Information relating to the Republican United Brethren
Excerpts from:
by Augustus Cleland Wilmore
Dayton,
Ohio
United Brethren Publishing House
1925.
Pertinent sections are highlighted.
WHITE RIVER ANNUAL
CONFERENCE—FIRST SESSION
(1847)
Be it remembered that on Monday the eighteenth day of January, A. D. 1847, the members of the White River Annual Conference met in Washington (Greensfork), Wayne County, Indiana. John Russel, Bishop, opened the conference by reading the fourth chapter of the Book of Exodus, from the first to the twenty-third verses inclusive, with appropriate expository remarks which was followed with singing and prayer. In commenting upon the Scripture which was read by him Bishop Russel entered the sphere of prophecy. In comparing the bondage of the Israelites with American slavery the Bishop declared that as Jehovah had sent Moses to deliver the children of Israel from bondage so God would raise up a champion of liberty who would bring freedom to the bondsmen of this country. Nearly sixteen years passed before the fulfillment of the Bishop's prophecy. Strange to say, but thousands of our nation's heroes sacrificed their lives upon the altar of Antietam, near the Bishop's home, before his prophecy was fulfilled by the great emancipator—Abraham Lincoln.
The following resolutions were adopted:
Resolved, That there be preaching each day in the conference room at the hour of eleven o’clock.
Resolved, That the members of the conference shall not speak of the immoral conduct of any of their brethren behind their backs, nor of their virtues before their faces, and furthermore that our whole deportment toward each other shall be in the spirit of the gospel of Christ.
Resolved, That no member shall be allowed to withdraw from the conference room without permission from the chairman. Amos R. Day and Joseph J. Perrett were received into the annual conference; Wm. H. Kendrick and Raney Gillam were received subject to their transfers from Miami Conference. James Witt had died during the year .T. P. Jones was granted a transfer to the Miami Conference. N. P. McElfresh was expelled for immoral conduct. The following resolution was adopted:
Whereas “Holiness unto the Lord" is to be the motto of the ministers of this body; therefore,
Resolved, That P. C. Parker has been guilty of a public immorality by volunteering to go into the Mexican War; (a war for the extension of slavery) and furthermore that the conference does not approve nor fellowship the spirit of unholy international war, believing such spirit to be carnal and at war with the spirit of peace.
Resolved, That the presiding elder having jurisdiction over P. C. Parker proceed as soon as possible to deal with him according to Discipline.
The following preachers gave their names to travel fields of labor as unreserved itinerants: namely, J. T. Vardaman, E. B. Crousehorn, J. H. Stover, A. R. Day, W. W. Richardson, S. Rutledge, S. Kurtz, J. S. Wall, J. Perkins, Daniel Stover, W. S. Stuart, J. J. Perrett. Total, twelve. John T. Vardaman and W. W. Richardson were elected presiding elders. Jacob Baumgardner, Simeon Rutledge and Samuel Kurtz were ordained elders in the church.
THE SLAVERY QUESTION
The following resolution on slavery was adopted:
"Whereas, We believe that slavery is anti-scriptural and unjust, and that the churches connected with and apologizing for that evil are to a great extent its nursery; therefore,
Resolved, That we as a conference express ourselves favorable to the call for a convention made by Judge Stephenson in the Watchman of the Valley, ‘to free the different evangelical churches from the principle and practice of slavery.’”
John T. Vardaman and W. W. Richardson were elected presiding elders.
STATIONING COMMITTEE'S REPORT
North District—W. W. Richardson, P .E.; Marion Circuit, S. Kurtz; Pipe Creek, Raney Gillam; Granville, J. H. Stover; Kokomo Mission, J. J. Perrett. South District—John T. Vardaman, P. E.; Liberty Circuit, Joseph Manning; Dublin, Daniel Stover, W. B. Witt; Andersonville, James S. Wall; Franklin (Johnson County), Charles McCarty; Indianapolis, Amos R. Day; Fall Creek, Jeremiah Perkins; Stoney Creek, W. H. Kendrick, J. H. King.
SECOND SESSION OF WHITE RIVER CONFERENCE
(February, 1848)
White River Conference convened in its second annual session at White Chapel, Madison County, Indiana, at nine o'clock a. m., February 3, 1848. J. J. Glossbrenner, Bishop, opened the conference by reading the second chapter of Second Timothy which was followed by singing and prayer. Joseph A. Ball was elected chairman, and John Slonecker, secretary. Members present: J. Slonecker, J. A. Ball, W. W. Richardson, C. W. Witt, D. Stover, J. H. Stover, J. S. Wall, M. M. Hook, W. Witt, J. T. Vardaman, A. Han- way, J. Perkins, A. King, G. Muth, Peter Weaver, A. R. Day, J. J. Perrett, M. M. Crow, W. S. Stuart, J. K. Lawrence, I. Collins, S. Rutledge, P. C. Parker, C. McCarty, S. Kurtz, W. Kendrick. Present, twenty-six. Absentees: E. B. Crousehorn, J. Manning, J. Morgan, J. Baumgardner, G. Rubush, S. Andrews, J. H. King, J. Taggart, R. Gillam. Absent, nine. Total, thirty-five.
Caswell Witt, Andrew Shearer, and John Garrison were received into the annual conference. W. H. Kendrick, and Raney Gillam were received on their transfers from Miami Conference. Raney Gillam was expelled from the conference. M. M. Crow was granted a transfer to any conference he may wish to join.
THE CASE OF REV. P. C. PARKER
The committee in case of P. C. Parker charged with public immorality in volunteering to go to the Mexican War reported. The committee decided that P. C. Parker being a man that sustained an excellent character and the charge that it was an immorality to go to the Mexican War was not proved by the evidence given in the case; therefore, the committee found the charge was not sustained; whereupon, the conference passed the following resolution by which P. C. Parker was expelled.
“Resolved, That the decision of the report of the committee in the case of P. C. Parker be rejected and that in view of the acknowledgment of said P. C. Parker in the act of going to war, which act the conference decides to be immoral; That P. C. Parker be expelled from this conference for said immorality.”
The yeas and nays being called for the vote was as follows: Yeas—J. A. Ball, J. Slonecker, W. W. Richardson, C. W. Witt, D. Stover, J. H. Stover, J. S. Wall, A. King, G. Muth, P. Weaver, A. R. Day, W. Witt, J. T. Vardaman, A. Hanway, J. Perkins, J. K. Lawrence, I. Collins, S. Rutledge, J. J. Perrett, S. Kurtz, and W. Kendrick. Total, twenty-one. Nays—C. McCarty, M. M. Crow, W. S. Stuart, M. M. Hook. Total, four. J. T. Vardaman and W. W. Richardson were elected presiding elders. Peter Weaver was ordained.