The Christian Telescope

When did we lose our enthusiasm?

Recently while working on a biography of Christian Berger I had the opportunity to read large portions of Christian Newcomer's journal. What struck me most in the entries was his descriptions of the nature of the services that he and other early United Brethren preachers conducted. These were not the staid, calm reflections on Jesus and the scriptures that many United Brethren have become content with. The congregations did not meekly sit in the pews listening intently to the mild words of the preacher. No, the services reminded me of our popular conception of "holy roller" services, filled with pentecostal ecstatic expressions. Here is a description from one of Newcomer's entries:

• "Sunday [November] 13th [1803]—To-day we had indeed a little Pentecost, from 3 to 400 persons had collected, more than the barn in which we had assembled for worship, could contain. I preached to them from Titus 3, with great liberty and effect for the salvation of souls. The congregation was remarkably attentive to the word; though it rained, those that had no shelter in the barn, kept their stand in the rain without the least disturbance. It is indeed surprising, and at least to me somewhat mysterious, to behold the manner in which the power of God works here among the people. During the time of preaching, several persons fell to the floor, some laid as if they were dead, others shook so violently that two or three men could scarcely hold them ; sometimes the excitement would be so great that I had to stop speaking for several minutes, until the noise abated; some few were praising God and shouting for joy. Br. Chr. Berger addressed the congregation. When I had concluded my discourse in the German, I then preached in the English language, from 1st. Peter, 1; v. 3, and the effect was again the same. At night I preached at Mr. Swartz's; here also several persons of both sexes fell to the floor, others were crying for mercy ; so it lasted till after midnight."

This is just one of numerous examples through Newcomer's Journal. What I would like to know is when did we become like the thing we were trying to get away from. Both Boehm and Otterbein came from established religious traditions. Mennonites and Reformed congregations were not known for their ecstatic worship. Both men felt the longing for an "experiential" religion. I assume that was true with many of the early United Brethren preachers and lay persons. So I return to my question in the title "When did we lose our enthusiasm?"

I grew up in what was then a medium sized UB congregation (about 175) and we had a very evangelistic preacher. A Sunday morning altar call was not unusual, yet I cannot remember anyone outside of the preacher becoming overcome with the Holy Ghost. The most that you could get out of our congregation was some silent weeping at the altar. No slaying in the spirit, no violent shaking, no shouts of praising God. Such expressions were for the charismatics and not for proper Christians. When did we give up our ecstatic joy for God?

These days in some of our contemporary worship service we may get some hand raising, amens and hallelujahs but I think if someone were slain in the spirit we would be calling the EMS. I am not saying that what we practice now in worship is bad, in fact a prefer the quiet, humble reflection upon God ... just my personality I guess. It still makes me curious though as to when we became like those from which we sought to breakaway. I guess I need to do a lot more reading in some of our early preachers biographies to see if I can notice the shift from ecstatic worship to contemplative worship.

Picture of the Week

Hato Village Children's Orphanage and School

Most United Brethren are familiar with our current work in Hong Kong and Macau but many are not familiar with our extensive work with Chinese children in and around the city of Canton (Guangshou) in the nineteen twenties through nineteen forties. Rev. Moy Ling, the leader of our Portland Chinese Mission in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, had a deep seated desire to spread the gospel among his ethnic brothers and sisters especially in his homeland of China. In China he had a cousin Yan Tze Chiu who was a fellow believer. Through the interaction and efforts of these two men, the United Brethren, especially the Women's Missionary Association, were convinced to help sponser the establishment of an orphanage and school from Chinese children. The program was active for many years and introduced Christ to hundreds of children and their parents. We were finally forced to abandon the program when the communists took over after WWII. The program led to the establishment of the Hong Kong Conference and other work throughout Asia.

Early UB Women Preachers

This week as I was indexing some obituaries from the Religious Telescope I ran across a very interesting entry. The obituary was for a woman named Hanna Yingling who resided near Dayton, Ohio. What is interesting about the entry is that this is the first recorded evidence I have seen of a woman receiving a preaching license in the United Brethren church. As it is commonly known the United Brethren did not start ordaining women until 1889. There were attempts before that time by Annual Conferences to license women but conferences were hesitant to give them full ordination without the approval of General Conference. Sister Yingling appears to have received her quarterly conference license sometime in the 1850s. Since it does not say what quarterly conference gave her a license it is difficult to track down an actual date. According to the obituary Sister Yingling was an exemplary individual filled with a zeal for preaching. Here is her obituary:

"Sister Hannah Yingling died, at the residence of brother-in-law, Jac. Flickinger, near Seven-Mile, Butler county, Ohio, Nov. 16th, 1857.
Sister Yingling embraced religion some sixteen years since, in the land of her birth, which was the State of Maryland, Frederick county, and soon after united with the church of the U. Brethren in Christ, in which she lived a very faithful and devoted member up to the day of her death. Some time after her conversion, she felt impressed that it was her duty to preach the gospel, and having but little encouragement in that direction, she concluded to emigrate to Ohio, which she did some nine years since and settled near Dayton, where she commenced her labors as a minister under quarterly conference license.
The subject of this imperfect note was unassuming in her manners, possessing a temper sanctified by grace, and had great reverence for God and his cause. The writer having been acquainted with Sister Yingling for some years, can say that she was one of those angel-like spirits that are of such great value to the church.
In her preaching she was practical and convincing. However skeptical persona might be as to female preaching, it was universally admitted that she acquitted herself with ability in the Sacred Desk; and having been impressed that it was her duty to labor as a missionary in a foreign field, she set about the work of getting an education at a prerequisite to that work, having been one year at the Hartsville school, when wasting consumption admonished her to cease her studies. She returned to Seven-Mile, where friends gladly furnished her with all the attention necessary; but all in vain. The writer visited her frequently during her sickness, and was present at her death. Not one word of murmuring was heard; but frequently she would say, that "so soon as my cup of suffering is full, thin I shall be released." She retained her mind to the last, and after giving directions as to her funeral, she folded her hands and commenced saying, All is well, all is well, until she could articulate no more, and then waved her hand in token of victory. Aged 38 years 8 months and 27 days. The occasion was improved in German by a sermon from Rev. J. Sand from 2 Tim. 1, 12; in English, by the writer, from Psalms 17, and last verse, being selected by the deceased.

G. C. Warvel.

Seven-Mile, Butler co, O. Nov. 26, '57."

Although Sister Yingling only received a quarterly conference license it was still a start on breaking down barriers for women in the church.