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 8
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A report to the Telescope in 1842 indicated "Miami Conference took up a dona- tion of eight hundred and forty-five dollars at this session for missionary operations." 42
Presiding elder A. Shindledecker reported later that year contributions to the Home Missionary Society as follows : 43
Miami Circuit $200.00
Greenville Circuit 400.00
Blufton Circuit 400.00
East End Circuit
647.00
Sidney Circuit
483.00
The money received by the Society was voted out to preachers and classes which seemed unable to provide the necessary funds.
In January 1848 a resolution to dissolve the constitution and organization of the Home Missionary Society and to request the subscribers to transfer their giving to the Benevolent Fund was tabled for one year. This was taken from the table the following year and the Society was dissolved.
This did not mean the end of missionary support. Most of the functions of the Society were assumed by the Benevolent Fund.
Some money was sent to Kansas to start churches there. Henry Kumler, Jr. in 1852 was elected presiding elder for Missouri and a part of his support there as a missionary came from the Miami Conference.
The Home, Frontier and Foreign Missionary Society of the United Brethren Church was established by the General Conference meeting in Miltonville in May 1853. John Kemp of the Miami Conference was elected treasurer. In that session the decision was made to begin mission work in Africa. Three ministers of the Miami Conference were the first missionaries, sailing for Afrca in January 1855-W. J. Shuey, D. K. Flickinger, and D. C. Kumler, M.D. W. B. Witt and J. K. Billheimer were appointed in June 1856 to leave the following December.
D. K. Flickinger was elected secretary of the Society in 1858 and William McKee treasurer in 1865.
Developments during this period in the fields of evangelism, Christian education and other phases of the life of the church are given in later chapters.
The action of the General Conference of 1853 concerning boundary makes a good place to end one chapter and begin another. The Conference accepted the challenge of a smaller area and a smaller number of ministers to provide further victories in the work of the Kingdom.
42 "Letter," Religious Telescope, I (June 22, 1842), 188.
43 A. Shindledecker, Religious Telescope, II (October 26, 1842), 53.
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CONFERENCE HISTORY
CHAPTER 6
THE MIAMI CONFERENCE, 1854 - 1871 The Conference Sessions
The fourth period of the history of Miami Conference begins in 1854. The General Conference of 1853 approved the formation of a new conference on the north so the northern boundary of Miami ran approximately through Urbana and Greenville. The area and the number of circuits and preaching places were greatly reduced.
Throughout the period, excepting two years, the two presiding elder districts, Cincinnati and Dayton, were continued. By vote of the Conference one presiding elder served the entire conference during the years 1857-58 and 1867-68. It was apparently an unsatisfactory experiment.
The eighteen annual sessions were held in August and September in seventeen different churches. Only one church entertained the Conference more than once, Ger- mantown, which was the host in 1862 and 1866. David Edwards was the presiding bishop in fourteen sessions and J. J. Glossbrenner in four.
The Conference continued to adopt more business like methods of operation. A resolution was adopted in 1860 that each preacher report to the Conference the number of families visited and sermons preached. This together with a chart of his work by classes was to be his annual report. The chart and a book in which were all the names of all the members on his work by classes were given to his successor.
The twelfth session of the General Conference was held within the Miami Con- ference at Cincinnati in 1857.
It was no simple matter for a church to entertain the Conference in session. Travel was difficult.
In 1855 the Conference adopted a resolution to thank the Hamilton and Eaton R. R. Co. for granting the ministers present one-half fare.
The Religious Telescope carried the announcements of Conference sessions with instructions to the delegates. In the issue of August 3, 1859 when the Conference was to be held at Liberty, the committee announced, "We desire our ministers as many as can do so to come by railroad. We will meet you at the Telescope office in Dayton with conveyances to bring you to Liberty." 1
Mary Landis of Millville replied to this two weeks later.
Also concerning coming by train-in other words leave their horses at home. If the Liberty folks are unable or unwilling to feed the minister's horses, they should not have asked for the Conference. Will you be so kind and condescending and so obliging as to permit outsiders to attend Conference if they bring tents, horse feed and provisions with them. ? ?
