USA > Illinois > Church of the Brethren in southern Illinois > Part 7
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CLEAR CREEK (1879-1886)
Originally a part of the Sugar Creek congregation and territory, the Clear Creek church was organized as a separate congregation in 1879. A record of the organiza- tion was reported in the Brethren at Work, April 10, 1879, under the signature of Daniel Vaniman.
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On Saturday, March 22nd, quite a number of brethren and sisters from various churches met in council with the brethren and sisters in Christian county, Illinois, formerly members of the Sugar Creek congregation. Finding them all in love and union with each other and the members of the Sugar Creek church, it was thought good to organize them into a church, which was accordingly done; after which they held a choice for deacon, the lot falling on brother Thomas Crower . ... Brother Benjamin B. Whitmer was also ordained to the full ministry, and now has full oversight of this church, which they named Clear Creek church. Their membership numbers at present, forty-three, Brother Benjamin being their only minister, with two deacons as help.
The year following the organization, on September 14, 1880, Isaac H. Crist was elected to the ministry with Elder A. S. Leer presiding at the installation. A love feast was held in a tent on the twenty-third of September 1880; four were baptized in the South Fork River. In 1881 the mem- bership census report lists a membership of forty. The name, Clear Creek, appears on the minutes of district meet- ing until 1886, when Elder M. J. McClure was delegate; but there is no record of representation after that date and no records of disorganization have been found.
LORAINE (1880-1901)
In the vicinity of Loraine, some twenty miles north of Liberty, the Mill Creek church held meetings as early as 1875, when Henry Strickler, then living near Loraine, was baptized and elected to the ministry. In 1877 Elders Joseph Hendricks, David Wolfe, Daniel Vaniman and H. W. Strick- ler conducted a series of meetings at Loraine with some accessions to the church. The first communion meeting ever held by the Brethren in that part of the country was held on June 1, 1878, in the barn of Henry Strickler, with eighteen members communing. Brother John Wolfe report- ed that meeting in the Brethren at Work of June 13, 1878,
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and commented on the best of order, "better than I had ever witnessed; the audience being so attentive that not a whisper was heard during the entire evening."
A more detailed description of a communion service of those early times was written by H. W. Strickler for the Brethren at Work, May 22 of the following year, 1879. We quote:
Our communion meeting is among the things of the past; and much has been said by anxious seekers and curious minds. According to previous arrangements Brother Daniel Vaniman of Virden, Ill., was sent for ... also Brother Jacob Brubaker of the same place. They arrived here on Friday evening, the second of May. Brother David Wolfe and I met them at the train and conveyed them to the place of meeting, which was prepared in the writer's barn. By early lamp light quite a congregation had assembled. Brother Daniel delivered an able discourse from Matt. 7: 21.
On the day following, Brother A. G. Black and J. K. Meyers of Macedonia County, and Brother William R. Lierly of Liberty, Adams County, came to our assistance. Saturday evening, long be- fore night, the friends and neighbors began to gather in. Soon the barn, which was 40 by 50 feet, was full and many had to re- main outside. After singing a few verses, Brother Meyers took for a text, Heb. 2:3 .... He spoke about half an hour after which Brother Vaniman took a reasonable time on the subject.
Sunday morning, at half past ten, the barn was filled and many stood outside. Brother Vaniman preached . .. . After preaching, five precious souls came forward and received the regular charge usually given to applicants. Immediately after, we all retired to the beautiful stream, Beaver Creek, where they were buried with Christ in baptism .
Sunday evening at half past four o'clock, we gathered around the table once more to commemorate the death and suffering of our Savior. Brother Black addressed the brethren and sisters on self-examination. There were seven at the table who had never before enjoyed the privilege,
It was on December 2, 1880, that a church organization was effected with the presence of Elders Daniel Vaniman and John Metzger, John Wise and John Y. Snavely. By unanimous consent, Brother Louis Pittman was elected deacon and installed into office. Brother H. W. Strickler
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was ordained to the full ministry and the little flock of fourteen members, now known as the Loraine church, was committed to his care and oversight. This new organiza- tion was made up of members from the northern part of Adams County and those in Hancock County. On the eve- ning of the day they were organized, they met in the cellar of the place of meeting for a communion service. Since there was no church house, Brother Strickler set out to build one. The brethren were solicited and three hundred fifty dollars were raised. Three lots were purchased in the village. Dur- ing the winter months H. W. Strickler with his farm hands quarried and hauled rocks and sand for a foundation. In April 1881 he began building, putting up the entire structure alone. The house when completed cost one thousand, one hundred twenty-five dollars, including lights and seats. On November 16, 1882, the house was dedicated by Elder D. B. Sturgis.
