USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > Shrewsbury > A history of Seventh Day Baptists in West Virginia : including the Woodbridgetown and Salemville churches in Pennsylvania and the Shrewsbury church in New Jersey > Part 21
USA > Pennsylvania > Bedford County > Salemville > A history of Seventh Day Baptists in West Virginia : including the Woodbridgetown and Salemville churches in Pennsylvania and the Shrewsbury church in New Jersey > Part 21
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April 7, 1876, the Ritchie Church took the following action :-
"Whereas, We desire to cultivate the spirit of brotherly love with our Pine Grove brethren, therefore,
"RESOLVED, That we hereby express our willingness to unite with them in Sabbath School and social worship, meeting with them at their house of worship one-half of the time, and at our place of worship on Otter Slide the other half, and we also instruct our clerk to forward a copy of this preamble and resolution to them and request them to give us an answer in time to organise by the first Sabbath in May.
"VOTED, That as to-morrow is our communion season, we invite the members of the South Fork of Hughes River Church, who may be present and who are members in good standing with them, to partake with us."
To this the following reply was received :-
"June 18, 1876.
"The Seventh Day Baptist South Fork [of Hughes River] Church, in reply to the request of the Ritchie Church to combine and attend the Sabbath Schools and meetings of Otter Slide and Pine Grove, would respectfully say we think it is not best now. Members of our Sabbath School are not favourable to it, and we fear it would not have a good effect.
"We ask you to pardon our slothfulness in the making of this reply. We did not intentionally disregard your request, but have neglected it until our regular church meeting.
"H. H. GOODWIN, Clerk."
On the 4th of August, 1878, the Pine Grove Church took the following action :-
"Whereas, The success of the cause of Christ depends largely on a united work (for union means strength), and feeling the weakening influence of a divided church, and knowing that division does not harmonise with the Word of God; therefore,
"RESOLVED, That we as a church do not hold meetings at Pine Grove during the time of the Quarterly Meetings of the Otter Slide [the Ritchie] Church, and that as many of us as feel free to do so, attend their meetings when convenient, and endeavour by associating with them both in private and in public, to so manifest love for them as to break down the division."
(14)
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THE RITCHIE CHURCH
On July 20, 1879, the Pine Grove Church again took action, as follows :--
"RESOLVED, That the Sabbath School in unison with the Ritchie Church stand as it does till the present session is out."
Once more, on February 1, 1880, the Pine Grove Church, after an exhaustive discussion of the subject, decided not to unite its Sabbath School with that of the Ritchie Church for the following summer.
But on October 8, 1880, at a business meeting of the Ritchie Church, the superintendent of the Sabbath School presented a communication from the Pine Grove Church, inviting the Ritchie Sabbath School to unite with the Pine Grove Sabbath School for the following summer.
To this the Ritchie Church made reply as follows :- "October 8th, 18So.
"TO THE PINE GROVE CHURCH :-
In reply to your proposed union, we would say,
"Whereas, We believe it to be detrimental to the cause of God to unite the Sabbath Schools, and then separate the meetings, therefore,
"RESOLVED, That we are willing to unite the Sabbath Schools on the following terms :--
"That Sabbath Schools and meetings [both] unite. That is, the Sabbath School [shall meet] half the time with us, and when it is with us, for there to be no meeting at Pine Grove, but for the meetings to be at our place ; and when the Sabbath School is at your place, we will have no meeting, but let it be at your place. And that we have the Sabbath School at our place at the time of our Quarterly Meetings, and you have it at your place at the time of your Quarterly Meetings."
This reply was presented to a business meeting of the Pine Grove Church, held December 19, 1880, when the terms of the union as set forth by the Ritchie Church were accepted, and a union Sabbath School and meetings were decided upon.