In this same August 3 announcement by the committee was this statement,
If any of our minister's wives wear hoops and jewelry and other superfluities contrary to the gospel of Christ, we would rather they would not come to Conference with their husbands. 3
1 Religious Telescope, IX (August 3, 1859), 191.
2 Religious Telescope, IX (August 17, 1859), 198.
a Religious Telescope, IX (August 3, 1859), 191.
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CONFERENCE HISTORY
Mary Landis in her letter ridiculed the Liberty committee for regarding these as sins.
In the same issue of the Telescope an article signed "Itinerant" said, "I wish to know if those wives who do not wear these things will be welcome. How about preachers with standing collars and whiskers?" 4
Circuits and Churches
Though circuits rather than individual churches continued to be listed in the statistical chart, finance reports and assignment lists, reference was more frequently made to appointments and classes in other connections. A boundary committee was ap- pointed in each annual session and a certain number of circuits were rearranged each year.
The ministry continued to be confined to the rural areas and small towns, though concern was frequently expressed about Dayton and especially Cincinnati.
The United Brethren were not successful in Cincinnati, though the city had a population of 46,382 by 1840. The Fulton Street Station was mentioned in 1854 and the Harriet Street Mission in 1854 and 1855. Other than these the only reference to a Cincinnati church was the Cincinnati Station listed each year.
The increase in the number of churches and classes was indicated in reports pub- lished in the Religious Telescope. These statements are quoted here primarily because of a reference to a church. "In a service at Seven Mile a farewell to Kumler, Flickinger and Shuey, Missionaries to Africa." " P. C. Hetzler of the Stillwater Circuit writes concerning a protracted meeting at West Baltimore, "The class here consisted of but seven members, and it was not organized; but we have now organized a class of sixty members." " "Sonora is a new place taken up by W. J. Shuey this year." 7
In 1857 J. M. Marshall writes concerning Nashville, "We have formed a fine class at this place. 71 members received since Conference." 8 Marshall writes again in March, "A meeting at Greenville closed on last Saturday. It was our finest effort in that town. We succeeded in organizing a class of 16 members."
These few quotations among many indicate that the Conference was growing both in organized churches and members. At least some of the ministers with low salaries, often unpaid, and difficult travelling conditions were giving themselves sacrificially. The churches organized during this period are listed in the table in the Appendix.
In 1859 the editor of The Religious Telescope visited the Miami Conference session at Liberty. He reported, "The Conference seems to be waking up to the im- portance of making aggressions upon the kingdom of darkness at home. It is a fact that this old, able and benevolent Conference has not been growing rapidly, and the brethren are seeking out the cause." 1ยบ Some indication of the membership and its distribution is given in this Table from the 1858 Minutes.
4 Religious Telescope, IX (August 17, 1859), 199.
3 Religious Telescope, V (January 17, 1855), 75.
6 Ibid., V (February 2, 1855), 95.
" Ibid., VI (June 18, 1856), 160.
8 Ibid., VII (February 4, 1857), 90. Ibid., VII (March 25, 1857), 118.
10 Ibid., X (September 7, 1859), 2.
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CONFERENCE HISTORY
TABLE 1
Cincinnati Station
202
Liberty Circuit
285
Five Mile Circuit
262
Lewisburg Circuit
274
Second Creek Circuit
360
West Baltimore Circuit
203
Mt. Pleasant Circuit
188
Pleasant Hill Circuit 313
Mt. Healhty Station
81
Mt. Zion Circuit
165
New Haven Circuit
172
Newcomer Mission
27
Millville Station
87
Piqua Mission Station
21
Seven Mile Circuit
240
Hamilton Mission Station
9
Germantown Circuit
301
Arcanum Circuit
126
New Hope Circuit
195
Miami Circuit
277
Dayton Station &
Colored Mission
114
Total
3,902
The statistics for the Conference in the year 1871 show both growth and decline when compared with the figures for 1855.
TABLE 2
1855
1871
Fields of Labor
23
24
Appointments
88
71
Organized Classes
93
76
Members
3,146
3,923
Telescopes received
673
464
Sunday Schools
62
Meeting Houses
65
Contributed-All purposes
$25,017
Church Buildings and Meeting Houses
With some frequency, reference is made in the Conference Minutes and in the Religious Telescope to new, enlarged and improved buildings. Throughout the history of the Christian Church this has been a sign of health and growth.
