USA > Pennsylvania > Two centuries of the Church of the Brethren in western Pennsylvania, 1751-1950 > Part 37
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The church here was given more than usual impetus through the activity of certain Brethren moving in from surrounding areas. This renewed movement from Morrison's Cove (or partly so) was carried on by people with such names as Dilling, Parks, Claar, Himes, Schultz, and Long. They were soon to be strongly supported by a limited number of local workers who had been busy with their older, rather self-centered organization. The new church movement was given more than usual publicity through a member, Amos Claar, editor of the local weekly, the Windber Era.
1 Doyle, Fred C., Fiftieth Anniversary of Windber, 1948.
2 Faust, Alvin G., Cultural Patterns and Social Adjustments in the Church of the Brethren, with Special Reference to an Allegheny Tableland Community. A Ph.D. thesis, University of Pittsburgh, 1942.
Windber Church
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The Shade Creek church leadership was slow to purchase a building lot and to provide a place of worship. W. C. Hanawalt claims to have urged the early purchase of building lots but Elder Musselman with others felt that the newcomers could worship at the established centers. However, surrounding lead- es made more and more serious contacts with the town and were urged on, continuously, by the members residing in and about town. The church council did authorize and pay hall rental for the Sunday school. It also authorized the payment of Sunday- school workers if the town members could raise the funds. A few of the younger local church leaders took a greater than or- dinary interest in establishing and supporting the new Sunday- school and church movement. Among these were M. J. Weaver and L. J. Lehman.
To understand the development and organization, the reader is referred to the histories of the Shade Creek and Scalp Level congrega- tions. Windber developed from Scalp Level, which in turn grew out of Shade Creek. Scalp Level was formed on February 10, 1912. Windber, in turn, was formed from Scalp Level in 1922. There was a feeling that greater activity and more efficient development could be accom- plished by separate organizations. The division seemed mutually agree- able for the best interest of the work.
After a preliminary decision on November 9, 1921, toward division of Windber and Scalp Level the vote was formally taken on December 3, 1921. Accordingly, the Windber church met in council on December 20, 1921, with A. J. Beeghly, pastor of the Rummel church, presiding in the organization of the new con- gregation.
H. D. Jones, then a local minister, served temporarily as pastor until his removal from the Windber congregation about March 1, 1922. Council emphasized that the deacons be responsible for the needy of the congregation who were worthy of support. A building committee of thirteen members was elected on April 3, 1922, and the new congregation was on its way with unusual vigor and enthusiasm.
The story of the Windber congregation proper begins with the construction of a large new church home. The problem of this new building had been discussed for some time since the Sunday school in particular had outgrown its quarters. The matter of building the present new church will long stand out as one of the high lights of the history of the congregation and its development in the district. It is an important development because of the long-anticipated need for more room for a growing Sunday school and because of the resulting fine, commodious structure.
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The story of the building of this imposing church plant can wait while the story of the growth of the Sunday school and church, which made the building necessary, is taken up.
There was a small nucleus of church membership developed from the surrounding area which was greatly increased by Brethren members and others of Brethren leanings moving in as early town settlers. How- ever, there are perhaps few Brethren churches whose growth was so fully dependent upon the Sunday school as the case at hand; therefore, the story of the growth of that organization will receive deserved emphasis in this congregational history. According to the council minutes written by Elder W. H. Fry, then church secretary, as of July 2, 1901, T. N. Parks, J. H. Dilling, and M. J. Weaver were appointed by the Shade Creek council at the Berkey church "to see after starting a Sunday school at Windber, and to get a place to hold it in." We quote a part of this minute because some think the Sunday school here was organized earlier. The Windber Sunday school, according to John H. Dilling, was organized at the Scalp Level house of the Shade Creek congregation with the following reported results: J. H. Dilling, superintendent; George Reber, assistant superintendent; Amos Claar, treasurer. The teachers were Mrs. William Jordan, Mrs. Lizzie Weimer, Thomas Long, and Amos Claar.
The first Sunday school was held July 14, 1901, with twenty-four present. Ministers present were M. J. Weaver and L. J. Lehman. Brother Weaver preached the first sermon. The largest number present the first year was thirty-six and the smallest number was twelve. The average attendance was twenty-five. The meeting place was in the Pheasant Hall for two months. This proved a very undesirable place. The Sunday school was then moved to the Arcanum Hall. This also proved unsatisfactory, as there was a livery stable on the lower floor. After two years at the Arcanum Hall the Sunday school and the preaching services were held in the Firemen's Hall until August 1905.
