Chapter III

UNDER PRESIDING ELDERSHIP

John R. Sitman—Missions—Education—Slavery—Temperance—J. I. L. Ressler.

The office of Presiding Elder dates back to the beginnings of the United Brethren Church. At first they were appointed by the Bishops with the consent of the conference but this method changed so that by

REV. JOHN R. SITMAN

First Presiding Elder of Allegheny Conference

1837 most of the conferences elected their Presiding Elders by ballot. Our own conference never did otherwise. The number of Presiding Elders was determined by the conferences and the record of our conference is, one in 1839; increased to two in 1841; increased to three in 1861; reduced to two in 1865; increased to three in 1882; reduced to two in 1898; and continued with two until 1907, when superintendency was adopted. A complete list of those who served as Presiding Elder, with their terms of service, will be found in the chapter on "Record of Annual Conference."

John R. Sitman was one of the pioneers of this conference, its first Presiding Elder, and an active missionary. He was born in the year 1806, and when but a young man he was converted, while living in Center County, Pennsylvania. He united with the Pennsylvania Conference in 1832, and was ordained in 1835. When the Allegheny Conference was separated from the Pennsylvania Conference he became identified with it and remained an exemplary and honored member until released by death, which occurred April 24, 1869, when he was sixty-two years of age.

He was elected Presiding Elder in 1839, 1848, and 1856. His home was at Sitman, where he had large holdings. He was one of the old circuit riders who rode over the Allegheny Mountains and knew what it meant to carry his wardrobe, library, and eatables in the old saddlebags of his day. His last charge was in Clearfield County. His life of devotion remains a sacred memory, and inspires to this day those upon whose shoulders rests the still uncompleted task he left.

The work of the Presiding Elder has been purely administrative and was designed to link together the conferences in their relation to their churches and their interests with

BISHOP W. M. BELL

Formerly Missionary Secretary

the denominational departments and their interests. He had oversight of the ministers and churches of his conference and was to help them in carrying out the denominational, conference, and local church programs. It was his task to unify effort, develop the intensive and extensive work, and to safeguard financial ventures. He was to assist the young, the inexperienced, and the unordained ministers by counsel, admonition, and by the administration of the sacraments.

This conference has always been in harmony with the movements of the Church that make for advancement. Of these we note:

Missions.—In 1848, reference is made to "missionary funds," but it is evident that this was purely a conference movement. In 1845, the collections were made mandatory, while in 1848, the amounts to be collected were allocated by the quarterly conference to the local churches. In 1850, Home Missions had its beginning in the giving of one-fourth of all missionary money collected to the Bishop to be given to the "Western Division," while Foreign Missions had its beginning in 1852, when an offering for this purpose was ordered, and in 1853 the conference adopted a constitution, Article I of which reads, "This Society shall be called The Allegheny Conference General Foreign Heathen Missionary Society." The next year the conference organized

itself into a Branch Home, Frontier and Foreign Missionary Society. In 1855, an offering was ordered to be taken for a church at Lawrence, Kansas, and in 1859 and 1860, the conference was opened for solicitation to secure funds to build a church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From this time on the conference has harmonized itself with the General Church, but has supplemented this by the organization of the Church Extension and Missionary Society which will be treated separately. From the beginning this conference has been missionary in spirit and effort and through the General Societies, W.M.A., and Otterbein Guild and the conference agencies has contributed in men, women,

REV. J. B. RESSLER

and money to help answer the last command of our Lord, "Go ye—beginning at Jerusalem—and to the uttermost parts of the earth."

Education.—The fathers of the conference early saw the necessity and the advantage of Christian Education and in 1847 "resolved that this conference take into consideration the propriety of erecting a literary institution—for the education of the rising generation." J. Ritter was appointed agent to solicit funds for this purpose. He reported the next year and the committee was authorized to build a good brick building as soon as there was $1500 in money and material on hand. Progress was made so that in 1852 the secretary of the Board of Trustees for the Mount Pleasant College reported:

"That, whereas the conference in 1847 resolved to erect such a school, and had authorized the building committee to proceed in 1848, the committee contracted for such a building and had received it from the hands of the contractor in 1851. The cost of the building and appurtenances was $6,117.18. There is yet to be paid at this date $2,975.00, and there are subscriptions of $1,473.

"The school went into operation in November, 1851, with thirty-nine enrolled students. The building is a good substantial one. There are four recitation rooms, two society rooms, and the chapel will seat four hundred persons. The building can be arranged to have five professors. The trustees are organized under the charter obtained last

winter from the legislature. J. B. Ressler was elected traveling agent and went to Pennsylvania, East Pennsylvania, and Virginia conferences to solicit their cooperation with the school."

The ministers were urged to secure students and the agent was permitted to deliver lectures on education, lift offerings and take subscriptions. Notwithstanding the efforts made on behalf of the college, the comparative lack of students and money seemed to make it advisable to transfer the school to Otterbein University at Westerville, Ohio, and this was accordingly done in 1857, and the conference of 1858 voted "That we approve of the transfer of Mount Pleasant College to Otterbein University and that we do hereby ratify the action of the Board of Trustees in the said transfer."

The conference voted to help pay the debt of Otterbein College, in 1862, and in 1863 commended the agent for having secured and paid our part in full.

