USA > Iowa > A history of the Church of the Brethren in southern Iowa > Part 11
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1. We ask the advice of Annual Meeting through District Meeting upon the following: Would it not be more in harmony with the Gospel and order of the church for brethren in conducting regular appointments or series of meetings to use the brethren's selections of hymns instead of introducing "Gospel Hymns" or other selections? The motion to pass this to Annual Meeting was lost.
2. Will the District Meeting of Southern Iowa petition An- nual Meeting to reconsider Art. 19 of 1874, and adopt the decision of Annual Meeting, Art. 4, 1873?
Answer .- The Southern District of Iowa so petitions.
3. Is it right for brethren and sisters to take part in the getting up of, or to attend such things as, birthday dinners (or parties as they are called) or anniversary weddings?
Answer .- We refer our members to the decisions of Annual Meeting, the latest of which is Art. 8, 1884, and reads as follows : "No, not right, as the principles of the Gospel (Luke 14: 13) are almost universally violated."
4. Would it not be more in harmony with the Gospel (see 1 Cor. 11) if sisters would more generally wear the covering adopted by the church wherever prayer is offered and blessings asked?
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MINUTES
Answer .- We have several decisions of Annual Meeting on similar queries, the latest of which reads thus: We consider it the duty of all the sisters to have on a plain covering at the time of worship.
5. Is it right for members of the church while attending meetings of other denominations to rise when the request is made for all who are Christians to rise to their feet?
Answer .- Not right. See 2 John 10, 11. (Passed to Annual Meeting.)
6. Is it considered right for brethren to belong to the organiza- tion known as the "Farmers' Alliance " ?
Answer .- Decision of Annual Meeting reads as follows: Not consistent with the Gospel to unite with any organization of the world, and any member that will not abandon it after being ad- monished so to do shall be dealt with according to Matt. 18.
The committee appointed at last District Meeting to confer with the Board of the Orphans' Home movement of the Middle District of Iowa, reported that the matter was dropped by the Middle District; consequently, there is now no work of that kind in progress.
The Missionary Board made the following report :
Amount on hand
$22.43
Received during the year 19.92
Total
$42.35
Expended in the year
27.38
Balance on hand $14.97
Bro. Isaac Barto was elected evangelist subject to the call of the General Church Erection and Missionary Committee.
The present Missionary Board, consisting of A. H. Brower, president; Peter Brower, secretary ; and A. J. Wine, treasurer, all of South English, Keokuk County, were reelected for the ensuing year.
Eld. Samuel Flory was chosen to represent the District on the Standing Committee at the coming Annual Meeting.
The following requests for the District Meeting of 1890 were presented, one from Monroe, and one from Middle Creek, and granted to Monroe church.
The Mt. Etna church also requested the District Meeting but did not designate the year.
The meeting decided to establish a District fund in connection with the missionary fund, and consider it all one fund for any expenses incurred by the District.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHERN IOWA
The meeting was closed with devotional exercises.
Geo. S. Wine, Clerk.
Isaac Barto,
Moderator.
MINUTES OF 1890
Meeting held in the Monroe County church, Monroe County, Iowa, April 4, 1890.
Eld. John Gable, moderator; Abraham Wolf, reading clerk; S. W. Funk, writing clerk.
The representation of the different local churches was as fol- lows :
Fairview .Jacob Hawn and Frederick Koehler
Libertyville D. E. Rodabaugh and Abraham Wolf
Decatur Lewis M. Kob
Grand River M. Myers Mt. Etna David Markley
English River
Abraham Flory
South Keokuk Isaac Shelly
Crooked Creek John Thomas.
Nishna Valley Isaac Barto
Irish Grove Nelson Folger
Middle Creek S. P. Miller and John Gable
Marion County
By letter
Monroe County Lewis Miller and John Follis
Pleasant Ridge Isaac Barto
Adair County
Not represented
The following queries and other business were presented and disposed of as herein stated :
1. Is it according to the teaching of the Gospel, or the order of the church, for elders to anoint sick persons outside of the church, if they are called upon to do so? If not right, what is to be done when elders do so?