The church work in the new coal town was not an assured success from the start, nor were efforts here made without doubts and misgivings. Financial aid in small quantities was voted by church council at Berkey from time to time. In October 1902, council voted to continue activities "for another year." The work was materially hindered by the disfellowship- ping of members in the mother congregation, which members then joined or inclined to join other less restricted Brethren congregations or the "Progressive" Brethren, who had started a church in the western end of the town; that work was dis- continued and the building was sold about 1906.
The problem of a church home and building was ever a major one. The first building was patterned after that of the Rummel house, upon which the construction of the Windber house had to wait. It was a plain one-room brick building, thirty-eight by fifty feet, with a vestibule. The request to install Sunday-school rooms was stricken out by council.
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Old Windber Church, After Basement Was Added
The first location seriously considered was that at Graham Avenue and Twenty-second Street. The building was finally located on part of the present site near Nineteenth Street and Graham Avenue. It was completed by October 10, 1905, at a cost of $2,964.70, with an indebtedness of $1,378.00. This debt was reduced by four hundred dollars by June 1906. The building was raised and five Sunday-school rooms were installed in 1913. This first church was dedicated on August 6, 1905. M. C. Swigart preached the dedicatory sermon. He also held a meeting of two weeks' duration. Two were baptized. All the services in the first few years were held in the afternoon until October 10, 1905, when the Shade Creek council authorized the change to morning preaching.
There was a steady, healthy growth in the Sunday school for the first quarter of a century. In 1901 the average attendance was twenty-five; in 1910, seventy-nine; by 1915 it had increased to one hundred sixty-nine; in 1920, two hundred twenty-three; in 1925, three hundred four.
Superintendents over these years included J. H. Dilling, C. E. Shuldt, Jacob Fox, D. J. Custer, Harry Allison, Harvey Knavel, Ira Ream, Calvin Blough, and L. C. Penrod. A number of these continued through suc- ceeding years, and other persons-among them B. F. Hechler, Franklin S. Weaver, Carl Lawhead, and Kenneth Koontz-were added to the roster of faithful superintendents.
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One active agent, perhaps above all others, having been re- ferred to previously should be emphasized here. M. J. Weaver was especially active in the early years in teaching, in the Y. M. C. A., in preaching, and in the general church work of the community. He later was largely instrumental both in establish- ing a large congregation and in holding practically the entire Sunday school for the church services. However, many of the ministers, and especially the faithful Sunday-school teachers, share the credit for this steadily growing church center. Min- isters were urged by local Sunday-school leaders to keep sermons brief and within range of thought so as to hold the attendance of this varied Sunday-school mass.3 By this method and with the aid of earnest teaching, the school soon became the nucleus of a live and growing church. A new settler of the town more recently remarked, "The Brethren church really does take an interest in and cares for our children." This it did from the start.
The building committee elected by council in 1922 was to make plans and to erect a new church on the old site, the lot adjoining having been purchased nearly a year previously. William Gahagen was elected chairman of this committee, and through a generous donation by him and his wife of some $40,000.00 to the building fund, a very large and commodious edifice was made possible.
It is needless to say that this building committee represented the vital center of the working body of the Windber church at that time. The picture of the group is found near by with proper identification. Albert C. Berkey, N. S. Berkey (later), and a few other leading families might be added to this group of workers. Most of these are deserving, if space permitted, of biographical sketches. Through the united and untiring efforts of the building committee and others the plans progressed so rapidly that the corner-stone laying took place September 3, 1922. This program was in charge of A. J. Beeghly, the principal address being de- livered by M. J. Brougher. At that time the following facts were emphasized:
The (Sunday) school is now divided into five separate depart- ments, the Beginners, Primary, Junior, Intermediate and Adult Departments, each with its own Superintendent, Secretary, Treasurer, Chorister and Teachers, and each having its own opening service of worship, but all assembling into the Church Auditorium for the closing service. The Sunday school started with four classes. It now numbers 24, including seven organized Bible classes. The
3 This church was so crowded for church services that the Sunday-school children sat around the steps of the pulpit, often two rows deep, and the aisles were filled with chairs. The benches were crowded.
