USA > Pennsylvania > Two centuries of the Church of the Brethren in western Pennsylvania, 1751-1950 > Part 19
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The Mission Board refers the whole matter of the Cumberland situation to District Meeting for tentative advice, awaiting the action of the Western Maryland District.
Conference placed the request in the hands of the Mission Board, giving them authority to proceed as they deem best.
The Western Pennsylvania Mission Board conferred with the General Mission Board and they agreed to send their home mission secretary, M. R. Zigler, to the District Meeting of Western Maryland; the fieldworker of Western Pennsylvania and dele- gates from Cumberland (Wilbur C. Cooper and George Grady) were also to be present. In August 1923, at the Broadwater chapel, the Western Maryland District Meeting granted the request for Cumberland and vicinity to be ceded to Western Pennsylvania.
With this introduction, telling in brief the story of forty- two years of waiting, we let the present pastor tell the story of organized effort.
THE ORGANIZED CHURCH
The first regular service of the Church of the Brethren in Cumberland was held in the Calvary Evangelical church on Mary Street, October 15, 1922. It was conducted by the present pastor, Arthur Scrogum, who had driven forty miles from Accident, Maryland, to preach for the members in Cumberland. His text was Romans 1:16 and his subject was The Gospel of Christ. He had visited George Grady on the preceding Sunday to discuss the possibilities of opening work in Cumberland. Brother Grady had said, "I'll get the place and the audience if you will preach for us." This promise had been fulfilled. There were about twenty-five people present at the appointed time. Several Brethren ministers had preached in Cumberland be-
Sunday School Held in Seventh Day Adventist Church on Oak Street, 1923
The Church Bus, Used Several Years, Unloading Before Door of Duplex Building
fore this, but only in an occasional service. The services which began on the above date have continued regularly since then.
After three services in the Evangelical church, the place of meeting was changed to the Seventh Day Adventist church on Oak Street, where a Sunday school was organized and services were held for two years. Brother Scrogum was present for the service every Sunday afternoon except one from the beginning until the following June, when Newton D. Cosner was secured as summer pastor. It was during that summer of 1923 that the Cumberland territory was transferred from Western Maryland to the Western District of Pennsylvania. This transfer was made at the request of the Cumberland members because they needed financial assistance which Western Maryland could not provide.
During the second year the services were conducted by sev- eral ministers who were sent from various places by the District Mission Board of Western Pennsylvania. In September 1924, DeWitt H. Miller was secured as the first resident pastor. The place of meeting was changed to a hall on Virginia Avenue, where the congregation met for worship during the two years of Brother Miller's pastorate. Near the close of his ministry, two lots were purchased on the corner of West Second and North Cedar streets. Plans were made to build a place of worship on the lot facing North Cedar Street, and to leave the corner lot for a future church edifice. The building was so constructed that the first floor was used as a church, the basement as a place for Sunday-school classes, and the second floor as a parsonage. The first floor and the basement are now the educational section of the present church.
Ministers who served the congregation, following Brother Miller, were C. H. Wakeman, three years, J. W. Fyock, three years, and W. J. Hamilton, ten years. The present pastor began
Ground Breaking Service, May 21, 1938, for the "Living Stone" Church of the Brethren, Cumberland, Maryland
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his work as a resident minister in 1944. The membership has grown from about fifty to three hundred sixty. This growth made the original building inadequate. In 1938 a new church was started. The basement was completed and covered with a temporary roof. This building was used as a church audito- rium until 1950, when the present church sanctuary was erected. The congregation now has its first attractive place of worship, and, along with it, adequate facilities for Sunday-school classes.
The Cumberland church has faced some very serious and difficult problems during these years. It has solved these problems, and has grown in spite of them because it has its share of sincere and faithful people. Differences of opinion on the part of certain leaders caused much concern and heartache at times. But, with the exception of a small group of members who were lost to the church in one of these times of stress a number of years ago, the membership has come through these periods without serious loss of numbers or of faith in the church and its leadership.
Meeting financial obligations was also a serious problem for several years. The original building was completed with a debt of several thousand dollars. During the depression years which followed, there were times when the payments on this debt were made with great difficulty. A few faithful members saved the situation by visiting regularly in the homes and soliciting funds to make the required payments.
