USA > Indiana > History of the Church of the Brethren in Indiana > Part 7
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Under the Mission Board of the district, J. G. Stinebaugh served the church two years. Shortly before the church was disorganized in 1913, the old house was abandoned and another bought.
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History of the Church of the Brethren
HARTFORD CITY
The early history of this church is given for the Bethel Center church. Hartford had been in the Southern Indiana district and in 1916 a joint committee of the two districts (J. G. Stinebaugh, John B. Bailey, Middle Indiana, and John W. Root and John F. Shoemaker, Southern Indiana) recommended transferring the church to Middle Indiana and combining it with Bethel Center. This committee drew a complete line across the state separating the districts.
In 1922 a revival at Hartford City resulted in thirty-four ac- cessions. Charles Miller was called to the ministry the same year.
In 1924 the District Meeting approved the separation of Hart- ford City and Bethel Center into two congregations. Two years later a committee of the district reported against disorganizing the Hart- ford City church at that time. The next year the Mission Board of the district requested the disorganization of this church which was done April 27, 1929. Letters were granted to the members and the Board took over the property.
KEWANNA
This congregation included Fulton County territory centering in Kewanna. Elder Daniel Shively of New Paris was the first min- ister to preach here and the first two members were a Brother and Sister Judy. In 1890 the church was organized with Elder D. P Shively in charge. There were ten members.
In 1892 a frame house was erected three miles north of Kewanna. Much of the time this church was in the care of the District Mission Board. Elder S. A. Blessing was called to the ministry and later moved to Southern Ohio. Merton Holsinger (died 1912) was ordained here, having moved from Pyrmont. Later ministers were B. D. Hirt and Roy Mishler. Daniel Hendricks was a faithful deacon for many years. In 1922 Clarence Gilmer was pastor and taught in the Kewanna High School. In 1925 the Mission Board requested a com- mittee to be appointed to disorganize the church. The request was granted and the next year the committee reported that the work was done. Thirty-nine letters were given and most of them went to the Logansport church.
LANDESSVILLE OR LANDESS
This congregation was organized in 1860 with twelve members from territory belonging to the Somerset church. John Baker, elected before the division of territory, was the first minister. He lived till 1891 but did not do much preaching, although a good counsellor and was on the Standing Committee one year.
In 1869 Jacob Tinkel was called to the ministry. He was a fine
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Congregations-Middle Indiana
Christian character and influential in the community. In 1874 a large brick house was built in the town of Landess. Partly destroyed by a storm in 1877, it was rebuilt. Brother Tinkel was ordained in 1879 and was made elder in charge. The church was growing rapidly. Early deacons were Henry Tinkel, William Pulley, Albert Burris, Daniel Tinkel, and Martin Whiteneck. The last two were elected to the ministry but did not serve. Elder Jacob Tinkel died in 1889. Elder J. F. Spitzer, native of Virginia and called to the ministry in the Upper Fall Creek Church, took charge of the church. William Tinkel, son of Jacob, was called to the ministry in 1891 but died the following March. From 1891 to 1898 Aaron Moss served the church as resident minister and was ordained in 1896. In the same year D. B. Garber was elected, while in the employ of Congressman George W. Steele, of Marion. He later moved to Marion. In 1898 J. Andrew Miller, a son-in-law of Jacob Tinkel, was elected. He moved into the Mississinewa church.
Deaths, emigration, and lack of a resident minister seem to have brought a decline but the coming of Elder J. W. Norris from Spring Creek in 1909, marked a revival of interest. The membership rose to nearly 100, including West Marion which was made a separate organi- zation in 1911. Elder Norris moved to Marion, leaving the Landess church without a minister. Later B. F. Kendall, a minister moved in. In 1917 the church was destroyed by fire and the members asked the District Meeting for aid which request was granted.
In 1927 this church asked the District Meeting to take over the church property in trust, furnish some ministerial help and at the end of the year decide as to the disorganization of the church. The next year the Mission Board recommended that the church be disorganized and a committee was appointed to do this. At the 1929 District Meet- ing it was reported that the church was disorganized and the property was taken over by the board.
