The Holy Ghosters: Maine's Forgotten Turn-of-the-Century Cult

05/21/2026 13:36

Thu, 05/21/2026 - 13:45 by Heather Joinville

Most of us have wondered if we possess the charisma required to lead a movement; most of us don't. Rev. Frank W. Sandford did.

Rev. Frank Sandford. From the Library of Congress.

In 1896, his trajectory from magnetic preacher to federal prisoner began. The grandson of a country minister, Sandford converted to the Baptist faith around 1880. He later attended Nichols Latin School, Bates College, and Cobb Divinity School. By 1886, he had left his studies to serve as a student pastor at the Free Will Baptist Church in Topsham, Maine.

His second ministry was in Great Falls, New Hampshire. The church flourished under his leadership and even financed his first global missionary voyage. He chronicled this journey in a 6-volume booklet series titled, Around the World.

Around The World by Rev. F. W. Sandford, 7 Parts in 6 Volumes, 1890-91 Shiloh VG. From https://www.vialibri.net/

Beginning in 1887, after attending a conference hosted by the Student Volunteers Missionary Movement at Dwight L. Moody's school in Massachusetts, Sandford's theological views began to shift. He felt mounting pressure to put his faith into action, specifically through foreign...

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The Holy Ghosters: Maine's Forgotten Turn-of-the-Century Cult

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