At the session of the South-Eastern Association held at New Salem, West Virginia, beginning May 29, 1879, there appeared representatives of the Pine Grove Church, who expressed a desire of the church to unite with the association, and a committee was appointed for the purpose of conferring with the Pine Grove Church and deciding upon conditions of union. This committee was continued the following year for the same purpose. At the session of the association held with the Middle Island Church, beginning May 26, 1881, the com- mittee made a final report to the effect that a majority of the
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members of the Pine Grove Church were not in favour of uniting with the association.
Nevertheless, two years later, at the session of the asso- ciation held at Lost Creek, beginning May 24, 1883, the Pine Grove Church presented a petition for membership in the association. This petition was referred to a special committee, who reported as follows :-
"Your Committee to whom was referred the petition of the Pine Grove Church, would respectfully report the following :-
"After carefully considering the matter in the light of all the facts within our reach, we recommend that the church be received into the association on these conditions ; vis.,
"Ist. That two mistakes of fact in their communication to this body be corrected.
"2d. That the Pine Grove Church shall be understood to agree, by coming into the association, to take the very earliest practicable steps to bring about a consolidation with the Ritchie Church,-steps that shall duly recognise the fact that the latter church is and has always been a regularly organised Seventh Day Baptist Church.
"3d. That all personal difficulties that have existed or may now exist on the part of persons concerned in the union of these churches, shall, in the exercise of mutual Christian forbearance, be forever dropped.
"A. E. MAIN, "G. J. CRANDALL, "O. D. SHERMAN, "Committee." The report of the committee was adopted.
The first move made toward bringing about the union of the two churches as provided in the foregoing report, was made by the Pine Grove Church, as appears from the following communication, received by the Ritchie Church at its regular business meeting, October 12, 1883 :-
"October 12, 1883.
"TO THE RITCHIE SEVENTH DAY BAPTIST CHURCH; "DEAR BRETHREN :-
"The Pine Grove Seventh Day Baptist Church appointed H. D. Sutton, A. G. Bee, and John Ehret as a committee to confer with your church in regard to a consolidation of the two churches.
"Done by order of the Pine Grove Church, at a regular church meeting on the 23d of September, 1883.
"A. G. BEE, Clerk."
The Ritchie Church promptly appointed a committee of three, consisting of Asa F. Randolph, Flavius J. Ehret, and
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THE RITCHIE CHURCH
William Jett to confer with the committee from the Pine Grove Church, and report at the next regular meeting.
On the 27th of the following January, the committee rendered the following report :-
"Ritchie Church House, Berea, Ritchie County, West Virginia.
"January 24th, 1884.
"The Joint Committee of Consolidation of the Pine Grove and Ritchie Churches met as per agreement. Elder John L. Huffman was appointed clerk.
"The Joint Committee unanimously agreed upon the following terms of consolidation of the Pine Grove and Ritchie churches in har- mony with the advice of the association :-
"I. That all feelings of animosity be dropped, forgiven, and go into oblivion, and that we cultivate a spirit of love for each other.
"2. That the property now held by each church shall be the property of the consolidated church, and that either property shall not be disposed of without the unanimous consent of the church.
"3. That the persons who are now trustees of the Pine Grove Church shall be recognised as trustees of the Ritchie Church, to whom shall be entrusted the property now entrusted to them by the Pine Grove Church.
"4. That the Ritchie Church shall not be responsible for any debts or claims that may be against the Pine Grove Church at the time of the consolidation. Neither shall the persons who are now members of the Pine Grove Church be responsible for any debts or claims that may be against the Ritchie Church at the time of consolidation.
vi That the meetings of the [consolidated] church, including the Sabbath School, shall alternate monthly, holding its sessions first in one house and then in the other.
"6. That by virtue of this consolidation all persons in the Pine Grove Church, considered by that church to be in good standing, shall be recognised as such, and become members in good standing in the Ritchie Church, and thus the Pine Grove Church being a part of the Ritchie Church ceases to exist as a separate organisation.
"JOHN L. HUFFMAN, Clerk.
