USA > Michigan > The history of the Church of the Brethren in Michigan > Part 7
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The lack of ministerial assistance coupled with the mov- ing of a number of the families from this community, which included many of the younger folks, plus the fact that many of the older members have gone on to their reward, has re- sulted in the closing of the doors of the Harlan church in August 1943-it is hoped only temporarily. The church has not been disorganized.
After the death of Brother Andrew W. Taylor, who had served the church faithfully as trustee and clerk for over twenty-five years, forty acres of his farm with a set of buildings were turned over to the district as a parsonage farm for the Harlan church.
It might be of interest to some to know that Dr. Lloyd Studebaker was born in the house on this farm; also that the first communion service and love feast held in this community was held in the barn now standing on this farm. This was before the church house was built. Considerable work was done on this house by a group of boys in a work camp in 1940. It is hoped that in the future it will be pos- sible to find a minister who will move on this farm and work in this community, not only ministering to the five or six Brethren families now living in the community, but in building a spirit of Christian brotherhood throughout the community, so that this church building may again fill the place for which it was built and dedicated.
HART
Elders J. E. Ulery and D. E. Sower met with the mem- bers of Hart on August 14, 1915, at the home of Elder Gran- ville Nevinger, for the purpose of organizing the group of members. It was decided to call it the Church of the Breth- ren of Hart. The meeting was called to order, and songs, prayers, and Scripture reading were participated in at the
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opening. Granville Nevinger was elected the first elder and J. J. Scrogum secretary. Trustees were elected as fol- lows: Molly Nevinger, one year; J. J. Scrogum, two years; S. S. Scrogum, three years. The deacon was J. J. Scrogum. There were about seven members at that time.
The boundary line was fixed by the mission board. The district meeting at the Sugar Ridge church in 1915 granted the Hart church all of Oceana County, the west half of Ne- waygo County and west to the lake, and also the north part of Muskegon County.
During the winter and the next spring more families moved to the territory, making the total membership about fifteen. In the summer four or five were taken in by bap- tism. This brought the membership to twenty.
Another meeting was held to elect some officers. J. J. Scrogum was elected to the ministry and S. S. Scrogum to the deacon's office. Sometime in the summer a store build- ing was bought, moved on a lot and remodeled into a church house, in which the congregation worshiped for several years. C. P. Rowland of Lanark, Illinois, held the first series of meetings. Several were added to the church then. In 1917 Elder D. E. Sower held a meeting, and, with several new families moving in, the membership increased to about fifty.
J. J. Scrogum was advanced to the second degree of the ministry. Then Aaron Swihart was elected as elder, and the United Brethren church of Hart was purchased. During the next year Brother Swihart's nephew was elected to the office of deacon and J. J. Scrogum's son, Arthur, was elected to the ministry. Elder Swihart died and J. J. Scrogum was alone, for Elder Granville Nevinger had sold his home and moved to Onekama. The church remained about the same for the next ten years.
When C. H. Kiser came to the Cedar church the situation
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looked good for a while, but the Hart church wanted him; so the Cedar church was sold in or about 1930, and he came to Hart. Brother Scrogum left and went to work in other fields. C. H. Kiser worked here for a while and then went to the Baptist Church. Then came E. R. Fisher as pastor and elder. While he was there the church gained a num- ber by baptism, but he also left. Sister Elma Rau came for a while. The church held up well while she was with them. In the spring of 1931 Brother Roy Engle came to Hart, but he stayed a year out in Freesoil where he was teaching school; so he could not do much in the church. He left in the spring of 1933. No meetings were held until October 15, 1934, when Charles Forror preached for them.
Elder J. E. Ulery, the chairman of the mission board, met with some of the members in August 1939 and proposed to them that since there were so few members left in Hart they should call a meeting, disorganize the church and vote to transfer the deed from the church officials to the trustees of the district mission board. Another meeting was called about September 1, 1939, and the church decided to transfer the deed to the board. The church business was to be con- ducted as usual, however. The interest grew less because of the few members living there, and the congregation was dis- organized in 1942. The church building has been sold by the district mission board.