A letter published in the Religious Telescope February 20, 1856 said that the United Brethren in Christ had nineteen good houses of worship in Hamilton County, Ohio, fifteen belonging to English churches and four to the German. Eight were of brick, eight were frame, one stone, and two hewn logs. 11
A report in September 1858 indicated that the United Brethren had ten good houses of worship in Darke County. New building dedications were announced as follows:
1855, Brick Chapel at Cherry Grove
1856, West Sonora, Otterbein Chapel
1857, Twinsboro, West Baltimore (brick building), Lewisburg, Pleasant Grove
1858, Ithaca, Pleasant View Chapel
1859, Dayton Third
1860, Seven Mile, Harveysburg, Beardshear
1862, Thomas
1863, Low's Chapel
11 E. W. Hofner, Religious Telescope, VI (February 20, 1856), 92.
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CONFERENCE HISTORY
1865, Dayton Fourth
1867, Pyrmont
1868, Caylor Chapel
1869, Vandalia
1870, Lagonda
1871, Arcanum, Sonner Chapel, Utica, Mt. Zion, Miami City
The construction of a new church building often placed the congregation in a difficult financial situation. Preachers frequently suffered because the small contracted salary was not paid. The Conference often bailed out the church as in the case of Cherry Grove when J. Walter was appointed to raise the amount of indebtedness.
Education
The roots of Miami Conference interest in education go back much earlier than 1854, the beginning of this period, as is indicated in the chapter on education.
Two resolutions were adopted by the Conference in 1854. "We pledge ourselves to redouble our exertions to remove the stupor and prejudice which have hitherto re- tarded our progress in the work of education." "Resolved that in view of the immense importance of the Sabbath School enterprise, we call anew the attention of our people and our itinerants in particular, to this great work." 12
A statistical report on the Sabbath Schools in 1862 indicated the progress made in the Miami Conference.
Schools 58
Children enrolled
3,420
Adults enrolled 2,041
Average attendance 3,011
Officers and teachers 727
Verses committed
43,682
Conversions 87
The first Conference Sabbath School Convention was held at Lewisburg on August 13, 1862. A principal concern of this meeting was "How can we become more efficient as teachers?" A resolution was adopted "that Sabbath Schools shall be separated into Departments to suit the ages of the children."
Starting in the 1850's Sabbath School Celebrations were held on a community basis, in some cases interdenominationally. These picnic type meetings were held in groves with thousands in attendance.
The Conference strongly supported the organization of a denominational Sunday School Association.
An early interest in higher education led the Conference to intensely encourage the formation of denominational colleges, and to become a major supporter of Otterbein University.
The 1866 session was especially noted for its emphasis on education. A com- mittee was appointed to promote collegiate education of ministers. In a later report this committee proposed that a theological course be devised and Biblical classes organ- ized in our schools (colleges) as soon as possible. It urged men going into the ministry to avail themselves of such courses. The committee further recommended financial aid
12 Miami Conference Minutes, 1854, 13.
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CONFERENCE HISTORY
to students, a committee to have general oversight of ministerial education, and, an annual offering for this purpose. It proposed that the next General Conference form a permanent Board of Education.
Missions
Miami Conference continued to display considerable missionary spirit. A branch of the Home, Frontier and Foreign Missionary Society was formed and officers elected in 1854. This Conference Branch sent some funds to the denominational society and used some for its own mission projects.
Ministers were sent from Miami to the mission field of Kansas. The pastor at Millville provided a list of nine members who were ready to make contributions to erect a church in Lawrence, Kansas, with the statement, "Let us not only send our missionaries to Kansas, but let us erect temples for them to labor in."
Year after year the Conference voted that each preacher preach a missionary ser- mon, take an offering for missions, and accept its apportionment from the Board of Missions. Sabbath Schools were organized into missionary societies.
Work among the Germans was continued. Henry Kumler expressed thanks for gifts to build among the poor Germans in Newport, Ky. In several communities buildings were shared with the German congregations.
In 1863 a resolution was adopted in support of those who ministered to the Freedmen.
In 1868 a petition was sent to the General Conference calling for a system of church extension.
The following year the Conference took action that if the Auglaize Conference did not intend to occupy Union City, it cede that part of its territory to Miami that a work may be started there.
