A Presentation of Perfection - Media Sabda Org

Knapp where to find the paper. He appointed (1) his wife, Mrs. Minnie Perle Knapp,
(2) his secretary and assistant, Miss Bessie Queen, (3) the school evangelist and one
of his close associates, Miss Mary Storey, to be the three trustees. [4]
Rev. M. G. Standley, who was a Bible teacher at the School and a close associate of Martin
Knapp, was also to assist these three women in carrying on the administrative duties of God's Bible
School.
These three trustees and Rev. Standley were faithful to carry on the work of the School until 1911.
The girls' dorm and other buildings were added during their administration to enhance the campus.
There was also a rescue house started for unfortunate girls. Rev. Seth C. Rees was appointed as
superintendent of the rescue house called "Hope Cottage."
At least two other significant things happened during this administration. First, Rev. Standley and
one of the trustees, Miss Bessie Queen, got married in 1902. Later Rev. Standley would serve as the
School's president for many years. The second significant thing that transpired was that in 1907 a
problem arose concerning the ownership of the School. It became quite a conflict, eventually
involving the court. The problem was explained in a master's thesis about the history of God's Bible
School. The writer said,
The years 1907 and 1908 were years of severe trial and stress for God's Bible School
and Missionary Training Home, yet they were tests that helped to get the School
more firmly established on a legal basis. Rev. Martin Wells Knapp had not exercised
his lawful rights in appointing his successors, and, in 1907, the trust property and
trusteeship were questioned. [5]
The conflict was brought about by concern over ownership and finances of the School. Some
members of the Knapp family challenged the trustees about who really owned God's Bible School.
Eventually, the court got involved and M. G. Standley described the final settlement in the God's
Revivalist:
The Trustees were to pay all the court costs and attorney fees and for three years to
give the Knapp Estate seven hundred and fifty dollars annually, and they were to own
the books and copyrights which belonged to Brother Knapp during his life time. [6]
The Court further stated the School was a charitable trust and, as such, was not the property of
any individual or group of individuals. It should be noted that even with the conflict the God's
Revivalist subscriptions continued to grow until there were approximately 12,000 subscribers by
1910. [7]
Meredith G. Standley. 1911-1950
As previously indicated, Rev. Standley married one of the three trustees (Miss Bessie Queen) that
Martin Wells Knapp had assigned to serve as leadership of the School after his death. In 1906
another one of Knapp's appointed trustees, Miss Mary Storey, died. Before her death she had