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Building Committee for New Church
Front row, left to right: Elmer L. Penner, Lewis C. Penrod, John H. Dilling, William H. Ga- hagen (chairman)
Back row, left to right: W. Yarnell, Harry Allison, Benjamin F. Hechler, Walter I. Berkey, Calvin T. Blouch Charles F. Schuldt Daniel J. Custer. Harvey Knavel, Avery E. Stoner
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Friendship Bible Class was the first to organize; which was done in 1911. In addition to this, there is a Home Department of forty members, and through the earnest efforts of our Cradle Roll Superin- tendent, Mrs. D. J. Custer, (now deceased) that Department now has an enrollment of seventy members.
In 1915, an Aid Society was organized, which has gradually increased in number, making it possible to do a great work for the Church.
Through the Grace of God, and the united efforts of our co-work- ers, we are, within a year, permitted to enjoy a new house of worship, which, we believe, has been so planned that a far greater work for the Master is possible than had been with our former facilities.
With implicit faith in Him, we are looking forward to the greatest prosperity our Church has ever known.4
From the Souvenir of Dedication we quote further:
The new church is a beautiful structure of modified Gothic architectural design, being 110 feet long and 77 feet wide. Its foundation walls are built of native sand stone and the main structure of dark red Persian Brick. The main tower at the southwest corner adds greatly to its dignity and enhances its beauty.
The entire structure is well planned and equipped with modern conveniences. It is a credit to the architect, the builders, and to the Church of the Brethren as a whole and we believe it is a much appreciated contribution to the community.
The main auditorium seats about five hundred persons, while the Bible school auditorium in the rear, separated by an elevating partition, seats about two hundred people. When folding doors and rolling parti- tions are opened to the side Sunday-school rooms and rear, approximately eleven hundred persons are brought within seeing and hearing distance of the pulpit, which is located diagonally across the auditorium from the main entrance. This provides one of the most commodious and most used auditoriums in the town. There are some thirty Sunday-school rooms, most of which have access to the main auditorium. The church is also provided with a choir loft, a baptistry, office rooms, and, more recently, an electric organ.
The basement of halicomp floor is provided with an auditorium and a modern kitchen which has been recently splendidly reconditioned. There is also a sewing room, a nursery, and a boys' activity room. The basement auditorium will seat about six hundred people. It is used for communion purposes and is frequently used by church and com- munity organizations for dinners, more formal banquets, and civic affairs.
A part of the rear of the building has recently been taken in, rearranged, and furnished for a parsonage, a church office, and a library.
As previously stated, the Windber organization was originally a part of the Shade Creek congregation and the pulpit was filled by an unpaid ministry, serving in turn and residing within the congregation. The first regularly employed pastors were J. J. Shaffer, called March 2,
+ Souvenir of Dedication, printed June 10, 1923. This booklet, though much remained unsaid, was the source of much valuable information. It provided a num- ber of useful cuts, also.
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1907, and D. M. Adams, October 1909. These served Shade Creek as a whole, and H. S. Replogle and H. D. Jones served while Windber was still a part of the Scalp Level congregation.
The regularly employed pastors of the Windber church proper were O. L. Minnich, October 11, 1922 (two years) ; M. C. Horst, June 1, 1924 (four years); A. C. Miller, October 12, 1928, to August 1930; E. M. Hertzler, January 11, 1935, to June 30, 1940 (five and one-half years). Newton Cosner was employed Janu- ary 16, 1941; I. Clifford Paul, January 13, 1944; and C. H. Gehman, who serves to the present.
Those elected to the ministry in the congregation were Law- rence Bianchi, Eugene Ankeny, and Byron Berkey.
The church had the special challenge of unifying the inter- ests of Brethren who came together here from various areas and with varying cultural backgrounds. An even greater prob- lem was that of adapting its program to the large group of people of non-Brethren background who came to worship with them. There were also the usual problems of adapting this cos- mopolitan group and its cultural pattern to the trends in Breth- ren forms and patterns-or was it partly the reverse?
L. C. Penrod served on a number of district boards in addi- tion to many local offices.
B. F. Hechler sponsored the Service Coal Company, among many other services to the church. It was a unique church corporation which liquidated the church debt during the last number of years.