Since 1858 we have loyally cooperated with Otterbein University, now Otterbein College, except for the years of 1882 to 1891, when we, as a conference, cooperated with Lebanon Valley College. The conference has grown with the years in its appreciation of the value of Christian education and has done its part in students and money to place and keep Otterbein College in the forefront of church schools.

Slavery.—The United Brethren Church has always been against slavery and in the first session of our conference in 1839, this resolution was passed, "Resolved, That if the preachers of this conference lecture on abolitionism they shall make special appointments to do so." In 1855 it said, "Resolved, That we look with deep regret upon the encroachments of slavery upon our free territory," and in 1856, "Resolved, That we deeply sympathize with the Freemen of Kansas in their noble struggle in the cause of human rights."

In 1862, we have the following, "Whereas, human bondage has in every age of the world tended to destroy the nations in which it existed, and whereas, American slavery, founded upon the same despotic rule, has originated the present stupendous and unholy rebellion, which now not only threatens the existence of our glorious union, but the very being of our constitutional liberty, therefore, Resolved, That we as a conference most heartily approve the action of our Government in quelling the rebellion."

In 1863, the conference voted, "That it is the opinion of this conference that the responsibility for the present dreadful war rests with

the rebels and their sympathizers. That we are in favor of prosecuting the war with vigor and courage until the rebels shall be subdued or return to their allegiance to the United States. That we approve the President's Proclamation of Emancipation. That opposition to the President's policy means sympathy for the rebels."

In 1864, the conference voted, "That we reaffirm our loyalty to the Government and Constitution of the United States. That it is the duty of all citizens to make every sacrifice of fortune or life. That this rebellion had its beginnings in the slave power that seeks to control the affairs of the nation." In 1865, "That we can make no compromise. That the only way now to peace is by the sword. That at our altars we consecrate to God those who peril their lives for us and for our common country. That we will not tolerate within the pale of our Church treason against the United States." In 1866, the conference acknowledged the hand of God in the restoration of peace and pledged themselves to pray for those in authority in the period of reconstruction.

DR. J. H. PERSHING

The following list of ministers who were members of Allegheny Conference enlisted and served as union soldiers during the rebellion: G. W. Emenhizer, S. E. Cormany, A. E. Fulton, G. A. Funkhouser, J. H. Pershing, John Felix, W. B. Dick, J. S. Miller, Wilson Cramer, D. R. Ellis, Joshua Reynolds, John Craig, E. A. Zeek, I. L. Kephart, A. J. Hartsock, M. Spangler, all of whom have gone from us, the last being Dr. J. H. Pershing. Our conference may well be proud of the part it played in the war and hold high its head with reference to its attitude toward slavery and every other moral issue in our nation's life.

Temperance.—The United Brethren Church early in its history took advanced ground touching the liquor question and the Allegheny Con-

ference as early as 1849 declared for prohibition in asking that our Discipline should have a clause "prohibiting entirely the use of ardent spirits as a beverage throughout our church."

The agitation continued, and an effort was made to place Pennsylvania beside Maine by "having a law passed similar to that in Maine." The conference of 1853 declared, "That selling grain for the manufacture or distilling of ardent spirits is equally criminal with the traffic itself."

References made to this growing evil in the succeeding sessions of the conference show that it was always alert and among the forces that fought this growing evil and awful curse. In 1913, the conference said, " 'National Prohibition' should be the slogan of every temperance man and woman who lives under the stars and stripes."

The Anti-Saloon League became one of the most potent factors in this struggle and had our conference among its most loyal supporters and in 1915 the conference "Resolved, That we endorse the plan of the Anti-saloon League for prohibition in

DR. C. W. WINEY

Representative to the Anti-Saloon League

1920." When national prohibition became a fact the record is, "In four months National Constitutional Prohibition will go into effect and the land will be forever free from the legalized sale of intoxicating liquor. We will be true to our history in the battle for temperance reform."

How quickly the people found that the enforcement of the law became a great issue and into this the conference put itself and while the end is not yet, the attitude of our conference is right when it says, "It is a recognized fact that we are in the midst of a great battle against the liquor traffic. Prohibition came through the influence of the church and is here to stay. The American politician and not prohibition is on trial. We pledge our loyal support to the enforcement of the eighteenth amendment."

Thus our conference stands with its face to the enemy and when

the final victory comes, will be among the advance guard of the hosts that rejoice.

This chapter began with the first Presiding Elder's biography and it is fitting to close it with that of one of the last ones. Dr. G. W. Sherrick of precious memory, and Dr. J. I. L. Ressler were the last

DR. J. I. L. RESSLER

two Presiding Elders.

John Isaac Lewis Ressler, son of Rev. J. B. and Emily Shupe Ressler, was born at Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, November 30, 1854. He was converted at Westerville, Ohio, and united with the church at that place. Besides the borough school, he took the preparatory course in 1870-1872, and then took the classical course and graduated from Otterbein College in 1876. He was graduated from the Seminary at Dayton, Ohio, in 1878, after which he took a postgraduate course in Western Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

He received his quarterly conference license in 1876, received his annual conference license in 1877, was admitted into Allegheny Conference in 1879, and was ordained by Bishop J. J. Glossbrenner in 1879. He received the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from Otterbein College, served as Presiding Elder from 1901 to 1907, and was elected delegate to General Conference seven times. He is now pastor of the Beaverdale Church and has completed fifty-three years of continuous service.