OAK GROVE OR PALESTINE
The first member of this church was Sister Susannah Woodling Byroads who was baptized when a girl in Illinois by D. B. Sturgis, later of Northern Indiana. They moved first to Newton County and then to the western part of White County. The Monticello brethren did preaching here and several united with the church. In 1870 a church was organized with 20 members.
For several years the church grew rapidly. Abram Miller moved in from Santa Fe. Jacob Spangle, Thomas Dobbin, G. W. Jewitt, J. H. Mourer, and Sherman Clapper were called to the ministry. The membership reached nearly a hundred at one time. But, the land was poor and swampy. People came and went. Elder Miller joined
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History of the Church of the Brethren
the Old Order Brethren and the work declined. Elders Abram Rine- hart and W. S. Toney did much to keep the work going. A house was built in 1896, three miles west and one mile north of Reynolds. This was burned in 1912 but immediately replaced by another. Soon after this the work was under the direction of the Mission Board. George Bridge was elder and resident minister. In 1916, David By- roads, a faithful deacon was killed in a runaway accident returning from church services.
In 1918, the church was disorganized and the next year the prop- erty was sold for $500. The money was used to help pay for Logans- port's new church. Most of the Oak Grove members were lettered to the Monticello church.
OGAN'S CREEK
This church, organized in 1873 at the home of a Sister Leslie, was taken from Manchester territory, lying to the southeast of the town, and some from Andrews to the south. Abram Leedy, of An- drews was chosen presiding elder, Samuel Renicker was called to the ministry, and Jonas Warvel, Joshua Hoover, and Daniel Blocher were chosen deacons. Seven adjoining ministers and elders were present : Jacob Metzger, Jacob Karns, Jacob Snell, Jacob Funderburg, Joseph Leedy, Abram Leedy, and Israel Harter. Services were held at the Leslie schoolhouse and the Antioch Christian church till the Brethren built a house in 1876. Samuel Renicker built a church on his own farm and gave it to the church. After some years services at this house were discontinued.
In February, 1875, R. H. Miller and William Manville, of the Christian church held a debate. George W. Cripe held the first series of meetings and preached once a month for some time. Many were gathered in.
A love feast was held in Joseph Leslie's barn on June 10, 1875. At this meeting Peter Wright and Jacob Early were chosen deacons. The former was one of the first settlers here. His son, John H., was called to the ministry at the same time. He had a long and notable ministry. In 1876 he was advanced to the second degree. In 1879 S. S. Ulrey and P. A. Early were called to the ministry, and advanced in 1881, when John H. Wright was ordained by Joseph and Abram Leedy and Jacob Funderburg. In 1882 the membership was 125. Some went with the Progressives, including Perry Early.
Later ministers called were Ira Kreider and Elmer Gilbert. Deacons elected included William Kesler, Hezekiah Grossnickle, Moses Hoover, Joseph Hoover, John Unger, and Everett Paul. Others who served as deacons were Joseph Cart, Zachariah Emrick, and John Brubaker. J. H. Wright was presiding elder from 1882 to 1904.
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Congregations-Middle Indiana
Then S. S. Ulrey, George Swihart, and Elmer Gilbert had charge.
Many of the large families scattered and the membership de- clined. Finally the church asked for disorganization and a committee was appointed in 1932. The property was sold for $398.40 and the 32 members were lettered out to other churches.
SOMERSET
The territory of this church originally included the south half of Wabash and all of Grant County, including the Wabash churches, Landessville, Marion, and Cart Creek territories.
Elder John Whiteneck, coming from Union County in 1847, located three miles west of Somerset. Financially successful, he was generous in helping others. Although without formal education he had great native ability and preached in many homes and schoolhouses.
In 1850 Elder Isaac Lawshe, also from Union County, moved in. This well educated man and Brother Whiteneck gathered many mem- bers, including family names as follows : Crumrine, Haynes, Brubaker, Drook, Winger, Baker, Zook, and Tinkel.
