How is the Gold become Dim! Serial 6 of 7: Wednesday May 14.

 

Chapter Five:  Spiritual Change Factors

 The final class of factors to be discussed in this work as possibly contributing to the evolutionary trend in norms, doctrines, and practice in the C&S Church, is what we here call spiritual factors. These factors will be viewed under two broad classifications, one essentially negative and the other what may appear to be positive. These terms are used here loosely, just as a matter of convenience. In reality, it is only the LORD that can determine whether a spiritual factor is positive or negative.

 5.1              Negative spiritual factors

                    The first negative spiritual factor is indeed not peculiar to the C&S, but is simply a general characteristic of the end times as predicted in the Bible. The Lord Jesus spoke of the emergence of false prophets doing lying wonders such that, if it were possible, even the very elects of God would be deceived, as the time of His return approaches (Mathew 24:24). Also in 2 Tim 3: 1-5, the apostle Paul listed 19 features that would characterize the last days which he described as “perilous times”. These include self-love, love of money, boasting, pride, blasphemy, disobedience to parents, thanklessness, unholiness, unlovingness, unforgiving, slandering, lack of self-control, brutalities, despising of good, being traitors, headstrong, haughtiness, loving pleasure rather than God, and lastly, clinging to religious forms while denying its power. We can therefore conclude that as time races to its climax, the spiritual condition of society will tend more towards the decays already predicted in Scriptures.

 It is very clear that the characteristics of the end-time as listed, are capable of affecting the development of doctrines, beliefs, and practices in any spiritual organization, for as the spiritual conditions of society in general, and of particular organizations change, their doctrines and practices will necessarily be affected. Indeed, the subtle influence of society on christendom is such that what society practiced a few decades ago and which the Church considered as depraved at that time, is today perfectly acceptable to the Church, while society moves on to a new level of depravity!

 The C&S organization is particularly susceptible to such influences as described, because of her strong emphasis on ‘vision’ and ‘spiritualities’ without commensurate concerns for sound Scriptural foundations. In fact, it will be observed that most of the factors previously discussed are included in Paul’s characterization of the end-time in 2 Timothy 3.  The point being made here is that perhaps, all these factors can be simply seen as people drifting along time; and being without appropriate discernment, got “entrapped in evil times” (Eccl. 9:12).  What follows then are natural consequences of what befall the unwary who fail to heed the Lord’s counsel to “take heed, watch, and pray” (Mark 13:33).

 Another possible way of looking at spiritually-impressed influences resulting in changes in doctrines and practices, still from the “negative” perspective, might be that God Himself is deliberately causing the Society to digress from the straight paths into crooked avenues. Scriptures say that when God wants to punish a city, he makes “children to become its kings, and drunkards to be its elders” (Isaiah 3:4). The Bible also contains instances when God allowed deceptive spirits on people who thought they could manipulate God to their own ends (1 Kings 22:19-23, Ezekiel 14:14).  For the predicted break in Solomon’s kingdom to happen, God caused Rehoboam to take a wrong, arrogant attitude in response to the request by Jeroboam-led “activists” (I Kings 12: 15 - 24). In this regard it could be postulated that with the C&S Society deviating from God’s program for it, the Lord abandoned it to its own devices and without the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit, the organization then coasted randomly along in the general spiritual environment already predicted in Scriptures and discussed in the previous paragraph.  One clear manifestation of this situation would be that even die-hard members would feel compelled, contrary to their personal wishes, to part ways with the Society.

 A prime support for this postulate could be derived from the mysterious manner the foremost “Visioner” ever in the C&S, Major A.B. Lawrence left the Society in May 1932 to start a different organization which he gave the new name, Holy Flock of Christ. Lawrence claimed to be acting strictly under spiritual direction and that he had no grudge whatever with the C&S. By thus leaving the C&S, he clearly demonstrated, at least, the fact that he believed that spiritually, the C&S was seriously deviating from the path God had called it into; and perhaps that the Society has no concrete assignment left for it in the future. The Holy Flock of Christ has experienced practically no dissension and this, in the view of Omoyajowo, “might be a vindication, in a way, of the mysterious withdrawal of Major Lawrence from the ever-disintegrating C&S”. It is interesting to note that Major Lawrence died exactly 10 years, to the day, after Moses Orimolade.

