USA > Kansas > Fifty years in the Kansas Conference, 1864-1914 : a record of the origin and development of the work of the Evangelical Association in the territory covered by the Kansas Conference > Part 14
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"I then read further to them while they listened attentively, and also prayed with them. Later I preached in the home of those card-players and found them ready to receive the truth.
"In this same neighborhood I found a family which had the small-pox. Seven children were already buried in the garden, while the parents and two smaller surviving children were down with the disease. I cleaned up the rooms in which they were, rearranged their beds, gave them something to eat, after which I read to them out of the Bible and prayed with them. I then went to the neighbors and entreated them to look after the afflicted family, as my duties called me on my way. They recovered from their sickness and were later converted."
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1882 FIFTY YEARS IN THE KANSAS CONFERENCE
1882
EIGHTEENTH SESSION
March 16, 1882, Conference met at Captain Creek, Douglas County, Kansas, to hold her 18th session. Bishop T. Bowman pre- sided and appointed C. Berner secretary. Ex-Bishop R. Yeakel was present in the capacity of agent for Union Biblical Institute and North-Western College.
P. H. Rischel, J. S. Seip and S. Weber withdrew from the church during the year.
S. B. Brown had credentials voted him, and the brethren J. Kurtz, C. Ehrhardt, C. Linge, E. J. Troyer and A. W. Kramer were reported as in part physically disabled for active work. L. Schneider died during the year.
M. L. Wahlte received license to preach. H. R. Price and M. W. Weaver were enrolled as local preachers, having moved into the bounds of the Conference.
E. Evans and A. Brunner were received into the itinerancy.
The following brethren received elders' orders: Peter Schu- mann, C. F. Erffmeyer, S. H. Dunkelberger, A. J. Voegelein and C. Brandt.
NORTH-WESTERN COLLEGE
Action was taken to enter into the North-Western College compact with the understanding that Conference be spared from the visit of a collector for said institution until such a time as the financial condition would permit, and, further, that she would not obligate herself for any of the old indebtedness of the school. A collection was ordered taken, however, on the various fields for the institution. L. C. Schnacke was then elected trustee of North- Western College, becoming the first representative of the Confer- ence to said institutions.
Since a limited fund had been in the hands of Conference since 1876 to assist such young men who wish to educate themselves in North-Western College or Union Biblical Institute for work in the Kansas Conference, this was placed into the hands of a com- mittee of three, appointed by the Chair, who should disburse the same on the following plan : The money shall be loaned for a lim- ited time without interest, should, however, the money be de- sired for a longer period of time, then a low per cent of interest shall be charged which shall flow into the treasury of the fund and be applied in the same way. Said committee shall report annually
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to the Conference. It was further resolved to bring this mat- ter to the notice of the congregations and endeavor to increase the fund through additional contributions. The following breth- ren were appointed as committee : H. Mattill, C. Berner and Wm. Meier.
H. Mattill was elected Conference trustee for five years and J. G. Pfeifer for a period of three years.
BOUNDARIES
Holton District
a. The appointments Camp Creek, Upper Independence and Wolf River shall be taken from Atchison Mission and formed into Wolf River Circuit.
Missouri District
a. The appointments north of the Jasper County line shall be taken from Carthage Mission and formed into Virgil Mis- sion. The remainder of the mission shall be called Carthage Cir- cuit.
b. A new mission shall be located in Jackson County, Mo., which shall be called Jackson Mission.
Southwest District
a. Carthage Mission shall be transferred to Missouri Dis- trict.
b. Humboldt shall be divided. The appointments west of De- fiance shall be taken from Humboldt and formed into a new cir- cuit which shall be called Yates Center Circuit. The remaining appointments shall constitute Humboldt Circuit.
c. The appointments Egle and Emporia shall be taken from Osage Mission and added to Americus Mission.
d. Osage, Peterton and Hartford shall be taken from Amer- icus Mission and added to Osage Mission.
e. Mulberry of Salina Mission, and Steenbock appointment of Rice Mission shall be added to Wilson Mission.
f. Salina and Dickinson Missions shall be served together.
g. The English appointments at Cedron shall be taken from Wilson Mission and added to Osborne Circuit.
h. Newton and Marion shall be served together.
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MISSIONS
The amount of $2,101.90 was raised for missions in the Kan- sas Conference the past year, and $4,920.00 was appropriated for the ensuing year. H. Mattill was elected delegate to the Board of Missions, and the Missionary Society reorganized by electing the old Board to serve another year.
