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THE HISTON! OF THE Church of the Brethren IN MICHIGAN
YOUNG
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN IN MICHIGAN
M. B. WILLIAMS
GRACE DEAL SHOWALTER
H. V. TOWNSEND
WALTER M. YOUNG
DISTRICT HISTORICAL COMMITTEE
THE HISTORY of the CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN in
MICHIGAN
WALTER M. YOUNG
The District of Michigan Authorized This Publication
BRETHREN PUBLISHING HOUSE ELGIN, ILLINOIS
COPYRIGHT 1946 BY BRETHREN PUBLISHING HOUSE
Printed in the United States of America by the Brethren Publishing House Elgin, Illinois
DEDICATED to my wife ELIZABETH GEIMAN YOUNG whose faithful devotion and willingness to help afforded real encouragement in my work and to NOBLE CHRISTIAN LEADERS
whose loyal service perpetuates Christian brotherhood
The Church of the Brethren
Formerly Called Dunkers
1. This body of Christians originated early in the eighteenth century, the church being a natural outgrowth of the Pietistic movement following the Reformation.
2. Firmly accepts and teaches the fundamental evangelical doctrines of the inspiration of the Bible, the personality of the Holy Spirit, the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the sin-pardoning value of his atonement, his resurrection from the tomb, ascension and personal and visible return, and the resurrection, both of the just and unjust (John 5: 28-29; 1 Thess. 4: 13-18).
3. Observes the following New Testament rites: Baptism of penitent believers by trine immersion for the remission of sins (Matt. 28: 19; Acts 2: 38); feet- washing (John 13: 1-20; 1 Tim. 5: 10); love feast (Luke 22: 20; John 13: 4; 1 Cor. 11: 17-34; Jude 12); communion (Matt. 26: 26-30); the Christian salu- tation (Rom. 16: 16; Acts 20: 37); proper appearance in worship (1 Cor. 11: 2-16); the anointing for healing in the name of the Lord (James 5: 13-18; Mark 6: 13); laying on of hands (Acts 8: 17; 19: 6; 1 Tim. 4: 14). These rites are representative of spiritual facts which obtain in the lives of true believers, and as such are essential factors in the development of the Christian life.
4. Emphasizes daily devotion for the individual, and family worship for the home (Eph. 6: 18-20; Philpp. 4: 8-9); stewardship of time, talents and money (Matt. 25: 14-30); taking care of the fatherless, widows, poor, sick and aged (Acts 6: 1-7).
5. Opposes on Scriptural grounds: War and the taking of human life (Matt. 5: 21-26, 43-44; Rom. 12: 19-21; Isa. 53: 7-12); violence in personal and indus- trial controversy (Matt. 7: 12; Rom. 13: 8-10); intemperance in all things (Titus 2: 2; Gal. 5: 19-26; Eph. 5: 18); going to law, especially against our Christian brethren (1 Cor. 6: 1-9); divorce and remarriage except for the one Scriptural reason (Matt. 19: 9); every form of oath (Matt. 5: 33-37; James 5: 12); member- ship in secret, oath-bound societies (2 Cor. 6: 14-18); games of chance and sin- ful amusements (1 Thess. 5: 22; 1 Peter 2: 11; Rom. 12: 17); extravagant and immodest dress (1 Tim. 2: 8-10; 1 Peter 3: 1-6).
6. Labors earnestly, in harmony with the Great Commission, for the evange- lization of the world, for the conversion of men to Jesus Christ, and for the realization of the life of Jesus Christ in every believer (Matt. 28: 18-20; Mark 16: 15-16; 2 Cor. 3: 18).
7. Maintains the New Testament as its only creed, in harmony with which the above brief doctrinal statement is made.
CONTENTS
I. A Brief History of the State
17
II. Movements of Early Brethren Settlers
35
III. Problems Confronting the Development of Pio-
neer Churches
42
IV. History of Congregations
57
V. Strength and Weaknesses of Existing Churches .. 180
VI. Survey of District Boards and Committees and
How They Function
183
VII. Biographical Sketches
203
VIII. Observations and Trends
319
Bibliography
323
Appendix I
325
Appendix II
.337
INTRODUCTION
"That people which has no past has no future" is an apho- rism to which the historian subscribes. Not to know the past is to be effectively cut off from it. That is especially true in times of great upheaval and dynamic social change.