"We submit the foregoing and recommend its adoption by the church.
"ASA F. RANDOLPH, "FLAVIUS J. EHRET, "WILLIAM JETT, "Committee."
This report was adopted by the church by a unanimous vote, and the church fixed upon February 9, following, as the day upon which the formal merging of the two churches into one body, should take place at the house of worship of the Ritchie Church. Rev. John L. Huffman was present at this
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service and conducted it by request of the Ritchie Church, at the Pine Grove Meeting House.
Almost a full year previous to the final consolidation, however, a large number of the prominent members of the Pine Grove Church deserted that church and affiliated them- selves with the Seventh Day Adventists, who had recently organised a church in that vicinity.
May 13, 1887, there was presented to the Ritchie Church a communication purporting to come from the Pine Grove Church. The Ritchie Church declined to consider the letter, as the Pine Grove Church had passed out of existence more than three years before that date.
Again, about two years afterwards, Marcus E. Martin organised a church designed to be a sort of successor to the Pine Grove church, and seized the house of worship, which had belonged to the Pine Grove Church. The move proved abortive, however.
The remaining members of the Pine Grove Church, who were now members of the Ritchie Church, met and held a busi- ness meeting on October 24, 1897, for the purpose of comply- ing with the laws of the state of West Virginia, in making a legal transfer to the Ritchie Church of the real estate that had been the property of the Pine Grove Church. This was liter- ally the last meeting of the Pine Grove Church, and on the 7th of October, 1898, a report was made to the Ritchie Church, that the real estate of the Pine Grove Church had been legally transferred to the Ritchie Church, in testimony whereof a deed duly executed and recorded in the office of the Clerk of Ritchie County was presented to the meeting, and the union was finally complete.
XIII.
THE GREENBRIER CHURCH.
T
CHE first book of records of the Green- brier Seventh Day Baptist Church begins as follows :-
"A few of the members of the New Salem Church residing on Greenbrier Run and in its vicinity, held a meeting on Greenbrier Run, August 14, 1870, to consider the propriety of organising a new church in the above mentioned neighbourhood."
This meeting occurred during a visit of Rev. Walter B. Gillette to West Virginia, and he was in attendance upon this occasion. The meeting passed a reso- lution to the effect that in the opinion of those present, a church should be organised on Greenbrier Run ; and appointed a committee consisting of Lewis F. Randolph, and Jesse Clark to visit the members of the New Salem Church in that vicinity, and ascertain their views on this subject.
In about a week the committee, in accordance with instruc- tions given at the time of its appointment, reported directly to the New Salem Church, at its regular church meeting, held on the Sixth Day of the week before the third Sabbath in August, 1870, to the effect that some forty-five individuals had expressed a desire to be formed into the proposed new church on Greenbrier Run.
Accordingly, the New Salem Church invited the Lost Creek and Middle Island churches to appoint delegates to meet in council with delegates from the New Salem Church, on Greenbrier Run on the 23d of September following, for the purpose of considering "the propriety of organising a church in that neighbourhood."
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The council met on the day appointed with the following accredited delegates in attendance :-
From the New Salem Church :- REV. JACOB DAVIS, LODOWICK H. DAVIS, Deacon, JEPTHAH F. RANDOLPH, Deacon,
GEORGE FORD, LLOYD F. RANDOLPH, FRANKLIN F. RANDOLPH.
From the Lost Creek Church :--
REV. WALTER B. GILLETTE,
REV. SAMUEL D. DAVIS,
ELI BOND, GEORGE PAUGH,
FRANCIS M. KILDOW, AUSTIN VANHORN.
From the Middle Island Church :-
REV. JAMES B. DAVIS,
WILLIAM B. DAVIS, Deacon,
SYLVANUS DAVIS,
GRANVILLE H. DAVIS,
ALVIN H. DAVIS,
JOHN A. POLAN.