STATISTICS
Conversions, 551; accessions, 853; membership, 3,512; itine- rant preachers, 39; local preachers, 35; churches, 36; parsonages, 21; Sunday-schools, 64; officers and teachers, 655; scholars, 2,993; catechetical classes, 30; catechumens, 398; Botschafters, 720; Messengers, 357; Magazins, 310; Epistles, 48. Total for missions, $3,366.98.
APPOINTMENTS
Holton District-L. Wenger, P. E.
Nemaha, J. G. Pfeifer.
Lawrence, F. Harder.
Holton, J. Wuerth.
Wolf River, C. Brandt.
Hiawatha, L. C. Schnacke.
Big Blue, J. F. Schreiber.
Atchison Mission, M. Dissinger.
Leavenworth, J. Schmidli.
Hanover, D. R. Zellner.
Red Vermillion, W. Daeschner.
Missouri District-H. Mattill, P. E.
Oregon, E. Evans.
Platte River, W. Meier.
Bloomington, C. Linder.
Carthage, J. H. Tobias.
St. Jospeh, C. Berner.
Kansas City, J. Kurtz.
Denver, F. J. Shafer.
Winston, H. S. Bower.
Jackson, to be supplied.
Warrensburg, C. W. Snyder. Clinton, C. Ehrhardt.
Glasgow, P. Schumann.
Virgil City, A. J. Voegelein.
Sheridan, to be supplied.
South-west District-P. Fricker, P. E.
Humboldt, H. Toedman.
Yates Center, H. Koepsel.
Marion and Newton, J. H. Kiplinger.
Jewell, T. W. Serf.
Osborne, D. F. Honstedt.
Parsons, C. Linge. Wichita, C. Geiser.
Rice. J. M. Dreisbach.
Dickinson and Salina, W. Heiser.
Americus, C. F. Erffmeyer.
Osage, S. H. Dunkelberger.
Wilson, A. Brunner.
Offerle, to be supplied.
MEMORIAL
Lewis Snyder
Death for the first time invaded the ranks of the ministry of the Conference, calling away Brother Lewis Snyder. Brother Snyder came to Kansas from the East Pennsylvania Conference in 1879, and was stationed on Offerle Mission. The following year he was assigned to Marion Mission, where he was serving his second year when he was called from labor to reward. A me-
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morial service was held during the Conference session, on which occasion Bishop Bowman, R. Yeakel, W. Yost and L. Wenger made appropriate remarks to the memory of the departed brother. The three former speakers had an intimate acquaintance with the de- ceased before he entered the ranks of the Kansas Conference. Brother Snyder was survived by a son who was serving in the Conference at the time of the death of his father.
ST. JOSEPH
During the past year the church at St. Joseph proved to be too small and inadequate for the rapidly growing city, so the building was sold and a lot purchased at the corner of Lafayette and 12th Streets for $450.00, on which a church and parsonage were built. The church costing $2,460.00, and the parsonage $1,335.00. The church was dedicated by Bishop J. J. Esher. C. Berner was pastor. Even this location later proved to be unfortu- nate, was a constant expense to the society and Conference for street grading, paving, building retaining walls and the lowering of the building site, so that in 1909 the congregation sold the prop- erty and located at 16th and Locust Streets.
J. H. TOBIAS
During the past year Brother Tobias had a thrilling experi- ence with the ruffian element on the Carthage work. This element was not lacking in disposition to injure the cause of Christ, and even his servants, in order to reach their end. A man whose ill- will Brother Tobias incurred threatened to kill the preacher, and sent word to him to this effect. The circuit rider was not to be bluffed in this manner and served notice that he was ready to die at any time on a week day or Sunday.
On a week day evening Brother Tobias held a meeting in the Emmanuel Church. There were not many people out that even- ing, but among those present was one man whom Brother Tobias suspected as the one who threatened him. In passing out of the church this man stood in the vestibule of the building but said nothing to Brother Tobias as he passed out and left the church in company with several brethren. He had not gone far when he observed some one riding up behind him on a horse; he stepped aside to let him pass when the rider struck him a severe blow upon the head, throwing him to the ground. The miscreant, evi-
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dently thinking he had made good his threat, applied the spurs to his horse and disappeared in the darkness. Brother Tobias rose to his feet with the blood trickling down over his face and walked a half mile to a home where he received attention. Undoubtedly his injury would have been much worse had not his hat protected him from the full force of the blow. Those were days when law enforcement was lax, and outlaws and ruffians reigned in their dominion of brute force.
