USA > Illinois > Church of the Brethren in southern Illinois > Part 9
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Elders-in-charge of the Decatur church have been: George W. Miller, J. W. Lear, J. W. Grater, D. J. Blicken- staff, G. O. Stutsman, I. D. Heckman, N. H. Miller, W. T. Heckman, Merlin Garber and Wilbur Bantz.
There is a dwelling house on the church lot; it was formerly occupied by the janitor and now is used for Sun-
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day school and other meetings. In 1942 a parsonage was bought at 431 Grand Avenue, almost directly across the street from the church.
The women organized for work about 1910 and have kept this organization contin- uously, at times with very good results. The men have been organized since 1937 and have helped much in the church program. The CBYF has regular programs on Sun- DECATUR PARSONAGE day evenings and holds monthly fellowship gather- ings. A boys' fellowship club helps the delinquent problem.
The present membership of the Decatur church is two hundred ninety-seven.
VIRDEN (1912-)
After the Pleasant Hill church territory was divided in 1912 the north part was organized on July 9, 1912, as the Virden church, with about one hundred twenty-five charter members. J. H. Brubaker was chosen elder and he had the help of three ministers, Jonathan Brubaker, E. H. Brubaker and James Wirt.
Three lots were purchased on West Dean Street in Vir- den, where a modern brick church was built; J. W. Lear gave the dedicatory address on June 15, 1913. In 1921 the home of Mary Ann Brubaker, just east of the church, was purchased for a parsonage. Two ministers were elected in the Virden church: Paul Gibbel in 1917, and John Master- son in 1926.
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VIRDEN CHURCH
Elders-in-charge have been: J. H. Brubaker, W. H. Shull, H. B. Martin, E. H. Brubaker, E. F. Caslow, I. Clifford Paul and David Fouts.
Pastors serving the Virden church have been: D. F. Warner, William Haynes, H. B. Martin, E. F. Caslow, I. Clifford Paul, David Fouts, Paul Kendall, and Ernest Bow- man.
The church has a full program of age-group activities. The ladies' aid was organized in 1912; the name was changed to missionary and aid society in 1925; and the plan outlined by Annual Conference, known as the women's work organi- zation, was adopted in 1931. They supported Leah Ruth Ebey, daughter of Brother and Sister Adam Ebey, missionaries to India, for twelve years and gave half-support for Sister Alice Ebey in 1921. The church has given half-support for Dr. Laura Cottrell in India. Two missionaries have gone from the Virden church-Chalmer Shull to India and Dr.
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Paul Gibbel to Nigeria. In support of Brethren service and relief the church raised money for a carload of corn and gave six heifers.
Recently a Hammond organ and sound projector have been installed, which contribute much to the worship and educational program of the church. A loud speaker, which plays chimes and other records for the community, has been added.
GIRARD (1912-)
The Girard church territory is the south part of what was the Pleasant Hill church until it was divided in 1912, the membership of each part, Virden and Girard, being about one hundred twenty-five members.
GIRARD CHURCH
In the early 1890's the Brethren began a Sunday school in the Primitive Baptist church house in Girard. Soon
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after this, preaching was held once or twice each month. The work kept growing and the place of meeting was soon too small; the Universalist church was rented but it, too, was soon filled to capacity and larger quarters were needed. In 1900 the Christian church building was offered for sale and was bought and moved to the present location on Fifth and Washington streets. The congregation continued to grow and in 1905 or 1906 the house was enlarged by adding a wing to the entire north side of the building. So, at the time of its organization, the Girard church had a good church building and an active working congregation. A new parsonage was built on the church property in 1947.
These brethren have been elders-in-charge of the church: Michael Flory, I. J. Harshbarger, W. H. Shull, W. A. Deardorff, E. F. Caslow, Leland Nelson and A. P. Mussel- man.
The home ministers have been: Cullen Gibson, D. B.
GIRARD PARSONAGE
Gibson, Michael Flory, Moses Smeltzer, W. H. Shull, G. O. Stutsman, Charles Harshbarger, I. J. Harshbarger, I. J. Gib- son, Paul Bechtold, W. A. Deardorff and Dewey B. Cave.
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G. O. Stutsman, Charles Harshbarger, Irvin Gibson and Paul Bechtold were elected to the ministry in this congre- gation.