The following members of the Ritchie Church were pres- ent and invited by the council to occupy seats in that body :-
ZIBA DAVIS, Deacon,
LEVI STALNAKER,
JOSIAH BEE.
The council organised by electing Rev. Walter B. Gillette, chairman ; and Franklin F. Randolph, clerk.
After due deliberation, the council agreed that there ought to be a church on Greenbrier Run, and voted to proceed with the work of organisation in the afternoon of the same day.
At the afternoon session, the organisation was effected with forty-six constituent members.
At the request of the New Salem Church, Lewis F. Ran- dolph, after passing a satisfactory examination at the hands of the council, was ordained to the work of the Gospel ministry, Rev. Walter B. Gillette preaching the ordination sermon the following day,-Sabbath.
These meetings of the council were held in an old log meeting house erected on Greenbrier Run by the New Salem Church for the use of its members in that vicinity.
REV. LEWIS FITZ RANDOLPHI.
23I
THE GREENBRIER CHURCH
Rev. Peter Davis, who lived near by, bowed with the infirmities of age, was waited upon by a committee consisting of all the Seventh Day Baptist clergymen of West Virginia in attendance upon the meetings of the council, and invited to attend and assist in the organisation of the new church, the committee offering to carry him to and from the meeting in his chair. But his physical disabilities were so great that he was compelled to decline to accept the invitation.
Of all the churches in western Virginia organised wholly or in part from the membership of the New Salem Church, there has been none toward which the New Salem Church has ever shown a more tender, affectionate regard.
Greenbrier was the home of Rev. Peter Davis and his son-in-law, Rev. Jacob Davis ; the former of whom was for so many years, the beloved pastor of the church. The latter who had been for some years the pastor of the New Salem Church, and who continued to minister to its spiritual wants, was held in no less high regard. This relation was less that between sis- ters, than that between mother and daughter. Indeed, for many years, the latter relationship was openly avowed,-a relation- ship which inured to the good of both churches, who enter- tained none but the best feelings for each other. They rejoiced in each other's prosperity, and shared the cup of sad- ness and sorrow, each with the other.
MEMBERSHIP IN SUPERIOUR BODIES.
The Greenbrier Church was a constituent member of the South-Eastern Association, at its organisation in 1872; and it became a member of the General Conference at the annual session of the latter body at Southampton, Illinois, in Septem- ber, 1872.
HOUSE OF WORSHIP.
Immediately upon the organisation of the Greenbrier Church, the New Salem Church, which had many years before provided a house of worship on Greenbrier Run for the use of such of its members as lived in that vicinity, offered this house and lot to the new church. This offer was gratefully accepted, but owing to certain legal technicalities, the title did not pass to the Greenbrier Church until several years afterward.
In the mean time, as early as December, 1872, the church appointed a committee to take steps initiatory to the erection
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of a new house of worship. It was not until some five years afterward, however, or January, 1878, that the committee was instructed to proceed with the erection of the building.
Two months later, March 22, 1878, the committee reported that a contract had been let for the construction of the new meeting house.
The new house of worship was completed and dedicated on March 28, 1880, the dedicatory sermon being preached by Rev. Lucius R. Swinney, at that time pastor of the Lost Creek Church.
The total cost of the new building can not readily be obtained, as considerable labour, as well as material upon which no price was placed, was contributed.
The new house was built upon the lot given the church by the New Salem Church, very nearly upon the exact site of the old building, which was of logs with a plank addition. It has been described in fuller detail in the chapter upon the New Salem Church.
PASTORS.
Rev. Jacob Davis was chosen the first pastor of the Green- brier Church, and served from December, 1870, to May, 1871, when he was succeeded by Rev. Lewis F. Randolph, who served until March, 1873, and then resigned to accept the pas- torate of the church at Marlboro, New Jersey.
In the following September, Rev. Jacob Davis was requested "to preach and hold such other meetings as he may deem best;" and in June, 1874, he was chosen pastor for a period of six months, and again in March, 1877, for one year.
