USA > Pennsylvania > History of the Church of the brethren of the Eastern district of Pennsylvania > Part 19
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53
THE THIRD HOUSE.
Methods, means of carrying on the work of the Gospel, may grow old, may not adjust themselves to new condi- tions, but the truth changeth not. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but the Lord's words shall not pass away. And so even the second Coventry meeting-house, well built of stone, grew old and no longer met the needs of the work. August 4, 1888, it was decided to rebuild once more; but the action caused disorder in the flock. The matter was allowed to rest for a season. March 8, 1890, a plan for rebuilding was adopted without opposition. The side en- trances were walled up, and the entrance made through a vestibule at the end toward the road. The interior was brought up to date, with a loftier ceiling and an alcove back of the pulpit. During the rebuilding the Brethren were allowed the use of the school-house at Kenilworth, formerly known as Madison. A Sunday School addition, for some time urged by the pastor, was recently built to the north- west corner of the church. It is 24 X 26 ft. in size.
SECOND COVENTRY CHURCH, FROM PEN SKETCH.
FARM HOUSE WHERE ANNUAL MEETING OF 1790 WAS HELD, COVENTRY.
COVENTRY GRAVEYARD.
223
THE COVENTRY CHURCH.
The second church handed down the seats with reversible backs, every third one used at love-feast for a table, dimin- ishing the seating capacity one third, and placing one half of the communicants with their backs to the preachers. The new form of communion table, with table fastened to the back of each seat, was adopted, February 1, 1908. In 1892 a quadrupled silver communion set supplanted the old pewter vessels. It was decided to put a baptistry into the church, November 30, 1903. This came after years of discussion. It cost $161.40.
THE GRAVEYARD.
We quote from a letter of Dr. Wm. Brower of Spring City: "Martin Urner, Sr., donated the Coventry Breth- ren Graveyard in 1743. Coventry Church erected their first meeting-house in 1772, twenty-nine years after the starting of the burying ground. Unfortunately the site selected for a church house was fully a quarter of a mile away from the graveyard. In this historic burying ground lie buried six of the Elders who served the Coventry Church. I enclose the list.
First Bishop. Martin Urner, Sr., born 1695; died March 29, 1755.
Second Bishop. Martin Urner, Jr., born September 4, 1725; died May 18, 1799.
Third Bishop. George Price, born November 1, 1753; died September 25, 1823.
Fourth Bishop. John Price, born April 12, 1783; died April 4, 1850.
Fifth Bishop. John R. Price, born April 3, 1810; died March 1, 1879.
Sixth Bishop. David Keim, born January 5, 1803; died March 4, 1897.
Dr. Isaac Urner, a descendant of the Urner fathers in Coventry and for many years President of a Baptist Col- lege in Mississippi, rehabilitated the old Coventry burial ground. He built a substantial wall around it and erected huge granite monuments to the Urner family. (See cut.) He left a fund of $5,000, the income of which is to be used
224
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN.
in keeping up the cemetery. It is one of the best kept cemeteries in the state.
AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS.
Coventry was the first of our congregations to adopt a modern church auxiliary. Her Sunday School was started in 1842 or 1843. Sister Elizabeth Harley, afterward Stem, and another young sister were at the bottom of this organization for the Brethren. A young Methodist was superintendent, but these sisters soon made it the property of the Coventry Church. It was first held in the school- house across the way. Sister Stem used to tell how she scrubbed up the school-house floor on Saturdays. The faithfulness of these sisters soon caused the church to look with favor on the new movement, and before long it was permitted to move into the meeting-house. But latent opposition now broke forth, and the Sunday School had to find refuge again in the school-house. But again it won its way back into the meeting-house; and this time the Elder John Price came out in its favor and urged that it never again be allowed to go out of the church.
Different Brethren for a short time served as superin- tendent, but we shall here mention only Jonas Leopold, who served from about 1851 to 1858 or 1859, when he moved to Lancaster County. His missionary zeal led him here within the present bounds of the White Oak Church, to blaze the way for Brethren in Lancaster County to conduct Sunday Schools. Hiram Gibble then a youth attended the school, and here he caught the unquenchable Sunday School flame that has ever characterized him since amid strong, un- yielding opposition. Besides zeal, Jonas Leopold brought more than ordinary intelligence to the work; with the result that the school was lifted to a higher standard.
