USA > Michigan > The history of the Church of the Brethren in Michigan > Part 11
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Here is a rural church radiating a spiritual influence over a large section.
THORNAPPLE
The members of the Church of the Brethren who first set- tled in Eaton, Barry, Ionia, and Kent counties in Michigan began to assemble in their homes and sometimes in small schoolhouses to worship. Ministers from Indiana came at
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History of the Brethren in Michigan
THORNAPPLE
infrequent intervals to preach the Word. These ministers, we are told, never failed to find earnest listeners hungry for the "Bread of Life."
About 1867 or 1868 the Thornapple church was organized. In 1870 their first house of worship was built. It was sit- uated on the county line between Barry and Ionia counties. The Woodland church was a branch of this congregation then. All members living in Ionia, Kent or Ottawa County and adjacent territory north were reckoned as members of the Thornapple congregation.
The second house of worship, one mile south of Elmdale, was erected about 1878. It was named the West Thornapple church. The third house was built on the corner of S. M. Smith's farm, one-half mile south and one and one-half mile east of the center of Campbell Township, in the sum- mer of 1888. This is the building that is used at the present time by the Thornapple congregation.
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History of Congregations
A house of worship was purchased in Lake Odessa in 1907, and a Sunday school was started there. Preaching services were conducted by the Thornapple church for a year or more. Some time later the work was discontinued and the house sold to another denomination.
In 1913 the Grand Rapids church was organized; to it then was assigned the major part of Kent County and all of Ottawa County. In 1914 the Elmdale congregation was given a separate organization. This further depleted the territory left to Thornapple and made a very large reduction in her membership.
Peter B. Messner was advanced to the second degree of the ministry at this church on June 13, 1891. He was or- dained to the eldership in February 1907. His preaching was almost entirely confined to this congregation. Yet he gave much of his time to the work of the district.
Brother R. J. McRoberts served as pastor and elder of the church for a while, and he is now the presiding elder. Brother Dean Frantz, a student in Bethany Biblical Semi- nary, was the summer pastor from June to August of 1943. Brother Stephen A. Weaver was the pastor for a time. He served on the district board of Christian education and as the director of adult education. Brother Carl Welch came to the church as pastor in 1945.
Recently elected to the deaconship were Brother and Sis- ter Russell M. Hartzler. Brother Hartzler is serving on the district men's work council as director of the heifers-for- relief project. Brother and Sister Orville Deardorff are also serving in the deacon's office. Sister Deardorff is a member of the district music board.
The church has been remodeled and the interior redeco- rated within the past five years. The improvements in- cluded the installation of a new pulpit platform and the addition of a church kitchen and a young people's room.
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History of the Brethren in Michigan
All of the changes were made possible by the local mem- bers and friends donating their time and co-operating in a spirit of brotherliness for the benefit of the church. The church has purchased the adjoining property, a house and three acres, for a parsonage. This fine rural church is now well equipped to minister to the needs of this community.
Due recognition may well be given to all the brethren and sisters, including all ministers and deacons called to office in this church, who served the Lord in this area of the district, who were faithful in attendance, and who shall in nowise lose their reward.
Seven district meetings have been held in this church. The first ever held in this state was here on May 1, 1874. The last to be held in this congregation was in 1914.
VESTABURG
Emanuel Bollinger and family moved into the bounds of the New Haven church in the spring of 1883. In the fall of the same year they moved on a farm two miles north of Vestaburg. This was close to the Skidmore schoolhouse. A short time afterwards there was a meeting of the elders: D. E. Chambers, Eliezer Bosserman, George Stone, Jacob Tombaugh, and Jacob Kepner-all now gone to their re- ward. They met to consider the future work of the church in this vicinity.
The meetings were first monthly and then semimonthly. The membership was still a part of the New Haven church. Some new members moved in and some were received by baptism. In 1901 the Crystal church was organized in Ferris Township and the members at Vestaburg became a part of that congregation.
In the meantime Samuel Bollinger, Joseph Sherrick and David Sower were called to the ministry. Brother Samuel
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History of Congregations
Bollinger, with some help, continued the work at the same schoolhouse.
In 1905 a church was built at Vestaburg. It was dedi- cated on July 8, 1906. Within a year the Vestaburg church was organized. Isaiah Rairigh was the first elder. Brother Samuel Bollinger was the elder and pastor for a number of years. The church was disorganized in 1940. The members became affiliated with the Crystal church. The building is no longer standing.
WOODLAND
It was in the spring of 1873 that a meeting of the early Brethren settlers in the community of Woodland was called. The people met at the home of Isaac Smith (now Owen Smith's farm). It was here on that date that the Woodland congregation of the Church of the Brethren was organized. This congregational territory was large-com- prising about five counties. These settlers had come from Ohio-a number having settled near Woodland as early as 1868.
Preaching services were held alternately in the Old Brick schoolhouse, on the Woodland-Castleton township line, and the Galloway schoolhouse, one mile east of Wood- land village. Love feasts were held in barns of the mem- bers of the congregation. The first love feast was held on June 14-15, 1874, at Brother Isaac Smith's, six and one- half miles northeast of Nashville.
In 1875 the present church lot was deeded by Henry Smith and Mary, his wife, to the board of trustees: I. N. Miller, Enos Crowel, and Benjamin Fryfogle. A frame building thirty-two by forty feet was erected on this lot the same year. In 1887, the building being too small to accommodate the congregation, an addition of sixteen feet
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History of the Brethren in Michigan
was made to the house. In 1907 it was remodeled by veneering with brick and putting a basement under the whole structure.
For the first nine years after the organization of the congregation the public service of the church was limited to preaching services. On June 18, 1882, the first Sunday
WOODLAND
Left: the country church; right: the village church.
school of this denomination in this community was organ- ized with Brother John M. Smith as superintendent and Edward Fisher as secretary. The fact that one hundred seventy-one names appear on the first membership roll of this Sunday school shows the interest and trend of thought of that time.
The ministerial service, with but few exceptions, was given by those who had their homes in the community and had interests which were larger than their own particular church and denomination. The services of these ministers were rendered without stipulated salary or compensation during all the years from the organization until the last two years of the service of Brother J. M. Smith, although
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History of Congregations
some voluntary aid was given to them from time to time. The longest service was that of Brother Smith, who served a little over fifty years and left an impress upon the life of the community which only eternity will reveal.
From its beginning the leadership in this church has been interested in the cause of missions, evangelism, and religious education and from time to time the official di- rectory has been changed to meet the changing needs in these fields.
When the need for more religious instruction for the children was being partially met by introducing the daily vacation Bible school among the Christian churches, this church was the first in the community to hold such a school for instruction in religious education along nonsectarian lines.
Because of the long distance some had to go to attend church, services were held for a time on Sunday afternoons in the Woodland town hall, and as older members left their farms and went to live in the village a need was felt for a church of their own there. The German Methodist Epis- copal church building not being used at that time, it was purchased and rededicated soon afterward. In the fall of 1913 this church was organized as a separate congrega- tion. Brother G. F. Culler was its first pastor. He and his wife had much to do with the progress made at Wood- land village during the period when services were held there. After the death of Brother Culler the church called Brother Mark Schrock, Brother Ervin Weaver, and Brother H. V. Townsend to its pastorate. In the fall of 1936, because of the nearness to the original church and because the need which called out its organization no longer existed, the church in the village was closed and its members again united with the south church in worship services.
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History of the Brethren in Michigan
Brother H. V. Townsend, aided by Sister Townsend, faith- fully served the congregation as pastor and elder for many years. He terminated his service as pastor on September 1, 1941. He is the present elder-in-charge.
Brother and Sister Arthur L. Dodge of the Black River church, Northeastern Ohio, were called to the pastorate in 1941 to succeed Brother Townsend. The pastoral program
1
WOODLAND PARSONAGE
of the church was under their leadership until 1945. Broth- er Dodge was a member of the district ministerial board. Brother Robert Ebey became the pastor in 1945.
Several important and significant projects have been un- dertaken in recent years. On September 16, 1942, at a special called council, the church voted to purchase the J. Harve Townsend property to be used as a parsonage. The house was remodeled and modernized during the years 1943-44. The pastor and his wife moved into the parsonage in August 1943. A campaign to raise the balance due on
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History of Congregations
the property was carried on through the summer of 1944. It was dedicated free of debt on July 30, 1944. The parsonage is situated one and one-quarter mile west of the Woodland church on State Route 43.