Martin Coble was elected to the ministry 1851. Soon Samuel Zook and Otis Brubaker, deacons, moved in from Darke County, Ohio. Ministers elected were William Minnich, Harrison Hudson, and William Moore.
John Whiteneck was presiding elder till his death in 1868. Brother Lawshe had moved away by that time and had met death by a runaway team, in 1865. William Minnich was elder to 1884. Aaron Moss was elected to the ministry but soon moved to Roann.
In 1859 the Wabash church was organized, including the territory north of the Mississinewa River. In 1860 Landessville was organized. In 1871 the large brick church at Vernon was erected.
Later ministers elected included J. D. Rife, 1881 ; John Straus- burg, Martin Miller, and Isaac Smith; Otho Winger, April 9, 1897; Elza Weimer, 1906; Obed C. Rife, 1908; Roger Winger and William Tinkel, 1913. J. D. Rife was ordained 1899 and moved to Roann; John Strausburg, ordained 1901; Martin Miller, ordained 1905 and died 1914; Elza Weimer and Obed C. Rife were ordained 1913. Other ministers living for a time in this church were D. S. Caylor. W. L. Pulley, and W. L. Hatcher.
Deacons elected at various times were David Stambaugh, Henry Haynes, J. D. Rife, Philip Miller, Valentine Weimer, William Miller, Oscar Lawshe, J. P. Winger, Otho Winger, Newton Wolfe, William Ross, Obed Rife, William Knotts, and M. D. Winger. S. M. Auker- man moved in from Wabash.
In 1914 Cart Creek was organized which divided the membership about evenly. This left Somerset the building at Vernon and about
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History of the Church of the Brethren
fifty members. Presiding elders prior to 1916 included D. S. Caylor, J. R. Crumrine, S. S. Ulrey, Amos Kendall, and Ellis Brubaker.
In 1928 the District Meeting appointed a committee to investigate Somerset and disorganize the church if thought advisable. The next year the Wabash and Somerset churches were consolidated and re- named Wabash Country church.
WALNUT LEVEL
This church was sort of a mother of churches in the eastern part of Middle Indiana. Samuel Stump and George W. Studebaker did the first preaching. A house was built in 1867 near Petroleum. The pre- vious year the church had been organized with fourteen members.
In 1876 Samuel Neher, minister from Allen County, Ohio settled here and helped Elder Studebaker, so that the church grew consider- ably.
Starting with a huge territory of several counties, its area was cut down by the organization of Pleasant Dale, 1889, Hickory Grove, 1882, and Blue Creek, 1887, which was disorganized in 1905. Men who worked here were Lewis Huber, Samuel Fink, Joseph Engle, Daniel Shanks, and I. F. Yaney.
The Walnut Level church was disorganized in 1914 and the terri- tory divided between Pleasant Dale and Hickory Grove. The property was sold for $249.20.
WALTON
In 1922 it was reported at the District Meeting that W. C. Stine- baugh and George Philips were pastors of a mission church in Walton. A petition from Walton to be organized as a church was presented to the same meeting. This petition was accepted and a dele- gate seated. In 1926, it was listed among the eight churches under the care of the Mission Board of the district. Warren Heestand fol- lowed George Philips as pastor, it was reported in 1926. In 1927 it was reported that W. C. Stinebaugh, teaching at Bunker Hill, was pastor at Walton. In 1930 the Board withdrew support from Walton. The same year the church was disorganized, and of the 77 members 29 had put in their letters in other Brethren congregations.
HUNTINGTON (Country)
This congregation was organized in 1871. Elders Joseph Leedy, George Cripe, Jacob Metzger, and Abraham Leedy were elders in charge. At this meeting R. K. Binkley was called to the ministry; John Altman and Martin Hoke were elected deacons. The same year Alexander Gibler was called to the ministry and Cornelius Henline and Ananias Bonebrake, deacons.
