Christian Berger was one of the pioneering preachers that took the United Brethren message across the Allegheny mountains to western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. His conversion occurred during a great meeting that was very common in the early days of the United Brethren. The meeting was being held in Mr. Dundore's barn in Berks county, Pennsylvania. According to Daniel Berger and others his conversion was quite dramatic. Apparently Christian Berger just wanted to observe the service so "he hid himself in the loft to observe what would transpire below. As the meeting grew warm, the people were startled by loud cries and prayers from above. He was presently brought down, and ere long rejoiced in the new-found salvation"¹

Licensed in 1803 and ordained in 1805 he apparently made an impression on Christian Newcomer when he preached during a session of the 1803 Annual Conference at Daniel Snyder's near Rocky Springs, Pennsylvania². Berger's ministry covered the western reaches of United Brethrenism in the early eighteen hundreds. This was the era when church buildings did not exist for the Brethren and circuits covered vast counties. Rev. Berger's territory primarily focused on the counties of Westmoreland and Washington in Western Pennsylvania. Henry Spayth, a contemporary, describes him as "erratic and indefatigable in his preaching" but he "endured much for the gospel"³

Daniel Berger lists him has one of the founders of Muskingum Conference. Although he is not listed in the minutes of the first session of the conference he was quite faithful in subsequent sessions until his death. A. W. Drury proclaims Rev. Berger as a highly successful evangelists and attributes a great revival in Western Pennsylvania during 1803 and 1804 to Berger and another well know pioneer preacher, John G. Pfrimmer.⁴

article by R. L. Neuman, 2006
with additional research by Carol Hill de Santos

Sources:

1. Berger, p.239

2. Newcomer, p.113

3. Spayth, p.188

4. Drury, p.294

Other References

Writings: