USA > Florida > Twenty-five years of organized work in Florida and Georgia by Church of the Brethren, from 1925 to 1950 > Part 2
USA > Georgia > Twenty-five years of organized work in Florida and Georgia by Church of the Brethren, from 1925 to 1950 > Part 2
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the Church took steps to license him to preach. In this open field of opportunity they began working and growing in the ministry. While not called definitely to be the Pastor, yet he did the work of an efficient Pastor for the church in Tampa from the very beginning of his ministry.
After the church in North Tampa was finished, arrangements were made between the two groups to have Sunday School and preaching in the morn- ing in North Tampa and the same in East Tampa in the evening, so that Bro. Landis could preach at both places each Sunday. Some of the Brethren used their autos to bring people to the Sunday School from Citrus Park. Several of these people later became members of the Church. During 1927 a D.V.B.S. was held in the North Tampa church with good interest and attendance. Besides the home workers they had the help of Bertha Albin and Cora Cripe. By the year 1928 the membership had grown to 49 and among them a number of able workers so they invited the District Gatherings to come there in 1929. The meetings were well cared for in the commodious house near Goldstein. After all money matters had been settled up, the surplus from the sale of meals was turned over to the Mission Board to be used in the District. This custom was followed for several years afterwards.
The Depression of 1929 and the following years were disastrous to Real Estate developments and the Hamner Subdivision was no exception and
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HISTORY OF FLORIDA AND GEORGIA
they did not get the water and Electricity to the Goldstein area. The houses that would have been built were not and no new people came in and many of the others were scared away, till the neigh- borhood began to grow up in weeds and prospective roads were closed or never opened. The Brethren could see no future for the work, so after six years of work here it was abandoned and the house was sold to prevent it being destroyed by marauders. All the religious interests were now transferred to the Mission in East Tampa which gave it new life and it began to grow. Lois Lauver and her mother had moved to this part of Tampa in 1930 and was doing much among the children of the neighborhood. Later Philip and Mary Lou took up their residence in the same neighborhood. During the year 1933 Brother Harvey M. Landis was or- dained to the full ministry and Philip was re- licensed. The way was opening for more and better work for the Church in the city of Tampa.
In the Spring of 1933 Brother Ullery purchased some lots on Twentieth Street in East Tampa and donated them to the church on which to build a house of worship. During the Summer and Fall a house was erected to be ready for use the next year, 1934. The sermon of dedication was delivered by Eld. A. D. Crist. To furnish some much-needed room an addition was put to the building during 1935. The members called for the District Gather- ings in 1936 and the wish was granted. Since the church was small and inadequate to care for the
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many large sessions, the Oak Park Holiness Church thru its pastor, Rev. Bush offered their commodious building to be used. Many of the sessions were held in the Holiness Church and all appreciated the larger quarters. The Committee on Resolu- tions tendered the thanks of the District Meeting to them for the kindness shown. At this time Bro. A. D. Crist was the Presiding Elder and one year later was chosen for Pastor and served till 1952. On Dec. 5, 1939 mother Felthouse passed away after twenty-seven years as a member of this same congregation, being the last of the charter mem- bers in the State. The burning passion of her life was to inculcate into minds the Word of God and thus spread Spirituality in the churches and homes in the District of Florida and Georgia.
For a number of years the Tampa church was served by a Free Ministry but in 1938 Brother A. D. Crist was called to be their Pastor and he served till 1952. Again in 1941 the District Meet- ing was cared for by the members of the Tampa Church. As usual the work was well done and much appreciated by all that attended. Besides the free help in the Ministry by Brethren Harvey M. Landis and Philip Lauver, resident ministers the church had much help from tourist ministers, as Elder J. Kurtz Miller, Brother Ullery and Brother J. F. Graybill. In 1948 Brother Graybill became Assistant Pastor and continued in that position till he had to go with his wife to Neffsville, Pa. on account of her physical condition. By the losing
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HISTORY OF FLORIDA AND GEORGIA
of the help of Sister Felthouse, Sisters Mary Lauver, Viola May and Boomer and the moving away of Bro. and Sister Landis, Bro. and Sister Philip Lauver and the going of Bro. and Sister Graybill, a vacancy is left that never will be filled again. There are a number of good workers left who will do the best they can but the load is much more than they can carry.