In 1881 a Sunday school was organized and continued throughout the entire year, evergreen. In 1882 the little congregation was strengthened by Brother Robert Atchison's moving into their territory. In 1883 Brother B. H. Strickler was elected to the ministry; also two deacons, B. W. Rob- ertson and James Wade, were elected.
It is of interest that the Loraine church organized a branch of Foreign and Domestic Missionary help in the year 1884.1 It was in 1878 that Brother I. M. Gibson held a seven- day debate with Elder T. M. Mendon, the representative of the Christian (or Campbellite) Church.
In the Loraine church correspondence in the Gospel Messenger of March 18, 1890, appeared the interesting ac- count of an unusual baptism:
At the meeting referred to, friend David Cord felt much con- victed. He went home to meditate on what he had heard. The next evening he intended to make application for baptism, but
1 Gospel Messenger, July 8, 1884
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suddenly took sick. From that time on he was much under the treatment of the most skilled physicians, and attended carefully by nurses . ... He was determined to be baptized . . . . Today, Feb. 27th, we carried him out into the yard where a tank had been prepared for the purpose of performing the rite of baptism. He was then baptized, according to the great commission, in the presence of friends and neighbors. Notwithstanding the sleet and snow that made the day the most disagreeable one of the winter, he stood it nobly. Since the baptism he delights in telling his neigh- bors of the great joy he now experiences.
Elders who served in the Loraine church were: H. W. Strickler, D. B. Gibson, George W. Cripe, and M. J. McClure. In 1899 the church came under the care of the elders of the district until the membership was absorbed into the Liberty church, of which it was originally a part. It was disorganized in July 1901.
PIGEON CREEK-now OAK GROVE (1881-)
An account of the history of the Pigeon Creek church is included in Brethren in Northern Illinois and Wisconsin, as Pigeon Creek was for some time an outpost and mission point of the District of Northern Illinois and Wisconsin.
The first Brethren family to settle in the vicinity of Pigeon Creek was that of Isaac Carter and wife of North Carolina, who located about seven miles south of Lacon in Marshall County. The District of Northern Illinois and Wisconsin was concerned with mission work in that locality and arranged for ministers to preach there at various times; the district meeting of 1877 arranged for Lemuel Hillery to spend one year in the work there. During that time four- teen were baptized. H. C. Long reported in the Brethren at Work of May 23, 1878, that Hillery was so well liked that all the members requested his return to labor with them, saying that although they had but little money they pledged themselves to do all they could to help in the work. They
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had continued the social meetings which he had organized for them.
The following year, C. S. Holsinger sent an interesting report to the Primitive Christian of October 28, 1879;
The brethren in the Pigeon Creek congregation met in council the third of this month, to make arrangements for the love feast, which was held the next day. Among other things, they made arrangements to hold preaching at three different points, from fourteen to twenty-one miles apart. The meeting passed off with the best of feeling.
The next day we met for preaching at ten o'clock. In the evening people gathered in from all directions to see the ordinances of the Lord's house practiced, which were new to most of the people in this place. Brother Daniel Deardorff, from Lee County, officiated. The next day was the Sabbath. There was a large congregation.
After meeting, it was announced that baptism would be administered in Crown Creek, about five miles distant. Almost the entire congregation went to see a mother and two daughters buried with Christ in baptism .. . .
. The tent in which we held our meetings belongs to J. R. Gish. It makes a very comfortable place in which to hold meetings.
The Pigeon Creek church was organized in 1881, with thirteen charter members; Mr. and Mrs. Bernhardt Braun, Brother Fike, Mrs. Isaac Carter, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Long, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Holman, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Henry, Mr. and Mrs. John Lewis and Maria Calvert.