HOMESTEAD
The author is happy to give the history of this church as it was reported by the present pastor, Brother Earl Funderburg. It is his home congregation.
The Homestead congregation began as a mission point in connection with the Harlan church. It operated for some time as the Pine Grove mission, located near Bendon.
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Eventually there came to be a larger percentage of mem- bers surrounding the small village of Homestead and serv- ices were held here in preference to the Pine Grove loca- tion. Homestead is on the Ann Arbor Railroad directly northwest of Harlan about eighteen miles. It was quite sim- ple for a minister to get on the Saturday evening train at Harlan, arrive at Homestead to stay over night, preach on
HOMESTEAD
Sunday and go back to Harlan on the Monday morning train. This was done for some time. There were then either four or five ministers at Harlan and turns were taken in order to serve the folks at Homestead.
The interest finally became so strong that on May 24, 1913, a council meeting was called at Brother John Kay's home for the purpose of organizing the Homestead congregation of the Church of the Brethren. Elder J. Edson Ulery pre- sided at this council meeting and Brother Andrew W. Tay- lor from Harlan, father of Brother Arthur Taylor, our present fieldworker, acted as secretary pro tem. Elder J. W.
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Harshbarger was elected elder until January 1, 1915. Two deacons, Frank Sheets and John Kay, were elected at this council.
There were twenty-eight charter members including Elder J. W. Harshbarger and two other ministers, Brother Cleveland Kiser and Brother Charles H. Harshbarger. Charles was a son of J. W. Harshbarger. These three moved to this community at about this same time.
The church prospered under this leadership for almost two years when some trouble arose. Elders L. T. Holsinger and Frank Gilbert from Brethren were called in to settle it but the effects were felt for some years following.
In the spring of 1915 all three ministers moved to other places and the church again operated under the supervision of Elder J. Edson Ulery of Onekama, with neighboring pastors, mostly from Harlan, filling the pulpit. Brother Ulery served as elder through 1916, Brother H. A. Weller from Harlan in 1917, Brother Ulery again in 1918. During this time Brother Andrew Hollinger moved to this com- munity and served as pastor. In 1919 Brother Hollinger was also elected elder. In 1921 Brother Jacob Slonaker came with his family to serve the Homestead church and served faithfully for more than five years as elder and pastor.
In 1927 Brother Charles Forror became Homestead's next presiding elder and served almost continually through 1934. Brother George W. Funderburg served from 1929 through 1934. Through the next three years there was no pastor for this congregation but the Sunday school was kept going by faithful members. Several Brethren families moved away and in 1937 the Sunday school was discon- tinued. The congregation was left without a pastor or an elder, and was in the hands of the district mission board until 1944.
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In the fall of 1943, some of the members having moved back and the population of the community being quite prom- ising, it was decided to make plans to reorganize the Home- stead church. Brother Earl Funderburg (son of George W. Funderburg), Homestead's most recent pastor, was contact- ed, and he and his wife moved from Ozark, Michigan, April 1, 1944. A council was held to reorganize the church, with Elder J. Edson Ulery in charge. A note of interest is that Brother Ulery was the presiding elder at the original or- ganization in 1913 and again at the reorganization in 1944, thirty-one years later. He was elected elder for 1944 and 1945; Brother Funderburg was chosen as pastor.
Even though Homestead's story has been one of many trials, the church has been a means of bringing many souls to Christ.
The ladies' aid society, originally organized on September 24, 1913, has been functioning continually since that date. Even through the years when there were no church services the ladies met regularly and financed some needed repairs on the church building. This included a metal roof on the south side. They also carried on other projects. It was really through the faithfulness and the interest of the ladies' aid that the church could again get under way. There have been several exceptionally faithful aid workers, including both Brethren and non-Brethren members. Brethren mem- bers are Sister Adelia Hienze, now gone to her rest, and Sister Clara Lung, a charter member, still living, and the present aid president. Non-Brethren members especially deserving mention are Sister Alice Monroe, formerly of the Salvation Army, who has served as secretary for over twen- ty years, and Sister Minnie Taylor, Congregational, who is the motherly type and can sew more carpet rags patiently, meeting after meeting, year after year, than any other lady we know.
