USA > Ohio > The Church of the Brethren in northeastern Ohio > Part 6
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The Center Church
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PART ONE: CONGREGATIONAL HISTORIES
Nora Bosler, Grace Gloss, Kathryn Lavy, and Saloma Mohn.
Besides the presiding elders, the ministers who have served the church in the free ministry are Henry Kurtz, Johonas Umbaugh, John Cross, Daniel Clapper, Josiah Keim, Jacob Weirich, Benjamin Bollinger, John F. Kahler, William Quinn, Aaron Shriver, Adam Miller, Ira Moomaw, and Elmer Frick.
Billy M. Bosler was licensed to preach on August 17, 1953, and ordained to the ministry on October 14, 1956. Harlan C. Grubb was called to the ministry June 18, 1946, and began a part-time pastorate at the Center church August 11, 1946. He was ordained to the ministry October 9, 1946, and to the eldership October 17, 1948. Elder Wilmer A. Petry was chosen on July 10, 1946, to have the oversight of the church.
The church council on April 18, 1945, decided to start a fund for the construction of a parsonage. A permanent committee consisting of the chairman of the trustee board, the chairman of the ministerial board, and the church treasurer was set up October 10, 1945. On April 11, 1950, a planning committee composed of deacons and their wives, representa- tives of men's work, women's work, and the ministerial board, and the pastor and his wife adopted a building plan. Leroy Domer, Richard Hoagland, and Paul Royer were elected to the building committee. The groundbreaking was held on June 10, 1951. The new building was dedicated on Palm Sunday, April 6, 1952, with Pastor Grubb officiating.
In 1953 a building-needs committee was appointed to study the long-range requirements of a growing congregation and what could be done with the building which has stood since 1868 and 1878. Some excellent planning led to the inclusion of the old structure into a new and enlarged building which was erected in 1958-1959 and dedicated on March 6, 1959.
John H. Blough became the pastor of the Center church in October 1959.
THE CHIPPEWA CHURCH
All records previous to the division of the old Chippewa congregation in 1877 are lost.
The Chippewa congregation was organized sometime after
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1819. Until 1868, services were held in the homes of members, in barns, or in schoolhouses. Some of the Brethren in the congregation were Daniel Correll, Adolph Pinkerton, Peter Hoff, Sr., Peter Hoff, Jr., Andrew Yoder, Emanuel Yoder, Thomas Abie, Manuel Martin, and John Smith.
Jacob Kurtz was the elder-in-charge of the Chippewa congregation. Co-laboring with Elder Kurtz in ministering to the very large territory were George Irvin, John B. Shoemaker, James McMullen, and William Murray.
The Beech Grove house was built in 1868 in Wayne County on land donated by David and Susannah (Shafer) Hoff. George Irvin was in charge of construction and David Lytle and others worked on the building. The land for the cemetery was given by Adolph and Susanna (Hoff) Pinkerton.
Because of the size of the territory and the difficulty of transportation, it was decided to divide the congregation. The division took place on May 29, 1877, in the Union house, in Paradise. Elders present were Morgan Workman, Moses Weaver, Conrad Kahler, John Swihart, and Samuel Garver.
Elder Irvin was given charge of the new Chippewa congregation. Two other congregations were formed out of the old Chippewa territory. John B. Shoemaker was made responsible for Orrville and Cyrus Hoover was given the oversight of Wooster.
The Chippewa congregation contained one hundred thirty- one members. George Irvin was elder-in-charge; E. L. Yoder, minister in the second degree; and David B. Hoff, Jacob B. Hoff, Simon Winter, John Brenizer, Daniel Correll, and William Lichtenwalter, deacons.
The first council meeting was held by the new congregation in the Beech Grove house on August 18, 1877. The following officers were elected: David Wieand, Isaac Winter, and John Correll, trustees; Samuel Smith, treasurer; A. B. Lichtenwalter and T. B. Orr, auditing clerks; and W. L. Yoder, recording clerk. It was decided to call S. H. Bashor to hold a series of meetings at Beech Grove.
It was unanimously decided on August 10, 1878, to open the Beech Grove house for the first Sunday-school convention held in the district.
On February 8, 1879, a request came from the Black River
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church for a change of territorial lines. The request was granted and the boundaries were moved.
A. B. Lichtenwalter and David and Eliza Wieand were elected to the deaconship May 10, 1879.
The Orrville congregation was disorganized May 6, 1880. On August 12, 1886, the territory was absorbed partly by the Chippewa church and partly by the Wooster congregation. After the dissolution of the Orrville congregation, the Brethren held some meetings in the Leisure church, Georgetown, for the convenience of those living in the area. At a special council held March 22, 1890, it was decided to discontinue preaching there.