It can be said that this is an influential rural congrega- tion. It is situated in a thriving section of the county. The ministry and the activities of Christian teaching will be a source of spiritual blessings to the entire community. The membership is the second largest in the district.
WOODLAND VILLAGE (Refer to the Woodland history and the Appendix.)
ZION
In 1908 Brother W. E. Mason and family moved from Northwestern Ohio and located in the vicinity of the present church building. After residing here for some time he decided it was a good neighborhood in which to live and that farms could be purchased very reasonably; so he had a notice published in the Gospel Messenger. The district mission board was informed of this new field and Brother S. M. Smith was sent to investigate. In 1910 Brother Smith conducted services in a school building one mile west of where the present house of worship is situated. He was the first minister of the Church of the Brethren to preach in this county. He sent to the Gospel Messenger a very favorable report of the possibility of effecting a church or- ganization in this community. Then in the fall of 1910 six families including three deacons were located here. Elder John P. Bowman and family of Tennessee and Brother I. G. Blocher and family of Southern Ohio came in 1911.
On June 24, 1911, Elders S. M. Smith and C. L. Wilkins of the mission board, assisted by Elder Lemuel Hillery of
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History of the Brethren in Michigan
Indiana, organized the Zion church with a charter member- ship of fifty. Elder John P. Bowman was elected elder-in- charge of the church with Elder I. G. Blocher as assistant.
Brother and Sister Blocher gave free ministerial service to this church from 1911 to 1914. Sister Blocher contributed very much to the work at Zion in those early days. Brother
ZION
Blocher relates an inspiring experience that occurred on the last Sunday in June 1913. There was a double service held that Sunday morning. He says: "We were ordained to the eldership and immediately following, a public anoint- ing service was held for Sister Blocher. She left the fol- lowing Tuesday for the hospital and major surgery. The elders, William B. Neff and John McKimmy, asked that the service be at that time-the first anointing service in that new community and the first very many of our people had ever witnessed. I know a very wholesome impression was made in that crowded assemblage." The anointing rite is a distinctive doctrine of the Brethren.
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History of Congregations
The membership and friends were looking forward at this time with much zeal and high hopes that a new house of worship of their own would be erected in the near future. A committee was chosen and the present site was select- ed; on this the church was built. On November 14, 1915, Elder C. L. Wilkins preached the dedicatory sermon and remained two weeks in evangelistic meetings which resulted in twenty-one baptisms. This was a great inspiration to all the members.
The building is a fine structure, thirty-six by sixty feet, with a full basement which includes four classrooms and two cloakrooms besides the main auditorium, making it very convenient for Sunday-school purposes. On May 21, 1916, there was a membership of one hundred ten. Sixty- nine of these had been received by letter and forty-one by baptism.
Elder Samuel Bowser and family came in 1916 and he, with the other ministers, contributed much in time, means and talent, causing the work to prosper. Elder J. P. Bow- man left in 1919, and Elder Bowser in 1922. Others moved away until the membership was reduced to almost one half. Brother William H. Good located there in 1918. He has labored with the church as pastor and elder during these many years. Brother Good has been a good leader in the district. He has been a member of the district mission board for many years. He has been an inspiration to the young people of that area, and he doubtless has inspired worthy motives in the lives of many people.
In July 1939 Brother Willard Atherton was licensed to the ministry, and was installed about a year later. He had been a faithful leader among the young folks, and the church made a wise choice in calling him to the ministry. He was encouraged to continue his training and to go to the Bethany Training School, Chicago. Brother Atherton
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History of the Brethren in Michigan
MAP OF LOCATION OF CHURCHES
Facte of the Stata -
Admitted to Union - January 26, 1837
Shore Line - 1,600 milee
Ares - 57,980 square milos
Population - 5,256,106 (1940 census)
LOCATION OF CHURCHES
1. Almona
2. Battla Craok
3. Beer Lake
4. Beeverton
5. Bleck River
o - Diecontinued churches
6. Cedar House
7. Coleman
8. Oryetal
19
9. Detroit
10. Elmdela
11. Elaia
12. Flint
13. Grend Rapide
14. Harlan
15. Hert
16. Homestead
17. Lake View
16
18. Laneing
19. Little Traverse
26
20. Long Leke
20
21. Marille
22. Midlend
23. Muskagon
52
24. New Haven
25. North Star
6
$29
22
28. Pontiac
2ยช
8
#24
30. Rivereide
15
31. Shepherd
32. Sugar Ridge
35. Sunfiold
34. Thornapple
360
33
18
28
35. Vestaburg
37.
