USA > Pennsylvania > History of the Church of the brethren of the Eastern district of Pennsylvania > Part 46
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performed in a large wash kitchen where they had two fifty- gallon kettles over the fire to heat water for coffee and to boil meat and broth for the communion supper which was partaken of by at least two or three thousand communi- cants. Next morning (Sunday) public worship began at 7 o'clock and closed at half past twelve during which time twenty sermons were preached from different texts. The principal speakers were George Hoke from Ohio, John Kline from Virginia, James Tracey from Ohio, Israel Poul- son from New Jersey, Peter Nead from Staunton, Virginia, Henry Kurtz, Ohio, Adam Brown from Missouri, James Quinter, Philip Eshleman from Chickahog Valley, Christel Funk from Greencastle, Pa., the two Saylors from Mary- land, Henry Koons from Washington, Andy Miller, old Spanogle, old David Shollenberger, Peter Long, Lorenz Etter and Jacob Brown and Samuel Harley. From there we went that afternoon yet down to Isaac Smucker's. From there home the next day. Arrived at about 8 o'clock in evening; absent thirteen days and traveled about two hundred miles-was much refreshed and well pleased with the journey-been well all the time and had very favorable weather.
The questions discussed in my presence were as follows :
Ist. About making different arrangements for holding yearly Meeting. Ans. Laid by.
2d. Whether private members should have the privilege of bringing difficulties before the Y. M. before consulted at home. No.
3d. Whether imposition of hands should be observed in electing deacons. Ans. Left undecided.
4th. Whether one elder or bishop should be vested with more than another. Ans. No.
5th. When an offensive member should be ex-communi- cated public before all-or received-or privately before the members only. Ans. Left undecided, as circumstances may require different.
6th. Whether conjugal embraces between promise and marriage should be considered and punished as whoredom. Ans. Yes, with certain restrictions.
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7th. Whether a gross transgressor can be received upon again confession only without visible marks of a true and thorough repentance and humility for the crime committed. Ans. Under certain circumstances.
8th. Whether a member upon commission of a gross sin must be formally excummunicated if he shows satisfactory marks of repentance and contrition of heart for his guilt. Ans. Undecided.
9th. Whether a Brother may work in a distillery for wages and whether a Brother farmer or miller may sell and grind to and for a distiller. Ans. Best not.
The rest were decided privately for want of time.
E. REPORT OF THE ANNUAL MEETING, HELD IN BERKS Co., PA., ON TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, AND THURSDAY, MAY 30, 31, AND JUNE 1, 18711
The meeting was held on the premises of brother John Merkey, in Berks county, this state, about nine miles north of Myerstown station on the Lebanon Valley Railroad.
Brother Merkey's large commodious barn was fitted up- well arranged-with the design of holding the meeting in it; but as the congregation was large and constantly in- creasing, and as Tuesday morning gave promise of a beau- tiful day, it was concluded to move to the pleasant grove not far distant. The action was suited to the word, and in due time the necessary arrangements were made, and the council assembled.
The exercises were introduced by Elder John Zug, by lining and singing the 108th hymn, in the new German hymn book commencing :
"Komm, O Komm, Du Geist des Lebens."
Elder John Wise then proposed to open in one language and close in another. Accordingly Elder Samuel Lehman proceeded to open the meeting by exhortation and prayer in the German. Wise then read the 15th chapter of Acts.
Elder Henry Davy remarked in substance as follows : As Acts 15th has been read as a basis for our meeting, we 1 Contributed by J. G. Francis.
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are together in the name of God; and therefore we ought to be very solemn. That in so far as doctrinal points were involved, there would not be much occasion for such coun- cils : this was also the case in the chapter read.
Lehman recapitulated in German what Davy had said in English : especially regarding the small matters that so often divide the Brotherhood. He exhorted to humility, and carefulness, and a proper premeditation of what we say.
The following officers were elected :
Elder Henry Davy, Foreman; Elder D. P. Saylor, Ass't foreman; Elder John Wise, Reading Clerk; Elder James Quinter, Writing Clerk; Elder F. P. Loehr, Interpreter, to read queries and answers in the German. D. M. Holsinger was also called as interpreter.
The delegates from Eastern Pennsylvania were David Gerlach and S. R. Zug.2
The speeches of the first day were taken down by a stenographer sent by the Phila. Press. This is likely the first Annual Meeting of which a stenographic report was ever given. The first day's speeches are given in the Christian Family Companion of June 27, and July 4, 1871.