We in the Church of the Brethren have sometimes suf- fered from too little acquaintance with the past or from a lack of appreciation of the past. It is therefore appropriate and valuable that, as the glow of that American world of yes- terday (the world which began to fade in 1914) dies on the horizon, the history of the Church of the Brethren in Michi- gan should be permanently recorded in some detail.
This bock carries the narration past 1914. Yet the story is chiefly a story of pioneer decades and a story of beginnings. Michigan is one of the more recently developed districts of the church. And we who would bravely face the future must know our own past.
Some of the most careful historical writing of the Breth- ren has been in our district histories. This history is a wor- thy number in the series. The patience, the carefulness and the scholarly industry of its author have produced the best extant narrative of the District of Michigan. It is a great personal pleasure to the writer of these words that the be- ginning of this book is to be found in Mr. Young's prepara- tion of a thesis under my direction. That thesis was in ful- fillment of the requirement of Bethany Biblical Seminary for a bachelor of divinity degree. But the author's work did not cease with his graduation from the seminary.
This book should be of interest to every member of the church of this district of the Northland and I believe also to many beyond its borders.
F. E. Mallott
Professor of Old Testament and Church History Bethany Biblical Seminary
Chicago, Illinois
PREFACE
This history has to do with all the years of growth of the Church of the Brethren in the District of Michigan. It is an endeavor to discover the expansion or retrogression of the churches from the beginning to the present time. In time it has covered less than one hundred years. It touches on nar- rative history and wanders into other lines of interest. It discusses some of the customs and the life of the settlers into which our church people came and of which they be- came a part. Whatever value the whole study may have, compared with social development, it should be useful in depicting the numerical and the spiritual growth of our own church in this state.
The Church of the Brethren as it now exists in this district has passed through many phases of activity. My work at the Lansing church conducting a part-time pastoral program during my seminary training at Bethany Biblical Seminary, Chicago, Illinois, created a desire to understand better the district work. It is my further desire to assemble obtainable historical data in such a manner that it may be preserved for the church.
The study traces the development and growth of our de- nomination within a state with an English and French back- ground. This background is of importance because it gives the conditions under which our people settled in this par- ticular part of the country. It shows that our own people who moved into this state were willing to struggle along with others in the establishment of the religious life.
A discussion of the early settlers helps us to understand the many difficulties which confronted the establishment of the churches in those days. It is fascinating to read about the leaders of our denomination as they worked to make a living and to keep the church work going forward. Such a
12
History of the Brethren in Michigan
history of the churches, even though brief in form, is always valuable in the future.
Some of the activities and work of the district boards and other organizations are recorded. This record, too, becomes exceedingly valuable for comparison in later years. It is quite interesting to observe the change of methods and pro- cedure as the years come and go. Therefore, it is good to have some form of the history of the Church of the Brethren in Michigan in one source. And this data, collected and pre- served in this form, should be, brief as it may seem, bene- ficial to the churches of Michigan as well as to the entire brotherhood.
It was through personal interviews with some key elders and lay members that much of the information was obtained. I feel greatly indebted to them for their help. In the plan and preparation of this history, I have received invaluable assistance from Dr. Floyd E. Mallott, my teacher and faculty counselor, to whom I render this tribute of thanks. Many thanks are also due M. B. Williams of Detroit, district presi- dent of men's work for many years and now chairman of the district mission board and chairman of the district historical committee, who cheerfully and readily supplied much his- torical data which had been collected. A questionnaire was used to obtain information from ministers and lay workers for the biographical chapter. I am grateful for the response.
Questions which will play a large part in the writing are: Why did the people of our church move into Michigan? From what sections of the country did they come? What en- terprise did they undertake? Was it a success? What part of the state was the most attractive to our people? When were the first congregations organized? What caused some of the churches to become disorganized? Who were the in- fluential ministers in the first churches? What are the pros- pects for a greater Church of the Brethren in Michigan?