Part of Crowd at Unveiling of Corner Stone Tablet (See Insert), November 8, 1939
THE "LIVING STONE ( PETCR 2:4) CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
HISTORY SUNDAY SCHOOL ORGANIZED. OCTOBER 19] DUPLEX BUILDING DEDICATED. GROUND BREAKING SERVICE FOR THIS CHURCH BUILDING. HAY SJOKK CORNER STONE SERVICE. HOVERDIROS
Charter Members Attending Twentieth Anniversary
Left to right: M. S. Duncan, Sunday- school superintendent; Arthur Scrogum, min- ister; Mrs. J. Lloyd Snoeberger; Mrs. J. F. Kerns; Mrs. Charles Parish, children's di- vision superintendent; Wilbur C. Cooper, deacon and chorister; George Grady
When the church basement was built in 1938 there were only limited funds available and some of the debt on the first build- ing still remained. The new structure was built almost com- pletely by volunteer and donated labor. The men of the congregation excavated with picks and shovels, hauled the dirt away with donated trucks and brought the necessary materials to the site in the same way. These men deserve a rich reward for the extensive and faithful manner in which they served their church. They made it possible for the congregation to have a place of worship, which they could not otherwise have had.
Faithful workers have found it possible to leave these prob- lems in the past and to face the future with hope. With new and adequate physical facilities and with a spirit of unity and co-operation, the prospects for the future are encouraging.
-Arthur Scrogum
CHAPTER 11. THE EAST MCKEESPORT CHURCH
First service held, May 21, 1944 Present church purchased, 1948 Present church membership, 79
"The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad" (Psalm 126:3). The East Mckeesport Church of the Brethren, centrally located for the communities of East McKees- port, Mckeesport,1 Trafford, Pitcairn, Wilmerding, Turtle Creek,
4 In the District Meeting minutes, 1921, in the Mission Board report, we have in the report of Sister Margaret Griffith, the following: "A Sunday school of 44 to 50 American and foreign children at Mckeesport, organized with just a little effort, shows that a little is much with God in it." This beginning twenty-three years pre- vious was not continued.
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Wall, and East Pittsburgh, has a large harvest field. East Mckeesport is a residential community, and into it and its environs there have come many Brethren families. For many years this group of Brethren was the center of concern for the interested workers of the Greensburg and Pittsburgh churches. They were too far removed from either church to be counted upon for regular attendance, but they came occasionally and attended the love-feast services regularly.
In 1944 the official boards of the two churches met in the Greensburg church to study this situation. They appointed the pastors of these two churches, M. J. Brougher and Wilbur H. Neff, to make a survey of this area. In this survey, a total of forty family groups was located. In about a third of the cases a real desire was expressed to come together in a get-acquainted period and church service. The survey also revealed that there are hundreds of families who are unchurched in this area. At the first service held May 21, 1944, in the elementary school building, there was an attendance of twenty-six. The fine spirit of the group prompted the ministers in charge to announce regular services.
On October 1, 1944, Wilmer R. Kensinger arrived on the field to make an intensive survey of the possibilities, and, one month later, to assume charge of the pas- toral work of the East Mckeesport church jointly with the Allegheny Valley church. Services were held in the school building until December 1, when we were trans- ferred to the Park Terrace fire hall, where we continued until December 16, 1945. Be- cause of better heating arrangements in Fire Hall No. 2 of the East Mckeesport borough, Dwelling Used for Worship the group moved to the new location. Mean- while, a building committee was appointed to consummate the purchase of a residence at 607 Pittsburgh Street, East Mckeesport. Extensive alterations were made and the church held its first service in this house of worship on Easter Sunday, 1946.
Brother Kensinger served as minister until Easter of the following year. Then ministers from Greensburg and Pittsburgh served us during the period when we had no pastor. John P. Parks, teacher of the adult Bible class and chairman of the building committee, along with John A. Osterwise, Sr., the Sunday-school superintendent, did much in keeping up an enthusiastic spirit among our small group.
Group Before
the Beautiful Church Purchased From the Lutherans
It was during the summer months of 1947, while Lowell H. Zook was our summer pastor, that the building committee learned that the St. John's Lutheran church would be for sale. The St. John's board requested that if we were interested in purchasing their church we should submit a bid. A bid of $22,000.00 was presented and on July 30, 1948, we entered into a purchase agreement to buy the St. John's church.
