Septimus J. Hanna - Eventful Years

Eventful Years

The years from 1892 to 1902, spent in Boston, were ten busy years for Judge Hanna, filled with work incident to the initiating and unfolding of the various branches of the Christian Science movement. It was during these years that the Mother Church edifice was built; the new order of services was established with the Bible and Science and Health as the preachers for all Christian Science churches; the lesson-sermons were worked out in their present form; the Manual was compiled and arranged substantially as it is now; the Christian Science weekly, known as the Sentinel, was launched; in 1898 the Board of Education was established in connection with the Massachusetts Metaphysical College; the mid-week testimony meetings were started; in these and many other like activities of those important years Christian Science was seen to unfold and broaden into a world-movement.

About June 1, 1902, Judge Hanna resigned his position as First Reader in the Mother Church and as Editor of the periodicals, having been called to the Board of Lectureship by Mrs. Eddy. Mrs. Hanna also resigned as assistant editor of the periodicals.

In 1907 at Mrs. Eddy's request Judge Hanna taught the normal class in the Massachusetts Metaphysical College. Up to that time, with the exception of a few pupils whom he had taught in Scranton before going to Boston, he had never taken up the work of teaching Christian Science. Faced with the fact that Mrs. Eddy considered him qualified to teach a normal class in Christian Science, and also having numerous requests from Christian Scientists desiring to be taught by him, after prayerful consideration Judge Hanna decided to enter upon that very difficult and important branch of Christian Science work, teaching Christian Science. He conducted his first regular primary class in August, 1908, thereafter teaching a class of thirty pupils every year.