The question discussed at greatest length was that of a plan of amending the method of holding Annual Meetings -that each state district send one delegate to represent it on Standing Committee, that each congregation send one rep- resentative, and that these compose the Annual Council, and all questions be decided by that body alone. The chief champions of the old way were D. P. Saylor and Jacob Miller; of the new way as proposed, H. R. Holsinger and Joseph Hanawalt.
We are told that the meeting closed at 3.30 P.M. Thurs- day, and that before night the vast concourse of people had dispersed.
The "General Remarks" of H. R. Holsinger are as follows :
2 Holsinger in his report says that David Gerlach and S. R. Zug were the delegates from Eastern Pennsylvania. This is an error. The delegates were David Gerlach and John Zug. S. R. Zug was serving on the Committee of Arrangements in place of his father, Deacon Benjamin Zug.
MERKEY FARM. PLACE OF ANNUAL MEETING, 1871,
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PAXTANG PARK. PLACE OF ANNUAL MEETING, 1902.
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"There was nothing unusual connected with the meeting. The attendance was about the average. There was pro- vision in abundance for all. The accommodations were as good as could have been expected. The place was well adapted to the holding of such a meeting, having four pumps on the premises ; but we regard it as a great mistake to have such a meeting so far from the railroad, and we heard very severe censures expressed for that part of the arrangements. It was certainly very imprudent to compel so many persons to travel so far over rough roads, on rough conveyances, and spend their time and money, when there was no occasion for so doing .- Hundreds of dollars might have been saved to the brethren and sisters, if the meeting had been near the railroad. We hope this will be taken into consideration in selecting locations for future meetings.
" Among the peculiarities of the meeting, may be men- tioned that there was more German speaking, both public and private, than at any previous meeting we attended. There were many persons present that understood scarcely any English. Another was that there was less tobacco smoking. This was remarked by several persons on the ground. It is certainly a hopeful indication. Only occa- sionally you would see a Brother so imprudent as to come among the people with burning tobacco; and we saw but one 'smoking union' among the sisters, and they had the prudence to retire to themselves."
Holsinger also states that he "obtained the notes of the first day's doings from one of the Associated Press Re- porters, who was on the ground the first day; but left on the second day for want of proper accommodations, and on account of annoyance from impertinent inquirers. . . . Had he received the courtesies of the meeting, in the shape of a few square feet of our rough board table, we might have been permitted to lay before our readers the entire pro- ceedings of the Annual Meeting, to the joy and satisfaction of thousands who could not attend the meeting," etc. It would be no small satisfaction to have the great speech of Isaac Price which is described as passing Beecher in elo- quence.
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This Annual Meeting seems to have blazed the way for full reports, and also to have blazed the way for our modern system of district and congregational representation at An- nual Meeting.
We have also words from one of those who bore the bur- dens and responsibilities of the Meeting, who felt the fears and anxieties, Elder F. P. Loehr. He writes : "But I have digressed, and must return and say, that on Monday I re- turned to the place of Annual Meeting, where I enjoyed a season of extraordinary refreshing; especially as those queries most dreaded were disposed of without much ex- citement; and I trust we are all more confirmed that the Lord has not forsaken them that put their trust in him. We have had again lessons of self-denial and submission to one another for Christ's sake, thereby to become more and more combined as members of one body; and such as have dreaded a disruption of the brotherhood, may take courage, and begin anew to work in the vineyard of the Lord with redoubled zeal to keep up the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace."
" Sketches Outside," by Bro. P. H. Beaver, will tell us things we should like to know.
"Annual Council, May 29, 1871.