CLAY COUNTY CHURCH 3/15/1914
December 7, 1912 Brethren A. M. Eastwood and A. D. Crist arrived in Florida at Jacksonville. Bro. Eastwood sent back for his wife and daughter to come to Florida. Bro. Crist went back to Kansas and in about ten months he and his family moved to Florida. Among others who came were William Brunk, C. D. Fager and family, Eld. I. H. Crist and wife and A. L. Marchand and wife. The first Sun- day School in which any took part was at the Hatcher School house where Bro. Eastwood was one of the teachers and was sometimes called on to preach for them. Thru acquaintance of some of the young people near Rideout School house a Christian Workers' meeting was organized. Inter- est grew there and the whole group took up the work and it became a regular appointment and opened the way to the Sunday School and the church later.
It so happened that Bro. J. H. Moore and his
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wife were spending a few months at Eustis during the Spring of 1914 so he was called to Clay County to assist in the organization of these members into a Church. The little meeting was held in what was intended to be an-up-to-date chicken house but at this time was occupied by the owner and family till their house could be built. The charter members were A. M. Eastwood and wife, Eld. A. D. Crist and wife, C. D. Fager, wife and two daughters, A. L. Marchand and wife, William Brunk and Howard Sell. This organization was effected March 15, 1914. The new organization chose Bro. Crist as the presiding elder and so continued for nine years.
During the first nine months the services were held in the K. P. Hall in Middleburg. Also the first series of meetings were held in Middleburg with Bro. Isaac Frantz doing the preaching. Dur- ing the latter half of 1916 a church house was built and dedicated in January 1917. During the Spring of 1916 Bro. B. F. Honeyman of Dayton, Ohio held some meetings in which ten were received into the Church by baptism. Eld. I. H. Crist preached the sermon of dedication and just a short time after the dedication he held some meetings in the new house. As a direct result nine were received into the Church thru baptism. The new group felt the need of more help in the deacon's office and the call fell to D. E. Baxley and wife, who were chosen and installed on Jan. 18, 1917.
When Elder A. D. Crist returned to Kansas in
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HISTORY OF FLORIDA AND GEORGIA
1923, his father Isaac Crist took the oversight of the Church. At the Business Meeting June 25, 1923, Bro. and Sister J. E. Jenkins were called to the office of Deacon. When Bro. Crist returned in 1925, he again took the oversight of the Church work. From the Council a call was sent to the District Meeting at Arcadia for the District Gather- ings of 1926 to be held in the Clay County Church and the request was granted. During the Summer, in preparation for these meetings, the church house was repaired and repainted. During these meet- ings Eld. Isaac H. Crist added much to the work by his help and guidance. Physically he was not very strong any more but Spiritually he was keen and active. Early in 1928 he passed to his reward and in Elders' Meeting at the Sebring Church the following were passed: "His wise counsel and far- seeing vision were constant helpers in directing the work of the field. He was tireless in his work for the Lord. He did most of his work without compensation while he was always helping others with his means. His loyalty and liberality were outstanding characteristics in his long and useful life." A short time after the Meetings here the road by the church was hard-surfaced, thus making it one of the main roads in the County. It now became easy to get to the church from Jacksonville, Middleburg and Doctor's Inlet.
At the District Meeting in 1930 one of the first matters of business for the Elders was to consider resolutions to the bereaved families of Elders I.
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C. Johnson and D. H. Zigler, both having passed away during the year. As at the previous meetings the members and friends served the delegates and visitors in an acceptable way and all were happy and ready to commend them for the tireless service. Since the Ministerial Board had licensed Bro. Walter Fisher to the Ministry in 1928 he had been helping here, but when the Mission was started at Glenside and had been organized into a Church in 1929 he was classed there with Brother Bowman which left only Bro. A. D. Crist and Bro. H. B. Layman in the mother church in Clay County. After Brethren A. D. Bowman and Walter Fisher had been lettered out of the Glenside Church the whole work of both churches fell on the shoulders of the Brethren Crist and Layman, who promised to do their best. From 1934 on much help was given them in the form of committees and from the Ministerial Board but when all efforts to build up the work failed, the church was disorganized and the remaining members given letters.