The following have served as pastors of this church: D. W. Shock, O. F. Shaw, C. W. Wright, A. L. Sellers, A. R. Coffman, Earl Bowser, Kenneth Bechtel, C. H. Albright, Leland Nelson and A. P. Musselman.
From the time of its organization the Girard church has always been strong in numbers; the present membership is one hundred seventy-seven. The women's council meets regularly for missionary and homebuilders programs and supports the different phases of the district women's work program.
Lucile Gibson Heckman, whose home was in this con- gregation, is on the mission field in Nigeria.
CHAMPAIGN (1915-)
The city of Champaign was originally considered a part of the Blue Ridge church territory. The Champaign First Church of the Brethren had its beginning about 1901, when . Charles A. Lewis, a minister, and his family moved from Farmer City, Illinois, to Champaign and began to look for members of the Church of the Brethren. After some time he and Brother William Roney found a place for public worship on the second floor of a store building on West Main Street in Urbana. There they were assisted by John Barnhart of Mansfield. About fifteen persons were in at- tendance at their first meeting. Later they arranged to meet for services in a schoolhouse on the east side of Urbana, where they met regularly for some time and G. O. Stutsman assisted in a two weeks' series of meetings.
It was in 1912 that Brother Lewis approached the dis-
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trict mission board asking it to assist in starting new work in the north part of Champaign. A tent was erected on the site where the church now stands, at 1203 Market Street;
CHAMPAIGN CHURCH
here several meetings were conducted with J. W. Lear and W. T. Heckman in charge. Excellent interest was aroused, and there were fifteen accessions. A strong desire was expressed for continuing the work with the idea of permanency. During 1913, with C. A. Lewis as pastor, serv- ices were held in a private house near where the tent meet- ings had been held. Also during that year a splendid church building was erected, and Elder J. W. Lear preached the dedicatory sermon on January 4, 1914.
This was followed by a series of meetings by J. W. Lear, which resulted in several baptisms-twenty in all during that year. Then C. A. Lewis resigned as pastor and Rolland Leatherman of Bethany Bible School was secured as pastor in 1914. A prosperous year followed, with twenty-nine
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added by baptism. On August 22, 1915, the Champaign church was organized with seventy-five charter members and Elder W. T. Heckman as elder-in-charge; Rolland Leath- erman continued as pastor.
An interesting Sunday school was carried on with an average attendance of eighty-four. After Brother Leather- man closed his pastorate, August 1, 1917, Minna Heckman moved to Champaign and helped in the work until Elder J. W. Kitson came as pastor in February 1918.
During the pastorate of J. W. Kitson, a new eight-room parsonage was built adjacent to the church. The previous year improvements had been made on the church build- ing; Sunday-school rooms and new seats in the sanctuary had been added. After Elder Kitson closed four years of successful work as pastor, there was a period of about a year and a half when there was no resident pastor. Dur- ing that time several minis- ters, Jesse Cook, Albert Smith and John Blough, served for CHAMPAIGN PARSONAGE brief periods. Then, on Janu- ary 1, 1925, E. O. Norris came as pastor, at a time of real need for reviving and spiritualiz- ing the work in the church; he was quite successful and continued as pastor for about three years. The pulpit then was supplied by John Ellis, a student in Bethany Biblical Seminary. Much credit is due W. W. Peters for his valued services while he was a graduate student in the University of Illinois. Then Clarence Albright of Decatur served as pastor for about a year.
It was in 1934 that Merlin Garber of Virginia came to
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Champaign and at once was very active as pastor and evan- gelist. The church has grown until the membership num- bers three hundred twenty-one, the largest in the District of Southern Illinois.
Robert Richards and Rolland Walters have been li- censed and ordained to the ministry.
A new entrance has been added to the church build- ing and a pipe organ installed. During the past year nearly a hundred dollars has been raised each Sunday to cover the general budget of the church. During Brother Garber's pastorate a lot was secured and a building fund has reached such proportions that a new church house is contemplated for the near future. Mention must also be made of the splendid and valuable gifts to the Champaign church by a family of isolated members, C. L. Strong and wife of Homer, Illinois.
DRAWING OF NEW CHURCH, CHAMPAIGN
The following have been elders-in-charge of the Cham- paign church: W. T. Heckman, G. W. Miller, J. W. Kitson, E. O. Norris, W. W. Peters and Wilbur Bantz.
