Shepherd's Rod

Davidian Seventh-day Adventist is a layman's reform movement that arose from within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The late Victor T. Houteff, a Bulgarian immigrant who became a convert to the Seventh-day Adventist faith in 1919, founded the movement in the 1930s. Davidians are best identified and most widely known as The Shepherd's Rod (or The Rod), a reference to Houteff's first publication, "The Shepherd's Rod";however, the organization itself considers it incorrect to refer to the adherents of the movement by this title. page 24.

In 1930, Victor Houteff compiled his message in a manuscript entitled The Shepherd's Rod and personally handed thirty-three copies to church leaders at the General Conference held in San Francisco, California, from May 29 to June 12. While not contradicting the church’s fundamental doctrines, his message called for a worldwide denominational reform and allegedly brought “new thought” to Seventh-day Adventists eschatology. In 1930, Houteff published his first volume, also entitled The Shepherd’s Rod. He published a second volume in 1932. Finding no other recourse after the Seventh-day Adventist Church refuted Houteff's claims and demands for reformation, Rod believers organized the Universal Publishing Association (UPA) in Los Angeles, California. The purpose of the UPA was the publishing of the Rod’s particular message. Which Rod adherents believe is the Lord's fulfillment of Micah 6:9 and 7:14 page 5.

In the August 15, 1934 issue of his monthly publication, The Symbolic Code, Houteff wrote,

Being deprived of all denominational advantages such as sanitariums, health food factories, printing presses, etc., perhaps it may be necessary for a rural location for the establishment of a combined unit to assist in carrying the message to the church until the "siege against it" shall be successfully culminated in a glorious victory when "the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." (Isa. 9:7.) This has been suggested by a sister and her husband who have had considerable experience in this line. Therefore we call the attention of all who are standing in the light to give consideration to such an enterprise. Any one having knowledge of such a location and the necessary information regarding it, please communicate it to this office. Our prayers for such an undertaking in behalf of God's people will be answered by whatever the results to this call might be.

...
Wikipedia