On one occasion an official threw off his coat and wanted to fight the presiding elder in Quarterly Conference because he dif- fered with him in deciding a question relative to the business matters. In some communities the fickleness of the people was great, and the throng which would shout "Hosanna" at one time might shout "Crucify him" shortly after if they became offended. Stale eggs and even clubs were resorted to in order to execute vengeance. Lack of proper training, educational facilities, and Gospel enlightenment were at the bottom of those conditions.
C. BRANDT
"In 1880, while supplying Cawker Mision, which was served in connection with Osborne Circuit, I had charge of the German appointments and D. F. Honstedt the English appointment. I had a class of 13 members who held their services in a dugout school house five miles north of Downs at a point called Twelve Mile. I found a cabin one mile north of the school house, the only available building for my family, which was built of rough stone and was infested with snakes and bedbugs. I paid $1.50 per month rent, and my salary for the year was $175.00. At the close of the year I had a charge which required 400 miles driving to complete one round. I preached in Osborne, Smith, Philipps, Norton and Rooks Counties, with a few German families scattered here and there, who received the truth gladly.
"The streams being unbridged, I was frequently in danger of losing my life in fording them. Once I was in peril on the ice which began to break under my weight. The people were very poor. Both they and we subsisted principally on corn meal, but when the price for corn advanced to $1.00 per bushel we would have suffered hunger if the government had not graciously sent in aid. Our stock of clothing was reduced to two calico dresses a piece for each of my three daughters and wife, which they wore one for Sunday and one for week days. Here the tempter became
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active to discourage me and I had determined to quit the work, go East and engage in a secular pursuit. Before leaving the work I determined to make one more round which should be final. Start- ing on this last round, at Glen Elder, where I had an appointment, I had occasion to go through Downs, where I called for mail at the post-office and received a letter which I found, upon opening, con- tained an order for $25.00 for my own use from a brother who enclosed a note, stating that he felt constrained to send me the amount. He read about the poverty in the West and believed that we, too, were in need. He further stated that he had frequently been in need, and the Lord had always come to the rescue, therefore I should only continue upon my post of duty.
"I felt ashamed of my conduct and asked God to forgive me for doubting as I proceeded to fill my appointments, but not in the sense of making my final round. The matter of quitting the ministry was now decided. The sender of the $25.00 was Brother C. Berner, who himself had passed through many hardships in frontier life."
"At this time a brother and his wife came to visit us, for which we were very glad, but at the same time it placed us in quite an embarrassing position. We could adjust ourselves to the small apartments in the house during the day, but the matter of lodging our guests was not so easily adjusted. We could not make up our minds to subject them to torture among the bedbugs and the alarm of snakes, so in order to spare them this unpleasant experience we arranged their bed out in the yard, and since the weather was warm, this was much better for them and they en- joyed a degree of rest which they would probably not have enjoyed in the house."
1883
NINETEENTH SESSION
Conference met in the Zion Church at Canada, Marion Co., Kan., March 23, 1883, to hold her nineteenth session with Bishop J. J. Esher as chairman, and C. Berner secretary.
Moses Dissinger and J. Dengel died during the year, S. Wer- ner and R. W. Edger withdrew from the church.
Brother Wm. Meier, who for a number of years was a worthy and successful member of Conference, received credentials, be-
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ing necessitated to move to the State of Texas on account of the health conditions of his family. Conference regretted to give him up, but under existing circumstances considered the step justifia- ble and wished him Godspeed.
E. Evans was retained in the itinerancy a year without ap- pointment, and C. F. Erffmeyer was partially unable to render active service.
Franklin Lentz, Geo. Stamm and T. R. Nanninga received license to preach, and L. Fierce was received from the Methodist Episcopal Church.
A. Brunner and T. W. Serf received deacons' orders, and L. C. Schnacke, W. Daeschner, F. J. Shafer and C. W. Snyder elders' orders.
J. Wuerth was elected presiding elder and the districts were supplied as follows : Holton District, J. Wuerth; Missouri District, H. Mattill; and Southwest District, P. Fricker.
The brethren J. Wuerth, H. Mattill, P. Fricker and J. G. Pfeifer were elected delegates to General Conference, with J. Kurtz and L. Wenger alternates.
S. H. Dunkelberger was appointed to compile the Sunday- school statistics of the Conference, including the names of the superintendents of the various schools, and forward them to the General Secretary of the Kansas Sunday-School Association.
WOMAN'S MISSIONARY SOCIETY
A communication was received from Cleveland, Ohio, in the interest of the Woman's Missionary Society, which was just hav- ing its start among the sisters in the East, and in which cause they were very anxious to enlist the interest of the sisters through- out the entire church. The following resolution was adopted by Conference: "Resolved, That the communication from the Wom- an's Missionary Society has been greatly appreciated, and we are glad to learn about women's missionary auxiliaries as a method to raise funds for the grand missionary cause, especially in the heathen lands. May the blessings of God rest upon the mission work and the activities of the auxiliaries. We will encourage our societies in following the good example of the sisters in Cleveland, and form auxiliaries wherever the pastors deem it feasible."