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The congregation grew to nearly one hundred and a house was built six miles northwest of Huntington. William Summers was one of the first ministers here. He and others went with the Progressives. The church was considerably weakened by the split.
In 1881, J. C. Murray, minister, moved in from Clear Creek and was ordained in 1883 by Joseph Leedy and J. H. Wright. He soon became the presiding elder till 1889. Then J. H. Wright became elder and continued for over twenty years. Deacons elected were S. S. Bonebrake and Thomas Manning, 1889; Jacob Wike and Emory Miller, 1896; J. E. Hoke and Joseph Lannerd, 1908. In 1906 the church called Grover L. Wine to the ministry. He has had a long and useful career as a pastor.
J. D. Mishler, Ira Kreider, and L. U. Kreider were among the later elders. In 1924 the Huntington Country Church was united with Clear Creek. Of its members, six were lettered to Pleasant View and the rest to Clear Creek, 1925.
SANTA FE
The territory of this church was in the southeast part of Miami County, formerly belonging to the Pipe Creek congregation. Pioneer preachers here were Samuel Murray and Abram Shepler. A separate congregation was formed about 1865 with John E. Shively elder in charge and John P. Wolfe and Abraham Miller, ministers. Early deacons were Isaac Anstine, William Shepler, Jacob Ray (Wray?), George Landgrave, and Jacob Miller. The last-named was the con- tractor and builder of church house, 1870, two and one-half miles east of Bunker Hill.
The following ministers have been called: Robert Bowman, Terry Jenkins, Joseph Shepler, Jacob Fox, 1878; David Wolfe, 1879; J. S. Bond, 1889; George Sonafrank, 1892; D. W. Hostetler and Amos Kendall, 1897; Forrest P. Hostetler and Sherman Kendall, 19II; Perry Coblentz 1914; and Claude Wolfe, licensed and ordained to the ministry about 1940. He served as a missionary in Ecuador, 1948-51, and is now Physical Education director at Manchester College. Abraham Miller went with the Old Orders. D. W. Hostetler and Robert Bowman both moved away. David Wolfe and Amos Ken- dall served the church as elders, as did the following later : Silas Fisher, 1916-1920; P. E. Coblentz, pastor and elder, 1920-28, and elder 1930- 1940; T. A. Shively, 1928-1930; and Milo Huffman, 1940-1950. In later years, Forrest Hostetler was ordained to the eldership. He and Milo Huffman served a period each as pastor.
Later deacons included William Hostetler, Samuel Miller, Abner Bond, B. F. Jenkins, Arthur Clingenpeel, Albert Lantz, B. F. Har-
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History of the Church of the Brethren
tleroad, Peter Lorenz, J. H. Kendall, Omer Wolfe, Herman Landrum, and Fred Hartleroad.
Superintendents of the Sunday School included Miriam Condo, Abner Bohn, Leon and Adrian Clingenpeel.
John P. Wolfe was often reading clerk because of his powerful voice. John E. Shively preached in a broken English, mixed with Dutch. He was a good and a very zealous man.
About 1875 in the southeast part of the territory of this congrega- tion there was built what was known as the Copper Creek house. In 1919 the Santa Fe church asked for a division of the congregation into Santa Fe and Copper Creek. This must have been granted for in 1922 Copper Creek was disorganized and the members divided between Plevna and Santa Fe.
The Santa Fe congregation in 1916 reported about one hundred members. In 1949 the number had shrunk to fifty. The church was disorganized and the property sold in 1950.
CHAPTER II CONGREGATIONS-NORTHERN INDIANA
AUBURN (1917)
In 1914 the Will Witts, Howard Ellises and a few other families who were members of the Cedar Creek and Cedar Lake congregations, living in or near Auburn, organized a Sunday School in the home of Brother and Sister Will Witt. The first superintendent was Lottie Rynearson. After a few months, Bro. Merritt Hanson came over from Cedar Creek to help in the work, and later moved to Auburn where he continued to be a pillar in the work of the church until his death recently.
