USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > Minutes of the session of the Ohio Miami Conference, successor to Miami Conference, of the United Methodist Church, 1970 > Part 13
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The deed for the land and buildings was signed on March 5, 1913. The purchase price was $325,000, the property consisting of about 50 buildings and 4005 acres of land.
Dr. and Mrs. John R. King, missionaries on furlough from Africa, became the first superintendent and matron.
The first adult to become a resident of the Home was admitted on April 3, 1913. The first children, three from two different families, all coming on the same day, arrived about that same time.
30 Miami Conference Minutes, 1913, 43.
801 Miami Conference Minutes, 1936, 49.
31 Miami Conference Minutes, 1924, 124.
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CONFERENCE HISTORY
A Sunday School was organized in July 1913 and a church in 1914 with 24 members, the first official board minutes being dated June 21. Dr. King served as pastor from 1914 to 1919. The Miami Conference has maintained a keen interest in the Home and has provided much support, financial and personal. In 1926 the Women's Societies of the Conference organized a Woman's Aid Congress, largely to encourage interest and to promote the Christmas offering. The first regular meeting of this Congress was at the Home on July 27, 1926. An Otterbein Home Auxiliary was formed later.
The peak years for children were 1940 and 1941, when 173 were in residence. The amount contributed by the Conference in 1946 was $20,567.
Conference Camp
When the Board of Christian Education was formed in the Miami Conference in 1929 and 1930, it assumed responsibility for the annual convention of the Sunday School Association and Christian Endeavor Union. It immediately decided, however, that a program more educational in nature and less inspirational and promotional was needed. A summer Leadership Training School was initiated though in the beginning it was a combination convention-school type of meeting. This was held in Xenia in 1931, 1932 and 1933. In 1934 it was transferred to the Bonebrake Seminary Campus. This week-long school was moved to the Methodist Camp ground at Sabina in 1942. An adult camp was held and a camp for ministers at Camp Campbell Gard in 1941.
In the meantime a search for a site to develop a Conference Camp continued. At one time serious consideration was given to getting land from the Otterbein Home. The Board of Education and Conference trustee representatives rode over the area looking at ground, trying to visualize a camp at various places.
The Conference Superintendent recommended in 1944, "That we continue to push the matter of a permanent camp for Miami Conference, but with greater vigor." The Board of Christian Education said in 1945, "The need for a Miami Conference owned and controlled camp property is becoming desperate." For several years the "looking committee" saw the Miami Military Institute property at Germantown from a distance. Was it too expensive? Was it too close to town? The committee finally became interested and discovered that the property was in the hands of a Dayton Build- ing and Loan Association, and that securing it would involve court action. However, after adequate exploration the decision was made to purchase. On November 23, 1945 the Conference trustees came into possession of the property for the sum of $15,000.
The Board of Christian Education was given full responsibility for payment, improvement, maintenance and operation of the Camp.
The Camp was dedicated at noon on Thursday, September 19, 1946. 32
Conference Statistics
Some churches were organized during this period, but some were also closed. Trends are indicated in the following tables:
NUMBER OF CHURCHES
1901
100
1930
105
1905
105
1935
113
1910
111
1940
110
32 Miami Conference Minutes, 1946, 26, 38, 42, 43.
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CONFERENCE HISTORY
1915
113
1945
108.
1920
109
SUNDAY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
1902
7,693
1932
14,054
1907
9,071
1937
12,208
1912
(not available)
1939
11,547
1917
11,103
1940
12,573
1922
12,425
1941
11,998
1928
12,400
1942
11,547
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP
1901
12,323
1925
24,833
1905
13,875
1930
24,555
1910
15,555
1935
26,885
1915
17,719
1940
27,703
1920
19,930
1945
29,586
Trends in Ministry
As the years went by some new trends in ministry became apparent.
An effort to exert some control over the place of the minister in funerals was in- dicatd by a resolution adopted in 1901 requesting that funerals not be held on Sunday.
In 1904 Presiding Elder G. P. Macklin called on ministers to make more of the service of Holy Communion and hold it once a year on each appointment.
Efforts were evident from time to time to develop some new types of ministry. The Conference Council of Administration, in a meeting on March 6, 1918, voted to approve the plan of appointing a military pastor at Camp Sherman and to approve Dr. C. B. Fletcher of Toledo for the position.