36. Woodland Villege
37. Woodland
5
2
10
9
38. Zion
Southern Zone
o
27. Ozark
Central
Zone
26. Onakema
Northern
Zone
Meening of Marke -
" - Organized ective churches
29. Rodney
12
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History of Congregations
has given much assistance to the preaching program of the church during the past five years when he has not been away in school.
In 1943 Brother I. G. Blocher returned to the community and assisted in the preaching and other church work. He was there only a short time-from October to December. It was a joy to have him and Sister Blocher back even for a little while.
Brother John Meiser and Brother Wilbur Good have been elected as deacons.
A new furnace was installed a few years ago. The in- terior of the building was redecorated in 1944. In October 1944 five heifers were dedicated for the Brethren Service Committee to use for relief work. Four of these were over one year old. Such Christian service is invaluable. It cannot be measured in dollars and cents.
A faithful leader in this church says: "We have dis- couragements, of course. However, it is a joy and satisfac- tion to have those who can be depended upon and who do what they can to help the cause of Christ."
CHAPTER V STRENGTH AND WEAKNESSES OF EXISTING CHURCHES
Looking at the district as a whole, one might conclude that all the churches are doing more than average work in advancing the cause of Christ locally and in the brother- hood. Yet in making a closer observation of each local church, it is evident that a few are far in advance of others in that respect. Of course the factors which enter into such a condition cannot always be determined. The evaluation of one particular church is difficult, for some of the churches are likely to have a greater number of able and aggressive leaders than others do. And we know that many of the churches in Michigan are suffering because the greater part of the responsibility rests upon one or two individuals who soon become discouraged when accomplishments are slow. Consequently the work drags. It is a fact that many of the churches in Michigan are not strong because they are in need of more leaders.
For a church to be small in numbers does not always in- dicate that it is weak in activity. The strength of a church lies in the hands of a few who are sound in the principles of the church. Such a little group will soon give impetus and direction to the whole body. If a church that is small would have enough insight to pick out and produce leaders it would soon become strong and influen- tial. The histories of the congregations as recorded in this book reveal only in part the conditions as they actually are.
Again, the strength of a church exists in the body of mem- bers that make it up, whether many or few, in proportion to the spirit of love that unites them in one common pur-
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Strength and Weaknesses of Existing Churches
pose. Weakness is usually the result of disunion. Disrup- tion is mostly caused because the spirit of love is absent. So, when a church, smaller or larger, keeps united in fel- lowship and love that church will manifest sufficient strength to overcome any problems. The forward look or the spirit of making any advance does not seem to be preva- lent in over one half of the churches in Michigan. It does appear that these are unconcerned about taking a forward step in church work. So unity is essential, but along with it must be exercised wisdom and vision in planning the program. Unity with vision will inevitably produce a strong church.
There seem to be a great many of our churches that fail to outline a definite program. They fail to plan for the future. This doubtless is the reason for their retrogression. It usually is true that in those churches with pastors giving full or part time to the planning and promoting of the work there is found a keener interest. More people are contacted and the spiritual side of life is satisfied. Hence the church with a planned and definite program of work is stronger. It naturally follows that the church with an active program is drawing people. When the souls of people in a church are fed, that church is alive and growing. This requires the wholehearted co-operation of elder, pastor and people. It requires the spirit of giving and taking. And where the church people are eager to share and labor for Christ's sake and his cause, there you will find a strong and active church.
A few of the churches are eager to improve their meth- ods in every phase of their work. They recognize their problems and work for more efficiency in both church and church school. Such churches fall into disintegration when methods go unheeded .. They are satisfied to carry on as they did several decades ago. These are at a standstill or
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History of the Brethren in Michigan
going backward. The needs of the community in which such a church is located suffer tremendously. It is because of these needs that every organization and department of the local church should work toward the one objective of making it better. Proper methods are essential if much achievement is going to be realized.