Brother James R. Gish gave most of the money for building the first church house in 1881, a building located seven miles south of Lacon. Evidently it did not prove satisfactory for long, as it was later sold for a dwelling. Then, on an acre of land donated by Michael Wagner from his farm, a second church house was built in 1883, as re- ported by C. S. Holsinger in the Gospel Messenger of Oc- tober 30, 1883: "Our new meeting house, just across the line in Woodford County, is now completed. The name of the house is Oak Grove. . .. The dedicatory sermon was delivered by Brother John Harshbarger, October 14th." The
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OAK GROVE CHURCH
churches of Northern Illinois contributed two hundred forty- two dollars and twenty cents toward this new meeting- house, as for some years Pigeon Creek had been one of their mission points.
A love feast was held on the evening of October 18, when about forty members communed. On that occasion, "two sermons were preached in the German language for the benefit of some living near the church, who are friends of the cause."1
The new location of the meeting place was across the line in the District of Southern Illinois, where most of the members of the congregation lived; the northern district withdrew in 1893 and since that time this church has been a part of the District of Southern Illinois.
No extant church records are available before 1894, but we know that in April of that year the Pigeon Creek church had organized the first Sunday school. Christian Workers' meeting started in 1908 and a young people's organization
1 Gospel Messenger, November 20, 1893
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began in 1926. Much interest was taken in these meetings, which were a means of spiritual growth.
M. A. Whisler moved to this church in 1926 and has done most of the preaching since that time when the mem- bership numbered thirty-five; at present the membership has reached one hundred eight.
The second church building was burned to the ground on June 6, 1939. That summer a new modern building, thirty-two by forty-eight feet, was erected on the same site, and was dedicated on December 17, 1939. The dedi- catory sermon was preached by Elder Otho Winger.
Ten acres of land adjoining the church lot on the west were purchased in 1941. The church intends to build a par- sonage on it at some later date.
The ladies' aid began work in 1924 and have an inter- esting mission study program in connection with their regu- lar work meetings. Since the men's work organized in 1938 they have done much in improving the church and its surroundings. The church has given liberal cash offerings and donated five heifers for relief.
The Oak Grove church has licensed five ministers: J. H. Hardman, 1928; Ora Moreland, 1928; Arthur Whisler, 1931; William Hare, 1931; and Katherine Hare, 1948.
Elders-in-charge of this church have been: James R. Gish, C. S. Holsinger, Daniel Hershey, Samuel Henry, Sol- omon Bucklew, J. W. Switzer, S. W. Garber, D. J. Blicken- staff, D. E. Eshelman and M. A. Whisler.
These ministers have worked in the congregation: Samuel Henry, C. S. Holsinger, M. A. Whisler, J. H. Hard- man, Ora Moreland, Arthur Whisler, William Hare, Oscar Wagner, J. H. Baker, Ervin Weaver, Jesse Cook, Daniel Funderburg, J. D. Keyser, and Gladden Mathis.
"The Oak Grove church . .. is locally known as the
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Bricktown church. In 1853 a brick kiln and tile shed had been established in that community and provided work for a number of the early settlers."1
WOODLAND (1881-)
The early history of the Woodland church is that of the Astoria church, as the two were in combined ter- ritory until 1881, when a division of territory was made, after which the east part with sixty-five members was called the Woodland church.
The original church house, built two miles east of Astoria, was their place of worship. In 1883 it was enlarged
OLD WOODLAND CHURCH
and a basement was made. Another house of worship was built in 1887, five miles north of the Woodland church house and three miles south of Ipava. This was known as the Mt. Pleasant house. Church services and Sunday school were held there for many years; but with the coming of
1 "History of the Oak Grove Church of Southern Illinois," by Mrs. M. A. Whisler, in Schwarzenau, Volume I, Number 3, page 22
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automobiles as a better means of transportation, the work at the Mt. Pleasant house was discontinued and the building was sold.
D. E. Eshelman, Cyrus Bucher, and I. M. Switzer planned and helped to organize a Sunday school at the Mulberry schoolhouse in 1887. I. M. Switzer was superintendent and there were forty-five present at the first meeting. The fol- lowing year it was moved to the church, although with some opposition. The Sunday school continued to grow as the church membership had grown.
D. E. Eshelman wrote in the Brethren at Work, March 4, 1882: "Twenty-five . . . have united with the Wood- land church in a little over a month." In 1890 there were one hundred thirty-five members; in 1895, one hundred seventy-five; and at present, around two hundred.
WOODLAND CHURCH
In 1911 the church building was replaced by a new church house, which was dedicated by E. F. Sherfy.