 The story of Rev Josiah Akindayomi is also similar, only that it happened after the demise of Moses Orimolade.  Ten years after joining the C&S in Ondo (in 1931), Rev Akindayomi relocated to Lagos with his newly-wedded wife, and became very active in the Society. According to Akindayomi¹:

“I was so hot for the Lord and held so tightly to my salvation that it was obvious to all that I was different from all my colleagues in the Cherubim and Seraphim Church”

 However, within five years, as Prophet Akindayomi would later recall²:

“My heart completely rejected many of the things that were permitted and practiced in the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, ….  In my sermons, I began to condemn all those things that were clearly against the word of God in the Bible and which the Cherubim and Seraphim Church was encouraging and permitting.  I did this every time I was given the opportunity to share the word in the church.

 He was however determined not to leave the Church.  In his words³:

“Because I was opposed to many of the things going on in the church, the Spirit of God led me to gather the youth together for Bible study….. The Bible study meetings started in 1946.  The main reason why I started this Bible study sessions was because I did not wish to leave the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, and I felt that if we could teach the youth the true word of God and if they became of sound doctrine, adults too would be proud and excited and they would want to follow and to engage in Bible study.  After a while, when I realized that every effort to get the adults to turn to God and study the true word of God was proving fruitless, I began to go to the canoe wharf to pray…” 

 Even when this new venture began to blossom, becoming a large interdenominational gathering, Rev Akindayomi still continued to attend C&S meetings. He wrote⁴:

“These prayer meetings did not interfere with my attendance of the Cherubim and Seraphim church either. I remained a member of the church all through the time.”

 But in 1952, he was compelled to severe relationship with the C&S.  This is his account⁵:

“This was the reason why I left the Cherubim and Seraphim Society in 1952.  When I went to their group to restitute my ways concerning the wrongs I had done, they said that I was mad and that I could no longer see vision.  They said that the spirit of Moses Orimolade (the founder) had departed from me….  But I thank God today that if the spirit of Moses Orimolade had left me, the Spirit of the Lord was with me.”

 He however emphasized that he left the C&S without causing any rancour, though “they did not want me to leave them”.  He recalled⁶:

“When I left the society, I did not cause division to the church or convert the people there.  This is the reason today that I can boast that I did not split any church.”

 The clear conclusion then, is that Rev Akindayomi was literally compelled to leave the C&S society of 1952; and he continued to operate his understanding of the vision he had embraced in the C&S through the Redeemed Christian Church of God which he later founded.

 Further data to justify the postulate that the C&S deviated from its divinely-charted course and was therefore spiritually left to its own devices comes from the story of Madam Akanke Igbalaolu.  The story began a few months after Captain Abiodun broke away from (or was pushed away by) Orimolade, and three years before Lawrence broke away from the entire C&S structure, on the important (C&S –speaking) Holy Michael day of September 29.  It was literally a re-enactment of Captain Abiodun’s experience that had led to the formation of the C&S in 1925. According to the account of Omoyajowo⁷:

“One Sunday morning, on Sept 29, 1929, Akanke as usual went to Ake church for service, after which she went to visit some relations accompanied by some of her friends. On their way, she observed some peculiar signs in the sky and mentioned this to her friends, who did not understand her point and so did not take her seriously. A few moments afterwards she began to feel feverish and she was taken home by them.

“While she was changing her dress in her room a man in white garment appeared before her, told her not to be frightened but to put on her white frock, which she had sewn especially for church entertainments… as she raised up her face she saw a chariot in which were various white objects. She fell down and became unconscious. . .’

It was then the story of Captain Abiodun’s vision four years previously all re-enacted as Akanke was taken as ill and even feared dead; an Anglican minister was invited; she was speechless for days and upon regaining consciousness, claimed to have been taken away by some “heavenly bodies.” To complete the analogy, while in the trance-like state she had “order (ed) that Moses Orimolade and Captain Abiodun be summoned from Lagos”.

