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 22
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 22
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The following delegates were present :-
From the Lost Creek Church :-
REV. SAMUEL D. DAVIS, LEVI B. DAVIS,
MOSES H. DAVIS.
From the New Salem Church :-
REV. CHARLES A. BURDICK.
From the Greenbrier Church :- REV. JACOB DAVIS.
From the Middle Island Church :- GRANVILLE H. DAVIS.
Moses H. Davis was chosen moderator of the council, and Rev. Charles A. Burdick, secretary.
After some discussion of the question in hand, the council voted to proceed with the work of organising the new church.
After consultation with such of the prospective members of the new church as were present, a covenant and articles of faith were agreed upon and adopted.
On the following day, Sabbath, Rev. Charles A. Burdick preached a sermon, after which the following persons formally accepted the articles of faith and signed the covenant :-
REUBEN HEVENER, ABIGAIL H. HEVENER, SAMUEL D. BOND, JANE C. BOND, MARY E. HEVENER,
THE ROANOKE CHURCH.
239
THE ROANOKE CHURCH
ANN ELIZA BOND,
ELISABETH S. BOND, AMANDA J. HEVENER, ELISABETH BOND, FLORIN L. BOND.
At a business meeting held in the evening after the Sab- bath, of the same day, Samuel D. Bond and Reuben Hevener were chosen deacons ; Rev. Samuel D. Davis, pastor ; and John J. Hevener, clerk of the church.
On the following day, the newly chosen deacons were duly ordained.
MEMBERSHIP IN SUPERIOUR BODIES.
This church was received into membership in the South- Eastern Association, at the first annual session of the associa- tion, held with the Middle Island Church, at New Milton, West Virginia, in June, 1872.
At the annual session of the General Conference, held with the church at Southampton, Illinois, in the following Septem- ber, the West Fork ( Roanoke) Church became a member of the General Conference.
MEETING HOUSE.
But a short time before the organisation of the church, these people had built for their use, a neat frame building to be used as a house of worship, which has served their purpose up to the present time.
PASTORS.
Rev. Samuel D. Davis, who was chosen pastor at the time of the organisation of the church, served until November, 1874. After an interim of a year, during which time the church had been without a recognised pastor, he was again pastor for a short time.
In November, 1877, Rev. Lewis F. Randolph, who had been visiting the church, coming from his home on Greenbrier Run, was made pastor for a year.
In May, 1879, Marcus E. Martin was called to the pas- torate of the church, and served in that capacity for some three years.
Again in May, 1882, Rev. Samuel D. Davis was chosen pastor and served until November 6, 1885, when he resigned. He continued to visit the church, however, at intervals of two or three months until February 6, 1891, when he was once
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more recognised as pastor, and served until May 4, 1894. He then finally resigned the charge because of physical infirmity.
On November 7, 1895, Rev. Mazzini G. Stillman was called to the pastorate of the Roanoke and Lost Creek churches, jointly. He entered upon his term of service, January I, 1896, and at the date of this writing, August 1, 1902, remains in the service.
At no time in its history has the church had a pastor who has given his entire time to the church. A part of this period he has given one-fourth of his time. At other times he has preached once in two weeks, once a month, or attended the Quarterly Meetings of the church.
LICENCED TO PREACH.
Marcus E. Martin was licenced to preach, May, 1879; and in compliance with a call from the church to ordination, he was ordained February 6, ISSo.
Ahva John Clarence Bond was licenced by the church, November 3, 1899, to preach "wherever duty might call."
MODERATORS.
For several years the church appointed its moderators from meeting to meeting, until in May 1880, Samuel D. Bond was appointed moderator for nine months. He still serves the church in that capacity.
CLERKS.
John J. Hevener, who was chosen clerk at the time of the organisation of the church, served until May 1, 1874, when he resigned, and Abigail H. Hevener was appointed in his stead. She served for two years, and upon her resignation in May, 1876, Mansfield M. Hevener was elected in her stead, and has served continuously ever since.