After the Sunday School was well started the German Methodist Church building and parsonage were rented and later purchased. With the aid of the District Mission Board the purchase was made in 1917 and the final payments were completed in 1928. A basement was added in 1926 and the building has been modernized.
During the first few years most of the preaching was done by David Hoover, John Urey and Amos Budd. After a revival meeting held by Bro. J. W. Kitson in the fall of 1925, the first Love Feast was held in the Merritt Hanson home with Elder David Hoover offi- ciating.
The organization meeting of the congregation was on Aug. 21, 1917 with Elder John Urey presiding. The first regular pastor was Bro. Walter Warstler. He was followed by Clyde C. Cripe, who also served later from, 1928 to 1936. Bro. Walter Gibson served for a few months during 1919. Brethren Jesse and Russell Shull each served a year as student pastors. S. J. Burger, a long-time resident of the English Prairie Church, was pastor from 1922 to 1927. For five years, 1937 to 1942, Sister Goldie Killion, one of the few women ministers of the Brotherhood, served as pastor. William Hamilton served from 1942 to 1946. Since then student ministers from Man- chester College have served, first Norman Harsh, and since 1948, Delbert Cook, 1948-50. Opal Pence has served since 1950.
Bro. Clyde C. Cripe is the only minister ordained to the elder- ship at Auburn, which took place in 1919. His son Mark was licensed to the ministry here in 1932. Charles Imler was licensed in 1937 and installed into the full ministry in 1938.
Few deacons have been elected in the Auburn Church. Sister Joseph Hoover in 1917 and Sister Marion Mahoney in 1919. Others
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History of the Church of the Brethren
who served as deacons in the congregation were Joseph Hoover, Claude Hanson, Merritt Hanson, and since 1947, Amos Aschleman, William Graham and A. J. Witt and their wives.
Following Bro. Urey's term as elder, Bro. Frank Kreider served from 1920 to 1927. He was followed by Jesse Gump, Clyde C. Cripe, Russel Sherman, Galen Bowman, Arthur Morris, Kenneth Long, J. S. Flory and Arlo Gump.
The present Sunday School Superintendent is Amos Aschleman. Other superintendents have been William Graham, John Imler, Kenneth Graham, Claude Hanson, and A. J. Witt. Sister Ruth Kennedy has served as church clerk for many years.
The congregation has not had a rapid numerical growth, yet it has promoted an active program and has participated well in the Brotherhood work. The present membership is 80.
BAUGO (1868)
The Baugo Church includes the western part of Elkhart County and the eastern part of St. Joseph County. It was formerly part of the Elkhart (now West Goshen) and the St. Joseph congregations. Quite a nucleus of members lived here when the church was organized in 1868. Joel Shively was their first minister.
In 1870 John Metzler was called to the ministry and ordained in 1883. Since then the church has called to the ministry: H. M. Schwalm in 1882, ordained in 1900; Peter Huffman in 1891, later identified with the Osceola Church; E. J. Swartz in 1898; Eli Hee- stand in 1899; Christian Metzler, now of Wakarusa, in 1901, or- dained in 1908; V. F. Schwalm, now president of Manchester College, in 1908; and Kermit Eby, now of Chicago, Ill., in 1928. Joseph Sala lived here for a time, later moved to Bremen, and finally located in the western states. Harvey S. Bowers moved into the congregation about 1910. He united with the church at Williamstown, Ohio. Was called to the ministry in the Oak Grove Church near North Liberty ; was ordained here and has been the presiding elder most of the time since 1922. Earl Nusbaum lived here for a while but later moved to Elkhart. William Brubaker was ordained here and served the church for a number of years.
The first Church house was built in 1878, three miles northwest of Wakarusa. In 1918 it was raised and a basement built, and otherwise remodeled. About 1893 a house was purchased from the Methodist people at the east edge of Osceola, and the north part of the congrega- tion was organized into the Osceola Church. In 1915 the south part of the congregation, including Wakarusa, was organized as a separate congregation, with the membership of 150 being about equally divided
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Congregations-Northern Indiana
between the two churches. A house had been built in Wakarusa in 1895.
