USA > Ohio > Church of the Brethren in southern Ohio > Part 12
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Sunday-school superintendents, since 1920, in order, have been J. E. Coy, Walter Erbaugh, Marley Karns, Oscar Roberts, Nevin Coppock, Leonard Davidson, and Donald Kessler.
As recorded in the earlier history of Southern Ohio, O. C. Sollenberger and wife, Hazel Coppock Sollenberger, went from this congregation as missionaries to China in 1919. Three from Middle District have made trips abroad with cattle for relief: Maynard Coppock, Ralph Brumbaugh, and Paul Brum- baugh. Mary Coppock served in Brethren Volunteer Service in Kassel, Germany; Joan Macy in Denver, Colorado; and Emerson Davidson in Pahokee, Florida, and Chicago, Illinois.
The church was one of the first to send heifers for relief,
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and also sent much grain, food, and clothing. The Men's Work of Southern Ohio had its birth at Middle District as a Brethren's Aid Society in 1923.
A vacation Bible school is held each summer. The CBYF is unusually active. The women's work has completed many projects.
This church was host to the Southern Ohio ministers' conference in 1940, and since then to other district gatherings.
H. M. Coppock was for some time a member of the Mission Board of Southern Ohio and served on Standing Committee. C. V. Coppock was a member of the Ministerial Board. Marley Karns was a member of the District Board of Christian Education. Nevin Coppock has been on the Men's Work Cabinet of Southern Ohio and on the National Men's Work Council and is a member of the District Board. The pastor, H. H. Helman, is a member of the District Board.
There is a present membership of one hundred seventy- eight. The church is growing.
MIDDLETOWN
The work at Middletown was started by the former Sugar Hill (Lower Twin) church and comprised one of the three divisions of this church: Tom's Run, Sugar Hill, and Middle- town. In 1910 it was discovered that eight members resided in this city. These met together in homes and soon asked the mother church for preaching here. In 1913 regular services were begun in a Presbyterian church. In July of that year a Sunday school was organized. Soon it was decided to build a church. The Mission Board furnished some funds. A lot at the corner of Grand Avenue and Moore Street was secured and a church house thirty-eight by forty feet was erected; it was dedicated in November 1914.
Soon the mother church, Sugar Hill, turned the work and the building, debt free, over to the Southern Ohio Mis- sion Board. In 1916 the congregation was formally organized with J. O. Garst as the first elder. In November of that year John Eikenberry was placed here as pastor. He remained
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until 1919, two and one-half years. J. O. Garst was in charge as elder and as director of the preaching services as the former history closed. The membership was seventy and the Sunday school averaged fifty-three in attendance.
The Middletown Church
From incomplete records the following information was secured. The next pastor was C. G. Erbaugh, who led the congregation until 1923. Walter Hawke was then secured and was pastor until in October 1926. C. G. Erbaugh served part time until 1931. In September of that year Frank Eby was asked to care for the work; he directed it until September 1934. He was followed as pastor by W. E. Hamilton, who led the Middletown church until 1939. In the spring or summer of 1939 C. W. Warstler was called; he shepherded the church until his resignation as of September 1, 1950. Then Dan Blickenstaff was invited to be the pastor; he continued until September 1952, when he took charge at Cincinnati. In November of that year Mckinley Coffman, of Maryland, took over the work here and at Hamilton in a joint pastorate. He is the present pastor.
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Elders on the Mission Board usually had charge at Middletown. J. O. Garst served over into the era of this history; J. H. Eidemiller, 1939-41; Ray O. Shank, 1941-46; C. G. Erbaugh, 1946-50; John H. Good, 1950-52; E. Friend Couser, 1952-53; John H. Good, 1953-54; George Phillips, 1954 -.
No ministers have been installed. Henry Mankey was licensed in 1925 and 1926. W. E. Hamilton was ordained in 1938.
Two deacons have been installed: Charles Fisher in 1925 and Kenneth Miller in 1945.
In 1930 the church was remodeled at an expense of $3,800, the Mission Board furnishing $1,000 of this amount. The final indebtedness was canceled through a gift by will of Ida Feltner.
A parsonage was secured in 1944, at 2400 Hill Avenue. It is the present residence of the pastor, Mckinley Coffman.
The membership at Middletown is one hundred fifteen. It is in condition to prosper and grow.