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Deacons to serve the church have been Brethren John Kay, Frank Sheets, Joseph Raichart, and William and Henry Steely.
The present location of the church is four miles east and one-quarter mile south of Benzonia, about one-quarter mile from the hall where meetings were first held. Remodeling is being done on the building, and Homestead is looking into the future hoping and expecting to fulfill her place in the Lord's vineyard.
LAKE VIEW
In March 1902 members of the Church of the Brethren began locating in the vicinity of Brethren. The migrating of these people into this community resulted in the organiza- tion of the Lake View church. There were only a few families located here before that time. At least part of them had found their way here with land excursions in 1900. Many of those who settled in this part of Michigan at the time were not members of the Brethren Church. Some of the Keith family moved to the territory in April 1901, but there were no church activities at that time. Brother Charles Keith preached a few times that summer when he was helping his son to build a house. As nearly as we can learn, he was the first minister of the Church of the Breth- ren to preach in the community. Sister Ella Keith tells this in a recent communication: "About one o'clock in the morning of March 15, 1902, father, with his car of livestock and other belongings, was left on the south siding, at that time one-half mile north of Brethren. Brother and Sister Hezekiah Grossnickle arrived at Brethren later the same day." These, then, were the first families to locate here. It was not long until other families moved to this vicinity. However, they were scattered. At that time the Sugar
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Ridge church was the nearest organized church. In 1901 the people held a union Sunday school and also preaching services in the little log schoolhouse about a mile from the Keith homestead.
Brother J. M. Lair made a trip there during the summer and preached. An interesting story connected with that visit is told by Sister Ella Keith, who still resides there.
LAKE VIEW
It happened after they had gotten home from the services on the day that Brother Lair had preached. She describes the conversation like this: "Brother Lair said, 'Brother Keith, where did all those people come from? I did not ex- pect there would be more than a dozen or two there, but they came by the wagonloads. They just sprang up like mushrooms.'" She continued by saying, "Reverend Crook of the Baptist church had been preaching in the schoolhouse, but he never came very often after we arrived. He told father it was no use for him to drive over here since father was living here."
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It was in December 1902 that the Lake View church was organized in the little schoolhouse. By this time there were five ministers residing here. There were twenty-six charter members. Brother A. W. Hawbaker was the first elder. Services continued in the schoolhouse until the church house was built in April 1904. The first Sunday school was organized with Brother George E. Deardorff superintend- ent, and Brother J. E. Ulery the assistant. Soon calls came for preaching at other places such as Marilla, Onekama, the McKnight schoolhouse, Chief, Browntown, Zion, and Ben- don. And at one time services were conducted in the Men- nonite church. Later the people across the river at the place called the Gillis schoolhouse asked for preaching services and help in their Sunday school. In September 1903 the first communion service at this place was conducted in the Deardorff store building, which was then still un- finished. A large number of members from Sugar Ridge and other places came to enjoy the meeting. They had driven a long distance with horse and buggy to enjoy the spiritual fellowship. Dr. Sadler of Onekama used to drive to this church and arrive on time for the Sunday morning services. This is a wonderful record for one who already had a very busy life ministering to the sick folk.
About January 1904 the Deardorff store building burned and two of Brother Charles Deardorff's children perished in the flames. Theirs were the first graves made in the ceme- tery there, and Sister Ella Keith's baby brother's was the second.
In 1903 Brother A. W. Hawbaker was their first delegate to district meeting. The second communion was held in the church building before it was completed. This was in 1904. On July 8, 1906, the first Christian Worker's meeting was held and an organization was formed. The church was dedicated on July 1, 1906. Elder J. E. Ulery delivered the
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dedicatory address. At that time the Lake View congrega- tion embraced a large region, but soon churches were or- ganized within the territory. The Lake View church thus became the mother church.