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A ladies' aid was authorized by the church in 1898, became more established in 1908, and has contributed much to the local church program and to missions. The young people's organization has been active since the early twen- ties, with a variety of programs, inspirational and social. Men's work was organized in 1936 and each year has car- ried out definite plans for the local work or for relief. Through this organization the men have contributed a half- carload of wheat for relief, sponsored a God's Acre project and helped with local expenses.
Beginning in 1922, with the exception of one year, there is a continuous record of twenty-six years of daily vacation Bible schools sponsored by Sunday-school classes.
Elders of the Woodland church have been: Jesse Dan- ner, S. D. Hamm, D. E. Price, Conrad Fitz, J. H. Baker, M. Flory, C. Bucher, Charles Roddis, J. W. Lear, S. G. Bucher, Charles Walters, W. H. Shull, E. F. Caslow, E. O. Norris, J. J. Johnson, I. J. Gibson, Lester Fike and J. W. Smeltzer.
The following ministers and pastors have served the Woodland church: Jesse Danner, S. D. Hamm, Henry Dan- ner, P. Burgart, Jonas Beck, Theodore Price, Conrad Fitz, J. H. Baker, Charles Roddis, S. G. Bucher, D. E. Eshelman, Charles Walters, S. Senger, Uriah Brillhart, Clinton Kesler, I. J. Gibson, Max Hartsough, W. A. Deardorff, Lester Fike, E. F. Sherfy, Harold Miller and Albert Whitmore.
CONCORD (1881-1908)
The Concord church, five miles south of Clayton, in Adams County, Illinois, was a part of the Mill Creek church before it was divided into Barry, Liberty, Concord and Lo- raine, as recorded in the Brethren at Work, September 28, 1880. Previous to this time, Concord had been a preaching
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point and in 1879 Elder Daniel Vaniman, one of the evan- gelists of the District of Southern Illinois, had preached several sermons there and baptized three.
A church meeting was appointed at Concord for March 12, 1881, with a view of organizing a new church within the limits of the Mill Creek church. The organization was re- ported by Elder Daniel Vaniman in the Brethren at Work, March 22, 1881, as follows:
On Saturday, March 12, I met Elder John Metzger of Cerro Gordo, and this little band of members, who are scattered in Brown and Adams counties, at Concord in council. By their unanimous consent they were organized into a separate church. The organization was named Concord church. J. F. Neher, a deacon, formerly of Salem, Illinois, was elected to the ministry and installed. Robert Atchison and John F. Neher are ministers and William Choring is a deacon. In all there are about thirty members.
Concord was placed in charge of Elder Daniel Vaniman at the time of organization. He was followed by Elder G. W. Cripe and Elder D. M. Brubaker. In the district meeting minutes Concord is listed from 1881 to 1908; the church was represented occasionally at district meeting by delegate or by letter. The membership decreased in numbers until, at the request of the congregation, the Concord church was disorganized on December 10, 1908.
HADLEY CREEK-BARRY (1881-1898)
"In the year 1834, Daniel Clingensmith moved from Capejerardau County, Missouri to Hadley Creek township, Pike Co., Illinois and in 1835 Brother Daniel died. This was the first death of any white person in Hadley Creek town- ship. About this time, other brethren moved in. This was the beginning of the Hadley Creek church." This account was compiled by H. W. Strickler from the diary of John
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Clingensmith. From the same source we learn that John Clingensmith was baptized in Pike County, Illinois, in 1842, chosen to the office of deacon two years later and on Oc- tober 24, 1874, was forwarded to the ministry.1
Some time before the organization of the Hadley Creek church, evangelists of the District of Southern Illinois preached at Barry in Pike County. John Wolfe in the Primitive Christian and Pilgrim told of Joseph Hendricks and David Wolfe holding meetings in January of 1878. In that same year, Daniel Vaniman went to Barry about the first of December and preached seven sermons, with one accession. By the time of organization Brethren Jacob and Peter Weigle and Jacob Moomaw were in the community. The following account of the organization appears in the Primitive Christian, June 7, 1881, written by H. W. Strickler:
The brethren and sisters in Pike County, Illinois met in council at their new meeting-house near Hadley Creek, and under the super- vision of Elder Daniel Vaniman assisted by Elder H. W. Strickler, organized a new congregation. They were formerly a part of the Mill Creek church. They have one minister, two deacons, and twenty-five members in all. They gave the new church the name of Hadley Creek.