NEW CARLISLE
The territory of the New Carlisle church was at first a part of the Donnels Creek congregation. In 1864 the members of Donnels Creek purchased the Presbyterian church building. Here the New Carlisle church had its beginning. In 1882 a series of meetings were held here, with considerable success. There was preaching once a month until 1889, when it was changed to every two weeks. Later, in 1906, the services became weekly, with preaching both morning and evening. Sunday school was held regularly from 1886. The first super- intendent was B. F. Filbrun.
In 1892 a new brick church, forty by sixty feet, was erected at New Carlisle. Feelings for a separate organization soon developed, and in March of 1914 privilege was given to the New Carlisle members to form a separate congregation. This was effected on March 28, and David Leatherman became the first elder-in-charge. J. H. Eidemiller and D. D. Funder- burg were resident ministers. Elder D. S. Dredge moved in
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the same year and became elder in 1915. He presided as the former history closed.
The building erected in 1892 was changed and remodeled in 1910 with a balcony and Sunday-school rooms added. In 1917 a major building operation was completed providing an enlarged auditorium, more Sunday-school rooms, and a vestibule and tower. The cost, $13,000, was raised in full before construction began.
Before the close of the second decade of the twentieth century Elders A. S. Neher, John Gump, and J. E. Barnhart had also moved into the New Carlisle congregation. Also, before this, Roy B. Teach was elected to the ministry and D. D. Funderburg ordained to the eldership. There were over three hundred members and the average attendance at Sunday school was one hundred forty-eight.
At the beginning of the period of this history D. S. Dredge was the presiding elder. The services were being
The New Carlisle Church
conducted by the resident ministers and elders. In September 1926 G. E. Yoder came from Pennsylvania to be the first full-time pastor. He was also the elder from 1929 to 1930.
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From 1930 to 1934 J. B. Gump was elder of the church. J. C. Flora followed for one year. H. H. Helman, of Elgin, Illinois, was called as pastor in 1934 and served ten years, until Sep- tember 1944. He also presided as elder of the church from 1935 to 1944. Robert Sherfy, of Northeastern Ohio, came as pastor in 1934 and remained here over eight years, going to Harrisonburg, Virginia, in January 1953. Walter Hawke was made elder in 1944 and is in charge as this is written. In June 1953 Chester I. Harley came from Virginia to be the pastor.
Between 1920 and the present, Walter Hawke, Jacob Gingrich, and S. P. Early, all elders, moved into the New Carlisle congregation. Elected to the ministry here were Walter Hawke in 1921 and S. L. Barnhart in 1932. Obed Hovatter and Glen Weimer, ministers, also resided here.
In 1937 a parsonage was purchased. It had been the home of Elder D. S. Dredge, who moved to California. In 1940 the pulpit end of the church was rearranged and beautified. In 1950 extensive remodeling was completed, affording an office and other rooms to the rear, a new entrance, art glass windows, and a completely remodeled interior, providing the auditorium a most beautiful worship center. Rededication services were held September 3, 1937, with Rufus D. Bowman giving the dedicatory sermon.
The deacons elected since 1920 include: Herbert Barn- hart, Lebert Evans, and John Musselman, 1921; Max Zinn, James Barnhart, and Rieber Studebaker, 1938; Galen Barn- hart, 1945; Eldon and Gerald Studebaker, 1946; and Wilmer Funderburg, 1947.
The Sunday-school superintendents since then have been Walter Hawke, Guy Studebaker, Roy Studebaker, Ralph Strome, Eldon Studebaker, Erlan Farling, and Lester Athy.
J. B. Gump was for many years a member of the Brethren Home Board. J. H. Eidemiller gave many years of service on the District Mission Board. H. H. Helman served several years as district secretary and as editor of the Southern Ohio Herald; he also was a member of the Ministerial Board and represented the district on Standing Committee. He is at present a member of the newly formed District Board as a
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member of the Commission on Ministry, Missions and Church Extension. Robert Sherfy served on the Ministerial Board and on the Youth Cabinet of the district. Mrs. Galen Barnhart is the secretary-treasurer of the District Women's Work.
The church numbers four hundred nineteen members; the Sunday-school attendance averages about two hundred fifty.
OAKLAND
The Oakland church finds its origin in the Harris Creek (Upper Stillwater) congregation. It was organized in 1865 out of the western part of this territory and took its present name. From two miles west of the Harris Creek church its boundaries extended west to the Greenville and Poplar Grove congregations, north to include the area covered by the North Star and Swamp Creek churches (now non-existent), and south to include Gettysburg.
Isaac Miller, who came here from Virginia, became the first elder-in-charge, moving here from the Salem congrega- tion. He served for about six years, then moved to Michigan.