NAME.
The name chosen at the time of the organisation was the SEVENTH DAY BAPTIST CHURCH ON THE WEST FORK RIVER. In November, 1882, the name was changed to the ROANOKE SEVENTH DAY BAPTIST CHURCH, to correspond to the name of the post office recently established in the neighbourhood.
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XXX
XIX
X
8
XV.
CONINGS, OR BEAR FORK, CHURCH.
XXXBEN June 26, 1881, there was a meeting of Seventh Day Baptists residing on the Bear Fork of Cove Creek, in Gilmer County, to consider the propriety of organising a Seventh Day Baptist church in their midst. Of those present, fourteen were ready to enter into such an organi- sation.
At an adjourned meeting, held the same day, Rev. James B. Davis, who was present and acted as chairman of both meetings, was appointed to draft articles of faith, and a covenant.
Another meeting was held July 22, 1881, when the pro- posed covenant was presented and pronounced satisfactory. On the 23d of September, 1881, another meeting was held which was attended by Rev. Samuel D. Davis, who presided. Arrangements were completed at this meeting for calling a council of the churches of the South-Eastern Association.
On the 21st of October, following, the council convened at the Boyce School House, on Bear Fork, and organised by appointing Rev. Marcus E. Martin, moderator ; and Franklin F. Randolph, clerk.
Prayer was offered by Rev. Lewis F. Randolph.
The following delegates were in attendance :---
From the New Salem Church :- FRANKLIN F. RANDOLPH. From the Greenbrier Church :- REV. LEWIS F. RANDOLPH, JUDSON F. RANDOLPH, FENTON R. CLARKE.
XXX
2.42
SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
From the Middle Island Church :- REV. JAMES B. DAVIS, STEPHEN T. DAVIS, JOHN A. POLAN. From the Ritchie Church :- ASA F. RANDOLPH, ELISHA J. MAXSON, LUTHER H. BOND.
From the West Fork (Roanoke) Church :- REV. MARCUS E. MARTIN, FLORIN LEE BOND, MANSFIELD M. HEVENER.
From the Lost Creek Church :- FRANCIS M. KILDOW.
After careful deliberation, the council decided to proceed with the organisation of the new church. The covenant and articles of faith, previously prepared, were approved. William Flesher was chosen deacon.
On the following day, Sabbath, October 22, the formal exercises incident to the organisation of the church, and to the ordination of the newly chosen deacon, were conducted. These services were conducted by Rev. James B. Davis and Rev. Lewis F. Randolph. Rev. James B. Davis preached the sermon.
The following were the constituent members :-
REBECCA ANN FLESHER,
WILLIAM H. FLESHER,
JABEZ SPURGEON,
CHRISTINA SPURGEON. CHARLES J. SPURGEON,
MARY E. ADAMS,
JOSHUA C. SPURGEON,
EMILY E. SPURGEON Lasure,
ANDREW J. LASURE,
ARY LASURE.
NAME.
When the church was organised, it adopted as its name, THE BEAR FORK SEVENTH DAY BAPTIST CHURCH. On July 27, 1888, by vote of the church, it was changed to THE CONINGS SEVENTH DAY BAPTIST CHURCH.
MEMBERSHIP IN SUPERIOUR BODIES.
At the annual session of the South-Eastern Association. held with the Ritchie Church, beginning May 25, 1SS2, the
THE CONINGS CHURCH.
243
CONINGS, OR BEAR FORK, CHURCH
Bear Fork Church, upon its application, was received into the membership of the association.
Just when the church was received into the General Con- ference, the records, neither of the church nor the General Con- ference, state. No recognition is given the church in the Conference minutes until 1889. That year the church wrote a letter to the General Conference, apparently assuming that it was already a member of that body, and the letter seems to have been received by the General Conference upon that basis. But the recording secretary of the General Conference, in making up the statistical tables for that year, having found no previous record of the church, apparently assumed that the church ha 1 just been organised that year (and recorded it so), and consequently assumed that it likewise became a member of Conference in that year.