On the sixth of December 1882 John Clingensmith was ordained to the eldership by Elders Daniel Vaniman and H. W. Strickler; in 1883 there were eighteen members in the Hadley Creek church under his care. A Sunday school was organized in 1885. The church usually held an annual communion meeting with visiting members present. Of special note in the Gospel Messenger of September 23, 1884, was an account of Elder John Metzger coming a hundred thirty-seven miles to preach for them, continuing meetings for several evenings. One of his sermons lasted for an hour and a half.
Although small in membership, the Hadley Creek church got along well until their elder, John Clingensmith,
1 Family Almanac, 1890. Page 721
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died in 1888. In their council meeting of August 18, 1888, they unitedly requested the missionary board to send them a minister to hold a series of meetings and to revive and strengthen them. The church was much weakened by emi- gration and in 1898 the remaining members were transferred to the Liberty congregation.1
Elders who served the Hadley Creek church were: David Wolfe, John Clingensmith, H. W. Strickler, and George W. Cripe.
The largest membership numbered twenty-five; the Sunday school at one time reached an average attendance of fifty.
SOUTH FORK (1882-1890)
The South Fork church was located in Christian County near Edinburgh. In the spring of 1882 Elders John Metzger and A. S. Leer held meetings there and organized a church. Benjamin F. Overton reported in the Brethren at Work of November 28, 1882:
This church was organized Feb. last by electing Bro. Charles Cullenberger to the ministry and Bro. Thomas Matthews to the office of deacon. There were fourteen members when the church was organized. Since then we have been having regular meetings once a month and sometimes twice. Oct. 7 we had our first communion. One made application to be received into the church .
Brother Overton's account also stated that Brother A. S. Leer was present at the council meeting on November 16, held a few meetings and baptized three. The church at that time was under the care of Abraham Peters and A. S. Leer of the Bear Creek church in Christian County. The
1 In the Compiled Minutes and History of the Church of the Brethren in Southern Illinois, page 13, is a statement that the membership was transferred to Liberty "about 1894." But the name of the Hadley Creek church appears on the district meeting minutes until 1898, with a membership of eight.
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following year, 1883, Elder Peters resigned the care of the church on account of his advanced age and Elder B. B. Whitmer was chosen elder-in-charge. The South Fork church was last represented at district meeting in 1889, by David Frantz, who was then elder. The church was dis- organized in 1890.
MT. VERNON-now PLEASANT GROVE (1882-)
A number of Brethren families settled in Jefferson County before 1879, when, by the request of the few mem- bers there, T. K. Buck made an appeal in the Primitive Christian and Pilgrim, May 6, 1879, for Brethren in the East to see the country in Jefferson County before going farther west. He said that they "very much stand in need of a minister" as the nearest organized Church of the Breth- ren was about thirty miles distant. The following year he wrote in the Brethren at Work, July 20, 1880, that the pros- pects of the Brethren in Jefferson County were brightening and they expected that by fall of that year there would be enough members in that locality to organize a church. In 1880 Elders John Metzger and John Wise visited with and held meetings for the Jefferson County members and thought prospects good for building up a church there.
Elder John Metzger gave an account of the organiza- tion of the Mt. Vernon church, in the Brethren at Work, November 21, 1882, as follows:
David Frantz and myself boarded the train the 10th ult., for Jefferson Co., Ill. to visit the brethren and sisters at Mt. Vernon. Found them all to be in love and union. On Saturday we met the members there in council . .. to ascertain if the members were in favor of electing a minister and organizing a church at Mt. Vernon . . . . All said, yes. No dissenting voice was heard, a choice was held, the lot falling on Bro. David F. Eby. He is now their minister
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At early candlelighting time they enjoyed their first communion service in that county. Meetings were well at- tended. At that time they had one deacon. In June 1884 Elder Jacob Hauger and wife from Milledgeville, Illinois, moved into the congregation of twenty members. Oliver Z. Hicks was elected to the ministry during that year.
A church building was purchased in 1887 and during that summer was repaired and made ready for use, partly through funds from other churches; from Hatfield, Penn- sylvania, came a gift of two hundred dollars which almost cleared the building of debt. In 1887 a Sunday school was organized.
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