History of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ by Daniel Berger, Part 3, Chap. 2

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History of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ

by Daniel Berger

CHAPTER II
OTHER CONFERENCES ORGANIZED FROM 1835 TO 1853

^p.585 The period from 1835 to 1853 was one of great missionary activity, although the general Missionary Society was not yet organized. The reader has just seen that the Wabash Conference was organized in 1835, with thirteen ministers and six circuits. Within ten years the Wabash became the prolific mother of three additional conferences—the Iowa, the St. Joseph, and the Illinois. The thirteen ministers had increased in this time to ninety-nine, and the six charges to forty-eight.

I. THE IOWA CONFERENCE.

Iowa Conference was the first conference formed in the vast territory west of the Mississippi ceded by France to the United States in 1803, and known as the "Louisiana Purchase." Iowa was organized as a Territory in 1838 and as a State in 1846. Among the early settlers were persons from United Brethren communities, including a few United Brethren preachers. About 1836 John Burns, a local preacher, and Christian Troup, a member of the Wabash Conference, came and soon established preaching places. Ira B. Ryan, at the time a layman, formed, in 1841, the first class. The first quarterly conference was held at what is now Lisbon in 1842. . Early ministers of prominence were John Everhart, F. R. S. Byrd, and A. A. Sellers.

In March, 1843, a meeting was held in which annual-conference business was transacted, and in the fall of ^p.586 1843 a similar meeting was held, a presiding elder of the Wabash Conference being present. Bishop H. Kumler, Jun., presided over the Iowa "Branch of the Wabash Conference" in May, 1844. On August 14, 1845, at William Thompson's, in Louisa County, Bishop Russel formally organized the conference, though at the present time it dates its beginning back to 1844. The conference grew rapidly, and in 1853 was divided, the southern portion being named the Des Moines Conference, a part of which, under the name of East Des Moines, was reunited with Iowa Conference in 1890. In 1861 North Iowa Conference was formed, and this, after varied struggles and successes, was reunited with the original conference in 1874. Good results have followed these consolidations. With an increased number of ministers who have received a college or seminary training, and with a settled purpose to enter places where permanent work can be built up, the prospects of the conference are steadily improving.

Among those deceased, or no longer connected with the conference, who have held a prominent place, may be mentioned S. Weaver, William Davis, S. W. Kern, S. Sutton, D. Wenrich, M. Bowman, and M. S. Drury, now a member of California Conference.
The Iowa Conference entered early the educational field, taking the first steps toward founding Western College within ten years after its organization. Its general church membership, according to the latest statistics, is 6,800. Its ministers number eighty-three. Among these are Bishops Kephart and Mills, Dr. L. Bookwalter, president of Western College, Prof. A. W. Drury, of the theological seminary, Dr. M. R. Drury, of the Religious Telescope, Dr. I. K. Statton, Dr. W. I. Beatty, W. D. Hartsough, R. E. Williams, L. B. Hix, and others who are men of influence in the conference.

^p.587 The story of the toils and hardships of the early pioneers in this conference and elsewhere, in the work of laying the foundations of the Church, would possess a thrilling interest, and be sufficient to fill volumes.

II. THE ST. JOSEPH CONFERENCE.

The St. Joseph Conference, located in northern Indiana and southern Michigan, was formed by separation from the Wabash by the General Conference of 1845. A session of the conference was held at North Manchester, Indiana, which, in the absence of a bishop, was presided over by J. M. Hershey. The first regular session, from which the conference takes its date, Bishop Glossbrenner presiding, was held at Leffle's Church in 1846. The names of some of the charter members of the conference, recognized as leaders in the work, are J. M. Hershey, William Davis, Josiah Davis, J. Suman, J. Fetterhoff, J. Thomas, J. B. Slight, J. Farmer, J. Freeman, F. L. Forbes, J. S. Todd, and R. Baker. To this number was added H. A. Snepp, who, after a long and faithful life of half a century in the ministry, has recently been called to the final reward. J. Thomas, now of the North Ohio, is one of this original number yet living. R. Baker, one of the first members, is living, and remains in connection with the conference. Many of these men had been for years in the service in the Wabash Conference, and even in the Indiana before the Wabash was formed, and were already veterans in the toils and hardships of missionary life. J. Suman was a man of remarkable power as a preacher and revivalist. Next to him as successful laborers were J. Demunbrun, J. Babcock, and William Davis, men of distinguished abilities, and gathering rich harvests into the Church. The conference began with nineteen ministers and about three hundred ^p.588 in the laity. The present number of ministers, according to the latest statistics, is an even one hundred, of whom seventy-eight are itinerant and twenty-two local. The general membership is 10,939. Its Sunday-school enrollment for 1896 was 13,681, and its membership in its eighty-three young people's societies was 2,780.