The work in Clay County moved along in a healthy way thru the Free Ministry of Brethren Crist and Layman but when Bro. Crist accepted the call to the Tampa Church the burden was in- creased on Bro. Layman but he continued his faith- ful service as long as he remained in the District of Florida and Georgia. Since there was no resi- dent minister in the congregation the congrega- tion had to depend on outside help and Summer Pastors. Brother Joseph May did good work dur-
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HISTORY OF FLORIDA AND GEORGIA
ing the Summer of 1946. Brother Norman McLean has helped much when he is home from Toccoa Falls Institute. A note from the Minutes of 1948 says that Eld. J. D. Reish had been installed as Pastor of the church, October 19, 1947. He served in this capacity till his going to the Hospital in his last illness.
A number of workers who had been living in Jacksonville had been coming out regularly to the services and others who lived in the community but worked in the city attended regularly but when the Mission was opened in the city attended there and affected the Sunday School and preaching serv- ices as can easily be seen. These Missionary pro- jects deplete the mother church sometimes but they build up a new Place and that usually pays off.
THE ARCADIA CHURCH 5/15/1914
During the Winter and Spring of 1914 some members moved into the town of Arcadia and soon sent word to Bro. Geo. A. Branscomb in North Caro- lina that they desired an organization in this new location and it was effected May 15, 1914. The charter members were: Brethren Wm. Borough and wife, J. W. Leatherman, C. H. Slifer, Isaac L. Herren, J. B. Wine, Michael Wine with Sisters Myrtle Brown, Beulah Brown and Martha Miller, ten in all. As the Summer passed the membership melted away and by autumn only a few could be
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located. Elder S. W. Bail with his wife and son Gayman came to the rescue and began the work in real earnest. In an article in the Messenger of Oct. 13, 1934, Bro. J. H. Moore writes: "It so hap- pened about eight months after we located at Keuka in 1884 there came a Bro. Bail and wife from Penn'a. and purchased the Lake View Hotel, just erected. They made it a real homelike resort for the visiting members. In the family was a tall young man whom we soon learned to know as Sam Bail. After spending some thirty years in the North, part of it in school work, then on the farm and some in Pastoral work, in 1914 returned to Florida to help replant the Brethren Standard in the Sunshine State.
Besides Bro. Bail, Brother D. B. Weaver was associated with these members after the first of the year 1915. The new church house was com- pleted in Feb. 1915. There was no formal dedica- tion service but work began at once by having a series of meetings with Bro. Isaac Frantz as the evangelist. During the meetings seven or eight were converted, among them Bro. Slifer's wife. The trustees for the new organization were Breth- ren S. W. Bail, C. H. Slifer and D. B. Weaver with Bro. Branscomb as Presiding Elder. At the Busi- ness Meeting in Feb. 1916 a call was made for the next District Meeting but the request was turned down. At this time Brother S. P. Weaver moved into the congregation and served as Pastor.
Bro. J. W. Chambers moved into the congre-
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HISTORY OF FLORIDA AND GEORGIA
gation in the Spring of 1917. During the time he and his family lived there, Bro. Chambers served as Pastor of the church. Bro. La Rue Sellers was a member of the congregation for some time and served as Pastor a part or all of that time. Brother J. I. Thomas has lived in the congregation at two different times and has served the church as Pastor both times, about two years all together. Records show that Bro. Branscomb served as Presiding Elder for sometime and that Eld. A. Conner was chosen about the close of 1917. The next record of the Overseer was Eld. J. H. Garst who served till the close of 1928. Brother S. W. Bail spent part of his time in Florida and part of it in the North. During the time he was in his Florida home he served several times as Pastor of the Arcadia church. At one of the Protracted meetings, Eld. J. W. Hamilton did the evangelistic preaching; At another Elder C. D. Hylton held the Word forth with exceptional power. At a Business Meeting in 1921 Brethren H. H. Westheaffer, J. W. Moriarty and Chas. L. Trump were chosen to the deacon's of- fice and were duly installed.
At the District Meeting of N. and S. Carolina, Georgia and Florida, held at Sebring in 1924, tenta- tive plans were made for the division of the District into two, making Florida and Georgia a separate District. The Annual Meeting confirmed this work by approving the work that was done here and the New District could have all its own meetings and carry on its own work. Arcadia was chosen
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to entertain the District meeting of 1925. The feed- ing and entertaining the people who came to the meetings were well cared for by the members of the church and the friends of the community. Much planning and many decisions had to be made in manning the new district with leaders to carry on the work that needed to be done in building up a strong work in this Southland. During the Elders' Meeting a Message was read saying that Eld. J. V. Felthouse had passed away as the result of a snake bite by a Diamond Rattler.