A church was erected the year following the organization (1866) two and a half miles northeast of Gettysburg. It was of brick.
The work here and at North Star and Swamp Creek was cared for by the local ministers. At North Star a church had been built in 1883. A boundary was decided upon and North Star became a separate organization in 1885. From here on the work at Oakland was committed to its own immediate ter- ritory.
In 1915 the church called Hugh Miller as its first pastor; he served until 1919. For a short interim John Eikenberry led the church, until the call of Charles L. Flory in 1920 as part-time pastor. Then followed a line of full-time pastors: Galen B. Royer, 1926-28; H. B. Martin, 1928-35; Ray O. Shank, 1935-39; Fred Hollingshead, 1939-44 (he answered a call to the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, church); Moyne Landis, from Middle Indiana, 1944-53. Earl Hostetter, also from Middle Indiana, became the pastor in September 1953. Moyne Landis
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had earlier resigned to become the executive secretary for Southern Ohio.
The building erected in 1866 stood with little alteration until in 1920, when a wing was added enlarging the auditorium and providing Sunday-school rooms. The outside was stuccoed and stained glass windows were installed. Since then modern toilet facilities, classrooms in the basement, a modernized kitchen, and a pipe organ have been added improvements. Just now plans are under consideration for again enlarging the Sunday-school facilities. The organ was a gift of William Long, of Pontiac, Illinois, in memory of his parents. A parsonage, located in Gettysburg, was built and donated to the church in 1930 by the Ira M. Petersime family, incubator manufacturers in Gettysburg.
The Oakland Church
Following the eldership of Isaac Miller there followed Samuel Rairigh, Emanuel Hoover, Jeremiah Katherman, and John Christian, all resident. Then D. M. Garver presided for two years, after which Charles L. Flory began as elder in 1917 and served until 1928, two years after his part-time pastorate was terminated. The eldership of the church passed
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from Brother Flory to D. G. Berkebile in 1928, to H. B. Martin in 1929, to Theodore Eley in 1935, to Ray O. Shank in 1938, and to Moyne Landis in 1945; Glenn C. Rust is the present elder.
Other ministers who have resided in Oakland since 1920 include Elmer Aikey, Theodore Eley, Ernest Detrick, and E. S. Petry. Ernest Detrick was licensed in 1941 and ordained as a minister in 1943. Richard Miller was licensed in 1947. Theodore Eley was ordained a minister in 1920. No ordinations to the eldership are recorded since 1920.
In this same period deacons chosen were Henry Miller and Ralph Miller, 1944; Glenn Brewer, J. Q. Neher, and D. C. Kneisley, 1950.
Sunday-school superintendents have been A. E. Aikey, R. T. Waggoner, H. G. Young, Roy Petersime, Chester George, Ralph Strome, Lloyd Miller, and Glenn Brewer.
R. T. Waggoner acted as a trustee of the Brethren Home for two terms. Mrs. Ruth Neher gave two terms of service as secretary of Southern Ohio Women's Work. Ray M. Peter- sime was twice elected to the Mission Board of the district, and for a number of years has been a trustee-at-large of Manchester College. He also personally supervised the col- lecting and shipping of one hundred fifty-five cases of hatching eggs, and then personally delivered them by plane to the Polish government at Warsaw, Poland, in co-operation with UNRRA. Chester George, another Oakland layman, was for several years secretary of the District Men's Work as well as vice-president of the National Men's Work Cabinet. He helped direct the establishment of the work at Turkey Creek, Kentucky. Mrs. Moyne Landis has been president of Women's Work in Southern Ohio, and Moyne Landis has served the district on the Ministerial Board, as moderator of the con- ference, as chairman of the newly formed District Board, and since September 1953 as the executive secretary of the district.
The church has been host to many district gatherings, among which are the Sunday-school institute of 1920; the February mission rally; the district conferences of 1935 and
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1951; the midwinter youth conferences of 1934 and 1950; also Women's Work and Men's Work meetings.
This congregation has been zealous in relief work. In 1946 the members canned a total of eighteen thousand six hundred cans of vegetables, which they shipped as a carload to Germany for relief.
Two hundred displaced persons and refugees have lived or are living in the Oakland community, as a result of what is perhaps the largest resettlement activity of any community. The men's work of the church built a home for a refugee family.
Besides this, grain has been sent through the Christian Rural Overseas Program-a carload of wheat in 1946 and later a carload of corn. Over fifty heifers for relief have been contributed.