Answer .- No. It is not according to the teaching of the Gospel (James 5: 13-15), nor according to the order of the church, and brethren who engage in such should make satisfactory acknowl- edgment to the church and promise to do so no more.
2. As the merging of the mission fund and the General Dis- trict fund into one has, to a certain extent, been a hindrance to mission work, by requiring money to be used for other purposes, that was intended for mission work, will the District Meeting of
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MINUTES
Southern Iowa reconsider its work of last year, relative to that matter, and amend the same by having separate funds ?
Answer .- Reconsidered, and adopted the former rules, accord- ing to request.
The former Missionary Board was retained, with the excep- tion of A. J. Wine, who has removed to Texas, and J. B. Flory was appointed to fill the vacancy. A. H. Brower, president; Peter Brower, secretary; J. B. Flory, treasurer; all of South English, Keokuk Co., Iowa.
Eld. Hiram Berkman was chosen to represent this District on the Standing Committee of the coming Annual Meeting at War- rensburg, Mo.
Michael Myers was appointed by the District Meeting to act as missionary, subject to call of General Mission Board.
The Missionary Board presented their report as follows : Amount in treasury at last report $14.97
Amount received during the year 24.43
$36.33
Amount expended during the year
Balance on hand
$ 3.07
The estimated amount to pay the expenses of the delegate to Annual Meeting was apportioned to the churches as follows :
Libertyville $2.15
South Keokuk $1.00
Fairview
1.75
Irish Grove . .25
Grand River .75
Monroe County 1.75
Mt. Etna 1.00
1.35
Pleasant Ridge
.60
English River
2.50
Nishna Valley .60
Decatur
2.00
Marion County .60
Adair County $ .75
It is expected that the churches will forward the amount ap- portioned to them respectively, without further notice, to Hiram Berkman, Fredric, Monroe County, Iowa.
It was further decided that the clerk of the Missionary Board write to the clerk of the Annual Meeting and ascertain the price per copy of the Minutes of the Annual Meeting, and report the same to Southern District of Iowa through the Messenger.
The brethren of the Mt. Etna church, Adams County, renewed their request for the District Meeting for 1891, which was granted.
The meeting was characterized by love, and a Christian spirit was manifested during the session. After a season of devotion and thanks to the Great Giver of all blessings, the meeting closed.
John Gable, Moderator.
S. W. Funk, Clerk.
Middle Creek . 1.00
Crooked Creek
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HISTORY OF SOUTHERN IOWA
MINUTES OF 1891
Meeting held in the Mt. Etna church, Adams County, April 17, 1891.
Hiram Berkman, moderator; Isaac Barto, reading clerk; Geo. S. Wine, writing c'erk. The churches comprising the District were represented as follows :
Fairview By letter
Libertyville James Glotfelty
English River .Jos. Sniteman
Crooked Creek
A. Sanger
Middle Creek
J. Gable, S. P. Miller
South Keokuk . Not represented
Monroe County Hiram Berkman
Marion County . By letter Irish Grove W. W. Folger
Decatur . Not represented
Mt. Etna D. Markley, D. Kingery
Grand River
M. Myers
Pleasant Ridge Isaac Barto
Nishna Valley Not represented
Adair By letter
The following business came before the meeting and was considered and acted upon as herein stated :
1. Is it consistent with the Word of God for the brethren to withhold the use of their meeting houses from other denomina- tions (except for funerals) when at the same time they will secure and hold meetings in the meeting houses belonging to other de- nominations ?
Answer .- It is not consistent.
2. What will the brethren of the Southern District of Iowa say in regard to the elders ordaining brethren contrary to the deci- sion of the A. M. of 1890, Art. 16?
Answer .- Brethren doing such work shall make satisfactory acknowledgment and their work considered null and void.
