USA > Ohio > Church of the Brethren in southern Ohio > Part 7
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In that same year the district Sunday-school treasurer reported receipts of $738.90 for "Camp Sugar Grove Assembly," and expenses of $684.44, which included $200.00 on a note (purchase price). The balance due on the purchase price was indicated as "$125.00 with interest on same from October 8, 1928."
The Board of Religious Education reported in 1934, as follows:
The year 1933 was one of the most successful years in the history of Sugar Grove Camp. There was a greater amount of enthusiasm and interest shown by the campers. More spiritual insight and inspira- tion, and a higher type of leadership. The attendance for the past two years is submitted:
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1932
1933
Intermediate girls
44
44
Intermediate boys
37
67
Young people
57
64
There were twenty-seven churches represented in the intermedi- ate boys' camp; twenty-three in the intermediate girls' camp and twenty-four in the young people's camp. The dates for Sugar Grove activities have already been set, and much of the actual program building has been done. Complete schedule will be ready for distri- bution by June 1, 1934.
The board in cooperation with the Young People feel that the time is here for some definite improvements to be made at the camp next year. Already a cabin has been authorized by the District Young People. Steps are under way to provide an outside fire-escape for the present Camp Building that the safety of our boys and girls might be secured.
Breakfast Being Prepared Outdoors, Camp Sugar Grove
This same year a minute was passed "that the present Trustees of Sugar Grove Camp be dismissed and their work and responsibilities be invested in the Board of Christian Education." Incorporation of the trustees was authorized in 1940 for the purpose of "holding in trust for the District of
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Southern Ohio, the grounds and properties of Camp Sugar Grove ... and of directing and controlling the management of the camp."
When the District Board of Southern Ohio was set up it was charged with the duty of appointing "a Board of five Directors of Camp Sugar Grove," and the Commission on Christian Education was responsible to "administer the educa- tional program of the District Camp."
A Nature Study Hike, Camp Sugar Grove
Returning to the activities and development of the camp, it will be noted that in the report of 1942 it was indicated that a total of four hundred eleven had attended the camp the summer previous, with forty-four churches sending children, youth, or leaders. The whole district was now vitally interested in the camp. There was a report also of the erection of a dormitory cabin, making a total of three cabins built in the last two years. A stone cabin had been built and a porch was in the process of building at this time.
By the mid-1940's the adequacy of Sugar Grove as a camp
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began to be discussed in the district. In the minutes of 1948 is the following action:
Report of Camp Sugar Grove was accepted and a thorough dis- cussion of a possible new camping site or the improvement of the pres- ent camp at Sugar Grove followed. In respect to this matter the following proposal was offered:
Since the Board of Christian Education is not wholly agreed, either on the adequacy of Sugar Grove for future years or on any other site visited by the whole board, and, since we believe it unwise to invest now in permanent improvements at Sugar Grove while its future is uncertain, we propose:
1. That needed temporary improvements begin at once for Camp Sugar Grove to make it more adequate for the next year of two.
2. That the problem of a permanent camp site be recommitted to the Trustees of Camp Sugar Grove (BCE) for another year, with authority to call in laymen for counsel regarding property values and investments, and with the authority to purchase for the district any site which seems to meet the need for the best camp site for our district.
3. That we begin at once to raise, by solicitation from the church- es, a fund sufficient to meet the present needed improvements at Sugar Grove and to meet the cost of either purchase or improvement of such camp site as shall eventually be chosen.
These proposals were accepted and the board authorized to act ac- cordingly.
Then the next year this report came:
Soon after last year's conference a group of representative people from over the district were called together to give their views of a camp site. A full evening was spent hearing these opinions. Taking all these and many other factors into account, the Board at a later meeting decided to remain at Sugar Grove and enter into an extensive improvement program there.
Plans were made to raise $15,000 for improvements at the camp which would include modern toilet facilities and a swimming pool. This was in 1949.
The next year the completion of these improvements, the repairing of the basement of the Stone Cottage, and the digging of a well were reported, and it was proposed to build a cabin for the camp manager.
Other improvements were reported the next year as well as the purchase of a twenty-seven-foot trailer home for the camp manager, instead of constructing the cabin, and pro- visions for keeping the manager on the grounds the year
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around. Expenditures that year reached $4,557.18. It is noted that in this year Women's Work furnished $1,411.03 for camp improvement and provisions.