The following action was taken by Conference regarding one of the ministers who rejected his appointment: "Since Brother John Dreisbach accepted his appointment at the former session
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of Conference, but later neither moved upon it, nor served it, whereby Rice Mission was unsupplied for three months, in con- sequence of which the presiding elder was placed in an embar- assing position, and the work neglected, therefore resolved, that we emphatically disapprove the action of Brother Dreisbach, and that he shall be placed on six months' probation, during which time he shall perform no official functions." The brother faith- fully complied with the injunction of Conference, and a year later was reinvested with official authority.
The resolution of Conference a year ago relative to North- Western College concerning the solicitation of funds for this in- stitution, was rescinded, thus leaving the matter optional with the authorities of the school.
Since Brother C. F. Erffmeyer was unable to render active service during the coming year, and not being able to follow any other pursuit for an income, it was resolved that Conference ap- propriate to him $200.00 out of the Conference treasury, and his presiding elder and preacher in charge shall determine how much additional shall be allowed for his support. This is the first rec- ord of a claim upon the Conference treasury for support of a disa- bled minister or his family, which is rather remarkable when we consider the many hardships, exposures and privations preach- ers were subject to through the eighteen years of the existence of the Conference. Brother Erffmeyer's health improvd during the last half of the year, so that he was able to resume work.
C. Berner was elected Conference treasurer.
A vote of thanks was given the secretaries for their service, which is the first action of Conference of this kind recorded. No doubt the faithful secretary who served in this capacity for eight- een years, with only a few exceptions, deserved this expression of appreciation.
BOUNDARIES
Holton District
a. Hanover shall be called Washington Mission.
Missouri District
a. Jackson Mission shall be called Brooklyn Ave., Kansas City Mission.
b. Carthage and Virgil Missions shall be served together.
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Southwest District
a. Parsons Mission shall be served with Humboldt Mission.
b. Defiance shall be taken from Humboldt Mission and added to Yates Center Circuit.
c. Americus Mission shall be called Emporia Mission.
d. Cedron shall be taken from Osborne Circuit and added to Wilson Mission.
MISSIONS
The amount of missionary money raised for the Kansas Con- ference was $2,876.24, and the amount appropriated for the ensu- ing year $5,350.
The officers elected for the Missionary Society were: H. Mat- till, president; J. F. Schreiber, vice-president; P. Schumann, sec- retary, and W. Meier, treasurer.
STATISTICS
Conversions, 269; accessions, 442; membership, 3409; itine- rant preachers, 34; local preachers, 28; churches, 38; parsonages, 21; Sunday-schools, 68; officers and teachers, 663; scholars, 3,000; catechetical classes, 24; catechumens, 278; Botschafters, 775; Mes- sengers, 410; Magazins, 347; Epistles, 49. Total for missions, $3,153.52.
APPOINTMENTS
Holton District-J. Wuerth, P. E.
Nemaha, J. G. Pfeifer.
Lawrence, F. Harder.
Hiawatha, L. C. Schnacke.
Holton, C. Emmel.
Wolf River and Atchison, D. R. Zell- ner.
Big Blue, J. F. Schreiber
Leavenworth, C. Berner.
Red Vermillion, W. Daeschner.
Washington, H. Toedman and supply.
Missouri District-H. Mattill, P. E.
Oregon Circuit, J. H. Tobias.
Platte River, C. Brandt.
Bloomington and Sheridan, A. J. Voe- gelein.
Carthage and Virgil, C. Lindner and supply. Denver, F. J. Shafer.
St. Joseph, L. Wenger. Winston, H. S. Bower. Glasgow, P. Schumann.
Kansas City, Oak St., J. Schmidli.
Kansas City, Brooklyn Ave., J. Kurtz. Warrensburg, C. W. Snyder. Clinton, C. Ehrhardt and supply.
South-west District-P. Fricker, P. E.
Humboldt and Parsons, E. J. Troyer.
Yates Center, H. Koepsel.
Marion, J. H. Kiplinger.
Wichita, C. Geiser.
Rice, D. F. Honstedt.
Newton, G. E. Dienst.
Wilson, A. Brunner.
Emporia, C. Linge and T. R. Nan- ninga. Osage, S. H. Dunkelberger.