" Dear Brother: We propose giving you a few familiar sketches of our impressions and emotions, as well as some of our experience in getting here. Some of our Brethren took the first forenoon train from Lewisburg this morning, and some of us took the second or eleven o'clock train and beat the rest of the company to Harrisburg by about five minutes. Here we found an excursion train making up to take the Brethren to Myerstown the place of A. M. which would be ready to move out of the Lebanon Depot at 2 o'clock, one hour after our arrival, so we had a very agree- able hour for interchange of greetings amongst Brethren, and the formation of new acquaintances. Then at the appointed hour we sped away in the direction of Myers- town through as beautiful and fertile a valley as ever our good Father laid down anywhere in America, or elsewhere. This was our first experience upon a R. R. train overflowing
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with Brethren and our reflections soon resolved into poetry of music. One hour brought us to our stop-off-Myers- town. Here we found about forty wagons of all con- ceivable patterns from the lightest to the most heavy and capacious. We learned that there were ten miles of coun- try road lying ahead of us to the place of Annual Meeting, which is being held at the house and upon the spacious premises of Brother John Merkey, near the village of Bethel, in Berks Co., Pa. Our trip from the railroad station to this place was full of unusual experience to a north Penn- sylvanian. In many respects it was pleasant. Perched high upon the top of an old fashioned wood and (1) eather spring four-horse stage coach, we enjoyed a fine view of the magnificent country through which we passed, to the grate- ful emotions to our great good Father, which a sight of these golden grain fields inspire in our hearts; But darkness -deference. So we delay our scribbling until morning, and look about for quarters over night, which at first appear to be a discouraging undertaking, judging from the dense mass of human figures moving about in the twilight. As the shadows of night crept over the landscape, a sense of loneliness appeared to settle down upon our heart-lone- liness in the midst of a multitude, the first thought appears like a paradox yet when you are a stranger in a strange place, your affections naturally reach out in quest of famil- iar evening scenes and evening customs, and faces at home.
"In the midst of our mental reveries, we hear a welcome voice, and we have room for some more Brethren, who are willing to sleep on the garret. This was a good 'show' and was gratefully accepted. We were soon decoyed into the arms of Nature's Sweet Restorer, balmy blessed sleep. Two ranks thirty feet long and very sensibly to the heat of a warm garret. This is true without any controversy ; but the whippoorwill in an adjacent tree did his utmost to make us forget the rough grating of untoward circumstances. " The morning bright with rosy light' and the familiar feathered songsters of Summer mornings waked us out of sleep and back into the world to serve out our proba- tionary state. After the morning ablutions, the morning service to the Father of all, and the morning meal, we again ply our pencil and now the Brethren announced that they want help to move the seats out of the barn into the grove,
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a most beautiful and delightful grove, a very 'nature bower,' canopied all over with stately widespreading oaks, that is indeed agreeable to the sweltering mass. Thither we resort by and by. Here comes the Standing Committee, and occupies the stand erected for it. O the scene and the occasion. Proceedings open by singing 'Komm, O Komm, du Geist des Lebens.' Exhortation by Brother S. Lehman, followed by prayer. What an impressive occa- sion. Truly numbers add eloquence and inspiration to such a meeting. It being no part of my design to report the regular proceedings we will here rest till noon.
"Here come the dinner hour and summons; and so we repair to the tent of refreshments, with no disposition to play reporter of the regular proceedings again. Now let us look through this tent constructed of fine boards, about ten hundred feet having been consumed in its construction. One hundred and ten feet long and about forty-feet wide; extending from the pump and back porch of the dwelling house eastward to a large open wagon shed. In this latter building were stowed away when not in use all the table paraphernalia-dishes almost by the cord, knives, forks, spoons, literally by the bushel baskets full. Three tables through the entire length of this tent accommodated from three fifty to four hundred persons, and on Tuesday at noon very nearly two thousand Brethren and Sisters were sup- plied with dinner. The number of persons attending the council on this day reached three thousand. The floor of the boarding tent was nicely carpeted with tan bark which answered well for wet or dry weather. A brick cooking range, about six feet square, covered with four square cast iron plates each having a circular opening sufficiently large to receive a large iron kettle, such as is commonly used to render lard, all of which were used at times, to their utmost capacity in the preparation of meat, soup and coffee. Nine churches furnished the labor of cooking and serving tables, forty males and fifteen females. This labor was furnished on Monday and Tuesday by the Lancaster churches; and on Wednesday and Thursday, by the Berks, Lebanon and Dauphin churches. Three thousand dollars were contrib- uted toward defraying the expenses of holding this meet- ing, which is supposed to be ample to cover the bills. From
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the way the Brethren have gone about this work, it is clearly presumable that they either have money in sufficient abund- ance, or that they are not seriously cursed with 'the love of money.'
" On Wednesday morning the sky looked lowering, with a light sprinkling of rain, and threatening more; so the con- gregation 'took up' their boards and benches, as well as their 'line of march' to the spacious barn upon the premises.