A Camp Leaders' Conference, Camp Sugar Grove
In the years that have passed since the early beginning, Camp Sugar Grove has steadily improved its facilities and expanded its program to serve the District of Southern Ohio more effectively. Instead of one week of camp each summer the program has been expanded to include ten full weeks of camp. It is in use also over week ends and for short- term camps from May until October.
Following is a schedule of the camp program for 1954: April 17, 18, camp leaders' training
May 8, 9, camp leaders' training
May 30, youth retreat and work day
June 28-July 1, junior camp (nine-year-olds)
July 1-4, junior camp (nine-year-olds)
July 4, 5, family camp
July 6-11, intermediate camp (twelve- to thirteen-year-olds) July 13-18, intermediate camp (twelve- to thirteen-year-olds) July 20-25, intermediate camp (fourteen- to fifteen-year-olds)
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July 27-August 1, junior camp (ten- to eleven-year-olds)
August 3-8, intermediate camp (fourteen- to fifteen-year-olds)
August 10-15, junior camp (ten- to eleven-year-olds)
August 17-22, junior camp (ten- to eleven-year-olds)
August 23-29, young people's camp
August 31-September 1, ministers' retreat
September 2, 3, women's camp
September 5, 6, men's camp
September 11, 12, camp leaders' retreat
Attendance for the summer of 1954 was as follows:
Eight-year-olds 18 Twelve-year-olds 114
Nine-year-olds 91
Thirteen-year-olds 79
Ten-year-olds 124
Fourteen-year-olds 48
Eleven-year-olds 118
Fifteen-year-olds 25
Sixteen-year-olds 1
Total juniors 351
Total junior highs 267
Sixty-six campers were from other denominations. Forty-seven churches sent campers. Twenty-eight churches sent both campers and leaders. Eighteen churches sent campers, but no leaders. One church sent a leader, but no campers. Eighty-seven people served as leaders. Of these twenty-one were adult men and twenty-six were adult women.
The children's camps gave a total of $366.72 for various projects: $68.66 for the Brotherhood Fund; $69.02 for India missions; $179.04 for general overseas relief-mostly surplus food; $50.00 for the purchase of a heifer and its feed.
Attendance at other camps this summer was as follows: men's camp, fifty-three; women's camp, one hundred seventy- two; youth week-end camp, seventy; family camp, two hundred ten; week-end camps, two thousand two hundred.
One of the features of the youth camp each year is a love feast and communion. Many youth have testified that in this love feast of youth alone the spiritual uplift exceeds that of any other camp experience.
During its twenty-seven years the camp has influenced thousands of youth, many of them to become leaders in the local church, some for the ministry, and many to give years of volunteer service in needy places throughout the world.
PART TWO Congregations
1. FUNCTIONING CHURCHES
BEAR CREEK
The Bear Creek church territory was originally a part of the Lower Miami congregation. It was one of our churches carved out of this earliest Southern Ohio Brethren settlement. Thus its origin dates back to 1811, when a committee of four elders from Virginia, invited by the Lower Miami members, divided its territory into four divisions: Lower Miami, Lower Stillwater, Wolf Creek, and Bear Creek. In this division Bear Creek inherited two ministers, Elder David Bowman, who was to have charge of the church, and Henry Metzger, who was to assist in the ministry; and four deacons, namely: Leonard Wolf, Joseph Cripe, John Metzger, and Phillip Shank. Elder Bowman presided for forty-nine years, till his death in 1860. His son, David, Jr., presided from 1860 to 1879-almost seventy years for father and son.
There was no house of worship until 1838, when the first structure was erected. In 1859 this was replaced by a new building, with a basement, which was quite an innovation. Then in 1910 the present beautiful house of worship was dedicated. Some remodeling has been done to this building since then, including a balcony and improvements in the basement. More land was later acquired, giving the church property greater depth; then the lot was landscaped and a drive put in. A beautiful new parsonage was erected in 1950 on the west end of the property. Anniversaries were observed in 1936 and 1946.
As we enter the period of this history (1920) we find John W. Beeghly in charge of Bear Creek. He was a descendant of the Bowmans mentioned above. In 1916 the church ordained Parker Filbrun, also a Bowman descendant. He, with Ivan Erbaugh, then in Bethany Seminary, perhaps Cyrus Bantz, and Alvah Richards, composed the ministerial corps in Bear
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Creek at the beginning of the third decade of the twentieth century. Later the church ordained Wilbur Bantz and George Hunn; Brother Hunn recently became a pastor in Wisconsin. Arthur and David Hunn were licensed.
