Benjamin Roden
| Benjamin Lloyd Roden | |
|---|---|
| Born |
January 5, 1902 Bearden, Oklahoma |
| Died | October 22, 1978 (aged 76) Scott and White Hospital Temple, Texas |
| Residence | Waco, Texas |
| Citizenship | American |
| Education | Oklahoma Teachers College |
| Occupation | Author, Sabbath teacher, Seventh Day Adventists Reformer |
| Known for |
|
| Spouse(s) | Lois Irene Scott |
| Children |
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| Parent(s) | James B. Roden & Hattie V. Pool |
Benjamin Lloyd Roden (January 5, 1902 – October 22, 1978) was an American religious leader and the prime organizer of the Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Association.
Born in Bearden, Oklahoma, Roden spent his childhood on a farm, graduated from high school, and attended Oklahoma Teachers College. He spent a short time teaching in a country school. For many years he was employed in the oil fields in Oklahoma and in Odessa, Texas. On February 12, 1937, Roden married Lois Irene Scott. They had six children.
In 1937, Ben and Lois joined the Christian Church, and were active and faithful members. Not long after they learned about the seventh-day Sabbath. In response to his newly found understanding of the Sabbath, Roden and his wife sought out a nearby Seventh-day Adventist Church in Kilgore, Texas, and were baptized in 1940. As one of the laity, Ben was one who shared his faith with others, and as a result of his labors, a Seventh-day Adventist church was raised up in Odessa, Texas, of which he was the head elder for several years.
In 1946, the family accepted the teachings of The Shepherd's Rod, and together they tried to share this message with others in the Seventh-day Adventist church. For a short time in 1953, Roden and his family resided at Mt. Carmel Center, west of Waco, Texas, which was under the leadership of Victor T. Houteff, founder of the Center and of the Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Association, popularly known as The Shepherd's Rod (or The Rod).
Although moved by the unexpected death of Victor Houteff in 1955, Roden believedThe Rod teaching that truth must be continually progressive and God's people were to march onward with it. Later that year, he said that he was told to give a message to Florence Houteff and the Executive Council of the Davidian Seventh-day Adventist, but was hesitant to do so. Roden stated that, because of his reluctance, one night while he was in bed, the Lord picked him up by the pajama tops and told him to write a letter as he had been made to do. He said that after he had written the letter, he told the Lord, These are not my words, I cannot sign this. He said that the Lord then told him to sign it "The Branch." Roden stated that he was later shown from the Bible and Church writings that this name was Jesus’ new name. Roden taught that the change of Christ’s name was reflective of the change of His work as represented in the prophecies which reveal His new name. Thereafter he worked to share with others what he believed God had revealed to him.
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