The conference has given to the Church Bishop N. Castle and Dr. W. M. Bell, both of whom are elsewhere spoken of. Among other names well known are J. F. Bartmess, George Sickafoose, P. Thomas, C. H. Bell, J. Simons, R. J. Parrett, J. L. Parks, A. J. Cummins, and A. M. Cummins.

III. THE ILLINOIS CONFERENCE.

In the year 1835 there was but a single circuit of the United Brethren in the State of Illinois, and that circuit a mission. In the same year John Dunham was appointed presiding elder for the State. The fertile and almost boundless prairies presented an irresistible attraction to immigration, and with the pioneer settler came the pioneer minister. Mr. Dunham was soon joined by Josiah Davis and John Hoobler. Others followed, and ten years later, when the Illinois Conference was formed, the names of twenty-one ministers were enrolled. The conference was formed by separation from the Wabash, as the Wabash itself had been from the Indiana. Bishop Russel presided at this first conference, and the following are the names of the members: John Dunham, Josiah Terrell, J. P. Eckles, Robert Baker, David Breeding, J. T. Timmons, Frederick Kenoyer, Alexander Long, J. T. Manderville, J. B. McVey, Hiram Freeman, Jacob A. Kenoyer, J. D. Hock, Charles Sleigh, Isaac Hesser, James Davis, George Brewer, Clark Jenks, B. E. Shields, James Haines, and Lyman Jenks. Most of these men possessed in a high ^p.589 degree the pioneer missionary spirit. John Dunham, whose name is frequently met, was brave, hardy, and true. Seeing in the broad plains of Illinois the promise of a goodly inheritance, he entered in to possess the land. Josiah Terrell, a leader in the social gaieties of his neighborhood, soon after his conversion began to preach. J. A. Kenoyer and M. Ambrose became familiar names in the annals of the Church. Isaac Kretzinger entered the conference at an early date ; a plain, earnest man, rendering the Church much valuable service, but intensely radical on the secrecy question, and going off with the radical secession. P. F. Smith, also for a time prominent in the conference, went in the same way. This conference at the first included all the territory now occupied by the Central Illinois and Rock River conferences. By the separation of these into independent conferences, its territory became more circumscribed. It has now thirty-three ministers, all on the itinerant list, with a membership of 3,327.

IV. THE WHITE RIVER CONFERENCE.

The White River Conference was formed by separation from the Indiana, in 1846. The Indiana convened on February 30, and in accordance with the permission given by the General Conference of 1854 it separated itself into two sections, the southern part retaining the name Indiana, and the northern part taking the name of White River. Bishop Hanby presided at this conference. In the White River two elder's districts were formed, D. Stover and W. W. Richardson being chosen presiding elders.
The first separate session of the White River Conference was held January 18, 1847, in Washington, Wayne County, Indiana, Bishop Russel presiding. Among the leading names at this session are found those of J. A. Ball, D. Stover, W. W. Richardson, and Caleb B. Witt. Mr. Witt ^p.590 was the father of William Barton Witt, M.D., who was one of the early missionaries of the Church in West Africa. In 1849, three years after the formation of the conference, the number of ministers was thirty-five, and 2,748 members were reported. Among the leaders of this conference, in addition to the men above named, are found the names of Milton Wright, J. T. Vardaman, T. Evans, Halleck Floyd, J. M. Kabrich, I. M. Tharp, Z. McNew, all of whom, with C. W. Witt, were in the General Conferences from 1861 to 1889.

This conference, with its excellent territory and numerous strong men, suffered more than any other of the larger conferences from determined radicalism. Two of its men, M. Wright and H. Floyd, became bishops in the radical church. Under the influence of strong leaders the radical feeling had gained great strength, and a large proportion of both ministers and people were carried away with the secession. Hartsville College, to which reference has elsewhere been made, was lost to the Church by sale under execution.

The conference at the present time has fifty-four ministers and 7,183 members. It has ninety-one Sunday schools, with an enrollment of 7,538. The membership of its young people's societies is 1,708. Among its leading ministers at the present time are A. C. Wilmore, J. T. Roberts, M. L. Bailey, D. 0. Darling, and Alonzo Myer.