Since 1952 the Sunday school, the men's work, and the women's work have supported Joy Fasnacht on the India mission field.
The Sunday-school attendance runs over two hundred twenty and the present membership is three hundred forty- five.
PAINTER CREEK
Brush Creek was the first name carried by the Brethren in this vicinity, it being derived from the name of a creek that empties into the Stillwater River near West Milton. As members settled nearer Greenville that section got the name of Ludlow. This included territory that later comprised the Pitsburg and Painter Creek churches.
Elder Phillip Younce figured prominently in the early days here. Living at Nashville, to which he came from North Carolina in about 1813, he not only was the first elder of Brush Creek but he became literally a traveling evangelist for a very large territory. He held meetings in forests, homes, and barns.
The predecessor to the large church house later erected in this territory was a log cabin, twenty-four by thirty feet, built in 1849. This stood one mile west of Painter Creek. In
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1871 another house was built one-half mile north of the village; it was improved in 1885 and then replaced by one built in 1906 and improved in 1914-15. Another house was built at Red River in 1898 and improved in 1917.
PAINTER CREEK CHURCH *** BRETHREN
The Painter Creek Church
Succeeding Phillip Younce, who went to Pleasant Hill, was William Cassel, who had charge until he joined the Old Order movement in 1881. He was followed by Tobias Kreider, who presided until 1902. Following his death, Jesse Stutsman became the overseer. He continued and helped to guide the movement that culminated in the organization of the Painter Creek church in 1914. It was at a meeting at Pitsburg in January 1914 that the decision was made to divide Ludlow into Pitsburg and Painter Creek. Church lines were decided upon and one thousand dollars was paid to Painter Creek to equalize the value of the church property.
Officially the church was organized on February 7, 1914. William Royer was made the first presiding elder. Later Lawrence Kreider was made co-elder with him; still later
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Brother Kreider had the oversight alone and was presiding when the 1920 history was compiled.
The preaching was done by the resident ministers mostly, alternating between Painter Creek and Red River, until in 1929, when Roy Honeyman became the part-time pastor. He continued until 1942, when he went to Piqua and was suc- ceeded by Paul C. Lantis, who went to Northern Indiana in 1949. Byron Miller, a recent Bethany Seminary graduate, came in 1949 and is the present pastor.
Since 1900 the church has ordained Roy Honeyman (1921) and Byron Miller (1951) to the eldership.
Ordinations to the ministry since 1920 include: Roy Honeyman and Blaine Flory, 1921; Albert Smith and Walter Swinger, 1926.
The Red River Church
Deacons installed since the former history was published are: J. J. Riffel, 1923; Charles Snyder and Wesley Hocker, 1925; Blaine Flory, Isaiah Loxley, and Jesse Baker, 1928; Herman Neff, Millard Snyder, Virgil Royer, and Raymond Eberwein, 1938.
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Elders-in-charge in succession have been, beginning in 1920: Newton Binkley, William Royer, Lawrence Kreider, Sylvan Bookwalter, D. G. Berkebile, Roy Honeyman, Theodore Eley, Roy Honeyman, Walter Stinebaugh, Dean Frantz, and Glenn C. Rust.
The Sunday-school superintendents since 1920 include Roy Honeyman, W. R. Swinger, Catherine Royer, Ethel Loxley, Roy Eberwein, Jesse Baker, Verl Wright, and Willard Spitler.
H. Spenser Minnich of the mission offices at Elgin was a native of this church. Ivan Eikenberry, of our Nigeria mission, formerly lived here. It was the home of the late Levi Minnich, who was an early member of the Sunday School Board of the Brotherhood, long a trustee of Manchester Col- lege, and an ardent temperance worker. Treva Eberwein has been a camp leader, as have also Roy Honeyman and Susie Minnich. Paul C. Lantis, while pastor here, was a member of the Men's Work Cabinet; Ralph Delk and James Fourman have been active in the Heifers for Relief Project. The pastor, Byron Miller, is the assistant moderator for the district.
The church entertained the Southern Ohio district con- ference of 1922, the missionary rally of 1949, and a ministers' conference in 1948.
When Painter Creek was organized in 1914 it comprised a membership of two hundred three, and the same number in 1920, as per the 1920 history. The congregation records two hundred eighty-one members at present, including those residing in the Red River area.