In March, 1878, Rev. Lewis F. Randolph having returned to Greenbrier, he and Rev. Jacob Davis were both requested to attend Quarterly Meetings and to preach at other times as they might think best.
In December, 1880, Rev. Lewis F. Randolph was chosen pastor again, and served in that capacity until May, 1883, when he resigned to accept the pastorate of the Second Hop- kinton Church, of Rhode Island. In June, 1883, Rev. Jacob Davis was asked by the church to conduct Quarterly Meetings until a pastor could be obtained.
In June, 1885, Rev. Samuel D. Davis was employed by the church to serve as pastor for a period of one year.
THE GREENBRIER CHURCH.
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THE GREENBRIER CHURCH
In November, 1887, Rev. Hiram P. Burdick, of Harts- ville, New York, was engaged as pastor for a term of one year.
In March, 1890, Rev. Marcus E. Martin accepted a call to the pastorate of the church, and continued to serve in that capashay until the end of December, 1893.
In March, 1894, Riley G. Davis, a licentiate member of the church, was asked to supply the pulpit; and in March, 1898, four years afterward, Samuel Albert Ford, a licentiate member of the Middle Island Church, was invited to preach, at his convenience.
In May, 1899, Rev. David W. Leath became pastor of the church, and served for two years, when he was succeeded by Rev. Darwin C. Lippincott.
LICENCED TO PREACH.
On June 25, 1880, the church expressed its best wishes to James E. Strother, one of its members, in view of his expressed desire to enter the Gospel ministry ; and invited him to engage in active labour in the church and Sabbath School, and expressed a willingness to grant him licence to preach, when he should have exhibited due ability to do so. No further record relating to this subject appears, however.
March 25, 1892, Riley G. Davis was granted licnece to preach, for a term of six months. At the expiration of this period, his licence was renewed for one year, then again for another year, and on December 27, 1895, it was made perma- nent by renewing it for an indefinite period.
September 23, 1892, licence to preach was granted Alfred N. Meek for a period of one year. At the expiration of this time it was renewed for another year, but no further record appears concerning his licence.
DEACONS.
Judson F. Randolph, one of the constituent members of the church, had been ordained to the office of deacon by the New Salem Church, before the organisation of the Greenbrier Church; and at the time the Greenbrier Church was organised, he complied with the request of the new church to serve it, also as a deacon.
April 21, 1876, Jesse Clark was called by the church to
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SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
the office of deacon, and on the 21st of June following, he was ordained to that office.
On the 22d of March, 1889, Cornelius S. Davis and Cornelius R. Davis each received a call from the church to become a deacon; and September 29th, following, they were both ordained.
Again, September 27, 1901, Milton Clark and Daniel P. Strother were elected deacons, and on the first Sabbath in the following November, they were set apart to that office by ordination.
MODERATORS.
At the first church meeting, held September 24, 1870, after the organisation of the church, Rev. Lewis F. Randolph was elected moderator for a term of one year.
On September 22, 1871, Rev. Jacob Davis was elected moderator, and served for a term of five years, until September 22, 1876, when Rev. Lewis F. Randolph was again elected. Lewis F. Randolph served until his departure to Rhode Island in May, 1883, but no successor appears to have been elected until the following September, when Judson F. Randolph was elected for a term of one year.
Franklin F. Randolph was elected moderator September 19, 1884, and was re-elected annually for two successive years.
September 23, 1887, John J. Davis was elected for one year ; at the expiration of that period, Judson F. Randolph was elected and served until September 22, 1892, when Riley G. Davis was elected for one year.
September 22, 1893, John F. Randolph was elected mod- erator, and served until September 27, 1901, when Rev. Dar- win C. Lippincott was elected in his stead.
CHURCH CLERKS.
Upon the completion of the organisation of the church in 1870, Ethelbert J. Davis was elected clerk, and served in that capacity until September, 1875, when Judson F. Randolph succeeded him for a term of one year.