But opposition continued. It was hoped that if a minis- ter were superintendent the opposition would cease. Peter Hollowbush was given charge, but he had no zeal for this new work. The work lagged. Another preacher was tried; John Harley this time was the experiment. He
225
THE COVENTRY CHURCH.
proved a splendid success. He would preach in the morn- ing at Parkerford, drive to Coventry, feed his horse, eat a cold lunch, and then spend the remaining time in getting things in shape for the Sunday School. He always wrote out notes on the lesson, and Elder J. P. Hetric pronounces them the best he ever saw.
For a term or two a member of the Reformed Church was superintendent, thus calling attention to the union origin of the school.
Subsequent superintendents have been Elder J. P. Hetric, John Buckwalter, R. E. Harley, W. K. Wise, and Charles Henzen, the present incumbent.
The Coventry Sunday School at the beginning had a library. The blue and red ticket system was used. The superintendent and teachers filled all offices. There were no graded lessons, and Sunday School helps were undreamed of. The New Testament, studied chapter by chapter, was the text-book. But the school has kept pace with modern developments. A Home Department, with William Keim as superintendent, and a Cradle Roll, with Mrs. James Huy as superintendent, were organized at a teachers' and officers' meeting at Bro. John Buckwalter's in the fall of 1908. The Home Department at present (1912) has a membership of about 40, with Sister John Buckwalter as superintendent. There are fourteen names on the Cradle Roll; Sister Ira Holsopple has charge. A Teacher's Train- ing Class was organized also in 1908. There are four organized Bible Classes, two for men and two for wornen. The two sister's classes now look after the Sister's Aid Society work. The Coventry Sunday School has been car- rying the front line seal for three years. The present en- rollment is 236.
THE SISTERS' WORK.
The Sisters' Home Mission work was approved by the Coventry Church as early as February 9, 1884. This was certainly one of the sisters' first efforts in the Brotherhood. The home mission work was construed to mean this society, to which the home mission funds were to be paid. This
16
226
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN.
society became dormant for a period. It was revived about ten years ago (1902), was active for three or four years, then went to sleep again. As previously stated, the two organized Sisters' Bible classes now look after the Sisters' Aid Society work.
THE CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR.
A meeting for organizing a Christian Endeavor Society met in the Coventry Church, March 1I, 1894. W. W. Kulp acted as chairman. The following officers were elected : President, George Smale; Vice-President, Emma Stauffer; Recording Secretary, Cora Harley; Corresponding Secre- tary, Ella Miller ; Treasurer, Horace Wells.
Three committees were authorized :
Prayer-meeting-J. P. Hetric, chr., W. W. Kulp, Mrs. Harley, and Amy John.
Look-out-J. P. Hetric, chr., Kate Frederick, Carrie Stamm, and Emma Stauffer.
Social-Carrie Stamm, chr., Flora Hetric, and Clara Frederick.
The Society met for the first time on Thursday evening, March 15, 1894. The meetings for a time were during the week; they were then changed to Sunday evening. For a number of years the meetings of the Christian Endeavor Society were the only services on Sunday evening, or until 1899, a short time before Bro. Ira Holsopple came as pastor. The business meetings are held semi-annually. At first the Society represented at the conventions of the general Chris- tian Endeavor, but since 1898 has met with the other soci- eties of the Brethren in the Schuylkill Valley, the first meet- ing being at Valley Forge, instigated largely by J. G. Fran- cis, then a young preacher at Green Tree.
The Coventry Church has shown herself appreciative of attempts to write up her history. After Dr. Isaac Urner, a descendant of the old Coventry Urners, had compiled a his- tory of the congregation and had had it published in hand- some binding, the following resolution, drawn up by Elder J. P. Hetric, was adopted by the church :
227
THE COVENTRY CHURCH.
" Resolved, That as a congregation comprising the Coventry Brethren Church, we recognize the kindness done us by Prof. I. N. Urner, in preparing and publishing so complete and ac- ceptable a history of the congregation, as a church in council assembled do hereby extend to him our most grateful thanks."
CHARITIES.
Coventry has shown the true Brethren spirit in caring for her poor and afflicted members. She has not tried to shove them off on secular institutions. Individual cases could be cited where considerable sums have been expended and have been continued through a long period of time.
