Knowing what just about everyone knows about the Ku Klux Klan, you wouldthink that the churches would have stood firmly against the expansion ofthe Klan into Saskatchewan.
But, unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
Churches are tied up with the story of the KKK in Saskatchewan, but notin the way most people would like to think.
In fact, protestant ministers were often among the leaders of local Klansthrough-out rural Saskatchewan.
Newspaper reports of Klan rallies, meetings, and cross burnings provideone example after another of ministers addressing meetings, blessing thegath-erings, and saying prayers for the Klan. When community hall boardsbarred Klan meetings, churches hosted them.
In Langbank the local United Church minister was one of the leaders ofthe local Klan, and clerical collars apparently weren't too uncommon underthe cloaks and hoods of Klan members
The Klan played on people's fears, and the clergy apparently had someof the same fears as other people of those who were different, of peoplethey didn't understand - of Catholics, of immi-grants, of French Canadians.
Clergy may have also been attracted by the Klan's claim to be a "defenderof the Protestant faith," and the fact that it wrapped itself in Christianimagery.
Just how involved the churches were with the Klan is evident from eventsin 1928. At the United Church Saskat-chewan Conference's 1928 convention,the Saskatoon Presbytery brought forward a motion repudiating the Klan.The motion simply stated that the United Church was not in any way supportingthe Klan.
The motion was seen as so contro-versial that it was tabled and no actionwas taken on it.
Following the United Church con-vention, an editorial appeared in theCreelman Gazette entitled "Bigotry clouds Christianity." The "bigots"attacked in the editorial were the ministers who brought forward the motionto censure the Klan.
"We have read the report of the United Church conference at Reginaand regret the narrow view shown and expounded by Dr. Endicott of the SaskatoonPresbytery," the editorial stated.
"Although the writer is not a member of the Klan, he has done thatwhich Dr. Endicott and Rev. Donell would do well to follow. Namely studycarefully the principles of this organization. They are such that any manprofessing the name of Christian can have no hesitation in accepting."