Edward Mason was elected to the ministry August 14, 1880. T. Calvin and Ella Wieand were elected May 13, 1882, and advanced November 8, 1884. David Lytle was advanced to the second degree August 12, 1882. Jacob and Nancy Stuckey and Peter and Phoebe Smith were elected to the office of deacon on November 10, 1883, and Simon Griner, with his wife, Sarah, on November 8, 1884. On November 2, 1886, Solomon and Mary King were called to the office of deacon.
A communion room was built onto the Beech Grove house in 1885.
A sisters' aid society was organized in 1886, but because of a ruling of the Annual Meeting it was disbanded after a few sessions. The work was reorganized several years later after the Annual Meeting reversed its earlier decision.
On February 8, 1890, it was decided to build the East Chippewa house. The building committee consisted of Jacob Stuckey, Urias C. Royer, Andrew Yoder, and S. J. King (treasurer).
Albert C. Wieand, later to become a cofounder and the president of Bethany Biblical Seminary, was elected to the ministry on November 11, 1893. T. Calvin Wieand was ordained to the eldership on August 13, 1896. Charles A. Helm was advanced to the second degree of the ministry August 11, 1900. Aaron and Emmeline Heestand were ordained to the eldership November 14, 1903, and James and Susan Murray on May 13, 1905. On the same day David R. and Florence McFadden were elected to the ministry; they were advanced November 11, 1906.
Myron and Anna Lichtenwalter, Hezekiah and Flora Hoff,
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Jacob and Mariah Miller, and Urias and Lizzie Royer were elected deacons on June 13, 1895. On June 7, 1902, Daniel and Ida Shafer, Peter and Minnie Weighley, Clark and Sadie Pletcher, and James and Lizzie Miller were elected to that office.
The Akron mission was organized into the First Church of the Brethren of Akron on August 13, 1910, the boundary line between the congregations being the line dividing Summit County from Wayne and Medina counties. Ten members of the Chippewa congregation were thereby transferred to the Akron church.
In 1910 a committee was appointed to investigate the relative cost of remodeling the Beech Grove house, which was deteriorating, or of building a new structure. Following the report of the committee, it was decided to build. On February 11, 1911, a building committee consisting of Samuel T. Baker (foreman), Hezekiah M. Hoff (secretary), A. Wesley Ren- necker, David M. Hartzler, and James Miller (treasurer) was chosen. The new house of worship was dedicated on July 28, 1912.
Deacon Max Hartsough transferred his membership into the congregation September 24, 1910, and Deacon Henry S. Yoder arrived at about the same time. Floyd M. Irvin was elected to the ministry October 26, 1912, and was advanced August 30, 1913. Deacon John Studer moved into the congregation September 13, 1913. John and Viola Wieand and Simon and Nora Showalter were elected to the ministry November 8, 1913.
During the next few years a number of changes in ministerial personnel took place. Following the death of F. B. Weimer on December 12, 1913, D. R. McFadden was chosen to take the oversight of the congregation with Jacob Murray as his assistant. Floyd M. Irvin was advanced August 30, 1914, and Simon and Nora Showalter on June 26, 1915. Elder Murray terminated his service to the church in 1918. Lloyd M. Hoff was elected to the ministry December 29, 1918, and Frank Younker on August 9, 1919.
The congregation was divided again in 1921, East Chippewa separating from Chippewa.
The first regular pastor was Simon Showalter, who served the church from 1922 to 1924. Brother Showalter was succeeded
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by Galen Freed, who had the oversight of the congregation from 1926 to 1930.
On October 6, 1938, Earl and Esther Miller and Walter and Grace Weigley were called to the deaconship.
S. P. Early was Chippewa's pastor from September 1939 to September 1944. Brother Early was followed by Paul
The Chippewa Church
Shrider, who was in charge of the congregation from September 1944 to August 1948. During Brother Shrider's term, Stanley and Dorothy Bupp and Howard and Pearl Murray were called to the deaconship on July 11, 1946.
David Landis ministered to the church from 1948 to 1953, being then succeeded by Robert Winkler. In 1955 Ted Gandy became our pastor. Dean Kindy took over the pastoral leader- ship in 1960.
The work of the Chippewa church was advanced another step in 1952 when a house was purchased for use as a parsonage. By the earnest labor of the congregation, the new parsonage was completed in 1954; in March, Pastor Winkler moved into it. The dedication services were held on August 8 of that year.