The report of the Missionary Board was read and accepted, a condensed statement of which is as follows :
Amount on hand at last report $ 3.07
Received during year 20.66
Expended during year 2.97
Balance on hand 20.76
Total receipts
General District Funds $2.77
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MINUTES
Paid for A. M. minutes
2.02
Balance on hand .75
J. B. Flory, Treasurer.
Eld. John Gable was elected as our representative on Stand- ing Committee of the approaching Annual Meeting.
It was estimated that $35 would be required to defray expenses of said delegate and by the suggestion of the Mission Board a small sum was added to place in the District treasury to pay our quota of the expenses of the General Brotherhood.
It was decided to have the minutes of this meeting printed and $2.70 was given to the clerk for that purpose.
The Middle Creek church requested the District Meeting for 1892, which was granted.
The Libertyville church made a request for the meeting in 1893.
The meeting was closed with a season of thanksgiving to God for his goodness and an invocation of his blessing upon the labor performed.
Hiram Berkman, Moderator.
Geo. S. Wine, C'erk.
MINUTES OF 1892 (SPRING MEETING)
Meeting held in the Middle Creek church, Mahaska County, Iowa, March 25, 1892.
Isaac Barto, moderator; Adam Brower, reading clerk; James Glotfelty, writing clerk. The churches of the District were then called and were represented as follows by the churches :
Fairview Daniel Zook, J. W. Hawn
Libertyville James Glotfelty, Ellis Peebler
English River J. B. Flory, C. M. Brower
Crooked Creek
George Pfoutz, W. H. McMane
Middle Creek
Isaac Shelly
South Keokuk
Monroe County Lewis Miller Marion County Not represented Irish Grove . By letter
Decatur County Not represented
Mt. Etna and Grand River M. Myers
Pleasant Ridge and Nishna Valley Isaac Barto
Adair
Not represented
The business which came before the meeting was disposed of as follows :
1. When ministers are needed in a church should the officials
.. John Fesler
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HISTORY OF SOUTHERN IOWA
only be consulted, or the whole body in regard to such choice? Answer .- Decided to make no change, counsel the officials then the membership.
2. Would it not be advisable for the elders assembled at Dis- trict Meeting of 1892 to consider the need of more elders through- out the Southern District of Iowa and make arrangements to have more brethren ordained to that office?
Answer .- It is the desire of this meeting that the elders would use their influence to have brethren ordained to the eldership when- ever it can be done agreeable to the rules of the church.
5. Petition presented to change the time of holding District Meeting from spring to fall of year.
Answer .- Petition granted and the 7th day of October, 1892, was set for our next D. M., commencing at 9 o'clock A. M., on said day.
Report of District Mission Board was read and accepted, a condensed statement which is as follows :
Missionary Fund
Amount on hand at last report $20.76
Received during the year
11.65
Expended during the year 6.10
Balance on hand 26.31
General District Fund
Amount on hand at last report
Received during year 5.75
$ .75
· Expended during the year
8.74
Amount of indebtedness 2.24
It was decided to represent the District on Standing Commit- tee by delegate and Bro. Samuel Flory was elected said delegate. The clerk has been authorized to have minutes of D. M. printed and distributed among the several churches, and said expense to be paid out of the District fund.
District Treasurer, J. B. Flory, South English, Iowa.
Crooked Creek church requested District Meeting in the fall of 1892. Granted.
The present Mission Board was continued for the ensuing year, and should be addressed same as the District treasurer.
MINUTES OF 1892 (FALL MEETING)
Meeting held in the Crooked Creek church, Washington Coun- ty, Iowa, Oct. 7, 1892.
Eld. John Gable, moderator ; Abram Wolf, reading clerk; James
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MINUTES
Glotfelty, writing clerk. The churches of the District were repre- sented as follows :
Fairview .O. Ogden
Libertyville Abram Wolf, James Glotfelty
English River Henry Coffman, S. F. Brower
Crooked Creek D. P. Miller, Anthony Sanger
Middle Creek
. John Gable, Frank Gillam
South Keokuk Chas. Wonderlich, Isaac Brown
By letter
Monroe Co. Not represented
Marion Co.