A ladies' aid was organized in 1914; it later merged with the missionary society and the new organization be-
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came the women's mission work with an attendance of from twenty to twenty-five. Men's work was organized in 1942. CBYF activities include relief projects and assistance in public worship services for the congregation. The Cham- paign church is doing much work for relief.
In June 1949 Merlin Garber ended a fifteen-year pastor- ate; Robert Richards served during the summer. On Sep- tember 1, Neils Esbensen became the full-time pastor. On February 26, 1950, ground was broken for the new church at the corner of Neil and Garwood Streets.
SPRINGFIELD (1922-)
The Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren was held in Springfield in 1906 and was followed by a Bible institute conducted by Brethren E. B. Hoff and A. C. Wie- and of Bethany Biblical Seminary. The district mission board thought it an opportune time to open up mission work in Springfield. The first mission workers were Alma Crouse and Myrtle Watson, who took charge of a mission house in the north part of the city, where they conducted a Sun- day school and where various ministers from surrounding Brethren congregations held preaching services.
In October of 1906 the district mission board purchased a two-story dwelling near the mission house. This was used as a new mission home; here Sunday school and two preaching services were held each Sunday, and a midweek prayer meeting was conducted each week.
For a few years some progress was made under the direction of Salome Yordy, followed by Brother and Sister B. F. Heckman, who conducted a series of meetings in the summer of 1908. The work continued until 1910. Six had been baptized. But without a pastor or a church house, and
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with some members moving away and various discouraging conditions existing, the work was closed for a time.
In September 1920 a three weeks' tent meeting was held by W. T. Heckman and Jesse Shull and wife; Etta Haynes and Fannie Bucher were also helping. Soon a place was se- cured where work was continued by Etta Haynes and Lora Wagner. A Sunday school was again organized and regular preaching services were held. An aid society was organized in the home of Sarah Glenwright; also a mothers and daugh- ters organization. In June 1921 Brother Jesse Shull and wife took up pastoral work there. A house was purchased for a parsonage, which was also used for Sunday school and church services.
SPRINGFIELD CHURCH
In 1921-1922 a modern church building was erected at 2115 South Yale Boulevard. The first services were held in the church basement on February 5, 1922, and the completed church was dedicated on May 7, 1922, by J. W. Lear.
In October of that year Brother Moyne Landis held a
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successful revival, with thirteen accessions. On Sunday, No- vember 5, 1922, the Springfield church was organized with fifty charter members; W. T. Heckman was chosen elder. Jesse Shull continued as pastor until 1926 and has been succeeded by the following pastors: Russell A. Sherman, Allie Eisenbise, Earl Breon, Walter Sell, Roy Brady, Ralph Finnell, Galen Lehman, Russell Wenger, and Leland Emrick.
The church records prior to 1926 are lost. In 1948 the church membership was one hundred ninety-four, with an average attendance at Sunday school of eighty-six, and an average attendance at vacation church school of sixty-two. The eighty-fourth district meeting of Southern Illinois was held in the Springfield church in 1947.
Elders-in-charge have been: W. T. Heckman, Earl Bre- on, E. F. Caslow, Galen Lehman, R. C. Wenger, Leland Nel- son and Leland Emrick.
BECON CREEK, BUCKHART, BUFFALO, AND TAZEWELL
Becon Creek, Buckhart, Buffalo and Tazewell are listed as congregations in the district meeting minutes, but we have no information about their organization or disorganiza- tion. Becon Creek is listed but once, in 1876, but was not represented. Buckhart is listed from 1870 to 1876; it was represented in 1873 by John Shick, and in 1874 by John Metzger. The name, Tazewell, appears from 1874 to 1877, but with no representation. Buffalo is listed from 1871 to 1873, but with no representation; it was located in La Salle County, outside the District of Southern Illinois.
PEORIA (1948-)
Located within the territory of the Oak Grove church is Peoria, Illinois, where Elder J. Frank Myers held some
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meetings prior to September 1937, when the few resident members requested the board of administration to assume management of the work. Elder Myers had then moved to Iowa and they were without a resident minister, although they continued with Sunday school and regular preaching
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PEORIA CHURCH
services. In 1945 the committee appointed by the board of administration, working with the General Mission Board, secured J. Calvin Bright to serve as pastor.