Miami Conference strongly supported the denominational colleges with their Christian emphasis, but also became interested in a ministry to United Brethren students in the state and private universities. In the 1927 Conference session action was taken to cooperate with the other Ohio Conferences in supporting an assistant pastor at the Fifth Avenue Church in Columbus, Ohio. His primary responsibility was the United Brethren students at Ohio State University. The sum of $300 was voted and was con- tinued the following year. This student ministry expanded in the later years of this period.
An institution of some interest and concern during the early and middle twenties was the Klu Klux Klan. Some ministers and laymen were favorable, even enthusiastic about the Klan. Others were mildly or violently opposed. Some, no doubt, were mem- bers but this was kept as secret as some other features of the institution.
An announcement of a Klan meeting was recorded in the 1923 minutes. It was an invitation to be present at a naturalization ceremony to be held in Miltonville. The program consisted of a lecture on "Americanism," a first class band, a glee club and fireworks. "We wish to urge your attendance to this meeting of a Christian organi- zation."
The records show that the Klan, because of the divergent attitudes toward it, disrupted and even divided some churches.
33 Miami Conference Minutes, 1923, 97.
112
CONFERENCE HISTORY
CHAPTER 11
MIAMI CONFERENCE, 1947-1969
(Ohio Miami Conference after 1950)
For the first time in its history the church, originally organized as the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, gave up its name in 1946.
The General Conference, meeting in Westerville, Ohio, on May 22, 1945, voted 224 to 2 in favor of the union of the Evangelical Church and the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. The Annual Conferences of the two denominations ap- proved the union, as did the required number of members of the United Brethren Church. Consequently, special sessions of the General Conferences of the two denomi- nations were held in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in Novmber 1946 and the uniting session convened in the same city on November 16, 1946. This brought the Evangelical United Brethren Church into being. The 1947 session was the 138th of the Miami Conference of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and the first of the Evan- gelical United Brethren Church.
All the annual sessions of the Conference after 1946 were held at Camp Miami, except in the year 1964. Considerable dissatisfaction had dveloped with the Camp Miami Chapel as a place for worship and more especially for the ordination service. As the result of a vote in 1963 the 1964 Conference met in the Fairview Church in Day- ton. During that session a special committee reported on the comparative advantages of a church versus Camp Miami. By vote the Conference decided to return to Camp Miami in 1965.
The sessions were held in September through 1950. Beginning in 1951 and con- tinuing to the present, the Conference met in early June.
Three special sessions were held during this period. The Conference met in Dayton First Church on February 16, 1957. The purpose was to hear the report of a special committee to develop a plan for fund raising for the Mission and Church extension program of the Conference. By approving the committee's report a Conference Church Extension Fund was established. The enabling act provided for an Advisory Committee of 35 members which would also elect an Executive Committee. The Extension Fund organization was authorized to borrow money to be loaned to churches for building and expansion.
The second special session assembled in Arcanum on November 19, 1962. The purpose was to review the proceedings of the General Conference and to assign Chris- tian Service Fund quotas to the churches. After reports by six of the delegates to Gen- eral Conference, the list of church quotas as prepared on a factor basis was presented and approved. The special session closed with a Communion service directed by Bishop Paul Herrick.
The third special meeting of the Conference was a joint meeting of the four Con- ferences which would ultimately form the West Ohio Conference of the United Metho- dist Church. It was held in Columbus, Ohio, on November 7, 1968. The purpose was to develop plans and schedules and to make pledges for the Fund for Reconciliation. The Conference Superintendent reported in June 1969 that the Ohio Miami Conference had subscribed 86 percent of its goal.
113
CONFERENCE HISTORY
Conference Realignment
After the formation of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the Ohio Con- ference of the Evangelical Church overlapped several of the United Brethren Confer- ences. The Miami Conference appointed, in 1948, representatives to a joint Com- mission on Reorganization of Ohio Annual Conferences.
A Plan and Basis of Reorganization for the Conferences, as presented by this Commission, was unanimuosly approved by the Miami Conference and the General Conference in 1950. By these actions the name was changed to Ohio Miami and the following boundaries established.