The list of elders and ministers who have resided within this congregation since 1920 includes John W. Beeghly, Parker M. Filbrun, Carl Swallow, Allen Weimer, Willis Kreider, H. H. Eby, Earl Neff, George Hunn, Alvah Richards, Frank Brower, Arthur Hunn, and David Hunn.
The church ordained Alvah Richards to the eldership in 1928, Frank Brower in 1938, and George Hunn in 1940.
Wilbur Bantz had been elected to the ministry in 1923, was later ordained, as noted above, and is now serving as pastor in Decatur, Illinois.
The Bear Creek Church
Not including the pastor, ministers now residing at Bear Creek are Carl Swallow, Allen Weimer, and David Hunn. Parker Filbrun was the first part-time pastor, serving from 1922 to 1931. Norman B. Wine followed as part-time pastor, continuing from 1931 to 1936. Galen B. Royer also
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served part time from 1938 to 1940. L. John Weaver then served as summer pastor. Paul Wright became the first full- time pastor; he ministered to the church from 1943 until 1947. He was followed by Ernest Detrick, who left in 1949 and was succeeded after one year by George Phillips from Elkhart, Indiana, who is the present pastor.
The following deacons have been called since 1920: Charles Erbaugh and Harry O. Shank, 1925; Albert Heeter and Everett Lentz, 1940; Edwin Hunn and Merlin Shank, the latter two not yet being permanently installed.
The Sunday-school superintendents in succession have been: Parker Filbrun, Charles Erbaugh, Frank Brower, Anna Stoner, Howard Erbaugh, Frank Brower, Charles Erbaugh, Merrill Royer, Harry Gilbert, George A. Hunn, and Everett Lentz.
Bear Creek was the home church of Anna Eby Lichty, who spent many years in the India mission field. Her church supported her on the foreign field. Upon her retirement Bear Creek turned to the support of Claude Wolfe, in Ecuador, then to Myrnabelle Wolfe, in the same field.
Parker Filbrun and Frank Brower have each shared in the district work as a member of the Apportionment Com- mittee; Paul Wright was for a time a member of the Comity Committee; and the pastor, George Phillips, was a member of the newly formed District Board. He had previously been a member of the Ministerial Board. Anna Stoner has served on the District Women's Work Cabinet. Dorothy Hunn was on the Children's Work Cabinet. Lowell Erbaugh, Ivan and Clara Patterson, and Arthur and David Hunn were members of the District Youth Cabinet.
With a present membership of three hundred sixty-two and a Sunday-school attendance of over two hundred, Bear Creek finds its facilities inadequate despite the remodeling of the entire basement and the addition of a balcony. The church and the parsonage form a beautiful layout for this growing congregation, which is rapidly changing from a rural to a rural-urban parish as more and more Dayton-employed people locate about the church.
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BEAVER CREEK
The Beaver Creek church seems to have had more or less of an independent origin, its relation to the Lower Miami congregation being obscure. Whether it was involved in the division of territory set up by the "Virginia Committee" in 1811 is not known.
Brethren settled in the vicinity of Beaver Creek as early as 1805. It is known that the Coys settled here in 1800. But the date of the organization seems to have been in 1812. They worshiped in homes at first and then erected the first house of worship in 1843. The main portion of the present structure was built in 1893 and dedicated on November 18. At the time of the former history the membership was fifty-five and Aaron Coy was the presiding elder.
The Beaver Creek Church
Since 1920 the Beaver Creek community has changed from a strictly rural to a typical suburban area with the develop- ment of many subdivisions here and the erection of hundreds of new homes.
The church was remodeled in 1935. Some changes since
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that date have included the installation of an organ and many modernizing features.
It was noted above that Elder Aaron Coy was elder at the time of the 1920 history. In that same year Elder Howard Eidemiller, of New Carlisle, began to serve the church as both pastor and elder. He continued in this double capacity until 1935. E. Friend Couser, a resident elder here, became the pastoral leader on that date and continued his work here until 1946. Then the church began with a full-time man, calling Paul J. Wright to be the pastor. He had been pastor at Bear Creek. In 1948 the church invited Clarence Priser, of the Eversole church, to carry on for a while. Then in 1949 J. Clyde Forney, the present pastor, came from Roanoke, Vir- ginia, to direct the work at Beaver Creek.