We are exceedingly grateful to both the General Brother- hood Board and the District Mission Board, and to all the district churches for their gifts and their fine spirit of co-opera- tion through this period when their devoted help and guidance were needed.
Our charter was officially opened on August 24, 1947, with twelve signatures. Since that time, our membership has grown to seventy-nine, including those who have been received by letter and baptism. There is much enthusiasm about the continued progress of the work here in the years to come. One of our problems was that of securing a full-time minister. After many months of much prayer we were very fortunate in securing E. Stanley Fadely. Brother Fadely came to us from the Pittsburgh congregation in November 1948, and our work has been rapidly progressing both in interest and in attendance. Since his coming we have organized the young people's department, the women's work group, and a junior church. The young people are sponsoring robes for the choir. Step by step we grow for Him.
-Beulah J. Parks
CHAPTER 12. THE ELBETHEL CHURCH
Church house dedicated, 1906 Organized into separate congregation, 1917 Present church membership, 35
Elbethel, the outgrowth of the Indian Creek congregation, is located about eight miles southwest of the County Line church,
in Fayette County, near White. The church house was built in 1906 and dedicated in Octo- ber of the same year. The ded- ication sermon was preached by Elder Silas Hoover, who soon afterward held a series of meetings for the congre- gation. Prior to the erection Elbethel Church of this new church house, preaching services for a while had been held in the near-by schoolhouse.
Before Elbethel became a separate congregation the min- isters were Robert A. Nedrow, Elmer F. Nedrow, and Irwin R. Pletcher. After it became a separate congregation in 1917, the work rested on William M. Knopsnyder and William N. Bond until Brother Bond was called by death.
The work then was taken care of for many years by Brother Knopsnyder, until William E. Barnes was elected to the ministry and served two years as pastor. Harry Meredith next assumed the leadership for two years, followed by Ruth Sell for six months. After this the work was cared for by Brother Knop- snyder until July 3, 1949, at which time he retired from the active ministry at the age of almost eighty-four years. J. Lloyd Nedrow succeeded him in connection with his pastorate at Wood- dale and continues to serve these two neighboring churches.
Some of the elders who have been in charge of the congre- gation were: Robert A. Nedrow, Edward K. Hostetler, Robert T. Hull, J. C. Beahm, and William M. Knopsnyder, who served for more than twenty years.
The deacons of this church include Jacob Eutsey, G. F. Miller, James Lohr, William E. Barnes, B. R. Keefer, and W. S. Ulery.
The list of evangelists includes Silas Hoover, Robert A. Nedrow, E. K. Hostetler, Elmer F. Nedrow, and W. J. Hamilton, who held five revivals in six years, receiving into church membership a total of seventy converts. Other evangelists have been Irwin R. Pletcher, B. B. Ludwick, J. Lloyd Nedrow, Robert T. Hull, C. D. Brendlinger, J. C. Beahm, W. C. Sell, R. K. Showalter, A. J. Beeghly, W. F. Berkebile, J. W. Fyock, B. M. Rollins, and J. M. Geary .- W. M. Knopsnyder
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CHAPTER 13. THE FAIRCHANCE CHURCH
Sunday school organized, 1906 Present church dedicated, 1919 Present church membership, 223
Brother D. F. Lepley, while working among the inmates of the county jail at Uniontown, became interested in the little community called Fairchance, six miles east of Uniontown. In the true spirit of a real and very practical home missionary, he, together with other members of the Uniontown Church of the Brethren, opened a mission here. Our church was formerly a part of the Georges Creek congregation.
The Sunday school, opened in the home of Jacob O'Brien in 1906, grew in interest and attendance. In 1911 or 1912, the Sunday school was moved to the Gallatin school, and there continued until the church house was built in 1919.
Sister Phoebe Oaks of Woodland, Michigan, was in the com- munity doing home-mission work during 1921 and 1922. The first daily vacation Bible school was held in the church in the summer of 1921.
Then Lester Fike, with his wife, served as pastor during 1924 and 1925. Miss Cleo Driver came to work as a home mis- sionary from the fall of 1925 until the latter part of 1926. Jesse Whitacre served as both pastor and Sunday-school superin- tendent during 1927 and 1928.