From the organization of the New District of Florida and Georgia to the present time the mem- bership at Arcadia has held almost regularly at forty. Frequently a Revival Meeting was held and the membership arose but then moving day or some other change came and the number dropped dorvn to the average or lower.
As noted before the three Presiding Elders but the rest of the time it was mostly cared for by the Elders in the Sebring Church. After 1928 Elder J. W. Rogers, Elder H. A. Spanogle, and Elder Irvin R. Pletcher with short periods by Bro. Bail, Bro. C. L. Trump and Bro. A. D. Crist who was serving as pastor of the Tampa Church. During the thirty-two years that Brother Bail lived in and around Arcadia, he served many times as Pastor which adds up to several years but since his death in 1946 the work has been cared for by Sister Bail and several others for a Summer or as Bro. B. F. Long for a longer time. From the Resolutions
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of 1946, may be quoted the following words: "We feel keenly the loss sustained by the death of Eld. S. W. Bail who for more than thirty years gave himself generously to the Church. We trust that his many activities may bear fruit thru the years to come." A word of commendation may be due for the way the District Gatherings were cared for by the membership and friends in and around Arcadia at each of the three times they were held in that congregation. The dates of the Meetings were 1925, 1946 and 1936. The Resolutions show rather a strange coincidence: A resolution about the death of Eld. J. V. Felthouse who was bitten by a Diamond Rattler while the meetings were in session; A Resolution to Elder J. H. Moore who had passed away during the year, at the 1936 Meeting; A Resolution about the death of Elder S. W. Bail who had passed away during the year at the 1946 Meeting.
SENECA CHURCH 2/13/1915
During the days of expansion in Florida, short- ly before the Big Freeze of 1895, a prosperous com- munity grew up near Lake Seneca. To provide for the religious needs of the group the Presbyterians built a house to be used for a Community Church. It was a good house costing approximately two thousand dollars at that time. It had a bell that was the pride of the Community for its tones could
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be heard for miles around. After the Big Freeze of '95 the discouraged people left the community, some even did not take their furniture. The place was almost depopulated. No longer did the great bell call them to worship. The bell disappeared and the house deteriorated. In 1912 when Eld. J. C. Funderburg and family moved into the community and bought the Bay State Grove, he began to look around for a place to worship and found this abandoned Church and he purchased it for seventy- five dollars ($75). Some much needed repairs were made and it began to be used for worship. The son, I. V. Funderburg preached the first sermon in the repaired house. Before long Bro. I. V. and family went back to California to continue his school work but his brother Truman remained with his father and mother to care for their holdings and church work in Florida.
Quoting from Bro. Moore's article in the Mes- senger of October 20, 1934: "The day before Christ- mas 1914 myself and wife reached Eustis, where we spent the rest of the Winter. Also, early in Oc- tober of 1915 we located in the city and made this our home for six months. During the nine months, I preached at Seneca nearly every Sunday . . Seven miles was too far to walk, so twice each month I paid a livery man two dollars a trip to take me out to the place of worship and bring me back. Sometimes my wife accompanied me on the trip but the roads were not in good shape and the rid- ing a bit rough. A few times the trip was made
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HISTORY OF FLORIDA AND GEORGIA
in a livery rig. You see the four dollars I paid was my salary reversed. Bro. Funderburg cared for my expenses the rest of the time. The plan made no burden on the people but was a bit hard on the preacher.
A Church was organized at Seneca February 13, 1915 with sixteen members (16). Brother J. C. Funderburg was chosen to be the Presiding Elder. Since Bro. Ira W. Miller was the only deacon, a choice was held and Charles O. Firestone and Roy M. Price were called to assist in that work. They with their wives were duly installed. Two months later at a Business Meeting, Bro. and Sister Funderburg gave the members a deed for the church house and the acre of ground, specifying that it was given to the Lord's Cause in the State of Florida. A vote of thanks was tendered them by the audience. In April 1916 Bro. and Sister Moore left Eustis to help in the Sebring work. Their leaving put a heavier burden on Bro. Funderburg and his help- ers to care for the work in and around Seneca. From that time on Bro. and Sister Moore made their home in the town of Sebring.