HOUSE OF WORSHIP.
As early as April 21, 1882, the church took initial steps toward building a house of worship. It was not until March 4, 1883, however, that the building committee, consisting of Jabez Spurgeon, William H. Flesher, and George W. Brissey, were instructed to proceed with the erection of a log house for a house of worship, upon a lot given for that purpose by Jabez Spurgeon. A few months afterward, the house was completed.
In the mean-time the church held its meetings in the Boyce School House, and in the homes of its members.
PASTORS.
At the time of the organisation of the Bear Fork Church, the Middle Island Church had for some time been maintain- ing a preaching station at that point, and Rev. James B. Davis of the Middle Island Church, visited the neighbourhood with more or less regularity, and conducted religious services.
On the 2Ist of April, 1882, seven months after its organi- sation, the church extended a call to Rev. Marcus E. Martin to become its pastor. He accepted the call and served the church until July 28, 1884, when he requested the church to dismiss him because he had ceased to observe the Sabbath of the Bible.
The church was then without a recognised pastor for a period of nearly seven years. In the mean time it enjoyed the
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SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
temporary services of such ministers as were available for that purpose. At one time, Rev. Samuel D. Davis visited the church at intervals of three or four months for a period of a year or more.
Beginning with January 1, 1891, Rev. Orpheus S. Mills, who at that time was pastor of the Ritchie Church, assumed pastoral charge of the Bear Fork Church, also, giving it one- fourth of his time. He closed his term of service March 1, 1892.
Rev. Lely D. Seager became the next pastor, and remained with it until February 1, 1889, giving one-fourth of his time to the Conings Church, as the Bear Fork Church was now called, and three-fourths to the Ritchie Church.
Rev. Riley G. Davis became the next pastor, upon condi- tions similar to those of his predecessor, and remains the pastor at the date of this writing, August 1, 1902.
DEACON.
William H. Flesher, the only deacon the church has ever had, was ordained at the organisation of the church, October 22, 1881.
MODERATOR.
For a period of one year dating from January 29, 1883, the church had a permanent moderator, William H. Flesher. Before that time and afterwards, the moderator was appointed for the day, and was usually the pastor, or such other minister as might happen to be present.
CLERK.
Charles J. Spurgeon was the first clerk, and began his term of service with the first meeting held preliminary to the organisation of the church. Just how long he was clerk is not wholly clear from the records. He was excommunicated from the church July 27, 1883, for forsaking the Sabbath. At that time he had not attended the meetings of the church for more than a year.
Joshua C. Spurgeon was elected clerk of the church January 29, 1883, but Rev. Marcus E. Martin, who had been acting in that capacity for some time, continued to keep the records until July 28, 1884, since which time, they have been kept by Joshua C. Spurgeon.
XVI.
THE SALEMVILLE CHURCH.
T
OTHE Salemville Seventh Day Baptist 75 Church had its origin in a German Seventh Day Baptist church, whose history may be briefly sketched as follows :-
In the year 1708, as a result of the revolt from the State Church of Germany, due to an irresistable longing for a greater degree of spirituality, Andrew Mack with oth- ers who sympathised with him, organised, at Schwartzenau, a church of the order known as the German Baptist Brethren, or Dunkers, or Dunkards. Although Andrew Mack was their first minister, the church did not regard him as its founder.
A storm of persecution immediately broke over their heads, and they were driven to Wittgenstein. They rejected all creeds of human origin and accepted the Gospel of Jesus Christ as their only rule of faith and practise. Persecution still raged, and they sought an asylum in America, settling near Germantown, Pennsylvania, where they organised their first church in this country in 1723. Among the early settlers was Christopher Sauer, who was the first printer in America to print the Bible in an American tongue.