The conference is hopefully rebuilding, and there is before it a future of goodly promise.

V. THE NORTH OHIO CONFERENCE.

The North Ohio Conference was organized in the year 1853, at Leoni, Jackson County, Michigan. Its territory embraces northwestern Ohio, northeastern Indiana, and southeastern Michigan, previously included in the ^p.591 Sandusky and Michigan conferences. Bishop Markwood presided at the first session. The names of ministers enrolled were Aaron Bowser, T. Osmun, J. Preston, John Kurtz, C. Crossland, John Martin, Nathan Hale, John Miller, H. W. Cherry, Joseph Fink, George Struble, J. Lower, J. Gear, R. T. Martin, and D. Holmes—fifteen in number. Of these the first nine have passed over the river. The lay membership at the time of the organization was about twelve hundred. Through the early years of the conference some of those recognized as leaders were J. X. Martin, J. K. Alwood, Bowser, Kurtz, Fink, Gear, and Lower. The last two are still members of the conference, and Martin is deceased. Alwood went out with the secession. Among those best known now are S. P. Klotz, J. W. Lilly, D. B. Keller, C. M. Eberly, J. S. Tedrow. Keller is a member of the general Missionary Board, and Lilly and Keller are members of the Court of Appeals.

Some of the strongest leaders in the radical movement were found in this conference, among them notably J. K. Alwood. Under this able leadership this conference suffered severely, about one-half of its ministers and people being carried out of the Church with the radical secession.

VI. THE OHIO GERMAN CONFERENCE.

The Ohio German Conference was organized October 20, 1853, at Germantown, Ohio, Bishop Edwards presiding. It was formed by separation chiefly from the Miami Conference, not in a geographical sense, but by a separate organization of the German ministers and churches. Its territory includes Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, and the conference is permitted to enter any other State or Territory westward. Among its early ministers were Jacob Scholler, John Kreider, Christopher Flinchbaugh, George Baker, John Blouch, F. Schwab. Scholler was born in Alsace, Germany, ^p.592 in 1812, was converted in the old Otterbein Church, Baltimore, began to preach in 1840, and labored with great success for ten years in Pennsylvania, and afterward in Ohio until his death. He was distinguished as a leader among the Germans. He died in Dayton, Ohio, at the age of eighty-two.

The ministers and people of this conference, as among the Germans generally, have long been recognized as efficient workers, and earnest in the support of the general interests of the Church. Their missionary contributions show a larger average per member, and their patronage of the German periodicals a larger percentage of the membership, than those of the English portion of the Church, and give them in these respects a position above that of their English brethren.

Among the most efficient of living laborers now in the conference are Edward Lorenz, Gottlieb Fritz, C. Streich, and August Schmidt. All of these were born in Germany. Mr. Lorenz was born in 1827; came to America in 1848, became a member of the conference in 1862, serving as a regular itinerant; spent two years, from 1891 to 1893, as presiding elder of the mission in Germany, and on the death of William Mittendorf, in 1895, was elected his successor as editor of the German periodicals. Mr. Fritz, born 1832, came to America in 1851, was licensed to preach in 1859, has served seventeen years as presiding elder, was elected to the General Conference in 1869, and to every conference since except that of 1893. He is an earnest, robust worker for his conference and the Church. Mr. Streich, born in 1839, licensed to preach in 1863, has given thirty-four years of continuous and efficient service to the Ohio German Conference. William Mittendorf, elsewhere mentioned, twenty-two years editor of the German periodicals, a most faithful and useful servant of the Church, dying in 1895, was a member of this conference.

^p.593 The conference has twenty-nine ministers, all enrolled as itinerants, a lay membership of 2,312, and a Sunday-school enrollment of 3,322.