 It is extremely interesting that both Orimolade and Abiodun, who had parted ways months earlier, were “summoned” by Akanke. And both responded positively.  Though Orimolade did not come himself, he nevertheless sent a high-power seven-man delegation.  Reportedly, he had actually been divinely informed of the coming event three months earlier.   Captain Abiodun also reported on the seventh day of Akanke’s entering the trance-like state. According to Omoyajowo’s account⁸:

            “Akanke knew that she was coming and gave instructions that the visitor should not be allowed             to  enter the house until she (Abiodun) had shaved her hair and had a good bath”

The fact that both Moses Orimolade and Captain Abiodun responded to the summon, and the apparent humbling[1] of Abiodun showed that both recognized the divine agency of Akanke; and this gives heavy weight to the message she had for both of them.

“Her message was that members of the C&S were God’s own people if they allowed unity to prevail”.

 The ‘if ’in that message is indeed a big ‘if,‘ and it is an open secret how well that condition has been met either then or today. If there is anything that characterizes the C&S today, it is what Omoyajowo called its “fissiparous tendency”. Akanke’s message can be bluntly remolded, in the corollary, as saying that if the members of the C&S did not allow unity to prevail, they would stop being God’s people - which is the postulate being presented in this section.  Akanke was subsequently encouraged by Orimolade to relocate to Lagos.  However, she decided to start her own separate church, the Redemption Band of the C&S, and she tried to maintain neutrality with the two sides, staying in touch with both Moses Orimolade and Captain Abiodun⁸.

A final data to support our postulate of a compelled spiritual disintegration of the C&S is taken from a most unlikely source. Dr Olu Famodimu is a noted apologist of the C&S organization, yet in his unmistakenly propaganda-like book on the C&S, he wrote that prior to the period under discussion, God had shown a great plan for the C&S. Seven Apostles were to be soon ordained who will be the pillars “to hold on the C&S organization throughout the world”. According to Famodimu⁹:

“I learnt he (Orimolade) warned the members further that if there was no misunderstanding there would be nobody that would be greater than these seven, but if there arose any misunderstanding a man would be raised by the Lord whose fame would be heard throughout all corners of Nigeria, for at least three years.

Continuing, Famodimu wrote⁹:

“Well the misunderstanding actually came and true to the prophecy, Joseph Babalola was raised up in 1930. Between 1930 and 1933, Joseph Babalola’s fame spread throughout the nooks and corners of Nigeria” 

Thus, the condition that unity be maintained for progress, as specified by both Orimolade and Akanke, remained unfulfilled. Indeed, of the seven men Orimolade sent to listen to Akanke’s message (probably the same seven in the story by Famodimu), five left a year later to form the Praying Band. What then is left of God’s promises to the C&S?  Famodimu, the great C&S apologist and hopeful was, surprisingly, very clear in his conclusion⁹:

“This was the plan of Orimolade for the progress of the Band when Satan struck, in 1929 and this plan went into oblivion”.

 Perhaps if viewed this way, that God’s plan for the C&S Society had gone into “oblivion”, and Moses Orimolade was well aware of this, then it will be easy to explain his many subsequent actions which in the opinion of Omoyajowo were “erratic” and presented “the Alagba as a ‘bundle of self-contradictions’” as regard the many efforts to settle the disputes and achieve a re-unification of the C&S.  Omoyajowo was apparently quite pissed at Orimolade’s attitude as shown in his book. Endlessly he wonders¹⁰:

“Why was it that Baba Aladura and members of his section refused to meet the other two sections for peace talks, arranged by W.F. Sosan and others from Abeokuta on the initiative of the Alake, between July 5 and 9, 1929? …Why did he ignore the warnings of various visioners that the Society would know no peace until he took steps to settle the rifts and re-unite the three sections? His section boycotted the revival services organized in February 1930 by the Praying Band as a preparatory step towards a final re-unification . . .”

In the opinion of Omoyajowo the answers to all these questions lie in the fact that

“Baba Aladura, the great healer and the venerable Alagba, had before his death been reduced to the vulnerable leader of an almost insignificant section of the C&S Society. Partially disable, illiterate and poor, the Baba Aladura could hardly have done better in the face of such overwhelming circumstances . . .”.¹¹

 However, according to our postulate here, if the vision of the Baba Aladura concerning the C&S had so dramatically changed to the point that he could be quoted by the Praying Band, as saying “that it did not matter if there remained only one member (left) with him”; and if he had been convinced by June 1929 that God would raise up a replacement for Captain Abiodun (in Akanke Igbalaolu), and so on, and so forth, then his actions could be seen less as that of a confused man overwhelmed by circumstances; but rather as that of a man resigned to the spiritual destiny of his beloved organization as he was made aware of.