The eldership since 1920 has been in the hands of the following: Howard Eidemiller, 1920-35; Hugh Cloppert, 1935- 41; Roy Teach, 1941-47; Philip H. Lauver, 1947-52; and Omer B. Maphis from 1952 to the present.
Besides the ministers named above, Mrs. E. Friend Couser was licensed to preach on March 12, 1939, and Leonard Lutz on May 20, 1946. She has a permanent license.
Of the deacons installed the first following the completion of the former history in 1920 were I. M. Coy, Harry Haver- stick, and Edward Bailey, all installed in January 1921. In 1926 Joseph Coy was installed, and in 1937 Clifford Miller. Two more, Dale Lutz and Horace Ferguson, were installed in 1945. In 1952 Lawrence Coy and Woodrow Coppess were installed.
The church ordained E. Friend Couser an elder in June 1932.
The Sunday-school superintendents in order of their service, as recorded, have been: John Stauffer, who was per- haps the first, John Early, D. C. Coy, I. M. Coy, Robert Bear, Harry Haverstick, Charles N. Garber, Merlin Eidemiller, Dale Lutz, Horace Coy, and Dale Lutz.
Shirley Ferguson, of this congregation, spent two years in Brethren Volunteer Service.
E. Friend Couser has served on the Mission Board of Southern Ohio, and Mrs. Couser as president of Women's Work.
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The present pastor, J. Clyde Forney, is a member and the chairman of the District Board.
The church observed the one-hundredth anniversary of the dedication of its first building in 1943. It entertained the midwinter youth conference in December of 1948.
The membership has increased more than two hundred since the publication of the former history, to a total of two hundred eighty.
BEECH GROVE
The history of the Beech Grove church roots back into the history of what was once known as the Palestine church. The first Brethren settlement in the vicinity of Palestine occurred prior to 1830. The records show that a separate organization was effected about that time with Emanuel Flory as elder. In 1868 a church was built just south of Palestine. Eight years later another structure was erected on West Branch. In the year 1888 still another house of worship was constructed at Beech Grove. In 1904 the Palestine territory was divided; the west part was to be known as Beech Grove and the section on the east retained the name Palestine.
Daniel Garver was given oversight of Beech Grove, which had sixty-eight charter members. Sylvan Bookwalter was presiding over this church in 1920 when the former Southern Ohio history was written. He continued to serve as elder until December 1923. He was in turn succeeded by B. F. Petry, after whom S. A. Blessing presided until 1936. D. G. Berkebile had charge, 1937-38; then Roy Honeyman, 1938-44. In October 1944 Dolar Ritchey became elder, having been pastor of Beech Grove since the preceding May. Prior to the calling of Dolar Ritchey as the first full-time pastor, E. S. Hollinger served as part-time pastor from October 1938 to December 1943. Other elders and ministers who resided in the congregation since 1920 include: Solomon Bolinger, A. V. Poling, and H. Jesse Baker, who pastored the church for a while.
This church called and licensed Kenneth Hollinger into
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PART Two: CONGREGATIONS
the ministry in 1931 and installed him in 1932. In 1949 it licensed Donald Ritchey, who was ordained in 1951.
Six deacons have been installed since 1920, as follows: Perry Eby and Elmer Miller, 1930; Everet Druley and H. H. Rife, 1938; Charles Baker and Marvin Baker, 1944. Four deacons were received by letter: Charles Miller, W. V. Petry, Paul Weimer, and Ira Mikesell.
Superintendents in charge of the Sunday school since 1920, in order, have been: Orville McKee, Harvey Petry, Perry Eby, H. H. Rife, Alva Petry, Chauncey Pippenger, Harvey Petry.
The Beech Grove Church
With sixty-eight charter members in 1904, Beech Grove had grown to ninety-three by 1920, and now has two hundred fourteen listed.
The original structure still stands, though many altera- tions have been made. Changes were made in the basement in 1937; in 1951 the building was raised and completely re- modeled, and a tower and classrooms were added.
A farm of twenty-six acres, which was adjacent to the
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churchyard, was purchased in 1944. The house was remodeled for a parsonage.
The church is very active in Men's Work and Women's Work, has contributed liberally to Brethren Service and the Heifers for Relief project. Lester Hollinger, Neva Hollinger, and Lois Eby, from this congregation, have served on the Southern Ohio Youth Cabinet. Perry Eby served a term as trustee of the Brethren Home at Greenville. The pastor, Dolar Ritchey, is a member of the District Board.