Conrad Beissel was one of those who had fallen a vic- tim to the persecution in Germany, and had been compelled to flee from his native land for safety. He was a mystic, born at Eberbach in the Palatinate in 1690, and learned the trade of a baker. He was fond of music and became a violinist of no mean ability. He studied theology at Halle, after which he was exiled in 1720, for holding Pietistic and Inspirational
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SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
views, and settled at Germantown, Pennsylvania. In the fol- lowing year, he became a hermit at Mill Creek, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he remained until 1724, when he returned to Germantown and accepted baptism at the hands of the Dunkers. He soon offended the Dunkers by his advocacy of celibacy and the observance of the Seventh Day of the week as the Sabbath. In May, 1725, he founded the sect of Sev- enth Day Dunkers, or German Seventh Day Baptists. He again became a hermit in 1732; this time on the Cocalico River. Here his adherents followed him, and in 1735 he founded the mystic Order of the Solitary, and established the celebrated settlement at Ephrata, Pennsylvania, at whose head he remained until his death in July, 1768. Here he put into practise many of his theories, religious as well as socialistic and communistic. The members, comprising both men and women, adopted a peculiar dress, resembling somewhat that of the Capuchins, or White Friars, and the men wore long beards. Celibacy was encouraged, but marriage was not pro- hibited. Property was held in common, although private own- ership was not forbidden. Many of the members were well educated. A printing press was set up, and a number of works in both English and German were published, some of them very beautifully made, and now highly prized.
After the Battle of Brandywine, in the War of the Rev- olution, these monastic buildings were thrown open for the care of the wounded, and one hundred and fifty American soldiers were buried in the German Seventh Day Baptist Cem- etery at Ephrata.1
After the death of Conrad Beissel, Peter Miller succeeded to the leadership, and various branches were established; one in York County, in 1758; another at Snow Hill, Franklin County : and in 1763, one at Salemville, Bedford County, which still continues under the leadership of John S. King and David C. Long, as elders. These were all in the state of Pennsylvania.
At the first annual session of the Seventh Day Baptist South-Eastern Association, in 1872, the corresponding secre-
I. The wadding used by the American soldiers for their guns, in the Battle of Brandywine, was of unbound Seventh Day Baptist hymn books printed in the German language.
THE SALEMVILLE CHURCH AND PARSONAGE.
247
THE SALEMVILLE CHURCH
tary of that body reported correspondence between himself in behalf of the association and Jacob Long of Salemville, Pennsylvania, representing the German Seventh Day Baptists of Pennsylvania. Arrangements were made for the corre- spondence to be continued.
In 1876, at the request of the German Seventh Day Baptists of Salemville, Rev. Lester C. Rogers, at that time in the service of the American Sabbath Tract Society, visited them in behalf of Sabbath reform, and was cordially received and assisted in his labours by Rev. David C. Long, one of the clergymen of the church at Salemville. In writing of this visit, David C. Long says :--
"We are loth to have Bro. Rogers leave us. We are thankful to God for his able ministry, and also to our - kind brethren who have spared him from other fields for our good. May the Lord reward you for your kind help to us through him! We hope this dis- play of feeling for us by our English [-speaking] Seventh-day Baptist Brethren, may, under God's blessing, more closely identify us with you in the great work of Sabbath reform."
These people were visited subsequently by various other Seventh Day Baptist clergymen, including Rev. Arthur E. Main and Rev. Libbeus M. Cottrell. In 1882, Rev. Samuel D. Davis visited them and conducted a series of successful revival meetings.
Previous to the visit of Rev. Lester C. Rogers, Rev. Wal- ter B. Gillette had visited these people on his way home from one of his visits to western Virginia.
The church at Salemville became divided because of cer- tain differences of opinion, and on December 23, 1885, fourteen of its members left the mother church and, at a meeting held at the home of Noah Blough, organised themselves into the Salemville Seventh Day Baptist Church. Rev. Samuel D. Davis was present and assisted in the organisation.
MEMBERSHIP IN SUPERIOUR BODIES.
At the annual session of the South-Eastern Association, held with the Middle Island Church, at New Milton, West Virginia, in May, 1886, the Salemville Church was received into membership in that body. In the following September, it was received into the General Conference, at the annual session of that organisation, at Milton, Wisconsin.
