Church & Klan

For specific Klan ministers (a work in progress):

• Reverend McMahan of Mattoon, the region, and the Klan campaign for Mattoon mayor.
• Reverend H. C. Bream of St. Joseph.
• Reverend O. K. Doney of Villa Grove and Urbana.
• Reverend J. F. Hollingsworth of Villa Grove and elsewhere.

Early signs of Klan organization locally were reported in cryptic articles in the local newspapers. Rumors without sources or from the local State's Attorney, but few details. From the 10/4/1921 Daily Illini and the 10/27/1921 Urbana Daily Courier:

 

The first significant and public Klan gathering, however, involved local religious leaders. It was held on 8/5/1922 on the Richmond farm between Mahomet and Fisher,  It was reported by local papers as involving 4,000 to 6,000 attendees, "high officials from a number of states," an automobile procession, a band, and hundreds of initiations. The News-Gazette had coverage on 8/6, the Courier on 8/7 and the Rantoul Weekly Press ran its own introduction to the News-Gazette coverage on 8/9/1922:

Soon area churches were receiving visits by hooded Klansmen in full regalia bearing donations of money and flags. The local ministers would generally accept the gifts and give either overt or tacit endorsement. One of the first of these was reported in St. Joseph at the Church of Christ with Reverend A.C. Bream. From the Sidney Times on 9/1/1922. The Courier offered two views of the incident on 8/28/1922:

The complaints of the Klan "desecrating" the religious service and terrifying children resulted in Church officials (from the Reverend himself to trustees and others) certifying a denial of any such controversy and ensuring the Klan was welcomed with enthusiastic applause. The Courier printed their statement on 8/29/1922:

 

The editorial that had preceded the Klan visit to the church criticized the Klan, but especially the clergy that had been reported to have attended the massive Klan rally on 8/5/1922 in the County. From the St. Joseph Record on 8/25/1922:

Bream would go on to invite the public to pro-Klan lectures from the pulpit. From the Courier 1/26/1923:

Villa Grove Christian church pastors Reverend Oliver K. Doney and Reverend Frank Hollingsworth also participated in Klan events and and pro-Klan lectures across Champaign County towns and cities. O.K. Doney was heavily involved in the early establishment of the local Klan and performed many public ceremonies with them. Reverend Hollingsworth was noted in the local papers addressing Klan gatherings in Sidney, St. Joseph, and elsewhere in the area. From the Courier 7/30 and 10/7/1924: 

Hollingsworth also led Klan gatherings and Klan weddings in Villa Grove itself. From the Courier on 7/11 and 9/11/1924:

Reverend O.K. Doney performed the massive Klan wedding of the Exalted Cyclops' daughter at the same two day convention attended by the national organization's Imperial Wizard at the time, Hiram Evans (documented in this previous post here). One notable ceremony for a local fallen World War veteran was officiated by O.K. Doney in an event full of Klan regalia and symbolism (including a fiery cross represented in flowers). The event was in coordination with local fraternal and veterans groups. From the 5/30/1932 News-Gazette:

Local churches like the First Baptist church of Champaign also received friendly visits and gifts from hundreds of fully robed Klansmen. From the News-Gazette 3/5/1925:

Similar Klan visits and donations occurred at the Grace M.E. church and Emmanuel Mission church as well. Examples from the Courier on 9/5/1922 and the News-Gazette on 1/5/1925:

 

One minister that deserves special note is Reverend J.F. McMahan, pastor of the Christian church of Mattoon who popped up all over the area recruiting and propagandizing for the Klan. He received a special mention in one of the first large gatherings at the Klan's local headquarters at the Illinois Theater by the Courier on 1/31/1923:

There is a separate post on Reverend J.F. McMahan given the extent of his efforts on behalf of the Ku Klux Klan across the county in towns big and small (e.g. Pesotum, Philo, Rantoul, Tolono, etc). There were other religious issues and ceremonies, especially funerals, where the Klan was also on display and working with Klan friendly clergy, but those will be covered by future posts.

A post on Editorial Context on Churches and the Klan helps highlight some contemporary political and religious views of the time.

A page will be dedicated to all of the research materials on the various Klan church visits and engagements throughout the 1920s soon.