Begin at the junction of the Ohio State Line with the south line of Mercer County; thence in an easterly course along the south line of Mercer, Shelby, Logan and Union Counties to the west line of Franklin County : thence south along the west line of Franklin, Pickaway, Ross, Pike and Scioto Counties to the Ohio River; thence in a westerly direction to the junction of the Ohio River with the Ohio-Indiana State line; thence north along the Ohio-Indiana line to the place of beginning; Newport, Kentucky to belong to the Ohio Miami Conference; Rockdale, Indiana to be subject to negotiation between the superintendents of the Ohio Miami and Indiana Conferences; Lockington and New Hope to belong to the Ohio Miami Con- ference. 1
The Ohio Miami Conference also received Wayne Avenue, Phillipsburg-Zion, and Ware's Chapel from the Indiana Conference of the Evangelical Church. The Rock- dale Church was later transferred to the Indiana South Conference.
An Interconference Council was formed in Ohio to study and make recommenda- tions on matters of common interest to the four Conferences.
Session Changes
Constant effort was made during this period to reduce the program of the An- nual Conference to a routine pattern. This seemed essential, if the Conference was to continue to operate on the tight three-day schedule.
In 1951 Bishop Dennis appointed a committee to write rules of order to govern conference procedures. The report of this committee, the following year, established among others the following rules.
1. No one shall speak on a question for more than five minutes without special permission.
2. Motions or resolutions shall be reduced to writing before being voted upon.
3. All references to committees, except those arising out of the regular business of the Conference, shall be presented no later than the end of the first afternoon of the Conference. The same shall be true of matters from indi- viduals, institutions and organizations.
4. Speakers representing institutions and general interests of the church shall be limited to twenty minutes. Other agencies shall be limited to ten minutes. 2
1 Miami Conference Minutes, 1951, 84.
2 Ohio Miami Conference Minutes, 1952, 77.
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CONFERENCE HISTORY
Nearly all major and minor decisions were made in committees. Beginning in 1953 a part of the afternoon and all of Tuesday evenings was set aside for committee meetings. This continued until 1964. A book containing all reports of committees, boards and commissions was made available to all ministers and lay delegates obviating the necessity of presenting these to the Conference in detail.
In the 1965 Minutes is a six-page coordinated report of the Conference discussion groups to develop a program for the Conference and the churches. This covered almost every phase of operation. "
Churches
Changes occurred as usual during these years in the number and status of churches. The statistical tables listed 108 churches in 1947 and 103 in 1969. The following paragraphs tell the story of church change.
The Riverside (Harshman) Church relocated and built a new building a few blocks from the former location. The cornerstone was laid on August 3, 1947, and the building was completed the latter part of 1948. This church later united with Wagner and the building was sold to the Pillar of Truth Church.
The Wagner Church sold its property on the Valley Pike to the "Brethren in Christ" for $29,000 and began construction at the new location on Harshman Road near Brandt Pike in 1958. This church united with Riverside at the Wagner location on May 19, 1963. The two former names were dropped and the new church adopted the name "Good Shepherd."
Two new church sites were purchased. On July 10, 1947, a little more than two acres were purchased on Woodman Drive. The trustees voted on September 16, 1947 to purchase a plot of ground on Symmes Road south of Hamilton.
The Ottwell Church near Harrison, Ohio, was sold on October 30, 1946. The abandoned building at Pleasant Hill was torn down and the lumber used at Camp Miami. The Brown's Run building was permitted to go back to the owners of the original plot of land. The Olivet building and adjacent lots were sold on October 30, 1946, to the St. Luke's Baptist Church.
Cincinnati Second disbanded in 1947 and the building was sold in 1949 under the direction of W. I. Underwood and Fred Lammers of the Clifton Church.
In 1949 the Fletcher Federated Church sought affiliation with the Miami Confer- ence. J. P. Hendrix was appointed pastor in April 1950 and a building program was started. Dedication was on June 3, 1951.
As a result of the reorganization of the conferences in Ohio, the following churches became a part of the Miami Conference in 1950:
Mowrystown
148 members
Hillsboro
161
Wrightsville
16
Liberty Chapel
14 ..
Midland
37
Moore's Fork
35
Second Creek
47
Bloom Rose
53
3 Ohio Miami Conference Minutes, 1965, 67ff.
115
CONFERENCE HISTORY
Browntown 62
East Danville 48
Ketterman 53
Union Plains
43
White Oak (abandoned)
20 ..