Brother and Sister George Wright worked in the church and the community a number of years. During the time the Wrights
Fairchance Church
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served as pastors, the Sunday school and the church grew in interest and attendance more than at any other time. The wom- en's work, the men's work, the board of trustees, and the Sunday- school were carried on now, using officers and teachers from our own group instead of depending on workers from the Union- town church each week, as had been the custom. Brother and Sister Blair Myers helped the Wrights with the work here dur- ing the years 1930 and 1931. The Wrights closed their pastorate in 1940.
From 1940 to 1944, J. Ewing Jones, with his wife, served as pastor of our church. During this time, we obtained new church pews, hardwood floors, and Brethren hymnals. Brother Jones helped change the Sunday school from an afternoon service to a morning service. This was a great benefit to the church. We also began having a morning and an evening church service during his pastorate.
Doyle Belote, of the Brethren Church, served as supply pas- tor during the latter part of 1944 and the spring of 1945. John E. Grim served as part-time pastor from July 1945 until Sep- tember 1946.
Robert E. Kneff served as pastor from October 1946 until December 31, 1948. He became an ordained minister while he was serving here. In October 1947 we held the ground-breaking service for the new parsonage on the lot adjoining the church. Brother and Sister Kneff sacrificed much and worked very hard to build the parsonage, into which they moved in August 1948.
Connell Channey served as part-time pastor from February 1949 until September 1949.
David Emerson began serving as pastor in October 1949. Our membership to date numbers two hundred twenty-three. We are very grateful to Almighty God for our Christian leaders and the progress of the church.
Those who have served as Sunday-school superintendents are: D. F. Lepley, Jesse Whitacre, George Wright, William Cun- ningham, Lester Fike, James Fearer, Jesse Wilson, Harold Wil- son, Cleo Driver, Beatrice Mckinney, Woodrow Miller, and Melvin Wilson.
Sister Bernice Wilson, one of our lay members, began a year of Brethren volunteer service in June 1949. She is working in a mountain district near Creekville, Kentucky.
-Committee: Ellen Miller, Betty Miller, Esther Kelley
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CHAPTER 14. THE FAIRVIEW-SCULTON CONGREGATION
First church house purchased, 1876 Congregation organized, 1927 Present church membership, 35
The congregation now known as Fairview-Sculton was for- merly part of the Middlecreek congregation. It consisted of two houses of worship, the Sculton church, now unused but still standing intact in the village of Sculton, and the Fairview church, about one mile east of Kingwood. The first house of worship near Kingwood, a log building, was erected in 1830 by the Disciples of Christ and purchased by the German Baptist Brethren in 1876. This was replaced in 1902 by a frame building, which is still in use. The deed for the Sculton church house lot is dated in 1857. Fairview Church
Among the ministers elected in the early days of the Middlecreek congregation was Adam F. Snyder, whose home was in the vicinity of the Fairview church. He was elected to the ministry about 1835, and with other ministers served the Fairview and Sculton churches through the years. In 1883 George W. Lowry was called to the ministry. His home being near the Sculton church, he served both the Sculton and the Fairview church. Serving with these two ministers were others from the Middle Creek church who came in turn to preach: Valentine Blough, Herman A. Stahl, Silas Hoover, Urias D. Braucher, Robert T. Hull, John W. Wegley, Josiah Berkley, N. B. Christner, I. B. Ferguson, H. H. Kimmel, and Samuel A. Meyers.
In June 1906, two young men, Jacob W. Sanner and Mahlon J. Brougher, were called to the ministry by the Middle Sculton Church Deed dated September 8, 1857 Creek congregation. Living in the vicinity of the Fair- view church, each received much help by the presence and encouragement of Elder Urias D. Braucher, and each served in the two churches about five years.
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The deacon serving the church during this time was Madison Brougher, with his helpmeet, Mrs. Maggie (Meyers) Brougher.
Those assisting the churches by holding evangelistic meetings were Silas Hoover, Herman Stahl, and George W. Lowry (better known as Elder Wash Lowry). Elder Lowry was a strong doctrinal preacher who put much emphasis on baptism by trine immersion. Under his ministry the church at Sculton made rapid growth.