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SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
HOUSE OF WORSHIP.
At the time of organisation, the church being without a house of worship, it arranged to worship in private houses, the homes of its members, for an indefinite length of time.
On the 12th of March, 1886, a building committee was appointed, consisting of Jacob B. Kagarise, George B. Kag- arise, Noah Blough, and Wilson Kagarise. They obtained subscriptions on the spot, aggregating one hundred and eighty-seven dollars ($187.00). The committee proceeded at once to build, and on the 26th of the following September, the new house of worship was pronounced complete, at a total cost of eleven hundred dollars ($1100.00), of which four hundred dollars ($400.00) was yet unpaid. The members of the committee assumed personal responsibility for the debt, and three days later, September 29, 1886, the edifice was dedi- cated, Rev. Samuel D. Davis preaching the dedicatory sermon.
The remaining debt was paid by contributions from the Seventh Day Baptist Missionary Society, and by friends from other churches, so that all obligations incurred on account of the new building were cancelled by December 8, 1888.1
PASTORS.
Rev. George B. Kagarise was elected pastor on the day of the organisation, and served in that capacity until his death on September 10, 1893. In the mean time the church was visited occasionally by Rev. Samuel D. Davis, who after the death of Rev. George B. Kagarise was called to the pastorate of the church, on September 17, 1893. The pastor visited the church at the time of the Quarterly Meetings (communion services ), and remained for a week or two, the distance of the church from his home at Jane Lew, West Virginia, being too great to permit more frequent visits. He resigned the pas- torate June 14, 1895.
Rev. Lely Daniel Seager became the next pastor, begin- ning his term of service in September, 1895. He, too, was a visiting pastor, with his home at Berea, West Virginia, where he was at the same time serving the Ritchie Church as its resident pastor. On June 19, 1896, he resigned as pastor, and the church called Darwin C. Lippincott, a student of
I. A commodious and comfortable parsonage has been erected since the date of the above writing, August 1, 1902.
REV. GEORGE B. RAGARISE.
REV. DARWIN C. LIPPINCOTT.
249
THE SALEMVILLE CHURCH
Salem College, Salem, West Virginia, to serve in a manner similar to that of his immediate predecessors. Beginning with July, 1897, however, he became the resident pastor of the church. On September 28, 1897, Edward B. Saunders, an evangelist in the service of the Seventh Day Baptist Mission- ary Society, began a series of evangelistic meetings at Salem- ville, which continued for a period of four weeks, and resulted in several additions to the membership of the church.
On September 11, 1898, the church called its pastor, Dar- win C. Lippincott, to ordination, and the 28th of the following January was fixed upon as the date for the ordination service, when the following clergymen were present to assist; vis., Rev. Mazzini G. Stillman, pastor of the church at Lost Creek ; Rev. Theodore L. Gardiner, of the New Salem Church ; and Rev. Oscar U. Whitford, of Westerly, Rhode Island, corresponding secretary of the Seventh Day Baptist Missionary Society.
Rev. Darwin C. Lippincott terminated his term of service as pastor of the church, September 10, 1899. The church was now without a pastor for more than a year, Jerome Kagarise supplying the pulpit from time to time. He was a member of the German Seventh Day Baptist Church, near by.
On November 4, 1900, the church extended a call to John H. Wolfe to act as pastor for a period of six months, and on the 10th of March, 1901, called him to ordination. He declined ordination, however, as he wished to pursue his studies at Alfred University. On the same day, March 10, 1901, the church extended a call to Rev. David W. Leath to become its pastor from the first day of the following June. The call was accepted, but at the end of a year's service, he closed his connection with the church, and sought other fields of labour, and the church was left without a pastor.
LICENCED TO PREACH.
John H. Wolfe was licenced to preach, March 6, 1892. DEACONS.
At the time of the organisation of the church, Jacob B. Kagarise and David E. Rice were elected to the office of deacon.