Already in 1872 there were two funds in the church-the Hoffman Fund with interest amounting to $2,597.27; and the Amole Fund amounting to $1,077.50. But nearly all of the Hoffman Fund was later returned to heirs, who in reality had forfeited all legal claims to it. The two Ham- ilton brothers later also left funds. These funds, however, were not alone limited to charity.
Elder J. P. Hetric, soon after he began looking after the Coventry Church, introduced some very wise regulations concerning the charities of the church, which were adopted by the council on February 10, 1883.
The Coventry Church has set about solving this congre- gational obligation in a systematic manner. The need of a permanent poor fund was realized, and a Poor Fund Committee was appointed, January 6, 1906, to draft plans, for the regulation of such a fund.
RELATION TO GENERAL CONFERENCE.
In the troublous times about 1880, tending to division of the Brotherhood, Coventry held aloof from the General Conference. She refrained from sending delegates so as to maintain a neutral position. In 1884 she was unwilling to accept a committee sent from the General Conference. January 27, 1887, a committee from Annual Meeting waited on her to ascertain why she did not represent at Annual and District Meetings. In 1912 Bro. J. P. Hetric, her elder,
228
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN.
represented his district1 on Standing Committee. In 1913, the District Meeting, accompanied by other district move- ments, was held in the Coventry Church. We thus see the old Coventry Church, after many years of troubles, working fully in accord with the general church machinery.
Coventry was likely the first congregation of those led astray to return from the erroneous double mode of feet- washing to the single mode. An attempt was made to change, February 12, 1876; but the matter was indefinitely postponed. A query was sent this same year to District Meeting, asking if it would be wrong for Coventry to make the change. The change was consummated, August 9, 1877.
Coventry first elected a Correspondent to the Gospel Mes- senger March 3, 1897, Sister Essie Kulp being called to the work. Sunday morning collections were authorized at the same time. Privilege was extended to each and every mem- ber to engage in feetwashing, September 26, 1908.
While some are inclined to regard Coventry as a little too progressive, too ready to fall in line with worldly churches, and we have seen that her Sunday School and Young People's Society were started in conjunction with them, yet deep down in the congregation is a fine conserva- tive element that has ever brought her finally into proper ad- justment, and which finds expression in the ready adoption of the following resolutions :
Elder J. P. Hetric presented several resolutions to the official members of the church, which were endorsed by them. The resolutions were presented to the council of July 23, 1898, at the time that Parkerford was about being organized into a separate congregation. They follow :
" Dear Brethren: It is with pain of heart and much regret, that we see many members of our congregation depart more and more from the distinctive principles of pure and primitive Christianity in those well defined phases of character and con- duct, that we feel it imperative necessity to call attention to the same in a public expression by the church.
"Then, first, there seems to be a disposition on the part of
1 Southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and eastern New York.
229
THE COVENTRY CHURCH.
some of our members to attend and patronize festivals of any and every sort gotten up upon the pretext of aiding either religious or worldly enterprises, while pandering alone to the desire for carnal pleasure and ministering to the unrestrained lust of worldly sensualism, thus showing the trend of the heart to be more inclined to be a lover of pleasure than a lover of God, thus departing from the way of the Lord; and by example enticing others in the same way. We earnestly and urgently entreat our Brethren, old and young, to turn from such course of life, and for time to come to refrain from going to, or patronizing any places that are in the least degree of doubtful Christian propriety, and especially since the word of God so plainly and so distinctly forbids it and exhorts us to forsake the same. 2 Cor. 6: 16-18 and Rev. 18: 4, 5.
"Then, second, there is a disposition on the part of many to step still farther aside from the Gospel principles of plainness and modesty in apparel, and to follow more and more in the foot-steps of the wordly fashions and follies in undue decora- tions of themselves in the matter of dress-many wear the very gayest, most gaudy, and most showy feathers and flowers in their headdress. While some have even so far departed from the simplicity of Gospel apparel as to wear portions or imi- tations of birds in their headdress, thoughtless of the innocent lives of God's songsters thus wantonly sacrificed to gratify a taste lacking in humane spirit. The Bible enjoins most em- phatically and most positively modesty in our apparel as well as in our general tastes of life. I Tim. 2:9 and I Pet. 3 : 3.
"We may not, yea, dare not disregard these plain injunctions of the Holy Scriptures, but at the peril of the soul's salvation. Let all them seek to conform more fully to the plain simple Gospel methods of life and conduct and thus fully meet God's approbation."
