TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page

Introduction

Beginnings of the UBs

1825-1839

1840-1849

1850-1859

1860-1869

1870-1879

1880-1887

NOTICE OF ATTRIBUTION

Work originally published in 1887.

Scanned, proofed and minor spelling corrections by the United Brethren Historical Center.

Electronic edition ©2007 United Brethren Historical Center

Suggested Citation:
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publications/ebooks/
mathers/sandusky/title.htm

History of the Sandusky Conference

by W. M. Mathers

^p4 The United Brethren Church is not a branch broken off from some other church organization as claimed by some, but was the result of a genuine revival of religion, in which Rev. Wm. Otterbein was the prominent leader. He was sent as a missionary to America from Dillenburg, Germany, by the German Reformed Church. His relations with the church of his early choice became very unpleasant because of the formal state of said church and the strong opposition which his plain gospel preaching elicited. Mr. Otterbein had obtained through faith in the Son of God, a clear evidence of the forgiveness of his sins, and from the period of his conversion to the year 1774, and onward, opposition to the revival and to its agents, was bitter and unintermitting, which led ultimately to a final separation from the church. We find him in May, 1774, in the city of Baltimore organizing a separate church to be known as the Evangelical Reformed. At this time the name, which the church afterwards adopted, was not thought of, nor that this child of Providence should become a strong man to run a race, carrying the gospel to hundreds of thousands, leading them to a nobler and happier life.

^p5 The circumstances which gave rise to the name which the church afterwards adopted, may not be uninteresting. A great meeting had been appointed at Isaac Long's barn in Lancaster County, Pa., to which Christians of all denominations were invited. At this meeting Otterbein and Boehem met for the first time. They were both in the vigor of manhood. Boehem was of small stature, wore his beard long and was dressed in the plain Mennonite costume. Otterbein, on the contrary, was a large man of commanding person, wearing the ordinary clerical dress. There was a striking contrast in the personal of the two men. Boehem preached the first sermon; at the close of which, and before he had time to resume his seat, Otterbein arose and folding him in his arms said,

"We are Brethren."

The effect produced can better be imagined than described. Many praised God aloud, while the greater part were bathed in tears, and all hearts seemed melted into one. The result of this meeting under the influence of the Holy Spirit, was to unite Christians of different orders more closely together in one common brotherhood, giving rise for the fourth time, to the name, "United Brethren."

Early in the fifteenth century a church was formed in Bohemia, Germany, similar to that of the Waldenses, calling themselves United Brethren. In the ^p6 sixteenth century a part of the German Reformed church united with the Waldenses, and formed what was called the Church of the United Brethren. Still later was organized the Church of the Moravians or the renewed United Brethren. These churches, though calling themselves by the same name, had no ecclesiastical connection. On the 25th of September, 1800, the conference assembled at Peter Kemp's in Frederick County, Md. Up to this period the church had passed under the name of United Brethren, but it was suggested at this conference, in view of the fact that there was other churches bearing the same name, to avoid difficulties in executing wills, deeds, and other legal instruments, the additional phrase, "In Christ" was added. Hence since 1800 the proper name of the denomination has been.

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