13
History of the Brethren in Michigan
This history, then, is simply an attempt to give the growth of the district and a resumé of the congregations in such a manner that all the accomplishments along with the adversi- ties may be revealed. The spirit of adventure undergirded the increasing progress of the leaders. The Church of the Brethren has assisted other denominations in spreading the gospel of the kingdom in this great state.
No facts have been intentionally withheld. Some may be incorrectly stated. For all the imperfections, omissions, and wrong statements the author is deeply regretful. My de- sire is that the volume may inspire future writers to pursue a more thorough study of the churches in the District of Michigan. My efforts will be amply rewarded if the people of the churches find it a source of satisfaction. Our aspira- tion has become a fulfillment.
Walter M. Young
Lansing, Michigan April 15, 1946
ABOVE: The village of Schwarzenau in Wittgenstein. At or near this spot on the banks of the Eder River the first baptisms took place in 1708. Photo by H. Spenser Minnich in 1924. BELOW: The mother church at 6613 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia. Property of the brotherhood by action of Conference in 1943. Photo supplied by B. F. Waltz.
PART I THE STATE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF PIONEER CHURCHES
CHAPTER I
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE STATE
There are numerous approaches to consider in recording the history of the Church of the Brethren in Michigan. A written account of our denomination in this particular state district calls first for a consideration of the state. It seems wise that the development of the state itself should be given as a basis for understanding the development of one par- ticular denomination within it. So this brief history of the state can merely serve to present conditions of living which had a wide influence upon the establishment of the churches.
The people of the Church of the Brethren entered a state which had already begun under a mixture of French and English culture. This fact had a definite bearing on the molding of new ideas into the lives of those who entered later. They naturally became a part of the culture which was existing in the community in which they settled. It made little difference as to what had been their former hab- its of life. One family or individual moving into the midst of a larger group will soon take on the customs of the group. Their own ways and customs no longer are in control. They become absorbed into the established manners. Their speech and action soon are identified with the larger group. The amalgamation may be gradual but it is sure.
Simply to write another brief history just for the sake of history itself would certainly be useless, for there are many excellent volumes now available to give all the knowledge necessary to understand the state fully. We propose in this chapter to draw from various sources a sufficient amount of information to give color and interest to history. Those who wish to read the historical conditions in Michigan would nat- urally go to the state history books. However, there is some value in having this historical chapter. It should create an
18
History of the Brethren in Michigan
appreciation for the cultural background and the manner of living which became a vital part of our church life.
The Lake State is the name given to Michigan. Its shores are watered by Lakes Superior, Michigan, St. Clair, Erie and Huron. The Indian words michi guma signify great lake.
Michigan entered the Union as a state in 1837. The bill in- troducing Michigan as a state in the Union became a law on the 26th of January, 1837. Thus it became the twenty-sixth state in the Federal Union. The admission involved many changes. For more than a century and a half, civilization had struggled to gain headway. A hundred thousand people were now within her borders. They were young, vigorous and energetic. They had come from the East to carve out homes and build a state in the wonderful West. They neither understood their responsibility nor doubted their ability, but went forward with an unquestioning confidence.
The people of Michigan were proud at the celebration of her semicentennial in 1887. In fifty years she had grown from the twenty-third to the ninth in population, and first in the production of many of the great staple products of the country. Of the forty-eight states she is now the seventh in respect to population (1940 United States census) .
1. Settlements
In a prize essay written by Dorothy Zryd on pioneer life we find some very interesting facts.
Indeed, it is hard for us of today to realize the condition of Michigan three centuries ago when the first adventurous white man stepped upon our shores and faced the green hills and primeval forests with courage before him. We do not yet realize and it will probably be centuries before the people of Michigan will fully appreciate and admire the virtues of our pioneer forefathers. But today, when the hills once covered with green trees and deep ravines, with an occa- sional Indian village or a lone settler's farm house perched on the side, are surrounded and covered with cities and towns, when smooth white highways follow the winding Indian trails and rough
19
A Brief History of the State
settlers' roads, we ought to begin to study the history of Michigan as told in the lives and virtues of our forefathers and do honor to the pioneers.1
Doctor Goodrich gives an adequate picture of early Mich- igan in the preface of his latest book, The First Michigan Frontier. It is stated so well that I cannot refrain from giv- ing it in his own most descriptive words.