"The council was held in the Little Swatara congregation, about a mile from their meeting house, and here as well as at all other accessible points in the neighborhood, the Breth- ren held meeting for public preaching every evening at 6 o'clock, which arrangements had the effect of very mate- rially scattering the members and securing for them com- fortable quarters to lodge at night.
"We supposed that on Wednesday the general attendance would not be so large, but the falling off, if any is very slight. The Peanut and Panacea venders are also still on hand. Just here let us notice a circumstance which proves the influence for good that the discussion of the tobacco question has exerted. We saw some Brethren, and a num- ber of our always dear Sisters literally hid themselves for the purpose of enjoying and regaling themselves with the peculiar sweets to be extracted from cigars and 'meer- schaum s' after their kind.
"Now we will again look in upon the council and see what we can see there. Evidently there are some 'charac- ters' whose 'points' and fo:bles, as well as other peculiar traits might be sketched with telling zest and relish, if it were considered profitable to do so; but to faithfully de- lineate 'Points of character,' with the mention of names are matters too personal to be edifying to the more conservative portion of the Brethren, of whom a majority of this council is evidently composed; but the liberalists have still an im- mense advantage, because they hold within their ranks a greater amount, height, and depth, and width of intellectual grasp-not to put too fine a point on it-and questions are not decided by numbers, but by weight of council. So we find some of the Brethren to be great sticklers for technical formalities of the most minute, not to say trifling character upon the one hand, and upon the other side the opposite ex- treme. Those liberal, easy, indulgent and sometimes im- 38
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pulsive, who look much less to form than substance, these are mostly the zealous, earnest evangelists or revivalists of the church, who carry their points and their audiences by a storm of eloquence and fervent pathos.
"Here we must conclude our sketches and get ready to leave for 'Home, sweet home,' before the meeting is over. Good by.
"P. H. BEAVER."
CHAPTER II.
HISTORY OF DISTRICT MEETINGS.
A. THE FIRST DISTRICT MEETING OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.
The honor of originating our District Meetings is claimed for Virginia by Elder D. H. Zigler, of Broadway, that state, author of "The History of the Brethren in Virginia." The Virginia Brethren from their "General Council" of 1856 sent a query to Annual Meeting on the proposition to district the churches, and have general council meetings in those Districts. Art. 23 of A. M. Minutes is no doubt the answer to this query. It reads as follows: "A pro- posal of forming districts of five, six, or more adjoining churches for the purpose of meeting jointly, at least once a year, settling difficulties, etc., and thus lessening the busi- ness of our General Yearly Meetings; we believe this plan to be a good one, if carried out in the fear of the Lord." This is a conditional approval.
A plan to district the churches, attributed to a Virginia. pen, was presented to the Annual Meeting of 1858.
General Councils were not alone confined to Virginia. One was held in Milford, presumably Indiana, in 1857. In the same year there are indications that a similar meeting must have been held in Maryland. In 1859, likely at Annual Meeting, the Brotherhood was divided into eleven districts, for the purpose of raising money to pay Bro. Samuel Garber for expenses incurred in a lawsuit grow- ing out of his preaching against slavery. Elder J. H. Um- stad represented Pennsylvania east of the Susquehanna river. Elder D. P. Saylor was the dominant figure in this work.
It should not be overlooked that the " Western Brethren " held a general council, November 22, 1851, in Adams Co.,
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Illinois. The object of the meeting was to consider dif- ferences between themselves and the Eastern Brethren. But this was not intentionally a District Meeting subject to Annual Meeting, though these Brethren later became subject to Annual Meeting.
In order to help missionary work the District Meeting plan of 1858 was brought before the Conference. It was not thought good to adopt the proposition, but was recom- mended to the prayerful consideration of the Brethren.
When the Conference in 1859 says, "This Meeting recommends and gives liberty to any of the Districts or States to make a move on the subject of spreading and sustaining the Gospel," etc., we have a recognition of Dis- trict Meetings.
Then in 1859, this same year, because the missionary work continued to be urged, the Conference appointed a commit- tee "to propose some plan by which the Brotherhood in general may take a part in this good work." The com- mittee which was to report at next Annual Meeting, con- sisted of D. P. Saylor, John Kline, John H. Umstad, Sam- uel Layman, John Metzger, and James Quinter. The com- mittee in its report gave the following advice: "That the churches of the Brotherhood form themselves into districts, . . . that each of said districts have its treasury," etc. The report of this representative committee was cerain of adop- tion sooner or later; but because of the slim attendance at the Annual Meeting of 1860, which, with the war spirit in the air, was held in Tenn., the report was only spread on the minutes.