The first district meeting held here was in August 1908. It has been there two different times since. The ladies' aid was organized in 1910.
Recently the church has been remodeled with a basement and Sunday-school rooms added. The basement has been insulated, and a new furnace installed. The basement is now rented to the public school as a place in which to serve hot lunches to pupils.
Preaching services, Sunday school, and other church ac- tivities have been conducted regularly. In more recent years they have been giving part-time support to the min- isters who served them. Brother Howard Helman served as pastor for a period. In 1942 Ernest Jehnsen was the summer pastor. William O. Bosserman was the summer pastor in 1943. Clifton Leckrone, a local young man, was licensed and installed into the ministry. He is now serving as the resident part-time pastor.
LANSING
The church work at Lansing, the capital city, was be- gun following the coming to the city of Brother Samuel Bollinger. He and his wife moved to this community from Vestaburg in 1925. They soon discovered a few other mem- bers living here. Those interested at that time in getting the work started were Brother Clayton Ditsworth and fam- ily, Brother Earl Cheal and family, Brother Charles Tom- baugh and family and his sister, Laura Tombaugh, Sister Emma Veneer, Sister Crystal Bell and family, Sister Nora Brillhart and daughter, Bessie.
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Brother Bollinger, having a zeal for the Lord's work, in- spired the members to try to find a place where they might worship. The Knights of Pythias hall was found, and on the first Sunday of December 1925 the group met for wor- ship with about forty present. With this body of workers the work started off nicely. Others were soon added. El- mer Stocker's son, Dale, was the first to be baptized. A little later the father was baptized. Brother Elmer Stock- er's wife and her sister, Mrs. Irene Mosey, were received on their former baptism from the Progressive Brethren faith.
The ministers who assisted in the preaching at the begin- ning were E. E. Eshelman, J. M. Smith, and Royal Frantz. In August of 1928, Brother Hiram W. Peters and family moved to the city. They began at once to help in the church activities. He took his place in the preaching pro- gram with Brother Bollinger. The church ordained Brother and Sister Peters to the eldership on October 3, 1931. Other ministers who worked and preached in the church during more recent years were J. J. Cook, Claude Leslie, and Ken- neth Leckrone. All of these ministers were graduate stu- dents who were taking special courses at Michigan State College, East Lansing.
On October 7, 1928, the church, then a part of the Sunfield congregation, organized itself into a separate working body. There were thirteen charter members. The election of of- ficers resulted in Brother John Smith of Woodland being chosen as elder for one year. The second year Brother Bollinger was elected elder-in-charge. He continued to serve as elder and pastor until 1933. Then he and his wife returned to their farm home at Vestaburg. The oversight of the church then fell to Brother Hiram Peters, and he served as elder until 1944, when he moved out of the dis- trict. He and Brother Bollinger gave of their leadership,
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and their pastoral care and counsel gave stability to the work through the difficult years of the depression.
In 1929 the church purchased from the German Baptist people (not the German Baptist Brethren) the building now
LANSING
occupied. It was their old church building, and is located at 1229 East Prospect Street. The church property now includes a lot about eighty-seven by ninety-nine feet. The two lots west of the church were purchased in 1939.
The church advanced rapidly and began to reach many people who had had connection with our church before moving into the city. Also many people not having our church background were contacted and brought into the church's fellowship. Through revival services and personal work many have been touched and brought into the church by baptism until the membership has passed the one hun- dred mark.
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Charles Tombaugh and Gerald Munn were called to the office of deacon on June 19, 1932. Brethren Earl Cheal, George Jehnzen, and Jeremiah N. Holsinger are also dea- cons in the congregation. Brother and Sister Wayne Hol- singer were installed into the deaconship on March 7, 1943. He is the grandson of Elder L. T. Holsinger, who served in the district for several years while living at Brethren, Michigan.