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In February 1957 the church voted to bring the Carr Associates in for a fund-raising campaign -a two-year program to obtain finances for regular expenses and also for the remodeling of the church. The remodeling program was begun at the end of April 1958, and, after a year of diligent work on the part of the members, the dedication service was held on July 26, 1959.
On October 10, 1957, Marion and Donna Rehm and Ross and Genevieve Sheets were called to the deaconship. The corp of deacons was further augmented on April 3, 1962, when Wade and Carol Renneker and Homer and Trudy Shafer were installed into office.
THE CLEVELAND FIRST CHURCH
On January 1, 1918, C. E. Copeland called at the home of Homer E. Metzger to discuss the possibilities of beginning Brethren work in the city of Cleveland. The only basis on which to build was the Gospel Messenger list of subscribers in Cleveland, which the Brethren Publishing House had furnished Brother Copeland. The list contained the names of thirteen people, none of whom were personally acquainted with each other at the time.
Brother Copeland's proposal met with enthusiasm and support on the part of Brethren Joseph A. Crowell, Charles Elson, and Homer E. Metzger. Equal enthusiasm was found among the other members of the church to whom the idea was presented.
At a social gathering in the home of J. A. Crowell in early March 1918, it was decided to hold a public service on Sunday afternoon, April 14. On that date the first service was held in the Methodist church at East 71st Street and Cedar Avenue, with fifteen in attendance. A second meeting was held there on May 12, 1918. Services were held for several Sundays in a voting place, a storeroom, and an assembly room on 88th Street. In September 1918 the Junior Mechanics Hall at 110th Street and Superior Avenue was secured for church services, which were held there until 1927.
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The Cleveland First Church
The Sunday school, men's work, and women's work were organized in 1918. The members of the congregation worked actively in the development of their church. Some of those who took leading parts during the early years were Mr. and Mrs. Homer E. Metzger, Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Copeland, Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Crowell, Mr. and Mrs. Henry P. Harley, Mr. and Mrs. Harry L. Ankeney, Mr. and Mrs. A. Brown Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Abram Replogle, Mr. and Mrs. V. H. Dredge, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Elson, Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Nuesmeyer, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Witt, Mr. and Mrs. George Replogle, Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Dunmire, Mr. and Mrs. C. V. Plank, and Samuel H. Ziegler.
Homer Metzger and Harry Ankeney were called to the office of deacon.
Ministers living in the congregation at the time of organization were J. A. Crowell and Henry Harley. Brother Crowell worked in the church until his death in 1952; Brother
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Harley is still living here and has been the moderator since 1945. Henry Harley was ordained an elder in 1961.
Other ministers who have held their membership in the congregation are George B. Replogle, 1918-1928; Garry Cleve- land Meyers, 1919-1930; A. Brown Miller, 1923-1935; Abram B. Replogle, 1925-1950; J. O. Click, 1938 to the present; John L. Hamer, 1948-1952. All were or are teachers except Brother Click, who is an applied psychologist in the university hospital, and Brother Hamer, who was a medical student. These ministers worked in the free ministry.
Wilbur B. Stover was the first regular pastor of the Cleveland congregation, being here from 1924 to 1925. Brother Stover was succeeded by Harvey Emmert, who remained with us from 1926 to 1932. More recent pastors have been DeWitt L. Miller, 1934-1938; Jesse D. Reber, 1938-1945; Otis Landis, 1947-1951; H. Robert Gemmer, 1951-1955; Cletus S. Myers, 1955-1962; Ervin F. Block, 1962 -.
In 1927 the congregation learned of a church building and parsonage which could be purchased from a church of another denomination. This property was located at Hampshire and Superior Roads, Cleveland Heights. It was bought and continues to be our house of worship.
In 1930, the B.Y.P.D. was organized. For several years the congregation paid half of the support of Sister Goldie Swartz in India.
From a beginning of twenty charter members in 1918, the church has grown to a membership of about two hundred in 1962.
THE DANVILLE (NORTH BEND) CHURCH
In the fall of 1812, Joseph and Stephen Workman left Maryland to establish new homes in Ohio. The journey, made by covered wagon, ended near the present site of Danville, in fertile Knox County.
Joseph Workman took up a one-fourth-section homestead and carved a farm from the virgin wilderness. A religious man, he soon invited neighbors to meet in his home for hymns and
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prayer. The meetings were held on what is now the William Mizer farm. When the group grew too large to meet in private homes, he partitioned off two sections of the barn he was building and furnished one of them with rough seats to accommodate the services.