The church program has been constructively aided by the men's work and women's work, and the ladies' aid has stood out as a con- tributing force over the years. Sister William Gahagen was leader and president of the aid in 1925 when it was organized. She was greatly aided in the earlier years by Sisters D. J. Custer, Elizabeth Murphy Faust, Ella Himes, Rilla (Grush) Shaffer-Toomy, former wife of Daniel Shaffer, Mrs. John H. Dilling, Maude Johns Faust, Roxie Johns Penrod, Elizabeth Dilling Blough, and others.
The Boy Scout troop was apparently the first sponsored any- where in the Church of the Brethren. It was organized early in 1927 and is still active. The first scoutmaster and assistant were Robert Yarnell and Calvin Blough, respectively. Among the boys who were charter members, now widely scattered, were: Paul Berkey, Nile E. Faust, Charles McCleary, Clair Penrod, Chester Toomy, George Toomy, Thomas Williams, and Robert Yarnell. George Toomy has been a faithful leader over the years. At present Carl Lawhead is active in this work. The troop committee felt than an orchestra would be more fitting for the boys than the usual martial fife and drum corps. The troop is church centered.
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Music is an important part of this as of any other church pro- gram. Ira Ream and his family have aided much in the church music. His father, J. F. Ream, was a leader and teacher of music. Harry Howells has given commendable help.
It was almost hazardous to organize the first church choir here, as in many other places. The church dedication committee called Alvin G. Faust, then a student at Juniata College, to train and lead a group to sing special anthems on that occasion. Later, the same leader was called in to head the music program. This program is taken now as a matter of course.
All the above and other church organizations move forward under the quiet-mannered but capable and devout leadership of Pastor C. H. Gehman. The social and spiritual leadership of the church and its contacts with the community remain strong. This in itself is a story that should, if space permitted it, be continued in more detail.
-Alvin G. Faust
CHAPTER 61. THE WOODDALE CHURCH
Sunday school organized in a hall Church house dedicated, 1922 Present church membership, 93
Before any organization of the Church of the Brethren ex- isted in Wooddale, those who were already members were
Group of Members and Pastor
J. Lloyd Nedrow, at Corner of Wooddale Church
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enrolled in the Mt. Joy congregation. B. B. Ludwick, then pas- tor at Mount Joy, organized a Sunday school and held preaching services every Sunday afternoon at the lodge hall near here. Services in this community proved successful and S. S. Ullery donated ground for a church.
At a council meeting on May 7, 1921, at Mount Joy, the peti- tion for a church at Wooddale was presented and the privilege of soliciting for funds to build a church was granted to Mrs. Ullery.
The Baptist church building at West Overton was bought and rebuilt on the site during that year. It was dedicated November 19, 1922, L. S. Knepper preaching the sermon on the occasion. This did not become an organized congregation until 1924, when it was separated from the Mount Joy congregation.
These are the charter members, including those who have died: Mr. and Mrs. London Flack, Mrs. Bertha Smith, Albert Echard, Mrs. S. S. Ullery, Mrs. Elizabeth Davis, Mrs. Bowser, Mrs. Myrl Wilson, Mrs. Laura Stout, Mrs. Annie Bittner, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Shaffer, Mr. and Mrs. J. Ewing Jones, Mrs. Abe Myers.
The elders in rotation were: R. T. Hull, M. J. Brougher, I. R. Pletcher, W. K. Kulp, R. E. Shober, J. Ewing Jones, E. E. Holsopple, and, at present, W. F. Berkebile.
Pastors were: R. T. Hull, I. R. Pletcher, J. E. Jones, Harry Meredith, E. E. Holsopple, Walter Cramlin, James Boitnott, and, at present, J. Lloyd Nedrow.
-Alverta Eutsey
EDITOR'S NOTES:
1. Since the chapters in Parts One and Two have been closed, and set in type, the editors and H. Austin Cooper have continued their research, which cannot be included in this volume.
Brother Cooper, especially, has made several startling discov- eries about other "forgotten churches and early settlers," which will have to be disclosed later.
2. According to the research of Brother Cooper, there are strong indications that the Annual Meeting was held within the district on three additional occasions, as follows: 1774 and 1790 in the Rhoades meetinghouse in the "Glades," and in 1791 at Michael Beeghley's near Beachdale. (See pages 26-29, Part One.)