 The data available on the developments within the C&S is thus consistent with the postulate that, following the fragmentation of the Society in 1929, it became compelled to thread the path of decay and unending schism, with consequent changes in “norms, doctrines, and practices”.  In some sense this could be compared with the compelled scattering of mankind at Babel, following divinely determined purpose (Genesis 11); or of Israel being constrained into partial blindness to allow other nations share in the priviledge of preaching the Gospel (Romans 11).

 

 5.2              Possibly Positive Spiritual Factors 

God is sovereign and with Him, nothing is ever out of hand (Jer. 18:4). According to David Watson: “No situation is beyond hope; no decadence has been incapable of renewal”

 Our second postulate under spiritual factors is that even as much as the evolution of doctrines and practices in the C&S  Society has been heavily influenced by what we have termed negative spiritual factors, yet God has also set in motion chains of other factors which not only do influence evolutionary trends in the C&S,  but are directed at shining the light of God to the sheep of Christ within the C&S fold. Scriptures note that whoever is open to the Lord and is sincere will receive divine light sooner or later, according to the supernatural provisions of God:

                   “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine . . .”

 (John 7:17)

 First, we note the illuminating words of A. W. Tozer concerning power and progress in the Body of Christ¹²:

“The church began in power, moved in power and moved just as long as she had power. When she no longer had power she dug in for safety and sought to conserve her gains. But her blessings were like the manna. When they tried to keep it overnight it bred worms and stank . . . In Church history, every return to New Testament power has marked a new advance somewhere, a fresh proclamation of the gospel, an upsurge of missionary zeal; and every diminutions of power has seen the rise of some new mechanism for conservation and defense.”

 Over the decades, several groups have desired and made efforts to checkmate the centrifugal tendencies engendering endless schisms and chaos within the C&S churches. There have been various levels of successes in this respect.  Many of such efforts involve modest-size congregations comprising of members from various different factions of C&S who found themselves in some peculiar environments conducive to their coming together in Christian fellowship.  Such environments could be some foreign land, where the differences between various factions of C&S suddenly pale into insignificance, compared with challenges or threats faced by members in common.  In such situations, members eventually learn to re-examine the norms, doctrines, and practices of the C&S to see how they could work them out in their peculiar situation, and even possibly restore the C&S brand to her original greatness.

 Of the many examples that abound in this respect, we will be citing the previously mentioned Unification Ministries of the C&S Church in Institutions of Higher Learning in Nigeria in our discussion of how spiritual factors could positively influence changes in norms, doctrines and practices. This is quite convenient since the author has access to first-hand information, with respect to this group.  The group formed in 1980 at the then University of Ife, and which listed Bro M.O. Rufai as Leader, and Prophet G.O. Fakeye of the C&S Church Movement, Lagos, as Coordinator, later extended to dozens of other Institutions of Higher Learning in Nigeria.  It is however to be distinguished from the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria which is an off-campus initiative registered on 9th September 1999[2].

 Starting in ultra-orthodoxy, the Unification Ministries soon ran into problems with having to decide several times how to resolve the various conflicting doctrines it is confronted with. Thus, it was forced to regulate issues of the covering of hair by male members along what was considered clear scriptural lines (1 Cor 11); while other issues such as colors of prayer gowns and girdles were resolved in administrative manner[3]. White gowns were agreed to be worn with white girdles for all occasions; although the ‘spiritual’ directive that the Omo Ogun Band (equivalence of the Praying Band of the original Society) wear red praying gowns corporately on specified occasions was a continuous festering problem as members from some C&S factions vowed never to put on such red garments.[4]

 Education, and the necessity of meeting other Christian groups on campus played a role in changes of norms and practices, which was the exact opposite of those previously discussed in earlier chapters, leading to new attitudes and perspectives. With time, several Chapters, spontaneously on their own, gradually stopped the use of candles for services, recorded less number of visions requiring bathing at streams, and witnessed increased violations of such laws as those forbidding menstruating female members access into the church premises[5], and similar ones. The culmination of all these was the “New Dispensation” announced by the Leader of the Ministries, M.O. Rufai in which sweeping changes were formally introduced. J.O. Ojo in his memorandum following the debate of this New Dispensation well described the situation prevailing immediately before 20^th August 1994 when the new outlooks on doctrines and practices within the C&S were announced¹³:

“As a keen observer of developments within the C&S Society in general and the Unification Ministries in particular, I have seen and (myself experienced) for years yearnings and aspirations to right these irregularities. Thus I listened about 7 years ago to brother Kehinde Showemimo campaigning seriously against the prayer gown, bare-footedness, menstrual laws, etc.; I found successive generations at the Ife Chapter introducing innovations which they believed were necessary to ensure the impartation of life during their services; I found the Ondo State University chapter, a year ago allowing visitors into the Anniversary service with their shoes on, and they themselves doing away with the entire Altar, not to talk of the candles which virtually every chapter had dispensed off with, putting them on only to please we officious and conservative zonal supervisors on occasions. . .” 

The reversal of trends within the micro-C&S world of the Unification Ministries continued as the Scripture was soon elevated (now in real practice) to the same status as vision. The earlier declaration by Rufai of how God had asked him to introduce changes into the doctrines and practices of the C&S (based on ‘vision’) was soon followed by a detailed write-up appealing largely to the Scriptures. Titled “Righteous and True Worship – Our Local Assembly”, Rufai called the write-up his “first REAL and FUNDAMENTAL epistle” to members of his congregation. In it he noted that “the tenets of our faith and our doctrinal beliefs” had never been “spiritually (assessed) against the background of the Scriptures”, which form the final record of all revelations of God to Man in all the ages including the 6th age of Grace or Church dispensation.

 Proceeding on a very caustic note, Rufai spared neither himself nor his elite congregation when he wrote:

“We have in time past, like the Athenians, worshipped the UNKNOWN GOD in ignorance (Acts 17:23); we have in time past worshipped after the traditions of the elders that are not only incongruous with this Grace period, but which are a direct denial of the grace of our LORD Jesus Christ. We have, as handed down to us by our fathers who have done their best to introduce us into the Christian faith via the K&S church, lived what can at best be termed a sinful life without the slightest sensitivity to the spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Righteousness, indeed, the spirit of Comfort who heads this Grace age and calls all into the Commonwealth of Jesus Christ. We have through our own scripture laziness and spiritual ineptitude, collectively and severally refused to “grow in grace” (2 Peter 3:16) by diligently searching through the Scriptures. We have, for the love of sin in time past make do with just being religious, again, as the Athenians without being spirit-filled, spirit indwelled and spirit controlled. We  have in ages past like the typical Cherub-Seraph, but absolutely, not after the righteous heavenly hosts after (whom) we bear our name lived lascivious and most unholy life by way of unbridled fornication, (any form of pre-marital sex) unabashed adultery (any extra marital affair), societal dishonesty, lying, strives, running down of our leaders for no just cause contrary to Exodus 22:28 which notes that “Thou shalt not revile God, nor curse the ruler of (thy) people” (also cp. Acts 23:5). We have, both you and I in the time past ignored the precious Blood of the LAMB, the BLOOD COVENANT by which ONLY salvation is given to mankind, remission of sins guaranteed and a total reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ of Nazareth guaranteed for (vain) worship in symbolism - symbols such as bathing in the stream, the use of various types of candles, various names, supposedly holy, use of artificially and superimposed symbolic crosses that lacks the underlying backing of faith, for the Just shall live by faith alone (Rom 1:17, Hab 2:4); the calling of the names of angels the origin of a host of whom we can never ascertain except the few provided for in the Scriptures; we have in most recent time past lost touch completely with the REAL FOUNDATION of LIFE, even, the Christ Jesus, for WHOM the BIBLE is the best written representation for other things which are not only insignificant to Christianity but are unfortunately inimical to our SALVATION”.

Labelling several peculiar C&S doctrines as either elements of “Mosaic law of which the believer in the present Grace dispensation is totally freed” or “perfected occultism” he concluded that the C&S is 2000 years behind the General Assembly of saints.

 Yet despite the New Dispensation, it would appear no one was willing to completely call it quits with the C&S. Hence Rufai posed the question, BUT ARE WE STILL C&S? And answered immediately, “YES, we are . . .  white garment does not make the K&S”. Though in recent times [i.e. 1995] Rufai’s attitude towards the C&S has become much more critical, still he directs his attacks, consistently, to “the C&S as currently practiced”.