In 1941 the Sunday school celebrated the "Golden Jubilee," 1891-1941. In 1948, at Red River, the one-hundredth anniver- sary of the first Brethren services in the community was observed. The church continues to grow. It has very active women's work and men's work organizations and has liberally contributed heifers, corn, wheat, canned goods, clothing, and bedding, all for relief abroad.
A parsonage has been purchased and the members are now in the process of remodeling the Painter Creek house of worship.
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PIQUA
Previous to July 1925, all members of the Piqua church were a part of the Covington congregation. Women members living here organized a Piqua branch of the Ladies' Aid in 1914. It was in this group that the move was started to organize a Sunday school at Piqua. This was realized in June 1925, when a group of members met in the home of J. M. Wise and elected officers for a school.
The group rented a small church building on Boal Av que, in the southwestern part of the city. The first Sunday school was held on July 12, 1925, with an attendance of fifty-two. There were about seventy members in Piqua at this time. In January of 1926 the Piqua members elected trustees and soon purchased this church building. The building and furnishings were acquired at a cost of $2,000. The ladies' aid had saved $300 for this and made the initial payment.
During a revival held in the spring of 1926 by C. F. McKee twenty-five new members were added to the church. In June a student pastor, Calvert N. Ellis, came for the summer. By fall the local membership had reached a total of one hundred twenty. Services were continued through the winter with Charles L. Flory preaching on alternate Sundays.
In April of 1927 the members met to organize a separate church in Piqua. This was done with D. G. Berkebile as the first presiding elder. Calvert N. Ellis returned for another summer. The work showed real promise. The District Mis- sion Board agreed to help the new church finance pastoral service. Charles L. Flory was secured as pastor, beginning in September 1927. There were then one hundred twenty- seven members. Brother Flory continued on this basis until September 1930, when Piqua and Troy joined in his employ- ment, this arrangement continuing until September 1934. Then visiting ministers were secured for a year or more. There were two hundred ten members by this time. In 1936 J. H. Eidemiller became pastor, continuing until 1941, when Roy Honeyman was secured. These two ministers did not live in Piqua and served on a part-time basis.
It was in 1947 that the first full-time pastor was called. He was Harold Miller, a Bethany Seminary graduate. In 1950
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Byron Flory of Virginia was called; he remained until Sep- tember 1953, when Samuel Keller of Northwestern Ohio succeeded him. The membership has grown to three hundred forty.
The Piqua Church
The church building was remodeled and a basement added in 1928. A heating plant was installed and a larger vestibule added. Five thousand seven hundred dollars was spent on the project. Again in 1954 the congregation began a rebuilding program, which is in progress as this is written.
The members have purchased the property adjoining the church and moved the house on it to the rear of the church for a parsonage, purposing to use the space vacated for enlarging the church building.
The church has been under the supervision of these elders through the years: D. G. Berkebile, elected in 1927 at the time of the organization; J. H. Eidemiller in 1936; Oliver Royer in 1939; Fred Hollingshead in 1943; D. G. Berkebile in 1944; and Ray O. Shank in 1949. No ministers have been
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licensed or ordained, but A. H. Weimer lived in the congrega- tion for a while.
The church has installed seven deacons, however, in the years since the organization: Ray A. Porter, J. M. Wise, and U. S. Kreider in 1927; E. J. Banks, Harry Hart, Harley Higgins, and R. E. Petry in 1938.
The Sunday-school superintendents, in order, have been J. M. Wise, Ray A. Porter, Ucal Kreider, Paul Berkebile, Alma Rasor, Richard Honeyman, and Robert Beaver.
A district ministerial meeting was held here some years ago. Ray A. Porter served on the District Mission Board for two full terms, acting as treasurer most of the time. J. M. Wise has been active in Adult Work and in temperance education and has for many years been manager of the Southern Ohio Herald.
In 1935 the church observed the tenth anniversary of its organization.
PITSBURG
Brush Creek dates back into the 1820's. It got its name from that given to a group of Brethren who first settled in Darke County, emigrants from Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Some moved into the Pitsburg area and that section was known as Ludlow, others into the Painter Creek. area and took that name. The whole group was then known as the Younce church from the activities there of Elder Phillip Younce.
The Ludlow group became the Pitsburg church. The first house of worship was a log one built in 1857 just north of Pitsburg. In 1870 another was erected on the present site. Then in 1893 still another, at the same place, replaced that one built in 1870. This latter building was improved in 1917 and was in use thus at the beginning of the third decade of the twentieth century.
The Ludlow group joined with Salem in 1860 in the erection of a meetinghouse at Georgetown (Potsdam). This group developed into the Potsdam congregation.
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