By letter
South River By letter
Decatur Co.
M. Myers
Mt. Etna
Pleasant Ridge and Nishna Valley By letter
Adair
Not represented
1. A paper was read requesting this meeting to appoint and hold a Ministeral Meeting in connection with the District Meeting.
Answer .- Request granted and Abram Wolf, John Follis and Chris. Brower were appointed a committee to prepare program for said meeting.
2. If the brethren of this District Meeting think it in accord- ance with God's Word for the sisters to wear their prayer cover- ings when they are at the table, while thanks are being offered, will they ask Annual Meeting to charge the elders to frequently admonish the sisters on the subject?
Answer .- It is right to so wear the covering and paper is sent to Annual Meeting.
3. Has the Mission Board of Southern District of Iowa a right to call a minister to do mission work in said District who does not live in Southern District?
Answer .- Yes.
4. A petition from the South Keokuk church for some plan to secure more preaching for isolated churches and members.
Answer.º Left to ministers of adjoining churches and Mission Board.
5. A request by the Irish Grove church that their name be changed to South River church.
Answer .- Name changed.
6. A petition from the Crooked Creek church that a committee be appointed to confer with the Middle and Northern Districts of Iowa for the purpose of building an Old Folks' Home for mem- bers of the church in the State of Iowa.
Answer .- Petition granted and the brethren composing the Mission Board were appointed said committee.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHERN IOWA
7. Report of Mission Board was heard and approved. Said report shows Mission fund expended during the year nothing ;
Amount on hand $28.06
General District fund, on hand and received 23.05
Paid out 17.84
Leaving 5.21
District Treasurer, J. B. Flory, South English, Iowa.
The Mission Board was reorganized by reappointing A. H. Brower, president ; J. B. Flory, treasurer ; H. C. N. Coffman, secre- tary. Their address is South English, Iowa.
Eld. John Gable was chosen to represent this District on Stand- ing Committee at Annual Meeting; Eld. M. Myers as alternate.
Requests for District and Ministerial Meeting for 1893 were made by Libertyville and South River churches. Meeting was granted to South River church; same is to be held on Thursday and Friday before full moon in October, 1893. Ministerial Meeting on Thursday and District Meeting on Friday. After a season of devotion the meeting adjourned.
James Glotfelty,
John Gable, Clerk.
Moderator.
MINUTES OF 1893
Meeting held in the South River church, Madison County, Iowa, Oct. 20, 1893.
Eld. Samuel Flory, moderator; H. A. Whisler, writing clerk; Peter Brower, reading clerk. The different congregations of the Districts were represented as follows :
Fairview H. A. Whisler
Libertyville
James Glotfelty English River H. C. N. Coffman, Peter Brower Crooked Creek
Anthony Sanger Middle Creek S. P. Miller, Jno. Gable South Keokuk . By letter
Monroe Co.
Not represented Marion Co. Not represented South River W. G. Caskey, W. W. Folger Decatur Co. W. J. Stout Mt. Etna D. F. Kingery, A. F. Thomas
Pleasant Ridge .Isaac Barto
Nishna Valley Daniel Zook Adair Not represented
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MINUTES
A request was made to consolidate Pleasant Ridge and Nishna Valley churches into one church, which shall be called Nishna Valley church. Request granted.
Two papers were read requesting District Meeting to require delegates to District Meeting to be in the order of the Brethren.
Answer .- It so required and we hereafter shall appoint a com- mittee on credentials.
Inasmuch as there is some dissatisfaction in our District, owing to the fact that the sisters are restricted the order, while in some instances brethren are permitted to wear unbecoming apparel; will not this meeting instruct the church officials throughout the Dis- trict to be more careful and have the brethren, as well as the sis- ters, observe the order ?
Answer .- The paper is passed.
In answer to the queries requesting that the District Meeting adopt measures to improve the missionary work of the District : this meeting asks each local church, through its officials, to raise at least fifty cents per member for the ensuing year, and forward the same to the District treasurer to be used in missionary work in the District.