As one of Southern Ohio's strictly rural churches, Beech Grove is a good example of what a rural church can do.
BETHANY
The Bethany church came by evolution, or was it by revolution? In 1925 the Brethren in Adams County began holding services in a schoolhouse, across the hills from the Cassel's Run church. Roy Engle, serving Cassel's Run, held services also at this school, known as Rennels Run or Egypt,
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The Bethany Church
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PART Two: CONGREGATIONS
during the summer months. When school opened in the fall of 1926 the services could no longer be held in the school building.
So a move to build a church started. Grounds were secured. Virgin timber from the hills was cut. Both materials and labor were donated. H. M. Coppock, who was also serving in this area, was authorized to solicit funds from congrega- tions in the district. The structure, twenty-four by thirty-six feet, was dedicated April 24, 1927, with J. H. Eidemiller de- livering the sermon.
There developed opposition in the community, bordering on vandalism, and the church was moved to the present location just south of Cedar Mills in 1932. Besides those named above, Walter Hawke, Clarence Erbaugh, Otto Laursen, Fred Woodie, Jacob and Mary Couser, and Harold Freeman have served the congregation. The latter began in October 1951 and is there at the present time.
While Otto Laursen was pastor a parsonage was built. Afterward it was enlarged.
There are forty members here at the present time. The work has been under the direction of the Mission Board through all these years.
BRADFORD
The Bradford church was organized out of Harris Creek territory and members. The movement toward establishing a separate congregation began with the organization of a Sunday school in the town in 1915. This was first held in a photographer's studio. Outgrowing this, the school was taken to Mildred Hall. Following, preaching services also began to be held in this hall. The attendance increased and interest in a separate organization led to a request for the privilege of establishing the Bradford Church of the Brethren.
The territory of the Harris Creek church was divided at a council meeting held in the Harris Creek church on January 20, 1917, the members of the church living in Bradford having appointed Brethren John M. and Ora Stover to be their
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representatives plenipotentiary. The proposition presented to the meeting was that the territory of the proposed Bradford church should be the corporation of Bradford and such contiguous territory as should afterward be annexed to the said corporation. This proposition was accepted by the Harris Creek church.
This same committee had also been given authority to negotiate the settlement of the property rights of the Bradford members in the property of the Harris Creek church; it afterward met and decided upon the same with a like com- mittee from the Harris Creek church. The Harris Creek church having accepted this plan of the joint committee, the way was clear to proceed with the new organization.
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The Bradford Church
The Bradford Church of the Brethren was then organized at Mildred Hall on February 25, 1917, the meeting being called to order by Elder D. D. Wine of Covington, as chairman.
Other elders present were J. H. Christian and Lawrence Kreider. The church chose the following as its officers: John M. Stover, presiding elder; Harry C. Royer, clerk-treasurer.
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PART Two: CONGREGATIONS
The official board consisted of the following: John M. Stover, elder-in-charge; S. E. Porter, elder; Edward Miller, minister; and Clarence E. Crowell, deacon.
The membership included over one hundred charter mem- bers with a fine spirit of co-operation and a determination to forge ahead in a growing work. That they have succeeded is evidenced by a membership roll of three hundred twenty-one in early 1955.
In 1918 the movement for the erection of a church building began with the purchase of a lot and the permission to solicit the district for funds. A brick edifice of modern construction was built and was dedicated on December 9, 1923. The new structure cost $23,000. On the evening of the day of dedica- tion, J. Oscar Winger began a two weeks' revival which resulted in thirty accessions. By 1928 the congregation was debt free.
This building was enlarged in 1952 by the addition of a basement to the rear, which was roofed temporarily until a superstructure could be completed. This doubled the basement space and provided a modern kitchen. An electric organ had been purchased in 1949.
Theodore Eley was chosen for the ministry by the Brad- ford church in 1919, in the same meeting in which he asked for a transfer of membership to the Oakland church, which latter congregation cared for the installation.
J. M. Stover later moved to Columbus and S. E. Porter then assumed the eldership. Upon returning to Bradford Brother Stover was again placed in charge. G. E. Weaver, then pastor of the church, was made elder in 1939. Afterward Brother Stover served for a few years. In 1948 Moyne Landis, the Oakland pastor, was elected elder, and in 1952 Perry L. Huffaker, the West Milton pastor, succeeded him.
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