At the District Meeting held in Windber in April 1927, Fair- view-Sculton became a separate congregation. John W. Wegley was chosen to serve as elder. The first love feast held in the Fairview house was on June 12, 1927. A board of deacons was installed, which consisted of the following: Charles A. and Minnie Brougher, Homer L. and Annie Johnson (now deceased), and Ross A. and Mable Brougher. John W. Wegley and Norman Blough were chosen to serve as ministers, the latter serving until May 1938 and the former serving the congregation faith- fully until 1940, at which time he retired from the active ministry. M. J. Brougher was the associate elder with Brother Wegley from May 2, 1936, until May 26, 1939, during which period the Fairview house of worship was remodeled and painted. After having conducted the rededication service, Brother Brougher asked to be relieved as associate elder. Walter F. Berkebile was elected and serves in that capacity to the present date.
At the time of Brother Wegley's retirement A. J. Beeghly was called to serve as minister. During his ministry he held several revival meetings which added members by baptism. On May 28, 1944, the following were installed as deacons: Royal W. and Blanche Knepper, Harvey and Estella Shaffer, Orville F. and Elizabeth Brougher.
During World War II, Miles J. Knepper received his sum- mons to serve his country in the army. He chose to serve rather in civilian public service and was assigned to Camp Kane, at Kane, Pennsylvania. In the fall of 1948 two of our young people, Pauline and Bernice Knepper, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Royal W. Knepper, accepted the call for volunteer service with the mental health unit at the Elgin State Hospital, Elgin, Illinois.
This spring, 1950, our evangelistic meetings were held by H. Austin Cooper, assisted by our minister, A. J. Beeghly. On June 1, 1950, Brother Beeghly retired from active ministerial service. No successor has been chosen to date, August 1950. -Ross and Mabel Brougher and Royal W. Knepper, assisted by M. J. Brougher and Ruth Statler
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CHAPTER 15. THE FARMINGTON-BETHEL CONGREGATION
Services started in the Oakdale schoolhouse, 1865 Present church dedicated, July 15, 1919 Present church membership, 113
There being no accurate records kept and little history pre served, we do not know very much about the founding of this church. It was not until about fourteen years ago that Paul Workman and others began to gather information from the old- est residents of this community. What they gathered is chiefly the following. It is not certain as to what time the organization was perfected, but it is a known fact that the church was in operation as far back as 1865, using the Oakdale schoolhouse as a place of worship. The church was being supplied with preach- ers from the Sandy Creek congregation in West Virginia, to which it belonged at that time.
Among those serving the church at this time were Michael Thomas, Philip J. Brown, and Jacob Ridenour. At this time it became evident that the church was badly in need of a house in which to worship. But the congregation keenly felt their inability financially to supply this need. Then came forward a generous-hearted brother who offered to provide this much- needed house of worship. Immediately Solomon Workman began providing the material and funds for this building, bearing all the expense himself, complete with all furnishings, except a stove and lights, which were furnished by the congregation. This place of worship, when completed, was deeded to the Church of the Brethren. It still stands and is in a good state of preservation.
After the new church was built, the original house of worship was sold to the Wharton Township road supervisors, and in it they held their meetings. It was also used for "Junior Grange." It is now being used as a schoolhouse for the second-grade children. It is situated on the Farmington-Elliotsville road, about a half-mile from the present church building. This first building was dedicated in 1875. James Ridenour not only preached the dedicatory sermon but also followed up with a series of evangelistic meetings, by which scores were added to the church, many of them being heads of families.
From this time on until 1879 the pulpit was filled by Solomon Bucklew, Jacob Beeghly, S. C. Umbel, and John Myers. In the fall of 1879 a division line was struck creating what is known as the Markleysburg congregation, Bethel being assigned to the new congre- gation. The work was now kept up by ministers from Markleysburg and the surrounding community, with the following among those serving: Jacob Beeghly, John Myers, Jeremiah Thomas, Elijah Meyers, and S.
Bethel Church
C. Umbel. Elder Umbel seemed to take the lead. In 1884 Jasper Barnthouse was elected to the ministry; he, together with S. C. Umbel, continued to work here. They were successful in building up a unified and prosperous congregation.
In 1894 M. J. Weller took up the work at this place, being assisted occasionally by Brother Umbel. Brother Weller lived near and kept the work going until 1916. He served continuously for about twenty-three years. During this time several successful revivals were held, with a large ingathering of young people as well as old. Some have remained as workers here, while a great many have gone to other fields of labor.
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