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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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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History of the Sandusky Conference by W. M. Mathers |
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The conference for 1860, was held at Upper Sandusky, Wyandotte Co., September 28th, by Bishop L. Davis. The following preachers were received: T. Cross, S. Colter, W. R. Hardwick, A. Rose, H. K. Berry, W. B. Davis, S. Leonard, J. H. Close, S. p34 D. Kemerer, and J. E. Hughs; J. Bracket and J. M. Piper from other churches, and A. Pendland by transfer. Of this number, T. Cross in some misterious way shot himself while alone in the woods hunting, but a few months after entering upon his first field of labor. No one was present to bear his dying words to his youthful companion. S. Colter enlisted in the army, during the recent rebellion, and while engaged in battle received a wound from which he soon afterwards died, a sad ending of a life that promised so much for the church; perhaps we would have served the master better to have remained in the work of the ministry, but the case is with the Lord. The conference at this time numbered 117, the highest number ever enrolled. The next conference was opened by Bishop Markwood on the morning of the 17th of October, 1861, in Flat Rock, Seneca County. The most important feature of this conference was the number of complaints against its members, expulsions, and withdrawals. Among the latter was A. Berry, S. Kelso, H. Vangundy and M. Wilsey. The following brethren were received: D. Zigler and T. D. Ingle; A. A. Shesler was received on transfer. The general conference of 1861, so changed our boundaries as to take from us the entire Maumee District, in which division we lost 24 preachers and 2,463 members. The conference held its next session at Liberty p35 Chapel, Crawford Co., October 25th, 1862. Bishop Markwood held the conference assisted by Bishop Edwards. The following from the report on Moral Reform, is worthy of a place here: "Whereas, some of our people are in the habit of spending the christian sabbath in visiting and criminal recreation; Resolved, that we admonish those quietly in these respects to desist therefrom; but in case they persist in such violation of the Holy sabbath, we, as ministers shall feel it to be our duty to execute upon the offending person or persons, the rule of discipline." Rev. Wm. Faus having died during the year, the conference took the following action: "Whereas, It has pleased the Allwise disposer of events, to remove our faithful and beloved brother, Wm. Faus, from labor to reward, during the past year; therefore, Resolved, that while we humbly submit to all the dispensations of His hand, yet we feel deeply our loss, and deplore his early removal from a field of usefulness and efficiency in the great work of saving souls. Resolved, further, that we do mingle our sorrow with his bereaved widow and children, and commend them to the protection of Him who is the widows husband, and a father to the fatherless. Resolved, that in token of our sympathy, an order be drawn on the treasurer of the Benevolent Fund Society, for the sum of $50.00 for the special benefit of sister Faus, and her children. Applicants received : B. Struble, A. M. Steman, S. Klotts, B. p36 Vanvolkenburg, A. Buckingham and T. Carrol. The thirty-first session of the conference was held at the Honey creek Chapel, Seneca county, October 2, 1863, Bishop Markwood presiding. This was the most stormy one I ever attended, being held at the time when our country was in the throes of death brought about by the slave-holders rebellion. Fiery speeches were made and bad feeling was stirred up until the very life of the church was threatened, but God brought us through the fiery ordeal purer and brighter and better. The following resolution the last of a number passed shows pretty clearly the temper of the conference: "We are determined by the grace of God to preach a gospel of liberty among the people, to bear witness to liberty as founded in religion; we will not be put down; we will not be intimidated by political threats; we will not be stopped by mobs; we say to all solemnly, yet kindly that nothing shall turn back this testimony that God made man to be free." Four of the leaders in these discussions, Bright, Glancy, Markwood and Rose, have joined the army on the other shore, but not until they saw the collapse of the Southern confederacy and the flag of freedom weaving over every State in the Union, I think a more conservative policy would have succeeded better in holding the church together, such at least was my experience, others thought differently. The following preachers were licensed: F. N. Clymer, B. Cole, p37 A. Morehouse and A. H. Leonard. There was a decrease in the membership of 183. This was caused no doubt by the unsettled state of the country, one of the results of the cruel war then raging between the North and South. Bishop Markwood held the next session of the conference at Clear Fork, Richland Co., commencing Sept. 1, 1864. D. Steward, T. J. McKean, J. W. Rhoads, W. F. Clippenger and J. C. Mudge were licensed to preach. The most important work of this conference was the formation of a constitution and by-laws to give more system and greater efficiency to the work of the Sunday School with a request that the General Conference adopt it, which they did with but little alteration. To this we owe much of our success in bringing the Sabbath School up to what it is in our church