VII. THE AUGLAIZE CONFERENCE.

The Auglaize Conference, for four years called the Maumee, was formed by separation from the Miami. The initial session was held at Pleasant Hill Chapel, in Mercer County, on September 9, 1853, Bishop L. Davis presiding. The charter members, twenty-seven in number, were A. Shingledecker, John Hill, James Spray, George Davis, David Davis, William Miller, Henry Snell, Ira Thompson, L. S. Farber, C. B. Whitley, William Siberry, James Lea, A. F. Miller, Thomas Reed, J. Wilkinson, William Milligan, J. Eby, William Burtch, P. B. Holden, F. B. Hendrix, H. R. Tobey, D. Bolp, A. W. Holden, E. M. Brown, S. L. Downey, G. S. Gibbons, T. J. Babcoke. The lay membership of the conference in the following year was 2,878.
This conference throughout its history has had a career of commendable activity. Unfortunately, some of its most influential men held a decidedly radical attitude, and succeeded in so dividing both ministers and people that when the secession came many of them went with the seceders. Notwithstanding these losses, the conference is well at the front in its activities. It numbers at present fifty-eight ministers, of whom forty-five are itinerant, and 6,531 lay members. Its Sunday-school enrollment is 10,334, showing an unusually large percentage above the church membership, and indicating the activity of its people in that work. Of young people's societies the conference has twenty-seven, with a membership of 1,285.

Among those who entered the conference at various dates since its organization were J. L. Luttrell, E. ^p.594 Counseller, W. E. Bay, R. W. Wilgus, W. Z. Roberts, and J. W. Lower, all of whom have represented the conference in the recent General Conferences. Mr. Luttrell, now deceased, a few years ago wrote and published a history of the Auglaize Conference which has value in preserving many facts in permanent form. The conference has been especially honored in the number of missionaries it has furnished for the foreign field. They are Rev. W. S. Sage, Rev. R. N. West, Rev. and Mrs. Jacob Miller, and Miss Ella Schenck.

VIII. THE ROCK RIVER CONFERENCE.

The Rock River Conference was organized on August 19, 1853, at Pine Creek School-house, in Ogle County, Illinois. Bishop L. Davis presided, and the following ministers were present: M. Clifton, A. Church, W. E. Henry, J. Dollarhide, William Dollarhide, S. Fenton, A. B. Frazier, J. Warner, W. H. Haskins, S. Kretzinger, J. Perrine, W. T. Burton, E. L. Church, S. F. Medler, D. S. Richards, J. Hiestand, Asa Coho, J. R. Baumgardner, Jacob Baumgardner, S. Healy —twenty in all, with nine absent. The conference was formed by separation from the Illinois. Its territory embraces all of the northern part of the State of Illinois, extending to the Wisconsin line.

For some years the work in this conference was pushed with much success, when unfortunate divisions arose, the most serious of them growing out of the secret-society question. Some of the ministers were intensely radical, and when the General Conference of 1885 took steps toward amending the Church Constitution, they, with others elsewhere, began to prepare the way for secession. When the secession came, they succeeded in carrying with them a large number of the people. The census of October, 1892, showed that those adhering to the Church had been reduced ^p.595 to 1,090. A favorable tide, however, soon set in, and in 1896 this number had advanced to 1,471, while the Sunday-school enrollment is 2,494. Its young people's societies include 590 names, or considerably more than one-third of the entire membership. This fact and the Sunday-school enrollment show that a young and fresh life is coming to the front, thus assuring a future vigorous growth. C. Bender and Dr. H. D. Healy were the representatives of this conference in the General Conference of 1889, and Cornelius Wendle, J. Groff, and Mr. D. C. Overholser in that of 1893. Rev. W. M. Weekley, the secretary of the Church-Erection Society, is a member of this conference.

IX. THE KENTUCKY CONFERENCE.

At an early day several United Brethren families sought homes in Adair and other counties in Kentucky. Occasional visits were made to them by United Brethren ministers, among these Bishop Newcomer. The first organized societies were formed about 1833 by John M. Blair, of the Indiana Conference, on Green River, in central Kentucky. He was soon joined by William Blair, his brother. They preached in Adair and other counties, and numerous conversions followed. William Traylor and R. T. Leftwich afterward came to their aid.

The work was supplied from the Indiana Conference until 1850, when Bishop Glossbrenner visited it with the view of organizing it into a conference. He appointed a meeting for this purpose in Adair County. Only the Blair brothers were present, but he proceeded with the organization, and the conference was subsequently placed under the care of the Board of Missions. Different ministers from time to time went to this work, among them Jordan Antle and A. L. Best, the latter now of Southern ^p.596 Missouri Conference. The work failed through many years to get a strong hold upon the regard of the people on account of the pronounced attitude of the Church on the subject of slavery, the cause which operated widely in the South with a similar result. There are at present connected with this conference about twenty-five organized societies, with about twenty ministers. Among these are found the names of John Roe, Thomas Hadley, William M. Dickens, John W. Malone, T. J. Gibson, and H. B. James. The conference still remains as a mission field.



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