 J. O. Ojo had earlier on 22nd November, 1994 offered an interpretation of the New Dispensation in social, cultural and scriptural terms. Writing on a conciliatory note, he had remarked¹³:

“I can’t answer why God should want some particular practices changed. But I sure know He could indeed say so. It might simply be to draw attention to a new dispensation, it might be to remove what had hitherto served as a school master, and which now having outlived its usefulness and purpose now constitute hindrance to God’s people… I do not know, but I know that God counted it for righteousness and obedience to “the commandments of Moses” (2 Kings 18:4-6) when Hezekiah destroyed the brazen serpent Moses had made on the instructions of God (Numbers 21)….sovereignty is one of the attributes of the Almighty God”. 

To him, though there is nothing wrong with the white gown, yet “if it is the robe itself that is (found to be) militating against true holiness by providing a cloak to justify unrighteous living, as many people, so irrationally and illogically seek to do” then the people should be shocked out of their stupor  by the removal of the praying gown as well as other artificial barriers that tend to make the C&S  members feel somehow different and superior to other Christians.

 Confident that most membership agreed that the old doctrines and practices were indeed due for changes, Ojo warned that rather than merely assenting to not enforce these old doctrines [as had in fact been the practice prior to the announcement of the New Dispensation], the organization should in fact directly speak out loud against them. He gave his reason for this suggestion, citing menstrual laws as particular example¹³:

“The greatest harm in these laws, I believe, is not just that some of our members are de-fellowshipped and in many cases forced to go to other Christian groups, but rather the immense and unquantifiable psychological damage we are inflicting upon them. I am absolutely convinced that such a practice will one way or the other constitute a hindrance to the full grasping of the concept of grace (Gal 5:2)”

 Another group that witnessed similar spiritual shaking as the Unification Ministries on campuses, was the United Church of the Cherubim and Seraphim (U.C.C&S). To this group where, referring once again to Omoyajowo¹⁶, “majority of the leaders are young men in their forties”, “the peculiar features of the (C&S) were no longer satisfactory as a mark of distinction. They realized the need for a revolution and saw that one of the ways to remove the stigma which charlatans among them had prompted the general public to place on the members was to organize it properly along the lines of the other churches and encourage high standard of training”. Omoyajowo further noted that¹⁴:

“The UCC&S has discarded some peculiar C&S custom such as going barefoot in the church. Their ministers wear clerical collars and such other vestments as Anglican ministers wear”

Omoyajowo considered these changes in customs of the Church as positive, writing:

“Certain factors helped the rapid spread of the church. These include the personal influence of the wealthy Dada, the plan to pay workers, and the discarding of some of the customs of the C&S.”¹⁴

Notes

1. Josiah O. Akindayomi: This is my Story (in English and Yoruba).  An authentic posthumous Autobiography of Revered Josiah O. Akindayomi.   One Hour Books, USA, 2010.  Pg 31

2. Ibid. . Pg 31

3. Ibid, pg 33

4. Ibid pg 35

5. Ibid. pg 13

6. Ibid. pg 15

7. Omoyajowo; Diversity in Unity pg 22

8. Omoyajowo; Diversity in Unity, pg. 23

9. Famodimu, E. O. Moses Orimolade Tunolase: Supreme Founder, Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide. C & S Church Movement National Headquarters, 1990    pg. 145

10. Omoyajowo, J. A. Cherubim and Seraphim: The History of an African Independent Church. New York: NOK Publishers, 1982. pg 73

11. Ibid pg 74

12. A.W. Tozer. Paths to Power.  Oliphants, 1964, pg 10.

13. Ojo J.O. Memorandum on the New Dispensation. 22nd November, 1994 (see full text in Appendix II)

14. Omoyajowo; Diversity in Unity, pg. 34

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[1]  It should be noted that shaving of hair is prescribed for women who despise spiritual covering, see 1 Cor 11:6

[2] see https://candsunification.org/

[3] Kehinde A. Showemimo at the federal polytechnic Ado-Ekiti spear-headed this resistance on behalf of some members of his mother church who probably considered such garment a taboo

 

[5] according to the confessions from several female members who were involved