today, this was timely for the Sabbath School cause had been sadly neglected, there was not a Sabbath School in the conference when I first came into the church within my knowledge. On the 31st of August, 1865, the conference convened to hold its thirty-third session, in Fostoria. Bishop Edwards presiding, death had again invaded our ranks, and T. T. Rose, one of our most useful itinerants in the midst of his years, and usefulness, was removed from the field of toil and conflict, to the home prepared for all the faithful servants of God. Twenty-two years ago the use of organs "in p38 our church was considered an innovation, and this conference felt itself called upon to raise a warning voice against their use, which it did by the following resolution. "Resolved that it is the sense of this conference that the use of a Mason and Hamlin organ in the Chapel of Otterbein University during Divine worship, is a violation of the discipline of our church, and we respectfully ask for its discontinuance." What wonderful changes the last twenty years have wrought; many of them for the better possibly some for the worse, it would be difficult to tell the number used in our churches now. The following resolution was passed which I believe ought to be the rule of the church. Resolved, that every minister in this conference be required to have his name recorded on the class book of the society nearest to where he lives. J. Bell, J. Fry and J. Mathews were received as applicants and Wm. Nevil on his transfer from Muskingum. On the 30th of August 1866, the conference met in Shelby, Richland Co. and was opened by Bishop Edwards, by the usual religious services. Rev. J. C. Bright had died a short time before the setting of this conference, he had attended the conference in Fostoria, in usual health and received as his appointment Galion station. He found the work in a low religious state and went to work with his usual zeal to promote a revival and build up the church to which he had given the best years of his life. As a p39 result of these special efforts a gracious revival followed, making it one of his most successful years in the ministry, but he so over-taxed himself that he contracted disease, which finally caused his death, although compelled to give up the work to which he was so much attached, and realizing that he must soon be separated from a devoted wife and loving children, he bore his intense sufferings without a murmur or complaint, waiting patiently the Lords own time. A short time before the last summons came, while suffering intensely he said, "If this be dying, it is sweet to die," then after singing this beautiful stanza, "We'll wait till Jesus comes and we'll be gathered home." He entered the golden gate of the city, where the tear of sorrow ne'er dims the eye, and where life's shadows shall never fall across his pathway. A funeral sermon was preached by Rev. A. Biddle in the church where he served his last congregation after which the remains were taken to the cars and conveyed to Columbus, and buried in Green Lawn Cemetery near the city, to await the resurrection of the just. The following brethren were admitted to membership in the conference, E. A. Hubbard, E. Rex, J. W. Finney and B. F. Parmer. The next session of the conference was held in Findlay, Hancock, Co. August 29, 1867, D. Edwards presiding Bishop. The following brethren were received. J. W. Douglas, J. C. Bebe, R. p40 K. Wyant, T. J. Harbaugh, N. Foltz, A. J. Nicholas, and B. J. Wise, J. W. Hill and D. R. Miller from Auglaze, and D. White from the Protestant church. Excellent resolutions were passed on missions, publishing interests, education, moral reform, and ministerial support, but as is too often the case, to end with their passage.
The conference met in Upper Sandusky, Wyandotte Co. August 27, 1868 to hold
its thirty-sixth session. The conference was opened by Bishop Edwards, and
according to his usual custom the first half hour was spent in song, service
and prayer. Quite a heavy drain was made upon the conference by transfers,
yet the number received was equally large so that there was no decrease in
membership. The following brethren were transferred D. S. Caldwell, A. J.
Nichols, J. Dorcas, P. Flack, R. L. Gray and S. Lee. The following were
received: Wm. Thayer, J. C. Prentice, S. H. Raudebaugh and J. A. Biddle. On
transfer Wm. Waters, G. H. Franklin, and E. H. Curtis, and C. Wise from the
Evangelical Association, and Wm. Wonder from the Lutheran church. H.
Kimberlin having died. J. Garber, H.G. Spaythe and J. Davis were appointed a
committee to give the expression of this conference in a memorial of the
life, labors and death of this faithful servant of God, in the Religious
Telescope. Brother Kimberlin having settled on Beaver Creek in an early day
did much to build up the church
p41 in
that newly settled country. He was very benevolent, giving not only much of
his time, but of his means as well to build up the church of his early
choice. His success in building up the church as well as his financial
prosperity was largely attributable to the co-operation and help of his
faithful companion who was equally willing to toil and sacrifice for her
loving Master. They lived long enough to see a prosperous society, with a
good church in which to worship, and after a full day, as gleaners in the
harvest field, they sleep side by side in the cemetery near the place where
for years they worshiped waiting the welcome applaudet of the Master; "well
done good and faithful servant enter thou into the joy of the Lord." |
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