and children huddled outside the Colony's gates – is costly. The funds the Overcomers had on hand dwindled, and checks from supporters back home grew infrequent, either through religious cooling or sticky-fingered couriers. In order to finance their program of good works, Horatio turned to borrowing money from the Arab and Jewish businessmen whose trust he gained through the ecumenicalism of the American Colony. The trust between the Arabs and the colonists so blossomed that some of the wealthy Arab families asked the Colony to tutor their children in English. Horatio agreed, though he believed that education was a waste of time, since all they ever need learn would soon be revealed when Jesus arrived. Meanwhile, Anna made friends with the Arab women, giving them instruction on questions of childrearing and baby care. All the while, wandering souls – some Americans, some Germans, were given sanctuary in the American Colony, so long as they agreed to break from the organized church and spurn any national identity. All money was held in common among the Colony, so any who joined must empty their belongings into the communal purse.

The largest expense in good works, however, came in response to Horatio's eschatology. Horatio had come across a band of Yemeni Jews eager to return to the land of their fathers. Since they came from Yemen, however, the orthodox Jews of Jerusalem would have nothing to do with them, but accused the strangely dressed pilgrims of being Arabs. These outcast Jews, Horatio believed, were none other than Gad, the lost tribe of Israel. Horatio practically drained their coffers so that he could fulfill prophecy, "Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad." The "lost tribe's" arrival could only mean that Jesus was at hand.

Trouble in paradise

The arrival of the "Gadites" inflamed even further Horatio's preoccupation with prophecy and with the Overcomers' necessity to prepare themselves spiritually for the second Advent, which would surely happen any moment. But tragedy punctuated these spiritual heights, for two Colony members suddenly died, one of a congenital heart defect, the other of a heart attack. Shock rippled through the Colony, for Horatio and Anna had been teaching that death could not touch their group if they were pure in heart. Here now was proof that the colonists were not holy enough and were themselves the hindrance to Messiah's arrival. Horatio and Anna stepped up their program of spiritual instruction. Horatio preached long sermons on the dangers of attachments and anything not heavenly minded. Anna required every Colony member to attend morning devotions and make a full, public confession of all of their sins – particularly the "salacious" ones –after which Anna would absolve the sinner and admit the wandering one back into fellowship.

One morning, Horatio and Anna assembled the group to announce their latest revelation from God: Marriage, the ultimate human attachment, was to be abolished in the Colony.

"Everything," according to Horatio, "must be wholly on the altar."

In an ecstatic fervor, Anna ripped off her wedding ring and cried out, "Attachment is the danger, attachment is the sin! Remember, God forms a trinity between brother and sister, and God is first!"

Amazingly, most of the married couples complied with this enforced celibacy. However, one young married woman, Lizzie Page, stood up to Anna. This was not a true message, argued Lizzie. She would not destroy her wedding ring, nor heed this message, because marriage was a sacred vow before God to her husband. When Lizzie refused to participate in the groups' daily confessionals, Anna did all she could to ostracize her from the group, "declaring that 'the devil' was in her. In the midst of this stress, Lizzie fell ill. Anna was triumphant: "Sickness is the fruit of sin!" Anna demanded that Lizzie be removed from the house – doctors were not necessary for true believers, according to the Overcomers. Lizzie and her husband, Otis Page, left the Colony, but not its controlling tentacles. Before long, Lizzie contracted tuberculosis. The Pages lived in abject poverty, without much food or any heat in their little rented house, for the Colony absorbed all of their assets. When Lizzie died and was buried in an unmarked grave, Otis Page pleaded with Anna to readmit him to the Colony. She eventually did, but Page lived there as a pariah for the rest of his days.

Anna Spafford with daughters, Grace and Bertha

Death would soon touch the Colony again, this time claiming Horatio. He had long been weakening, even as Anna's grip on the Colony strengthened. Before his death, Anna saw the need to begin a period of spiritual testing for herself and her husband, which may have hastened his demise. Her solution was to become "as one" with a handsome English cleric living in the Colony. The Overcomers sat in stunned silence when she announced her plan, but not a one challenged her, not even her husband. Other Americans in Jerusalem, notably the American Consul Selah Merill, heard about the Colony's abolition of marriage and their leader's rumored adultery. Merrill, a former Presbyterian chaplain, would become their loudest critic, particularly when Anna later established what she called "affinities." Unmarried men and women would spend the night together on a regular basis, resisting temptation. If they succumbed, the group would hear about it in detail the next morning, finally receiving forgiveness from Anna.

During Anna's spiritual testing, Horatio began a friendship with another woman outside the Colony, also an end-times enthusiast. Anna's neglect, ironically the fruit of Horatio's own theology of sanctification, no doubt fed this relationship – of which Anna did not approve. Anna commanded Horatio, withered with age and ill health, to be sentenced to 44 days of isolation from the group, forbidding anyone to have any verbal or physical contact with Horatio. Horatio's body wasted away, but no doctor was called for him. When it became clear that Horatio would most certainly die, Anna vowed that she would "dance before the Lord." She went out onto the Colony's patio and whipped herself into a frenzy of twirling fabric and sweat. And when weeping mourners carried her husband off to the American cemetery, Anna stayed home.