The first church service by Brother Bright was held in the home of Raymond Shultz on May 20, 1945, with fourteen present. Then for more than a year services were held in a store building. At the corner of West Wilson Street and Illinois Avenue a lot was purchased, but because of build- ing restrictions a temporary church building was erected by donated labor of the local church members and men of the district; it was dedicated February 16, 1947. Later an addi-
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tion was built to make room for Sunday-school classes.
J. Calvin Bright terminated his pastorate on May 1, 1947, to serve as a missionary in China. Lorrel Eikenberry was then secured as pastor.
The membership was officially organized as the Peoria church on June 6, 1948, by Elders M. A. Whisler and Dewey Cave. Letters were read and accepted for the forty-two charter members. At that time three deacons were elected. Elder M. A. Whisler was chosen elder-in-charge. Donald P. Shultz has been licensed to the ministry.
Women's work was organized on November 28, 1947; men's work was organized in January 1948. Both groups have been active in local and in district projects. An active CBYF has functioned since the time of the church organi- zation. Vacation schools are held annually.
Institutions and Organizations
ANNUAL MEETINGS
Yearly meetings of the Church of the Brethren grew out of an attempt to unify the Brethren and to strengthen them to withstand outside influences, as well as to give unified direction to the church. In 1741 Count Zinzendorf came to America with hopes of uniting the various Christian com- munities of German background through synods or confer- ences in Pennsylvania. At the first of these gatherings of more than fifty persons, five were Brethren. Other such meetings followed, but it seemed that the ideal of unity was then impossible. At the third conference, which was held in Germantown in February 1742, three Indians were re- ceived into the church by sprinkling; because of this, the immersionists withdrew, among them the Brethren, led by George Adam Martin. That same year what may be called the first Annual Meeting of the Brethren was held in the Coventry congregation. At that time the "Tunkers" de- termined to hold yearly meetings, although we have no minutes of such meetings until 1778.
Three Annual Meetings have been held in the District of Southern Illinois: near Girard in 1874; in Decatur, 1895; and in Springfield, 1906.
Girard, 1874
The Annual Meeting of 1874 was held about one mile north of Girard, on the farm of Joseph Filbrun. Railroad accommodations were excellent; a station with a large plat- form was built and named the Filbrun station. Temporary
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telegraph and post offices were established. Space for as- sembly was furnished by a tent, sixty by two hundred ten feet, which was attached to the barn, giving an additional fifty feet of space; one end of the tent was used as a dining hall.
From wells back of the tent, water was pumped by "western windmills" to convenient places on the grounds. A twenty-acre field used for parking wagons and horses was filled on Sunday and an adjoining field was also used. On Sunday the immense crowd was estimated at from eight to twelve thousand. "By request and contrary to established regulations, services were held in the barn and at the house as well as in the tent."1 One half of the number in attendance on Sunday were furnished with two free meals. During the five days of the meeting no charge was made for meals or lodging; the houses and barns for miles around were used as lodging places.
The business meeting began on Monday morning and continued until Tuesday evening, two sessions of about four hours each being held each day. Henry Davy was the moder- ator of the meeting, Enoch Eby, reading clerk, and James Quinter, writing clerk. It was decided to publish a synoptic rather than a full report of the business meeting, and ar- rangements were made for a compilation of the minutes of previous conferences. Other matters of discussion were col- legiate education, owning of musical instruments, joining farmers' clubs, and engaging in banking. Editorial comment in the Pilgrim, June 16, 1874, stated:
The subject matter before the meeting was not what we thought it should have been. Neither were the conclusions al- together in harmony with our views. But perhaps it was the best that could have been done under the circumstances .... On the whole the deliberations passed off rather pleasantly, in only a few cases giving room for excitable discussions
There is one thing which we much enjoy, with many others,
1 Weekly Pilgrim, June 16, 1874. Pages 188-189
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the association of kindred spirits. It is on these occasions that we meet from all parts of our great brotherhood. Distance, customs, and different stations of life are all left behind and we meet as one common family . . .
Following are excerpts from a newspaper report of this Annual Meeting.