These resolutions were approved by the church and ordered placed on the minutes.
CHAPTER II.
GREEN TREE CHURCH.
Perhaps as early as 1800, Elder George Price of Coven- try, grandfather of Elder Isaac Price, preached at the Methachton meeting-house, about two miles northwest of Norristown. The trip of about twenty miles was made by horse and carriage-rather a long drive before I0 A.M. on Sunday morning. So the faithful preacher would leave home on Saturday afternoon, and stop over night with Daniel Brower, who lived on the old Brower farm adjoining the Umstad farm on the east. Browers were Mennonites. After services at Methachton, five miles away, Elder Price would return to Brower's for dinner. He did not fail to reward this hospitality, for in the afternoon, in the summer time, he would hold open air services in Brower's meadow. Elder George was often accompanied by his son John. The father preached in German and the son in English. It will thus be seen that the original services of the Green Tree Church were German. To-day no German is spoken in the neighborhood.
The first-fruits of this Gospel seed-sowing in Brower's meadow were Mary and Elizabeth Brower, who connected themselves with the Coventry Church. This was a number of years before 1823, the year in which Elder George Price died. Elizabeth Brower became the second wife of Nathan Pennypacker and the mother of Sister Fannie Fitz- water.
The next important step in the history of the Green Tree church was the conversion of Bella Fitzwater, the sister of John Umstad. The Lord laid his hand on her in sickness. Sarah Righter, afterward the wife of Thomas Major, and also a prophetess, was called to see the invalid. Because of Mrs. Fitzwater's illness, her husband objected to her being baptized; but she was determined and declared that she
230
GREEN TREE CHURCH.
231
GREEN TREE CHURCH.
would be baptized though she died in the water. And sick and alone, she was baptized. This was in 1831. In this her determination may be found the faith which brought forth the Green Tree Church.
There was a general revival all over this section of coun- try from 1830 to 1840. It was the spirit of this general awakening that had laid hold on Bella Fitzwater. Later in the fall of this same year, meetings held by the Brethren of Coventry in the neighborhood led to a great awakening. The example and prayers of Bella Fitzwater soon brought her husband, Abel Fitzwater, to the cross. Both John Um- stad and Isaac Price were present, but unconverted, at the baptism of their brother-in-law. John Umstad was inclined to get fun out of his sister Isabella's piety. But in two weeks' time both of these two future eminent preachers went down into the baptismal waters. Many more, during this year, were gathered into the fold. Among them were Joseph Pennypacker and wife, George Price and wife, and Samuel Supplee and wife. Though these events are given for the year 1831, there is reason to place them a year ear- lier, for it seems that Lydia Francis, wife of John Francis of Shannonville, must have been baptized in the early sum- mer of 1831.
So large had become the flock around Lumberville that it was necessary to build a special fold for it. An agree- ment was entered into with the Methodists, who had also been holding meetings in the neighborhood, to erect a house of worship at Lumberville. It seems that this house was built in 1832. It was of stone, two stories high, the upper story being used for school purposes and the lower for church services. Nathan Pennypacker, noted for liberality, was solicited for aid, much being expected. He gave one dollar. He afterward explained that if it were a " Dunker" meeting-house, or one of another denomination, he would have given much more liberally. Subsequent history bore out the correctness of his anticipation of a union house.
Now occurs an event in the history of this little mission which is destined to lead to great blessing throughout our entire Brotherhood-the conversion of James Quinter. Be-
232
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN.
fore the Lumberville meeting-house was finished the newly converted Brethren held public worship in the school-houses and prayer-meetings at their homes. James Quinter, refer- ring to Bro. Umstad's home at this time, calls it the "Pil- grim's Rest," and Abel Fitzwater's home he designates a "Bethe1." Among the school-houses utilized for public serv- ices was the one at the Green Tree. Writing to a sister in the neighborhood, Bro. Quinter thus describes his conver- sion : "How distinctly do I remember the meeting in the old school-house (the Green Tree) not far from your residence, where the bow, 'though drawn at a venture,' sent arrows of conviction into my poor heart, which produced pain and sor- row, from which I could find no relief, until I found it in the healing virtues contained in the stream which flowed from the pierced side of the dying Savior." After services were held at the home of Bro. Umstad to a late hour of the night for the comfort and salvation of those under con- viction, Bro. Quinter tells of the solemnity to him of that night as he journeyed homeward toward Abel Fitzwater's, alone, " without Christ . . . having no hope and without God in the world." For some time he groped on in darkness, until one day while working in the barn at Fitzwater's, turn- ing the windmill, he suddenly stopped, the light beginning to dawn on his soul. "I've got-I've got it!" he exclaimed, and ran to the house. "I've got it-peace with God!"