The Swedes

Horatio's death was problematic for Anna and the colonists. Fueling the fire of the U.S. consul's criticism were the many complaints he'd received from the parties who had loaned money to the Spaffords. They wanted their money back. The Colony was deep in debt, since Horatio and a good number of the colonists wrote off work as another attachment of this world. Anna was desperate. What little property the colonists had was sold, and every member was encouraged to plead with friends and relatives back home to send money. Amelia Gould was shaken by Horatio's death, believing that a man so holy could not die before the Lord returned. Yet the Colony was in dire need of her fortune. And Mary Whiting's mother heard reports of the Overcomers and was convinced –rightly – that her daughter had been brainwashed by a cult. She saw to it that her daughter could not access her inheritance so long as she remained in the American Colony. The fight over Mary Whiting's money would extend to the Whitings' children – and entangle the Colony, the Whitings and Mary Whiting's mother in a long, public battle over custody of the children. Anna traveled to Chicago, fighting hard a war of reputation with all the diplomacy and charisma she could muster. Anna was victorious: The court awarded Mary Whiting custody of her children and her money. Yet that money, and Amelia's, would only hold out for so long. Anna knew the Colony needed a shot in the arm to keep itself going. And that shot came in the form of 76 Swedes.

While Anna was in Chicago, one of the Overcomers ran across a small Swedish church worshiping in Chicago's south side. Members of the Swedish church returned the favor, and paid Anna a visit at the house where she was staying. She regaled them with dramatic stories of how she overcame life's trials through love and good works. She led the group in Bible study, prayer and singing. She spoke to hungry Swedish ears of Jesus' imminent return and the work of the American Colony in Jerusalem. The Swedes were dazzled by the prospect of a community committed to preparing the earth for the coming of the Lord. When Anna visited their church for the first time, noting signs of wealth – for the Swedes were industrious people – glittering furniture, immaculate rooms – she had another "message." The Swedes were to join the American Colony. Before long, Anna in characteristic fashion, co-opted the position of the Swedish pastor, Lars Larsson, and convinced the congregation to join her in Jerusalem.

The Swedes brought with them a sort of industry and energy never before seen in the Colony. Many of the men were skilled carpenters; the ladies, eager seamstresses and weavers. Some of the younger men were talented photographers, so much so that when the Ottoman governor of Jerusalem wanted important WWI events documented, he commissioned the American Colony Swedes to photograph the comings and goings of state business. While the younger Swedes were not so thrilled with the prospect of celibacy, in general the Swedes acclimated to Anna's leadership and life in the colony.

The American Colony finally began to prosper. Goods made by the Swedes were sold, and the Colony's coffers filled once again, which greatly pleased Anna. The influx of added members necessitated the relocation of the Colony to a large, luxurious estate just outside the city walls. Built by a sheik for his four wives, the "Big House's" many rooms and generous gardens made a comfortable dwelling for the Overcomers. The flurry of philanthropic activity continued, for the American Colony now had an official school and welcomed droves of guests, tempted by the curiosity about the Overcomers' reputation and Anna's charm. The Colony even opened a little shop, selling Holy Land trinkets and hand-crafted goods made by the Swedes.

Anna's visions and messages continued. And so did her control over the Colony. Anna's children, Bertha and Grace, were notably spoiled, and it irked the Swedish children. While one man would have to approach Anna and get permission to dip into the common purse for even the simplest clothes for his children, Bertha and Grace pranced around the compound in delicate muslin. Bertha and Grace received more education, with private tutors, and were always included in the company when important guests visited the Colony. Daily confessions were still part of Colony life, and discontent with Anna's rules was severely punished. Mothers were separated from their children, and those who dared leave the Colony were publicly shamed and excommunicated, cut off without a penny of the wealth they'd help earn. And, ironically, when Anna saw an opportunity to make an advantageous match for one of her daughters, she had another vision: Marriages could resume. Yet only Anna could make matches and ratify the marriages.

Good works

While many Protestant missionaries came to believe that the Overcomers – or Spaffordites – were nothing more than a deluded group of heretics, many in Jerusalem held the Overcomers in high esteem, particularly if they were unaware of Anna's manipulation. During the Great War, the Overcomers ran soup kitchens, hospitals and orphanages open to all without discrimination. Turk, Jew or Brit, all were alike to them. Today, the heirs of the American Colony operate a children's center for underprivileged children, and the great house still stands as one of the most beautiful in all Jerusalem, now a five-star hotel.

American Colony Hotel

For over 40 years, Anna had done what Moody so long ago counseled her to do. No doubt, she through her American Colony brought a kind of comfort to others. Wounds were tended, bellies filled, community made. Yet Moody's words included another exhortation: to "bring salvation." In her zeal to retain control over her circumstances, she forwarded a theology built on a foundation as unstable as the billows she feared. Anna and her Overcomers offered no real way of salvation, no lasting way to overcome the realities of a sin-sick world, for their gospel was one of good works, not faith in Christ.

Discover more about the Spaffords and their legacy at the Leben website!