The church was organized in 1822 with fourteen charter members.
Some years later, Joseph Workman gave an acre of land as a church site and an adjoining acre as a cemetery; this latter plot is now a part of the Workman cemetery. A church house was erected in 1850 on the donated site. This building, located a half-mile south of Danville, served until 1892 when, ' declared unsafe, it was abandoned.
One of the sons of Joseph Workman, Solomon N. C. Workman, sold his farm south of Danville and purchased over a thousand acres north of town, part of which is now the Kenneth Shaw farm. Later he sold much of the land, inducing many Workman families to buy and settle there. He set aside a beautiful hill site for a church and a cemetery. The church house erected there in 1870 was known locally as the North Bend church because of a bend the road makes around it.
The North Bend Sunday school was organized in 1870 by James Workman, who served as its first superintendent. A large number of members united with the Progressive Brethren in 1881. Since most of these Brethren were living near Danville, that part of the church territory was left with almost no loyal members. A new church house, called the Valley church, was built about four miles south of Danville. Many families moved at about the same time. The attendance was so small that regular services were discontinued there in 1910. Efforts were later made to revive interest, and a Sunday school and church services were held at irregular intervals, but the building was finally sold in 1927.
In 1892, Alfred Helser was elected superintendent of the Sunday school. At this time the school decided to use certain chapters in the New Testament as a basis for study. J. T. Workman was elected superintendent in 1893, serving until 1897. Clem Kindy was chosen as superintendent in 1897.
In 1893, an addition was built onto the North Bend church to accommodate the growing Sunday school. In 1910 the building was completely remodeled and enlarged.
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The Christian workers society was organized in 1903 and a B.Y.P.D. in 1923. The church secured its first paid pastor, George W. Phillips of Walton, Indiana, in 1927. In order to house the pastors properly, a house had been purchased and remodeled in 1926. The women's work group was organized in 1925 and the men's work in 1936.
Pastor Phillips resigned in 1935 and was succeeded by Charles E. Zunkel, who was with us until 1939. Daniel A.
The Danville (North Bend) Church
Brumbaugh was here from 1939 to 1947; John A. McCormick from 1947 to 1953; Robert D. Hoover from 1953 to 1958. George Sheets then served as interim pastor from 1958 to 1959. William H. Loucks came in 1959.
Ministers who have been elected in the Danville congre- gation are John Workman, James Workman, Samuel Montis, Columbus Workman, J. T. Workman, and Clifford Workman. These ministers, along with Frank Hochstetler, served the church in the free ministry for a period of one hundred four years.
Deacons who were elected here are Solomon Workman, John Hauger, Jake Walton, Hardman Horn, Joseph Ross,
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Richard Workman, Charles Page, B. B. Workman, John Armstrong, Alfred Helser (1887), Alonzo Workman (1903), Clinton Workman (1903), Jay Workman (1908), Rufus Young (1908), Edward Daugherty (1919), Ora Workman (1919), Walter Workman (1930), D. T. Ross (1937), Herschel Richert (1937), Ira Workman (1943), Ronald Workman (1947), and Lorain Stull (1947).
During the present year (1962) the church is being remodeled. A basement is being built under the entire structure, and some other improvements, including restrooms, a kitchen, and much-needed classrooms, are being made.
THE EAST CHIPPEWA CHURCH
On February 8, 1890, the Chippewa congregation with its center at the Beech Grove house decided to build a second house of worship to be called the East Chippewa house. The building was completed at a cost of from twenty-five hundred dollars to three thousand dollars. Dedicatory services were conducted December 28, 1890, by Reuben Shroyer.
Church services and Sunday school were conducted at the same hour in both churches. A Christian workers society and a women's work group were soon organized in the new church.
By 1921 it was felt by many members of the congregation that better work could be done if two separate congregations were organized. The East Chippewa congregation, with ninety members, was set apart from the Chippewa congregation in 1921. One hundred fifty-six members remained with the Chippewa church.
David R. McFadden, who had been elected to the ministry at the East Chippewa house on May 13, 1905, advanced November 11, 1906, and ordained to the eldership November 8, 1913, was the only minister living in the new congregation. He was given the oversight of it. Deacons were Henry Yoder, Urias Royer, Jacob Stuckey, and J. E. Strawser. Levi Eberly and William Kohler were elected to the deaconship November 15, 1921.
Between 1921 and 1941 the building was improved by the
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addition of a basement, a central heating system, a new entrance, and interior decorating. The membership of the church had grown to one hundred eighty in 1941.