Jewell, T. W. Serf.
Osborne, G. Stamm.
Stockton, to be supplied.
Dickinson, W. Heiser.
Salina, to be supplied.
Offerle, A. Yokel.
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MOSES DISSINGER
Moses Dissinger preached for many years in the state of Pennsylvania, where he was licensed by the East Pennsylvania Conference in 1853. The name of "Mose Dissinger" was known as far as the Evangelical Association was known. He was a re- markable man in his day and was fitted for the conditions of his times. He was endowed with extraordinary physical strength, which had been developed prior to his conversion along athletic lines. He was fearless in disposition, original in style, and unique in his makeup. His sermons were practical, original, and pointed, usually delivered with considerable of the German Pennsylvania dialect. He was brusque in his manner and a foe to flattery, often he would carry his audience away in his sermons while conviction struck the unsaved with such force that they would cry out with a loud voice for mercy and pardon. He was feared by the rowdy element, and in many instances he would stop in the midst of a ser- mon long enough to expel a disturber from the house, after which he would return to finish his discourse. In 1879 Brother Dissinger united with the Kansas Conference and was assigned to Lawrence Circuit with Wm. Daeschner. He later served two years on Law- rence Circuit, and in 1882 was transferred to Atchison Mission. Here he was laboring when the Lord of harvest called him from labor to reward. At a memorial service, held during the Con- ference session, Bishop J. J. Esher and S. L. Wiest, correspond- ing secretary of the Missionary Society, both life-long acquaint- ances of the deceased, made addresses concerning the life and works of the departed co-worker.
J. DENGEL
Brother J. Dengel was received from the Illinois Conference in 1876. He never entered the active work in the Kansas Con- ference, but rendered willing service as a local preacher wherever opportunity presented itself. Brother J. Kurtz paid a fitting trib- ute at the memorial service held.
FANCY CREEK
During the year J. F. Schreiber organized the Fancy Creek class on Swede Creek Circuit. Henry Sondker was elected class- leader, Heinrich Oberhelman exhorter, and Wm. Klocke steward. At the same time a Sunday-school was organized with F. Klocke
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superintendent, E. Oberhelman assistant superintendent and H. Oberhelman secretary.
This has been a strong and loyal congregation for many years, and from her folds several excellent young men have entered the ranks of the Kansas Conference, who labored successfully in her ministry. The daughter emulated the example of her mother in developing a true missionary spirit, which has not been sur- passed, if indeed equaled, by any work in the Conference.
EMPORIA, KANSAS
In 1881 F. Harder, serving Osage Mission, took up an appoint- ment in Emporia and preached for the few Evangelical people whom he found there. The following year C. F. Erffmeyer, sta- tioned on Americus Mission, took charge of the appointment and organized a class with the following members: J. F. Barthel and wife, John Pantle and wife, Henry Miller and wife, and Henry Becker. John Pantle was elected class-leader. At the same time a Sunday-school was organized with Henry Becker as superin- tendent. In 1885 a church was built during the pastorate of E. J. Troyer, which was dedicated the same year by Bishop R. Dubs.
The Ebenezer class of Emporia Mission, located four and one- half miles west of Olpe, was started in 1880 by J. M. Dreisbach, while serving Americus Mission, but was organized by F. Harder the following year, when serving Osage Mission. The charter members were: Rev. Jacob Maurer and wife, Philip Horst and wife, Henry Rice, Sr., and wife, Gottlieb Kitzenberger and wife, and Henry Barret. Rev. J. Maurer was elected class-leader. The same year a Sunday-school was organized with Gottlieb Kitzen- berger as superintendent. A church was built in 1895, during the pastorate of C. Meeder, at a cost of $1,300.00, which was dedicated July 15, 1895 by M. C. Platz. This building was destroyed by fire fourteen years later, during the pastorate of H. M. Schuer- man, but rebuilt at once at a cost of $3,500.00, and dedicated by Rev. C. E. Platz, presiding elder. From this congregation two young men entered the ministry of the Kansas Conference.
1884
TWENTIETH SESSION
The twentieth session of Conference was held in the Zion Church, Nemaha Circuit, Richardson County, Neb., beginning
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1884 EXTENDING THE BORDERS
March 20, 1884, with Bishop R. Dubs, Chairman, and C. Berner, Secretary.
C. Timmer of his own free will surrendered his license, T. W. Serf received credentials, C. Erhardt was placed on the su- perannuated list, and J. Kurtz and C. Linge were retained in the itinerancy without appointment.
The following brethren received license to preach: August Ernst, Madison Walter, Aaron Schweitzer and D. Swart.
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