The report of the Mission Board shows that the monies on hand and received for the year amounted to $42.11
Paid out for mission work 17.86
Balance on hand 24.25
Number of sermons preached 34
Number of persons baptized
4
The Mission Board was reorganized by reappointing A. H. Brower, president; J. B. Flory, treasurer; and H. C. N. Coffman, secretary, all of South English, Iowa.
District Treasurer's Report
On hand at last report $ 5.21
On hand of levy made at D. M. 32.50
Received of a brother .25
Total 37.96
Expenses for D. M. reports 3.00
Jno. Gable, delegate on Standing Committee 20.28
7.40
Expenses for 370 A. M. minutes
30.68
Total
Balance on hand 7.28
District Treasurer, J. B. Flory, South English, Iowa.
Elders Jno. Cable and Dan'l Zook were authorized to look after the members in Page and Taylor Counties, and, if in their judg- ment they think proper, to organize said members into a church.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHERN IOWA
A motion was passed that the church in which the Ministerial Meeting for 1894 shall be held, shall appoint a committee to make out a program for said meeting. Said committee to solicit topics from the different churches, and it is the privilege and duty of the churches to send in topics to the elder of the church at the place of said meeting.
Eld. A. Wolf was chosen to represent this District on Standing Committee; Eld. Isaac Barto as alternate.
Request for District and Ministerial Meetings for 1894 was made by the Libertyville church. Request granted. Said meetings shall be held Thursday and Friday before full moon in October, 1894. Ministerial meeting on Thursday, and D. M. on Friday.
Request for D. M. for 1895 was made by Decatur County church.
After devotional exercises the meeting adjourned.
Samuel Flory, Moderator.
H. A. Whisler, Writing Clerk.
MINUTES OF 1894
Meeting held in the Libertyville church, Jefferson County, Iowa, Oct. 12, 1894.
Eld. John Gable, moderator; H. A. Whisler, writing clerk; and Peter Brower, reading clerk.
The churches were represented as follows :
Fairview H. A. Whisler, Minnie Whisler
Libertyville Wm. Glotfelty, W. Rodabaugh
English River Peter Brower, H. C. N. Coffman Crooked Creek Anthony Sanger
Middle Creek . John Gable South Keokuk Isaac Brown, F. H. Heilman
Monroe County
J. M. Follis
Marion County
Not represented
South River
W. W. Folger Franklin W. J. Stout Mt. Etna
Nishna Valley . John P. Bailey
Daniel Zook Adair Not represented
East Nodaway M. Myers
The business of the meeting was taken up and disposed of as follows :
1. A request was made that an evangelist be employed at once, or as soon as possible, to devote all or as much as pos- sible of his time to missionary work in this District, among weak
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MINUTES
churches, isolated members, and wherever an opening may be found.
Answer .- We recommend this paper to the District Mission Board, and urge that they carry it out. We also perpetuate our decision of last District Meeting, that each local church, through its officials, raise at least 50 cents per member for each ensuing year, and forward the same to the District treasurer.
2. Is it right for members, and especially ministers, to attend fairs, celebrations, etc .? And if not, what course should be taken to prevent it?
Answer .- It is not right, and members continuing to attend after being admonished different times should be dealt with as transgressors. See Tit. 3: 10; Matt. 18: 17; 1 Cor. 10: 31.
3. A request was made that a tabulated report, as below, be made yearly, and placed on the minutes, in order to ascertain the spiritual welfare of the several churches. The information for such report to be sent by each church through its delegate to District Meeting. The form to be as follows :
Number of members.
Number of Sunday-schools.
Number of ministers. Number of additions.
Number of elders. Number reclaimed.
Number of appointments. Working order of the church.
Answer .- Passed.
4. A request was made to have enough Minutes of District Meeting printed that each family in the District may have one.
Answer .- Passed.