The church licensed David Geiman Young, son of the present pastor, to the ministry on April 21, 1940. He was installed one year later, on May 4, 1941. He is a graduate of La Verne College, and also served the La Verne church as minister of music for a period while in college.
The part-time pastoral program was begun in Septem- ber 1938. Under this plan Bro. Walter M. Young of Beth- any Biblical Seminary, Chicago, served as student pastor for three years. The church decided then to inaugurate a full-time pastoral program on September 1, 1941, and called Brother and Sister Young to the pastorate. He is now the pastor and presiding elder.
In the summer of 1943 the church undertook to make some needed improvements on the old building. The present church building, which is not adequate for the present needs, must serve the group for the duration of the war. A building fund has been started, and plans for a new build- ing are now under consideration. In view of the fact that no building program could be initiated immediately, the work of making the building more conducive to worship was undertaken. We can give only a few details of the work accomplished during the summer. The trustee board outlined and supervised the work. It was planned to work in the evening, and to call for volunteer help. So from June to October there was a crew of men on hand from three to four nights each week. Many hours of work were
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donated. The fellowship of laymen working together on church projects has much value. As usual, a very hard task came at the beginning of the job, for putting a bridge construction between the ceiling and the rafters in order to straighten the sag in the roof was the hardest and the hottest work. After this was done, new shingles were put on the roof. Those were the things needed most. Then the improvement on the interior began. The chancel was plastered and indirect lighting was installed. The floor was sanded and refinished. New carpet was laid in the chancel and the aisles, under the sponsorship of the ladies' aid. A temporary partition was put across the auditorium, which provides for an entrance room. The whole interior was redecorated. All of these improvements have aided in making the building more attractive and more conducive to worship. While there is need for a new building, still the people are proud that this has been done.
A fifteenth anniversary program planned for October was an incentive to make the foregoing improvements. It gave a goal toward which to strive. Clearing the church property of all indebtedness with a formal service of burn- ing the papers on Sunday, October 10, 1943, was a definite achievement. This, along with the work, caused great rejoicing. It was planned as a significant part of the fif- teenth anniversary program, which continued for three week ends. The visiting speakers who helped to make these services a success were: Brother W. W. Slabaugh and Brother Jesse Ziegler, both of Bethany Biblical Seminary; and Sister Anna Hutchison, missionary on furlough from China. Their messages were encouraging and challenging to the people.
The church at the present time is endeavoring to serve the group of young men and their wives of the detached
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Civilian Public Service unit at Michigan State College at East Lansing.
The women's work council, organized as the ladies' aid, has been functioning regularly from the beginning. The church school is co-operating with the Lansing Council of Churches in the advancement of Christian education. The B.Y.P.D. has been organized for many years, but it is only within the past two years that they have contributed liber- ally to the Youth Serves program of the district and the brotherhood. The men's work council is sponsoring several of the national projects-the 100% Gospel Messenger club and others.
With the help of faithful and earnest workers, and with the help of Almighty God, the work of this church will yield a far-reaching influence in the capital of this great state.
LITTLE TRAVERSE
This was a very early church in the district, located in Emmet County. The congregation was organized about 1882. From the Gospel Visitor one can read of the work and the families who settled there. Brother Martin Cos- ner was the elder. John Noss and Isaiah Stutsman were the deacons.
There was no church building in which to hold services at this place. The meetings were held in a schoolhouse. They had a big tent to set up for communion occasions. District meetings were held soon after the work had been established.
An interesting story may help to describe the very first activities of the Brethren here. Isaac Hufford and his wife attended a communion held in Brother Martin Cosner's barn as early as August 1886. They lived about ten miles north of Harbor Springs, and their land probably touched
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Lake Michigan. Brother Cosner's family and his son-in-law and family came from Virginia. The Samuel Weimer fam- ily, an early Brethren family who had moved from West Virginia, lost three children because of diphtheria. Since the snow was so deep that the people could not get out to a cemetery the bodies were buried in the yard until spring.
Brother and Sister Weimer were active workers during the time they were there. He was elected to the ministry and served the church well. Of course his was a free ministry.
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