So the churches that are working to this end possess ele- ments of strength. Those that are emphasizing the whole church program-evangelism at home and abroad, steward- ship and the social interests-are the ones that successfully meet the needs of the people and become stronger. It is my opinion that perhaps two thirds of the churches in the district of Michigan are measuring up to such a program. The goals of the brotherhood are met by them. The needs of the community and the church's constituency are getting their consideration. It may be that these are the churches that are privileged to have pastors living there. Of course it is not always true that only churches with pastors are the strong ones. It should be that those receiving pastoral service ought to be much stronger. Then let all the churches of the district of Michigan press on with greater earnestness in the work of the kingdom.
CHAPTER VI
SURVEY OF DISTRICT BOARDS AND COMMITTEES AND HOW THEY FUNCTION
The district has always organized to keep within the de- mands and program of the whole brotherhood. It has ex- panded along every line of activity which the General Conference has deemed important. The leaders have sought to uphold the ideals of the Church of the Brethren in order that people may have a knowledge of the doctrine based on the New Testament.
It was not long after the organization of churches that the need for co-operation arose. They soon felt the im- portance of grouping together in the promotion of the gospel. As we study the minutes of the district we see the various measures taken to expand the work. These were mostly forward moves.
The earliest churches in Michigan were a part of the District of Northern Indiana. It was in 1874 that the churches in Michigan were organized into a separate dis- trict, embracing all the southern peninsula then. Later both peninsulas were included in the district. This meet- ing was held in the Thornapple church on May 1. It was held in what is now known as the meetinghouse of the Old Order Brethren. This is located on the south line of Camp- bell Township, Ionia County. It was at this meeting that churches began to assume the responsibility of sharing in the building of the kingdom. We have no record of the list of congregations or how many delegates were repre- sented. The officers for this meeting were: Elder F. P. Loehr, moderator; J. G. Winey and M. T. Baer, clerks. The following year the minutes list eight churches: Almena, Berrien, Black River, Bloomingdale, Christian, Pokagon,
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History of the Brethren in Michigan
COUNCIL OF BOARDS IN 1945
Reading from left to right, first row: Mrs. L. H. Prowant, H. V. Townsend, Mrs. H. V. Townsend, M. M. Chambers (chairman), Delmond Frantz, Galen E. Barkdoll; second row: Walter M. Young, Mrs. Orville Deardorff, Miss Elma Rau, Mrs. Fred Mills, M. B. Williams, Russell Hartzler, Mrs. J. J. Cook, Mrs. Mary Guy; third row: Homer Kiracofe, Ray Hoyle, Arthur L. Dodge, Stephen A. Weaver, E. S. Hollinger, Charles A. Spencer, L. H. Prowant, W. H. Good, Arthur E. Taylor, Miss Lois Sherrick. Absent: Harley Arnett, Nettie Senger, Elmer Leckrone.
Thornapple and Woodland. The officers of the previous year again served, and there were fourteen delegates.1 It was difficult to maintain a close spiritual fellowship in dis- trict affairs because of the distance between these and the other churches.
Therefore, at the district meeting held at the Sunfield church, February 16, 1889, a decision was made to give the churches in the southern tier of counties to Northern Indi- ana. This action resulted in the following churches becoming
1 The Missionary Visitor, May, 1907. Page 276.
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District Boards and Committees
a part of that district: Berrien, Christian, Bloomingdale (or Chippewa), and Pokagon. The decision was agreeable to both districts.2
The following is a typical district meeting announcement: The District Meeting for the State of Michigan will be held, the Lord willing, with the Brethren in the Woodland district, on Thursday, three weeks before Whitsuntide."
A list of the district meetings together with the officers may be found in Appendix II.
The District Mission Board (Refer to Appendix II)
Missionary efforts were the outcome of calls from needy parts of the state. There were so many demands that the churches were called upon to give some special attention to the work. Someone must head it. The organization of a district missionary board resulted. It was composed of one minister, one deacon and one lay member. The duty of this board was "to see that the gospel was preached where there were favorable openings." Each local church was requested to support the new venture by sending an offering twice each year to the treasury.
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