Elder John Umstad, whether he regarded the report as practically adopted, which was the case, whether he looked upon the missionary cause as of sufficient importance to run ahead of formal adoption or whether prompted by the spirit of leadership, but certainly not without authority from Annual Meeting, called a District Meeting in the Green Tree Church, September 22, 1860. We give the minutes as reported by the secretary to The Gospel Visitor.
" Pursuant to the advice or suggestion of the committee ap- pointed by the Y. M. (Yearly Meeting) of 1859, who reported
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to the Y. M. of 1860, Bro. J. H. Umstad of Green Tree Church, Montgomery Co., Pa., issued a call to the Brethren of the churches East of the Susquehanna river, to send delegates or letters to a meeting of delegates to be held at Green Tree Church on the 22d of September, to consider those suggestions for the furtherance of the Gospel in the work of Evangelism.
" The meeting was organized by appointing Jacob Gottwals, Moderator, and Isaac Price, Secretary.
" The following named churches were represented on said day at said place :
Green Tree, Montgomery Co., Pa.
Delegates, John H. Umstad and Jacob Gottwals.
Indian Creek Church, Montgomery Co., Pa.
Delegates, Samuel Harley, Jacob Price and Jacob Reiner.
William Nyce and Abraham Cassel, volunteers to the call. White Oak Church, Lancaster Co., Pa., was represented by letter.
Conestoga Church, Lancaster Co., Pa., by letter
Big Swatara, Dauphin Co., Pa.
Delegates, William Hertzler and Wendell Henry.
Tulpehocken Church, Lebanon Co.
Delegates, Christian Bucher and John L. Zug.
Little Swatara Church, Lebanon and Berks Co. John Hertzler and George Gipple.
North Coventry Church, Chester Co., Pa.
Delegates, John R. Price, A. Grubb and William Perches. Philadelphia Church.
Delegates, John Fox. Christian Custer, volunteer. Germantown Church.
Delegate, John Price.
New Jersey Church.
Delegates, Israel Poulson and Enoch Hoffman.
"If there be organized churches East of the Susquehanna river of the Brethren not named in the above, we desire that they may report to the next meeting.
"On motion, it was resolved that the deliberations of the meeting be open to participation to all the above named Breth- ren, but in any vote of action taken, each church be entitled to two votes.
"There was expression of desire on the part of all the churches to do what was best for the cause of the Master. All appeared burdened with a sense of the responsibility we are resting under to promote Gospel truth and Gospel life.
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"There was, however, a fear manifested in relation to the pernicious effect that might result from the new feature of a treasury provided for that purpose.
"To provide money funds to promote gospel truths struck the minds of many as a new and dangerous feature. And it was feared that there was a disposition to pattern after other than gospel examples.
" There was unity of thought or voice, that the responsibility of spreading the Gospel rested on each individual member. But whether a few should give all their time and effort, and be supported by the remainder, while all that other portion of the church should each cast in a mite in pecuniary form or whether each should be an evangelist in life, teaching by practice how to obey the gospel-and such only go forth as felt deeply im- pressed with the duty relying on the faithfulness of the body of the Brethren to sustain them as aid was needed, were the points upon which a diversity of opinion obtained. There were strong fears expressed by several, perhaps by a large majority, of the pernicious tendency of a treasury. Yet all were anxious that more effort should be made. Those dis- cussions arose under the consideration of the text referred to in the minutes of Y. M. on I Cor. 16: 2. That store, it was argued, was for the poor. Some thought for a special oc- casion. But manifestly, the majority appeared to think it was not for evangelism in the way now proposed, though it might be for evangelism in the indirect mode of reaching needy souls by supplying their most pressing wants-and thus proving the spirit of Christ in the donor. There was life in the meeting- love manifested-amidst strong zeal, and a tenacity that the ancient characteristics of the Brethren be maintained. If we have departed from the humility, zeal, self-sacrificing spirit of our old Brethren who have gone before us, let us labor to get back from whence we departed, rather than mark out new modes of evangelism, seemed to the reporter to be the burden of many minds. Yet all felt a strong call for action, and midst the discussion, the following resolution was offered :
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