On the IIth of March, 1888, it was voted that John Wolfe, Sr., be recognised as a deacon.
At the annual session of the South-Eastern Association,
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SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
held with the Salemville Church in May, 1902, Charles C. Wolfe was, on the 18th day of that month, ordained deacon. All the clergymen in attendance at the association, assisted in the ordination service.
CHURCH CLERKS.
Noah B. Blough was elected the first clerk of the church on the date of its organisation, December 23, 1885.
On January 21, 1887, George C. Long was elected clerk.
Amos D. Wolfe was elected to the office of clerk for a term of three years from September 4, 1892, and has been re-elected continuously ever since.
CONSTITUENT MEMBERS OF THE SALEMVILLE CHURCH.
GEORGE B. KAGARISE, Elder,
SUSAN KAGARISE,
DAVID E. RICE,
BARBARA RICE,
NOAH B. BLOUGH,
LEANNAH BLOUGH,
JACOB B. KAGARISE,
WILSON S. KAGARISE,
JENNIE KAGARISE,
ESTHER WALTER,
CHARLES F. SHRINER,
NANCY SHRINER,
JEREMIAH GROWDEN,
BARBARA GROWDEN.
XVII.
THE COPEN CHURCH.
XXXXXXXXMHHHHHWHEN the month of September. 1887, a petition was drawn up by a few Seventh Day Baptists residing on I Copen Run, Braxton County, West Virginia, and presented to the churches of the South-Eastern Association, praying for these churches to send delegates to sit in council, on Copen Run, the even- ing after the second Sabbath of the following November, and, if, in the judgment of the council, it seemed wise to do so, to organise the petitioners into a Seventh Day Baptist Church.
The petition ran as follows :-
"To the S[eventh] D[ay] B[aptist] Churches of the S[outh] E[astern] Association, Greeting :
"DEAR BRETHREN :-
"We, the undersigned, have covenanted together to ask that you will, with delegates and ministers, meet us in council on Copen Run, Braxton County, West Virginia, on the evening after the second Sabbath in November next, to consider the propriety of organizing a S[eventh] D[ay] B[aptist] church at this place.
"Respectfully yours in Christ,
"CINDRILLA SHOCK.
"A. SHOCK,
"W. L. WILDMAN,
"MARY E. WILDMAN,
"SALLY C. WILDMAN,
"EMILY A. WILDMAN,
"MARY G. WILDMAN,
"BIRD WILDMAN,
"U. C. SHOCK,
252
SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA . "VIRGINIA SHOCK, "W. T. W. DAVIS,
"S. B. DAVIS, "N. C. D. BOND,
"CLARA SHOCK, "W. A. GOCHENOUR."
In accordance with the petition, on November 12, 1887, delegates from the several churches met as follows :-
From the New Salem Church :- REV. SAMUEL D. DAVIS.
From the Lost Creek Church :- REV. JOHN L. HUFFMAN.
From the Middle Island Church :- NATHAN KELLEY, JOHN A. POLAN.
From the Ritchie Church :- ASA F. RANDOLPH, ELISHA J. MAXSON.
From the Greenbrier Church :- REV. HIRAM P. BURDICK,
RILEY G. DAVIS, ETHELBERT J. DAVIS, G. WISE CLARKE. From the Bear Fork, Conings, Church :- JABEZ B. SPURGEON, JOSHUA C. SPURGEON.
The council was called to order by Rev. Samuel D. Davis, and prayer was offered by Rev. John L. Huffman.
Rev. Hiram P. Burdick was elected chairman, and Ethel- bert J. Davis, secretary, of the council.
The following resolution was adopted :--
"RESOLVED, That we believe that the time has come when the good of the cause of Christ and the best interests of God's people in this vicinity, demand the organisation of a Seventh Day Baptist Church here; and further, that we proceed to organise such a church to be known as the Copen Seventh Day Baptist Church, of the persons whose names are attached to the petition calling for the council."
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