The first Sunday School at Baugo was started in 1895 with Christian Metzler as superintendent. Deacons who have served at Baugo are as follows, with the date of their election : Jacob Ehret and George Anthony, 1884; Christian Metzler and Delbert Markham, 1891; Eli Wenger, 1902; George Cochanower, 1904; David Holmes and Elmer Eby, 1908; Solomon Moyer and Clayton Shriner, 1921 ; David Wisler and Ralph Brubaker, 1924; Oscar Seese, John Bowers, and Howard Pletcher, 1943.
John Metzler served as presiding elder here for some years; H. M. Schwalm served from 1901 to 1922; Harvey S. Bowers served since then except for a few years that William Brubaker was presiding elder.
The church was always served by a free ministry until the spring of 1948 when Bro. Glenn Kinsel, a student minister at Bethany Biblical Seminary came as a summer pastor. His work was so helpful that the church voted for him to continue, which he did for the next year. Eugene Carper from Pennsylvania, a student minister in Goshen college, began part time pastoral service in Sept. 1949. The present membership of the congregation is 89.
BETHANY (1856 Solomon's Creek 1912)
The history of this congregation must begin with the Elkhart congregation, now West Goshen. That was organized in 1830 and included all of Elkhart and much of Kosciusko Counties. In 1838 the Turkey Creek congregation was organized. This included the southern part of Elkhart County and the northern part of Kosciusko County. This was through the influence of Elders Henry Neff and John Leatherman. Elder Leatherman was known as "The Horse-back Preacher." The two elders demonstrated the maxims, "A Dunkard's name is as good as his note," and, "Actions speak louder than words." Elder Leatherman died in 1867 and Elder Neff died in the pulpit in 1868. Several of Elder Neff's grandsons still live in this congrega- tion.
The Bethany Church was organized in the home of David Coy, one mile north of Syracuse, Oct. 19, 1856. The territory included what is now New Paris, Syracuse, Bethel, New Salem and North Winona Churches, as well as what is now Bethany. Elders Neff and Leatherman were in charge until their death about ten years later. The first resident elder was Martin Weybright who had as his assistant, Elder Frederick Loehr. The deacons who were charter members were: John Weybright, Joel Rush, and Levi Wyland.
In 1858 Daniel Shively was called to the ministry, serving the
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History of the Church of the Brethren
church for 38 years, through much sacrifice since he served through the Civil War period. He was ordained elder in 1878. George W. Cripe was called to the ministry here in 1866, but moved away three years later. Lewis Montz was called to the ministry here and re- mained about 15 years, when he went with the Progressive branch when it split off. In 1869 Jesse Calvert moved in and remained about nine years. It was under his preaching in a two weeks revival in 1870 that there was an ingathering of fifty members. In 1870 Abram Neff was called to the ministry, serving here about ten years. David Younce moved in, 1875, and served for 20 years. J. H. Warstler was called to the ministry and served faithfully for 37 years. In 1881 Elder W. R. Deeter moved in. He was instrumental in organizing the south part of the congregation into the Bethel Church. He lived in the new congregation. Hiram Forney was elected to the ministry here in 1886 and remained for 13 years. In 1894 William Buzzard, a min- ister, moved in and served here for 15 years. The next year James Neff was elected to the ministry and served here for more than 20 years. A. E. Clem (to whom we are indebted for much of this in- formation) was elected to the ministry in 1899 and was ordained in 1908. He served as presiding elder for a number of years before his death in 1947. Charles Arnold was called to the ministry in 1901, serving here for 15 years, part of the time as presiding elder. Raleigh Neff was elected in 1908 and Milo Geyer in 1912. Both of them were ordained in 1918 and still serve in the ministry here, both of them were elder in charge for a while. Ralph Rarick was elected to the ministry here in 1914 but remained for only six months. Noble Neff was elected in 1918 but six months later moved to Milford.
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