At the Conference session of 1855, following an address by a representative of the American Bible Society, the Conference voted to encourage the formation of Bible societies, auxiliary to the American Bible Society, in the various communities and that itinerants be required to include in their annual reports the amount collected for the Bible cause.
Ministers
During this period, as was true earlier, only ministers were official members of the Annual Conference. The number attending the annual sessions ranged from 30 to 48 with an average of 39. Each year an average of 19 ministers were absent.
From 1854 to 1871 a total of 23 ministers were received from other conferences or denominations and 26 were transferred to other conferences. Four withdrew from the conference at their own request. Seven were expelled.
The principal source of ministers was the licensing of young men. During these years twenty-seven were granted licenses. Thirty-two were ordained. The number of itinerants increased from 23 in 1854 to 31 in 1871. Twenty-five ministers died during this period.
The work of the minister was very difficult. Travel was slow and inconvenient and salaries were low. The work required in holding long protracted meetings was very demanding. One minister wrote in 1861, "I have preached 148 sermons during the
73
CONFERENCE HISTORY
past six months and ten days, visited about 50 families and held six protracted meet- ings."
In each annual session the moral and official character of each minister was exam- ined. Some did not meet the standards. C. Briggs returned for a visit in the 1871 session. His comment was, "I was happily disappointed to find in the very beginning of the examination that the 'mill' was to be set pretty fine. The mill went on without fear or favor. So it should be."
A few quotes from the actions indicate the type of violations. "Henry Kumler's character passed except that we disapprove of his selling brick for the erection of a distillery." Others were charged with "falsehood," "lack of punctuality in filling ap- pointments," "the danger of becoming enamored with the world," "non-performance or duty," "covetousness," "immorality," "exaggeration." One minister was accused of "not submitting to the government of the United Brethren Church concerning its itinerant plan, tenets and other established usages." Another because of the "loose manner of receiving members into the church."
The secret order question was becoming more prominent. In a few cases ministers were admonished or expelled for affiliating with the Masons or other secret orders.
In 1856 Bishop Glossbrenner wrote to the editor of the Religious Telescope and spoke critically of ministers. He used the phrases, "their engrossment with other work," "not making advance in home mission efforts," "lack of spirit of revival," "increase in membership small."
Some of the ministers felt a need for fellowship and some disciplined study. To provide these a meeting was held at West Sonora on June 16, 1857 where the Miami Conference Ministerial Association was organized. The purpose was "the intellectual and moral improvement of its members, the acquisition of useful knowledge by the interchange of thought in a Christian spirit, and the adoption of the best methods for the spread of the gospel truth." These meetings lasted two or three days and for about five years were held quarterly. A problem of attendance and participation arose and in February 1862 the decision was made to meet twice a year. The program usually con- sisted of sermons and essays. Some listed topics were:
Resolved that the pardon of sin is revealable in case of apostacy from God. The best methods of reaching all classes of the unconverted at home.
What is the measure of the duty of the Christian church in relation to benevolence?
Church union.
Lobby influences at our Annual Conferences.
Whether the practice of insuring life and property is sanctioned by the gospel. Bible studies.
Theological essays.
Attendance continued to be the major problem. At the April 26 meeting in 1859 attendance was required. If the member could not offer good reason for absence his name would be erased.
The Association was reorganized in 1865 and appeared to take on new life. However, the announcement of the August 2, 1870 meeting contained the wish, "Let us not suffer our Association to go down."
Salaries as paid by the circuits or stations were low. These often needed to be supplemented by additional employment or conference help. The salary of the bishop was pro rated to the Conferences. The Conference share of the bishop's salary and the
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CONFERENCE HISTORY
salaries of the presiding elders were apportioned to the churches. In 1858 each presid- ing elder received $200 and the bishop from the Conference $150. The salary of the presiding elder had increased to $500 in 1860. It was not unusual, however, to receive a special offering during the Conference session to make up a deficit in the salary of the bishop and presiding elders.
The presiding elders were continually rebuking the churches and laity because of the low salaries of the ministers. George Bonebrake said in 1861 that when he com- menced travelling in 1823 ministers were receiving $25 to $50 a year. In 1860 the average salary was $328. A Benevolent fund and a Beneficiary Society were then es- tablished to assist those whose salaries were most inadequate.