On September 22, 1876, Ethelbert J. Davis was again elected clerk, and served continuously until December 23, 1898, when he was a second time succeeded by Judson F. Ran- dolph, who served until September 27, 1901, on which date Oris O. Stutler became clerk.
FORMER RESIDENCE OF LEWIS FITZ RANDOLPH, ON GREENBRIER RUN. ( Built by his father, William Fitz Randolph ).
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THE GREENBRIER CHURCH
CONSTITUENT MEMBERS.
JACOB DAVIS,
JEMIMA DAVIS,
JESSE J. DAVIS,
HULDAH DAVIS,
SALLY C. DAVIS,
DELIA G. DAVIS,
JESSE CLARK,
CHARLOTTE CLARK,
MARVEL CLARK,
LUCY A. CLARK,
EFFILEE CLARK,
FENTON R. CLARK,
MILTON CLARK,
JUDSON F. RANDOLPH,
MARY E. RANDOLPH,
JONATHAN F. RANDOLPH,
ELISABETH ANN RANDOLPH,
CHARLOTTE HUTSON,
LUCINDA STROTHER,
OLIVER C. STROTHER,
DANIEL P. STROTHER,
JAMES E. STROTHER,
ROSELLA STROTHER,
MARY J. STROTHER,
LOVE C. STROTHER,
ETHELBERT J. DAVIS,
ALCENA J. DAVIS,
LEWIS F. RANDOLPH,
ELISABETH JANE F. RANDOLPH,
AMAZIAH FLINT,
JOSHUA J. DAVIS,
CORNELIUS MAXSON,
CATHARINE L. MAXSON,
GIDEON MAXSON,
CHARLES B. BONNELL,
RHULANA BONNELL,
FRANCIS M. DAVIS,
ADOLPHUS A. DAVIS, MARY ANN DAVIS,
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SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
JOHN F. RANDOLPH,
ANN HUGHES,
SARAH STUTTLER, MELISSA F. RANDOLPH, ALMEDA DAVIS, MARY FLINT, SALATHIEL DAVIS.
£
XIV.
ROANOKE, OR WEST FORK, CHURCH.
X
:0
IN December 2, 1871, there was a meeting at the home of Reuben Hevener, in what was called "Sab- batarian Valley" (now known as Roanoke), Lewis County, West Virginia, to consider the propriety of taking steps looking toward the organisation of a Seventh Day Baptist church at that place.
This council met by order of the newly-organised South-Eastern Association, which had met with the church at Lost Creek, on the preceding Second Day of the week, and completed its organisation. It may be interesting to note that this is the only church in West Virginia organised directly by the association. All others have been organised by the churches directly, without regard to associa- tional supervision.
The following persons were in attendance :-
REUBEN HEVENER, ABIGAIL H. HEVENER, JOHN C. BOND, BETSEY BOND,
ANN E. BOND, SAMUEL D. BOND, MARY E. HEVENER, FLORIN L. BOND, MANSFIELD M. HEVENER.
Rev. Samuel D. Davis was also present and participated in the deliberations.
Reuben Hevener was appointed moderator, and John J. Hevener, clerk.
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SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA .
It was agreed that a church ought to organised in the neighbourhood, and the Lost Creek Church, of which almost, if not quite all, of those present were members, was requested to take steps to organise such a church at an early date.
On the following day another meeting was held, when John C. Bond, John J. Hevener, and Samuel D. Bond were appointed to attend such a council as the Lost Creek Church might call to consider the propriety of organising the church as requested.
On the receipt of this petition for the organisation of a new church, the Lost Creek Church referred it to the South- Eastern Association. The association appointed a council, con- sisting of three delegates from each church in the association. This council met in the new house of worship erected for the use of these Seventh Day Baptists living at Roanoke, on the afternoon of the Sixth Day of the week, January 19, 1872.
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