The National Conference of Dunkards went into business session at Girard, Ill., on Tuesday and adjourned on Wednesday. The first question considered was the propriety of having the con- ference published, giving the nature of the discussion and the names of the disputants. This was warmly discussed, some contending for the liberty of the press, while others were opposed to anything more than a synopsis without name being given, believing a full report would be calculated to create discord among the brother- hood, and exhibit a degree of pride on the part of the Conference that would be unscriptural and dangerous. A majority were not in favor of departing from primitive customs, and only a synoptic report will be published.
It was then decided to send out ministers on missionary work to preach the doctrine of peace to the nations.
A question was presented to have the old minutes of the previous Conference compiled and published, which was granted and a special committee appointed on the subject.
A long discussion then took place on the proper manner of wearing the beard, and it was then decided that while it has never been the rule of the church to wear a full beard, it is not per- mitted to wear mustaches only.
The question of allowing members to engage in banking business was discussed, and was decided in the negative, as it would lead to covetousness, litigation and usury, all of which is forbidden by the sect.
On the question of collegiate education it was decided not to be advisable to send children to college. It was determined not to permit the use of their names in the establishment of High Schools controlled by the church.
The question of saluting the colored brethren . . . was settled by permitting each church to make their own rules on this subject, though some of the brethren thought that a rule ought to be made forbidding any question on account of color in osculatory salutes.
The question as to the propriety of Dunkards joining Farmers' clubs produced a long discussion, and it was finally decided that it would be inconsistent with the religion of the sect for members to join any such societies.
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It was decided that the piano, or other musical instruments should not be kept by any member of the church, though the Council could not prohibit their use.
Decatur, 1895
Annual Meeting of 1895 was held in Decatur, Illinois, at Oakland Park, about a mile west of the center of the city, and on the present site of Millikin University. The park of about sixteen acres was covered with fine native oak trees. A number of buildings were constructed: a tabernacle one hundred twenty by one hundred seventy feet; a dining hall seventy-six by one hundred twenty feet, seating about six hundred; forty lodging tents; and a building with ample space for the sessions of the Standing Committee. All of these buildings were erected by the city of Decatur. To avoid marring the trees, the tabernacle roof was built around them, leaving many leaf-covered branches beneath the roof, giving the inside a picturesque appearance. Acoustic proper- ties were so excellent that the striking of a clock back of the stand could be distinctly heard in any part of the audi- torium.
The attendance on Sunday was estimated at from twenty thousand to twenty-five thousand. Among the aged on the platform was Elder John Metzger of California, nearly eighty-eight years old; also Elder John Wolfe of Liberty, Illinois, who was about eighty-four years old and was prob- ably the oldest member in the United States born and reared in Illinois. He was the only living child of Elder George Wolfe, who pioneered in southern Illinois long before it was a state.
The moderator of the meeting was Enoch Eby; reading clerk, M. J. McClure; writing clerk, D. L. Miller. The propri- ety of sewing societies was discussed and approved. The General Missionary and Tract Committee gave an excellent report showing progress in our missionary work and growing sentiment among our people to do more in spreading the
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gospel. Plans for city mission work were discussed and encouraged.
Elder D. L. Miller said that it was one of the most satis- factory meetings that he had ever attended. J. H. Moore, in the Gospel Messenger of June 18, 1895, said:
. So ended one of the most harmonious Annual Meetings we have ever attended. We cannot remember one unkind word was said during any of the deliberations .. .. No one could wit- ness the proceedings from day to day without admiring the sim- plicity of the meeting and the good feeling that prevailed on every hand.
This Annual Meeting was different from any former one in that a series of meetings was held one week preceding the opening of the Conference and continued throughout the meeting. The Conference was followed by preaching services and several were baptized. This led to the beginning of a Church of the Brethren in the city of Decatur.
Springfield, 1906
The third Annual Conference to be held in the District of Southern Illinois was held at Springfield in 1906. The spacious state fair grounds furnished ample space and ade- quate buildings for all the meetings and for lodging to ac- commodate many of those in attendance.
Several days before the conference convened, I. N. H. Beahm began meetings; also a Bible institute was held under the direction of A. C. Wieand and E. B. Hoff. On Sunday an estimated seven thousand attended Sunday school, with probably ten thousand at preaching Sunday afternoon in the auditorium-with as many elsewhere on the grounds.
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