The above event must have taken place some time in 1832, for in 1833 he taught his first school at Hobson's school- house, a mile from Royersford. In the spring of 1834, he returned to Lumberville to teach in the newly erected church and school-house. He taught here from 1834 to 1841. Soon after his conversion, he was impressed with a call to the Christian ministry. Although the impression continued to grow stronger, he quietly awaited the time of the Church's call. Finally in 1838, in a council meeting held in the home of Bro. George Price, a short distance west of Green Tree, he was elected to the ministry.
Bro. John Umstad who was elected to the ministry in 1834 took all the interest of an elder in the young preacher and opened doors of usefulness to him. During his four
233
GREEN TREE CHURCH.
years of ministry in the Lumberville Church he preached considerably in the neighboring congregations. He held the first protracted meeting of the Brethren in Lawrenceville, now Parkerford, at which place his son-in-law, F. F. Hols- opple, led for several years the Lord's flock, and where his other son-in-law, Elder J. T. Myers, is now pastor. Bro. J. T. Myers was also for many years pastor and is now Elder of the Green Tree congregation, which was formerly the old Lumberville mission. How remarkable are the ways of the Lord! It seems that he answered the prayers of Bro. Quinter for the welfare of these churches by placing his children at the head.
Bro. Quinter also preached at the Union meeting-house, south of Shannonville, now Audubon. At such times he was the welcome recipient of the hospitality of John U. Francis, who joined the Church of the Brethren about this time, a man liberally educated, but whose wife Lydia had joined the church years before, and whose personal piety re- ceived the surpassing praise of Elder John Umstad.
Bro. Quinter also assisted Bro. Umstad in holding a series of meetings in the little Towamencin meeting-house, now of the past, within the present bounds of the Indian Creek congregation. All of this work was not poetical, for in later years of popularity, Bro. Quinter told to the shame of the Green Tree Church, how he was obliged to walk great distances to fill appointments on Sundays while the horses of the Brethren were standing lazily in the stables.
In 1839, he accompanied Bro. Umstad on a journey as far as the churches of Western Pennsylvania. The visit to the George's Creek Church led to his removal to that place in 1842. From this time on, Bro. Quinter labored in other fields. He was ordained by order of Annual Meeting but be it remembered that he is a son of Green Tree; and that Green Tree furnished this able and holy man to the Brother- hood.
Let us return to the old mission at Lumberville. The first love-feast in this section of the country was held in the new barn of Bro. John Umstad, wherein neither hay nor straw had ever yet lain-certainly a good way to consecrate
234
THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN.
a building to the office of holding God's blessings of the field. Be it here said that in those days it was the custom to hold love-feasts in the barns. It is said that at this love-feast, the project of building the Union meeting-house at Lumber- ville was started. If so, this love-feast must have been held in the spring of 1832, instead of 1833, as has been given.
The members of the mission were zealous, and God blessed them in increase of both numbers and power. It is claimed by no less authority than James Quinter that the first prayer-meetings and protracted-meetings of the Broth- erhood were held in the Lumberville Church. Referring to these prayer-meetings in his last years, Bro. Quinter says : "Our prayer-meetings that were held in the beginning of the church here afforded us very good opportunities for exercis- ing our gifts. While those meetings were excellent pro- moters of our spiritual life, they were good schools for our improvement in many ways. In these meetings, we exer- cised somewhat freely, as did the brethren and sisters gener- ally." Of the spirit of the meetings he writes: "And what blessed meetings we had in those days of the planting of the church at Green Tree. How simple and childlike were our exercises ! How warm our zeal! How ardent our Chris- tian love to one another! How closely were our hearts drawn together in Christian fellowship! And we loved God because He first loved us. Those were happy times, oases, or green and watered spots in the land of our pilgrim- age. Our sky was bright, and our sea, with the exception of some little breezes that would ruffle the surface occasion- ally, smooth." May the Green Tree Church never depart from her first love, and if she has or does may she speedily return that her candle-stick be not moved out of its place !
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.