Secret Societies

The intent of this article is not to do an exhaustive study of secret societies, but only to alert new Church members or refresh the minds of older members about the stand that the Primitive Baptists have held in the past concerning secret societies. Before I joined the Church, I remember being at the High Point North Carolina Church, when a young man offered himself to the church for membership. I was moved by the humble manner in which this person told the Church that he was a member of one of the societies under consideration and he realized that he must give up that membership in order to be accepted into church fellowship. I would hope that new or old members among our churches today would exhibit the same humility concerning secret societies. How can we be good stewards of the church of God and allow our members to join societies, which promote principles that oppose the teachings of the true church, especially a secret order?

The Kehukee association of North Carolina spoke against secret societies as early as 1786: “At this association it was held to be disorderly to hold communion with a church member who frequented a Free Mason Lodge.” Hassell History page 706 

In 1826 the Kehukee Association made a declaration against the newly formed mission societies. They once again declared against secret societies in the same declaration. " A paper purporting to be a Declaration of the Reformed Baptists in North Carolina, dated August 26, 1826, which was presented at last Association, and referred to the churches to express in their letters to this Association their views with regard to it, came up for deliberation. Upon examination, it was found that most of the churches had given their opinions; and after an inter- change of sentiments among the members of this body, it was agreed that we discard all Missionary Societies, Bible Societies and Theological Seminaries, and the practices heretofore resorted to for their support, in begging money from the public; and if any persons should be among us, as agents of any said societies, we hereafter discountenance them in those practices; and if under a character of a minister of the gospel, we will not invite them into our pulpits; believing these societies and institutions to be the inventions of men, and not warranted from the word of God. We further do unanimously agree that should any of the members of our churches join the fraternity of Masons, or, being members, continue to visit the lodges and parades, we will not invite them to preach in our pulpits, believing them to be guilty of such practices; and we declare non-fellowship with them and such practices altogether." (Hassell’s history page 736). The next year because of some opposition and confusion over just what the association had agreed to in 1826, the association in 1827 clarified their position. The following is their statement in 1827 concerning secret orders. “First. We will not hold in our churches any member who is in the practice of visiting the Masonic Lodges, or who on any occasion conforms to their custom of parades; nor will we countenance any such individual who may reside or come among us in the character of a preacher.” ( Hassell’s history page 741,743) 

The following is copied from, ‘The Church of God’ by Elder Lee Hanks, page 156, and gives the position of many ministers who stood in opposition to a person having membership in the true church and at the same time holding membership in a secret society.  

“Secret Societies-- We have a host of good friends who belong to secret societies. But it is no place for a Christian or Primitive Baptist, It is offensive to the great body of our people and they know it. And if one disregards the feelings of his brethren enough to forsake the church and join a secret order he should be excluded. The Kehukee, our old mother association, has ever refused to fellowship secret societies. Elders Mitchell and Respess uncompromisingly opposed then and would not tolerate them. They Advise the Old Baptist to exclude all who joined them. Elder J. E. Henderson and Hassell righteously condemns them and will not fellowship them. Our ablest preachers, such as Elders W. J. Heard, Henry Swain, H. B. Wilkinson, P. H. Bryd, J. B. Wilson, J. A. Monsees, J. M. Murray, Rees Prather, G. W. Stewart, H. H. Goodman, M. Shaddix, B. G. Parker, J. W. Jones, J. J. Turnipseed, M. E. Petty, A. J. McLeod, A. H. Fisher, J. C. Morgan, W. P. Merrell, C. H. Cayce, A. B. Ross, J. C. Shain, E. B. Bartlett, C. E. Lowe, P. Hunt, I. J. Fuller and all the associations south believe that members who join such societies should be promptly excluded and they see that it is done. It is a false religion that the Church of God should not fellowship or tolerate. Elder Harvey Wright of Indiana opposed fellowshipping them. He said secret societies had always been regarded as disorder.”  

When we are blessed to have membership in the Church of Christ, which the Lord set up while he was on earth, we should not have membership in any other society that in anyway promotes opposition to the principles for which we covenanted together when we joined the true church. I’m sure that most Baptist would be opposed to a person holding membership in two different churches at the same time, and more so if there was opposing doctrine in each. Therefore belonging to one of the secret orders such as the Masonic lodge or any other organization which has ceremonies, oaths or rules contrary to the scriptures cannot be countenanced by the true church of Christ. 

Elder Claude McKee

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