The Phillipsburg U.B. and Phillipsburg Zion (formerly Evangelical) churches, united to form one congregation on June 17, 1951.
The East Dayton Church, after the loss of its building by fire on November 12, 1950, purchased the Heidleberg E & R church building at the corner of Huffman Avenue and Heiss Street, and the parsonage, for $70,000.
The Hillgrove Federated Church, though maintaining its status, accepted pastoral leadership and program supervision from the Miami Conference beginning in 1952.
The request of the congregation and the Conference Board of Missions to relocate the Bevis Church on the west side of Colerain Pike north of Day Road was approved. Ground was broken on April 15, 1962 and the building dedicated on October 14 of the same year. The name was changed to "Prince of Peace."
The Hyde Park building was sold to the city of Cincinnati in 1959 after the decision to relocate. Property was purchased on Route 3 north of the village of Mont- gomery. A house on the property was remodeled for church use. The congregation was renamed "Church of the Redeemer." However, in 1960 the church asked to be dis- continued and its resources used elsewhere. This was approved.
Weaver Station, having no services for two consecutive years, was declared extinct in June 1959 and the members transferred.
After about a century of service, the Miamisburg Church purchased in 1960 the property at Fifth and Park Avenue, formerly occupied by the Methodists. The first service was held in this building in April 1961.
The High Street Church building was destroyed by fire in September 1960. Be- cause of the nature of the community and the nearness of a future expressway, the de- cision was made to relocate. The comity committee of the Church Federation of Greater Dayton had granted the Conference comity rights in Sugarcreek Township. A site in this area on Wilmington Pike was made available to the High Street congrega- tion. A building was constructed and the first service held on September 30, 1962. The name of the congregation was changed to "Christ Church."
The Rossburg Church was closed by action of the Conference Council of Ad- ministration in the latter part of 1961. The Darke County Migrant Ministry Com- mittee used the building as a center for several years before it was sold.
The White Oak Church, which came to the Conference from Southeast Ohio as an abandoned church, was reopened in 1953. Services were discontinued, however, as of March 20, 1956. Later, permission was granted to persons in the community to conduct a Sunday School. Preaching services were also held from time to time. How- ever, in 1963, because the church had not been served by a pastor under appointment since August 1962, and because the church did not warrant an appointment, it was discontinued by action of the Conference.
A beginning was made toward establishing a new mission on Woodman Drive with the erection of a parsonage and the appointment of a part-time minister about February 1, 1953. Services were held during the summer in the Lewton School. The chapel was completed and the first services held there in December. 1953. The church,
116
CONFERENCE HISTORY
Eastmont, was organized on December 20, 1953. An educational building was dedi- cated on May 11, 1958. The congregation was officially received into the Conference on June 9, 1954.
A parsonage was built on the Symmes Road property south of Hamilton in 1953. This served as a home for the minister and a chapel for services for the South Hamilton Mission. The name was later changed to "St. Mark's." The first unit of the church building was constructed, and dedicated on February 12, 1956. This congregation was also officially received into the Conference on June 9, 1954.
Superintendent W. K. Messmer, reported to the 1954 session of the Conference that the Brookville Church was completely destroyed by fire in January. Ground was broken for the new building on October 31, 1954, the first services were held on March 4, 1956, and the church dedication on December 2.
The Ithaca Church was destroyed by fire caused by a plane dropping a gas tank. After receiving $112,500 from the government and after being granted permission to relocate at the edge of town on Arcanum Road, a new building was dedicated on December 9, 1956.
Summing up this building activity the superintendent reported that from 1949 to 1954 nearly three million dollars was spent in the Conference for new, enlarged and improved buildings.
A small independent church in Miami Shores made inquiry and was invited to affiliate with the Ohio Miami Conference as the Miami Valley Church. This was offi- cially accomplished on June 7, 1955. The church was unable to make progress and the local conference on May 27, 1959, by a vote of six to four requested the Conference to discontinue it. The Conference so voted on June 11, 1959.
Three changes in church names were approved by the 1955 Conference. Hillsboro became Bethany of Hillsboro, East Dayton Trinity became Trinity, and Aley Chapel became Aley.