Michigan passed through two distinct phases of settlement, and it can be said on that account to have had two frontiers. The French regime and the British regime together constitute one of these. The French planted little posts here and there on the rims of the penin- sulas. They developed trade more than husbandry. They looked to the country for swift profits, revenues for the king, riches for military and civil officers. A scheme of things that on the whole had the look of greedy exploitation was raised to a higher plane in two ways-missionaries labored with zeal for the conversion of the natives to Christianity, and soldiers, traders and voyageurs accepted to a degree the Indian way of life. The relations of the two races were almost always sympathetic and, in many instances, affection- ate. In the thirty years of British rule in Michigan, there was small penetration of the lake rims. Colonization was encouraged very little. The hot eagerness for new settlement which marked affairs on the borders of New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia did not spread into the Northwest that was Michigan. This remained dur- ing the two regimes the wilderness it had been at the beginning, and the sweep of forests and swamps and inland lakes was still in 1800 in very much the virginal state that prevailed in 1700.
The settlement of inner Michigan, when it came, bore small re- semblance to the tentative plantings the French made and that the British scarce more than kept weeded. The newer frontier was no longer a line clearly defined by the sands and shingle of the Great Lakes, but was irregularly marked by scattered villages of cabins, new rail fences, crowded taverns, stations of stage companies, and excessively muddy roads. Whereas the folk of the first frontier could be grouped simply as priests, soldiers, traders, and boatmen, the later masters of Michigan represented the complex constituents of a nearly complete society. Whatever their calling they had one absorbing, if only a speculative interest, and that was in land. They raced and bargained for land to break to the plow, to buy and to sell. They had an exclusive conception of the Almighty. Whatever the first frontier had in the form of stable settlement [people seemed
1 Dorothy Zryd, Prize Essays-Local History Contest, 1920-21, Bulletin No. 15.
20
History of the Brethren in Michigan
to be implied] came to it slowly. But the settlement of inner Mich- igan came with the rush of a spring flood. It altered the face of all Michigan just as in our own day we behold a new factory alter the appearance of a cornfield. In less than two decades it well nigh buried out of sight the signs the French and English had left of their occupancy.2
The existence of Indians in this territory brought many difficulties between them and the early settlers. New re- lations had to be established. Many stories could be told of the conflicts that occurred. The relations existing be- tween the various tribes that inhabited Michigan in early days were hostile. One tribe hated the other and they were engaged in war most of the time. The usual method of disposing of captives was by burning them at the stake, amid wild festivities. This is also a noticeable fact with pioneers. A story is told of how a young girl was captured by the Chippewas and was tied to a post, where she was tortured cruelly. The squaws pricked her with arrows while grinning braves looked on and shot an occasional arrow into the post an inch or two from her head. Death came when a huge fire was built around her, burning her to death. Such inhuman deeds were common. This cruelty created a hatred between the Indians and the early white settlers, and many horrible battles ensued. In battle the red man excels in strength and cunning. In many respects the true Indian is active and noble. The most of the Mich- igan Indians, the remains of the Chippewas, Ottawas, Pot- towatomies and Saginaws, are living at the Michigan Indian Territory Reserve. In one source they are termed the Northern Algonquins. The Pottowatomies were driven from southern Michigan to Kansas and the Indian Territory, where they are now civilized citizens. The Ottawas were driven from northern Michigan from place to place by
" Calvin Goodrich. The First Michigan Frontier, University of Michigan Press, 1940, Ann Arbor. Pages 6, 7.
21
A Brief History of the State
other tribes and, now reduced to a remnant, are settled upon reservations in the same region they knew of old.
Although the Indian has nearly passed from the lake region, he has left some things to remind us of him. Many of our familiar names of Michigan places are of Indian origin, such as these words and their meanings: Michili- mackinac, island of the great turtle; Cheboygan, great pipe; Owosso, he is afar; Petoskey, the rising sun; Otsego, place where meetings are held; Escanaba, flat rock; Munsing, at the little island; Ishpeming, high up; Negaunee, he goes be- fore, or the pioneer; and Calumet, the peace pipe. Pontiac was named after the great chief of the Ottawas, who at- tacked Detroit in 1763. Today some of our great cities are located on the sites of old Indian villages and have taken their names."