Moving day to all the churches in Florida as well as in other States and when the membership is small it almost depopulates them. Letters were granted to several, including some of the charter members. Besides the letters granted, some diffi- culties in the Church almost rooted out the branch that had been planted and growing here. After Bro. Funderburg had gone back to California, Bro.
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Leedy was chosen as Overseer. He served for a short time and then the Mission Board of the Dis- trict asked Bro. A. Branscomb to act as Elder. He held the office till the Fall of 1920 when Bro. J. W. Myer moved into the congregation from Penn'a. and became the Overseer. After a short absence in 1923, Bro. Myer returned and in 1924 he was again chosen to direct and care for the work. In 1928 James H. Morris was chosen and continued till 1934 and Bro. C. E. Bower became Overseer and continued till 1942 when Bro. James Richards was chosen and served for a short time. Bro. Bower was again chosen and served till the dis- organization of the Church. Letters were granted to the few members around Eustis and Leesburg to be put into the nearest organization.
After a lull of six or seven years a new wave of enthusiasm sent many people to Florida and among them many of our members. The resulting Real Estate boom only increased that number and some of them located in the already established churches, like Seneca. Following the Boom, the Depression sent them away again and the Churches were smaller. The exodus did not hurt Seneca so badly because Brother J. W. Rogers had held a Revival Meeting in the Fall of 1927 and had added sixteen members to the group, most of them perman- ent residents of Florida. Another thing that helped to hold up the interest at Seneca was the Life Con- ferences that were held about Christmas each year. These Annual Gatherings brought together the
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HISTORY OF FLORIDA AND GEORGIA
members of the District besides some Northern people for this short period, such as Missionaries, College Teachers, Secretaries from Elgin and Bible Teachers. Also, to care for these meetings necessi- tated keeping the church and grounds in repair besides adding new things for the convenience and comfort of the ones who would attend. Besides the repair work, Brother Miller bought the Square House and allowed it to be used for Sleeping Quarters for the attendants.
The Seneca neighborhood was not only the home of the Life Conference but six or seven sessions of the Summer Camps were held here be- fore Camp Ithiel was built up and fitted for the Summer Camps. Though many of the members moved away and some dropped by the wayside of indifference, yet the regular services were kept up. Since there was no minister in the congrega- tion, the services were in the hands of Brethren Bower and Richards at Winter Park. Efforts to hold up the work were continued as long as any hope of building up the work. When the services were discontinued the sixty-year old house of wor- ship was moved to the Camp near Gotha and put in shape for the use of the Gatherings that came there to use the Camp and its facilities
The Log Cabin Sunday School
Because Bro. and Sister D. M. Snowberger lived so far from Seneca Church and could not get there many times, the members at Seneca would
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take well-filled baskets and go to spend a Special hour and have Sunday School with them. About the beginning of 1929 a Sunday School was organized in the Snowberger home and it met regularly. At first only a few members lived in the immediate community but neighbors attended the Sunday School and there were several tourist members in the nearby community who attended regularly. Soon after the work began a man that lived in the community asked to have some one come to baptize him. It was attended to immediately and he became a loyal worker with the rest.
After Elder J. W. Myer and family moved into the community, the matter of more room became acute and they planned a building for the Sunday School and Preaching Services. On Bro. Snow- bergers land along the Highway a log cabin was built for a meeting place for this new Sunday School. Besides the Sunday School a preaching service was conducted regularly by Bro. Myer and others bringing the message. Much of the time Bro. Snow- berger superintendent of the school, but during the years 1936 to 1938 Bro. Harold Myer performed the duties of Supt. During the Summer of 1938 the Ministerial Board met with the Church and licensed Harold to the Ministry. Brother Harold assisted in the preaching at the Log Cabin for some time and then he changed his Church home and began preaching for the Assembly of God.
For a long time this Sunday School was one of our best small schools in giving to expenses and
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HISTORY OF FLORIDA AND GEORGIA
also to Missions. The annual offering ran as high as $87.08. Of that amount more than forty dollars went for Missions. The enrollment kept growing till in 1941 it reached 35. Tho the work is closed and the house sold, the good that comes from the Bible messages will be manifest for years. The children that were gathered in from the community and taught will make better men and women as a result of that work in the Log Cabin Sunday School.
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