The B.Y.P.D. was organized in 1930. On October 28, 1934, Carl Smucker was elected to the ministry and Ammon J. Hostetler and Gordon W. Lehman were called to the deaconship. Ivan Horst was elected to the deaconship on December 30 of that year. The men's work organization was effected in 1938.
By January 1, 1951, the membership having increased to two hundred forty-two, the need for improving the physical plant was acute. In 1941 a gift of $254.41 bequeathed to the church had been placed in a special building fund. This fund grew through other gifts, the offerings on every fifth Sunday of a month since 1942, and the Sunday-school offerings of every second Sunday of a month since 1950. In 1947 the services of C. H. Deardorff, the Brotherhood church building counselor, from Elgin, Illinois, were enlisted to draft plans for the remodeling of the church building.
A building planning committee, consisting of Gordon Lehman, Ruth Workman, Norman Hostetler, Homer King, Harry Hochstetler, Ira Good, Harold Steiner, and Bernetha Conrad, was appointed by the official board in July 1948 to study plans for remodeling. This committee submitted plans for examination, study, and possible approval in April 1949. The plans were approved the following June. Further informa- tion on costs, financing, and the availability of materials was desired before deciding to proceed.
In November 1951, a special council recommended the start of the building and remodeling project. A building committee composed of Gordon Lehman, Leo Lehman, Walter Domer, Harold Steiner, S. S. King, Norman Hostetler, Ira Good, and D. R. McFadden was appointed. The project was begun on December 1, 1951.
Sixty members of the congregation met on a blustery, snowy Sunday afternoon, March 16, 1952, for the groundbreak- ing ceremony conducted by C. H. Deardorff.
D. R. McFadden and Ira Good laid the cornerstone of the remodeled church on September 7, 1952, before a large number of Brethren. Sealed in a copper box were a copy of the Bible, a copy of the Gospel Messenger, the day's church bulletin, a
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Sunday-school quarterly, the Sunday-school publications, a brief history of the church, and a copy of the Brethren hymnal. This box was placed within the cornerstone to be preserved for future generations. Wilmer A. Petry delivered the sermon.
On May 10, 1953, the newly remodeled building was dedicated and the forty-eighth anniversary of Elder McFad- den's election to the ministry was observed. The dedication
The East Chippewa Church
program was planned by Mr. and Mrs. Atlee Stroup, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Lehman, and Mr. and Mrs. O. A. Workman. The guest speaker for the morning and afternoon services was V. F. Schwalm, president of Manchester College. Wilmer A. Petry delivered the evening sermon. Five persons who were present at the first dedication in 1890 attended the 1953 service.
The old church building, enlarged and veneered with brick, presents an entirely new appearance. Classrooms, a large basement dining hall-auditorium, a kitchen, a mothers' room, a ladies' aid room, restrooms, and a study were added. With the $4,745 received on dedication day the remaining cost of the remodeling was entirely paid.
On May 15, 1955, the congregation had a fellowship dinner
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and a special program in the afternoon to give recognition to Brother and Sister D. R. McFadden for their fifty years of faithful service to the church. Brother McFadden was a farmer-preacher whose dedicated leadership resulted in the growth of the congregation, both numerically and spiritually. His ability as an evangelist was well known throughout this region. He retired from the active ministry in 1955 and died on December 23, 1956.
Several young men were licensed and installed into the ministry during his pastorate. Besides Carl Smucker, mentioned earlier, were Truman Wiles, licensed January 12, 1950, and Richard Coffman, licensed October 2, 1950. Ira Good and Omra Workman were called to the deaconship on January 6, 1947.
A call to be a full-time pastor to the congregation was extended to Guy R. Buch, who was then the minister of the King Ferry church in New York. He accepted the call and began his ministry here on September 18, 1955. Pastor Buch is a graduate of Elizabethtown College and of Bethany Biblical Seminary. He also attended the town and country school for pastors at Cornell University. A parsonage was built to house the new pastor and family, the dedication of it taking place on November 20, 1955.
Under Brother Buch's ministry the membership has increased from two hundred sixty in 1955 to the present three hundred twenty-six. Also the organizational pattern of the church has been changed to the commission and church board type. Recently the need to enlarge the deacon board became apparent, and on April 10, 1962, Norman Hostetler and Wayne Horst were elected to places on that board.
Brother Buch's qualities of leadership and devotion have resulted in many demands on his time, both locally and in the district. In 1962 he was the moderator of the district.
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