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CHAPTER 62. LOST CONGREGATIONS
Belle Vernon, Fayette County, 1921-1927 Brush Valley, Armstrong County, 1881-1892 Chess Creek, Clearfield County, 1868-1927 Clarion church, Clarion, Butler, Lawrence, Mercer, Crawford, Venango, and Erie counties, 1847-1905 Cowanshannock, Armstrong County, 1830-1948 Dunnings Creek, Bedford County, 1841-1916 Fayette, Fayette County, 1858-1897 Mount Union (Morgantown), Monongalia County, West Virginia, 1844-1936 Ryerson Station (Littleton), Greene County, Pennsylvania, and Wetzel and Marshall counties, West Virginia, 1842-1913 Shemokin, Jefferson County, 1878-1895 Somerset (Trent), Somerset County, 1880-1883 Stony Creek, Somerset County, 1880-1889 Trout Run, Fayette County, 1875-1920
The foregoing sixty-one chapters have dealt with the seventy-five churches of our Western District, but territorially they are serving only about one fourth of the field in which our forefathers established the Brethren faith. Many churches and missions within this field are no longer ministering to their communities as they did in former years, while some have intensified their service programs.
A few of these churches are mentioned in various congregational his- tories, but many have not been included. Although it makes the heart ache to consider these abandoned or neglected fields, our history would not be complete without this chapter. Space will not permit a complete or detailed account, but we shall mention a few of these lost congrega- tions. First, we notice some churches or missions within our organized territory.
CENTRAL CITY MISSION1
The Central City Sunday school was organized in 1922 in the schoolhouse with an enrollment of about 40 with J. M. Foster elected as superintendent and O. L. Minnich elected as pastor in charge.
Through the revival effort of the pastor and others the Sunday school and church appeared to grow as a mushroom so that many were received into the church by Christian baptism. In 1924 Brother Kensinger of Martinsburg conducted an evangelistic meeting with much success.
After the resignation of Brother Minnich the Shade Creek con- gregation secured Sister Eva Wolford to care for the work at Cen- tral City with the assistance of the other ministers, and later a call was extended for volunteer leadership. Guy Johns and Ross Calla- han took charge of the work until the schoolhouse was needed for public school again and it was decided to close the Sunday school until some future time. Some of the members have been attend- ing the Berkey and Windber churches since that time .- B. N. Lehman, Clair Varner, J. L. Weaver, Committee.
1 Reprinted from The District Herald, July 1931, page 21.
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NOTE: The Shade Creek historian has referred to this closed mission .- Editor.
COKEVILLE MISSION2
A mission was opened at Cokeville [about 1886], which at one time numbered thirty members. Several love feasts were held and an effort was made to build a meetinghouse. When Elder Hana- walt's age and strength no longer permitted him to make his visits to Cokeville, the District took it up, but afterwards neglected the charge, and the members died and moved away, until finally it was lost.
DAWSON, FAYETTE COUNTY
The District Mission Board records reveal that mission work was conducted here in 1914. This field was between the old Jacobs Creek stone church and Connellsville.
DERRY MISSION
This field was between Robinson and Greensburg. Several mem- bers had moved into the territory, and mission work was supported by the Mission Board in 1919. Work was still considered in the early 1920's.
FAYETTE CHURCH
In the year 1858 there was recorded in the Uniontown courthouse (Volume 11, page 461) a deed conveying one half acre of land in Tyrone Township, Fayette County, from Lewis Snyder and wife to the "Trustees of the Fayette German Baptist Church."
This "Fayette Church" was reported through our church publica- tions at various times, and in 1889 the District Meeting added the name Fayette to the list of churches. (The name Fayette was dropped from the list of churches in 1897.)
The deed referred to above would indicate that this church was the same as the one more commonly called "Jacobs Creek," from the name of the near-by stream.
INDIANA MISSION
Sister Jacoby longed for a Brethren church in her home town for almost half a century. At one time a mission was maintained in this county seat. The Mission Board supported the work in 1919. Brother Irwin, pastor of the Plum Creek church, shared his time with the mission in the early 1920's. Finally, the work was given up, although the town of Indiana has gone on to greater things.
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