The Frenchmen were attracted to the region of the Great Lakes because of the fishing possibilities. While the early Frenchmen were more interested in fishing than trading with the Indians, they soon set up trading centers. This also developed into much exploring of the new land. Per- haps as early as 1506 French fishermen were fishing off Cape Breton Island. In 1534 Jacques Cartier reached the St. Lawrence River and made many discoveries. Later he re- turned to an Indian village now Quebec, Canada, and from there new contacts were made along the St. Lawrence River. This led to the settlement of Quebec by another French explorer, Samuel Champlain, in 1608. Champlain was suc- cessful in winning the friendship of a few Indians, which proved to be an important factor in getting a foothold on the new Michigan land. Dr. Lewis writes as follows:
Little did Champlain, or anyone in the war party. guess how really important the actions of that little band would be on later Amer-
3 Ferris E. Lewis, My State and Its Story, Hillsdale School Supply Co., Hillsdale, 1937. Page 17.
22
History of the Brethren in Michigan
ican history. As for Michigan much of her early history depended on the success or failure of Champlain and his newly made Indian friends.4
Another young Frenchman named Etienne Brule had a large part in making valuable discoveries in Michigan about 1610. He passed through the Sault Ste. Marie waterway accompanied by a party of Indians. On this trip he dis- covered copper in what is now known as the copper region.
French posts were soon established along the shores. The French government offered inducements for people of France to settle in this new American country, which they called New France. Some came and began to settle on small farms. So we find that the French atmosphere pre- vailed until the time of the Americanization of the terri- tory. This was pointed out by Dr. Grant in his book, The Conquest of a Continent.
Michigan, owing to its proximity to Canada, and the importance of Detroit as a headquarters, had a distinct French atmosphere in its early days. Unlike those in some of the more distant settlements, the French inhabitants at Detroit did not intermarry frequently with the Indians, and they represent therefore a relatively pure French Canadian stock. American immigration was slow, and not until 1805 did the inhabitants become numerous enough to warrant a separate territory. As late as the beginning of the war of 1812 four-fifths of the 5,000 people in Michigan were French. In 1817 the first steamboat appeared on the waters of Lake Erie and the Erie canal was begun, and from that time the Americanization of the territory was rapid.5
The country soon passed from the hands of the French to the English. Rivalry between French and English over trade difficulties led to serious conflict and France lost con- trol. English traders won the Indians over to their side. In 1755 young George Washington fired a shot in the wil- derness which brought about a new situation.
* Ibid. Page 21.
5 Madison Grant. The Conquest of a Continent, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1934. Page 162 ff.
23
A Brief History of the State
It must be noted then that in the fate of war the country changed hands. However, the temper of its people did not change. To the northern Indians the French were allies of long standing, but greater than any affection was their hatred of the English. Pontiac then made one more des- perate effort to gain back the lost country, but in August 1765 he sent his "pipe of peace" to Sir William Johnson, saying, "That he may know I have made peace and taken the King of England for my father."
For a number of years Britain ruled over Michigan with an iron hand. After that, it became an American territory. This was in the year 1805. And from the close of the War of 1812 to 1837 Michigan was governed as part of the North- west Territory.
Why Michigan was first entered by the French and then later by the English settlers is perhaps still a question. Why it was not occupied by New York men at an earlier period is at first not easy to understand. Perhaps the adverse re- ports of surveyors who visited the interior of the state, the partial geographical isolation, and the unprogressive char- acter of the French settlers account for the tardy occupa- tion of the area by the English. The time came when swarms of settlers began to enter the state. Great Britain main- tained the dominant position until after the War of 1812, and the real center of authority was in Canada.6
The settlers of Michigan then came mostly from the New England states through New York. They came not in a collected army but singly, by twos and by threes. Neverthe- less, they penetrated the woods and took possession of the treasures which Michigan gladly yielded to the daring ad- venturers. They brought with them intelligence, educa- tion and Christianity. The moral element was the domi-
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