5. Inasmuch as Annual Meeting has decided that delegates to Annual and District Meetings shall conform to the order of the church in wearing apparel, hair, etc., we petition Annual Meeting to require the same of brethren officiating at communion and preaching services.
Answer .- Passed to Annual Meeting.
6. The " Old Folks' Home Project" was voted down.
7. On motion it was decided to send a letter of greeting to the Adair church, signed in behalf of the District by the moderator and writing clerk.
8. Missionary Report :
Balance on hand, $24.25; total receipts, $167.46; total expenses, $93.69; balance on hand, $73.77. Whole number of sermons preached, 95; number baptized, 2; one reclaimed; a church organ- ized in Page County, to be called the East Nodaway church.
H. C. N. Coffman, Secretary.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHERN IOWA
9. District Treasurer's Report.
I. Receipts
On hand at last report $ 7.28
Of levy made by last District Meeting 35.00
Total $42.28
II. Expenses
For District Meeting minutes $ 3.00
Publishing "Old Folks' Home Project " 1.55
A. Wolf, delegate to Annual Meeting 28.78
Four hundred Annual Meeting minutes 8.00
Total $41.33
Balance on hand .95
District Treasurer, J. B. Flory, South English, Iowa.
10. The District Mission Board was reorganized by reëlecting A. H. Brower, president; H. C. N. Coffman, secretary, and J. B. Flory, treasurer.
11. J. B. Flory was reelected District Treasurer.
12. On motion it was decided to hold the next Ministerial and District Meetings in the Franklin church, Decatur County, Iowa, on Thursday and Friday before the first full moon in October, 1895. Ministerial Meeting on Thursday and District Meeting on Friday.
13. Eld. John Gable was elected delegate on Standing Com- mittee, and Eld. J. M. Follis alternate for 1895.
14. By request of M. Myers, letters of recommendation were granted to M. Myers and wife; also Mary Luckey and Sister Isaac Johnson.
Devotional exercises closed the meeting.
John Gable, Moderator, Peter Brower, Reading Clerk, H. A. Whisler, Writing Clerk.
MINUTES OF 1895
Meeting held in the Franklin church, Decatur County, Iowa, Sept. 27, 1895.
Eld. Abraham Wolf, moderator; Peter Brower, writing clerk; and Eld. John Follis, reading clerk.
The churches were represented as follows :
Fairview Martin Replogle
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MINUTES
Libertyville . Wm. Glotfelty, A. Wolf
English River S. F. Niswander, J. B. Flory
Crooked Creek . David Rittenhouse
Middle Creek Not represented South Keokuk John Gable
Monroe County
J. M. Follis
Marion County
.Not represented
South River W. W. Folger, Jacob Keffer
.L. M. Kob
Franklin
John P. Bailey
Mt. Etna
M. Myers
Nishna Valley
Adair
Not represented
Not represented East Nodaway
The business of the meeting was then taken up and disposed of as follows :
1. We, the Mission Board of the Southern District of Iowa, seeing it is necessary that one of them attend District Meeting in order to make a full report of work done, and means on hand, petition District Meeting to bear the expense of one of said board to District Meeting after this year.
2. The Libertyville church asks District Meeting that a mis- sionary evangelist be elected by a vote of delegates of the District Meeting. Said evangelist to be endorsed by his home church, and to spend as much time as possible in the mission work of the District, and to work under the instructions of the District Board, who are to be governed by and be responsible to District Meet- ing for work done.
3. The following was drawn up to take the place of our former tabulated report : Number of members ; number of ministers in first degree; number of ministers in second degree; number of elders; number of deacons; number of places of appointment; number of appointments ; number of appointments per month; number of evergreen Sunday-schools; number of summer Sunday-schools; number of additions by baptism; number of additions by letter ; number reclaimed. Passed.
4. The Adair church being rather inactive, not representing at District Meeting for many years, it was, on motion, decided to send them a committee of two elders and to invite Eld. J. D. Haugh- telin from the Middle District, who has the oversight of that church now. The three to labor with them, and try to get them under the oversight of an elder in this District.
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