In 1955 the Comity Committee of the Church Federation of Greater Dayton ap- proved the request of the Conference to study the Alexandersville-Bellbrook Road- Mad River Road area as a possible location for a new church. While the study was being made in the latter part of 1955, the Richard Grant property on Alexandersville- Bellbrook Road east of Durham Road was offered to the Conference. After study and negotiation, the large residence, the gate house, twelve and one-half acres of land, and all facilities were purchased for $125,000 with paymnts extended over ten years. Mil- ford Ater was appointed pastor on September 1, 1956. The first service was held on September 15 with more than 200 persons present.
Moore's Fork was declared abandoned on June 14, 1956. The property was sold to the Calvary Baptist Church of Blanchester.
The Midland Church requested discontinuance. This was approved on June 19, 1958. The building was sold to a Church of God in the Midland community.
The Five Mile Church near Cincinnati had only 38 members in 1957. The Board of Missions suggested it merge with Cherry Grove. This did not happen, though the two churches were served by the same minister. In 1963 the Board of Missions, how- ver, received a request from the Five Mile Church for discontinuance. This action was approved and the members were transferred to Cherry Grove. The action also recog- nized that there was a reversion clause in the deed and that the church was historically important. The Historical Society was requested to hold an annual religious service. A committee consisting of conference and local people was appointed to maintain the
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CONFERENCE HISTORY
church building. Annual pilgrimages and services were held on a Sunday in September from 1964 through 1969.
In 1961 the Board of Missions recommended to the Board of Trustees the pur- chase of 5.7 acres at the corner of Dutchess Lane and Kemper Road for $28,000 as a site for a future church. The Conference trustees were later authorized to sell this property to the Cincinnati District of the United Methodist Church for development.
A survey was made of an area east of Middletown in the Shaker Road area, known as Sterling Heights, to discover the advisability of locating a new church. The study revealed fair potential, so the Board of Missions recommended that the trustees purchase 32 acres for $24,500. Official action was taken in 1962 to start a church. 4 Howard Hahn was appointed pastor. Services were held in a house on the property purchased, beginning August 12, 1962. The congregation was formally organized on December 30, 1962. The name "Community Church" was used for a time, but it was later changed to "Hunter Community." First steps toward a building unit were taken in 1966. The building was dedicated on October 27, 1968.
The Euclid Avenue Church, after a long and glorious ministry on the West Side and after futile attempts of a certain kind to reach the people of the immediate com- munity, and because of the continuing decline in membership, entered into negotiations with First Church for a merger of the two congregations. A special committee was ap- pointed in the fall of 1961 to study this possibility. The Plan of Union was presented to simultaneous congregational meetings for vote on February 25, 1962. The merger establishment was dated March 11, 1962.
Thus, an effort was made to keep two strong streams of witness and service flow- ing in one larger stream. With over 1800 members, three full-time ministers, an elab- orate and spacious building in an attractive community, a well-organized congregation, what did the church envision for the future?
The Euclid Avenue building was sold to the Mt. Enon Baptist Church for $125,000. This income made it possible to pay off the First Church debt much sooner than originally planned. The Euclid Avenue name was completely lost, excepting in the naming of the Chapel.
The attendance for the new church in 1963 was morning worship 803, Sunday School 481. The report in 1969 indicated membership was 1459, morning wor- ship attendance 543, Sunday School 324.
One of the proposals in the plan of merger was for the new congregation to undertake some mission project, preferably in Dayton. The opportunity for this came when another denomination released its responsibility for providing a religious ministry at Parkside Homes, a Metropolitan Housing Project in north Dayton. The responsibility for reassigning this rested with the Church Federation. The Ohio Miami Conference Board of Missions was contacted and it agreed to sponsor this ministry. After some negotiations, First Church accepted the opportunity in the name of the Conference. Rev. Gordon Monk, a student at United Seminary, was assigned as pastor and director. The work began on September 16, 1962. Of the total budget of $7,200, First Church supplied $5,200 during the first year.
Mr. Monk resigned after one year and three seminary students were assigned to a team ministry-Philip Isgrigg, Barry Lewis, and James Corbett. When two of these men graduated, Miss Mary McChesney and Paul Beal were appointed to the staff. A
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