In 1869 a resolution was adopted concerning an offering from each appointment for the benefit of worn-out preachers and of widows and orphans of deceased preachers. This Beneficiary Society was continued and reported at each session of the Conference. A Telescope letter in 1863 said that minister Robert Norris had to pay $350 for his own support during the last eighteen months.
Ministers had to provide their own homes. A resolution was adopted in 1867, "earnestly appeal to the Christian liberality and enterprise of our people and beseech them immediately to provide their several fields of labor with convenient and suitable parsonage houses." The following year the Conference voted, "that the rent of par- sonages be included as salary paid." Despite this effort not more than three parsonages were being provided in the entire Conference in 1871.
As related to the building of parsonages a resolution was adopted in 1870 recog- nizing the difficulty in the frequent rearrangement of circuits resulting in a church losing the money paid for building a parsonage for the circuit. Even so, the resolution strongly urged the providing of parsonages especially on stations.
Church Growth
The Church during this period put much emphasis on conversion. The two principal efforts in addition to the Sunday services were the quarterly meetings with their special preaching and the protracted meetings. The camp meeting also made its contribution.
L. S. Chittenden reported from Cincinnati in 1856, "A precious revival in this city. There have been about 50 accessions to the church. Some Catholics have got religion and it appears to do them as much good as anybody." P. C. Hetzler, writing concerning a revival at West Baltimore, said, "We have reason to believe that the work was a deep and thorough one for ear bobs disappeared and the whiskers were cut off." Henry Dalton, concerning a protracted meeting in Miamisburg, said, "There is great credit due to the authorities of Miamisburg, especially to Mr. Gephart the marshal for his constant vigilance in keeping order during our meeting. We needed protection in this place, for we had much opposition."
The camp meeting was less popular and effective than in previous years in the Miami Conference. An article appeared in The Religious Telescope in 1856 raising the question, "Why is not more good done at camp meetings?" Announcements were made of basket meetings, woods meetings, and grove meetings. These were apparently efforts to conserve some of the values of the camp meeting without the liabilities.
The Religious Telescope publishd a summary of the statistical situation of the Church in Ohio in 1857. 13
13 The Religious Telescope, VIII (October 21, 1857), 26.
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CONFERENCE HISTORY
Conference
Members
Net increase in the year
Sandusky
6152
510
Scioto
5752
367
Miami
5097
104
Auglaize
2030
211
Muskingum
2720
490
Erie
2715
283
German
920
235
Totals
26376
2200
Laymen in the Church
During the Conference's earlier years leadership was largely in the hands of the preachers. Only ministers were chosen as delegates to the annual and general Conference sessions. Laymen were expected to provide money for buildings and for preachers' salaries. They were frequently admonished to greater liberality in support of the preachers.
Agitation was begun rather early for larger lay participation. Though without voting privileges laymen began to attend the Conference sessions.
In 1861 the quarterly Conference at West Sonora on the West Baltimore Circuit voted that "it is the opinion of this quarterly Conference, the laity should be permitted to appoint delegates from their own number whose duty it shall be to represent faith- fully their interests at both Annual and General Conference." 14
Though an increasing number of laymen took an interest in the proceedings of the Conference, they were still officially excluded. In 1869 Mr. T. N. Sowers, a business man of wide experience, was appointed to serve on a committee at the session of the Miami Conference in Dayton. He arose and excused himself on the ground that the General Conference had decided that laymen should not take part in the business of the Conference. 15
Laymen were permitted to carry much responsibility in the local church, even to developing new forms of ministry. An organization which for many years contributed much in fellowship and finance was the Ladies Aid Society. The first such Society in the Miami Conference appears to have been formed in the Dayton First Church in January 1861. The purpose was "to supply the wants of the needy poor in our church and to urge the children to come to Sabbath School, supplying them with suitable clothing when necessary and to induce the parents to become Christians."
Progress in Dayton
At the beginning of this period Dayton had a population of about 15,000. This increased to 20,081 in 1860 and to 30,473 by 1870. With this growth Dayton was offering a considerable challenge to the churches.
Dayton First Church, called the Dayton Station throughout this period, developed a growing ministry. Its building was located on Sixth Street. With about forty mem- bers in 1854 the church grew in strength and influence. Typical of its program was this statement in the Religious Telescope, dated February 20, 1861. "The revival in
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