USA > West Virginia > A history of the Church of the Brethren in the first district of West Virginia > Part 10
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But even so, Bro. Nicholas Leatherman, of Westernport, Maryland, long a resident of the White Pine congregation, says that before the eldership of Nicholas Leatherman was the elder- ship of Solomon Biser. So the date of 1870, usually accepted, seems not early enough. Bro. Casper Roby says that the Old Pine church building dates back to 1814. See the section on the South Branch church, page 30.
The White Pine church was built in 1907 and dedicated in September of that year, with Bro. E. T. Fike preaching the ded- icatory sermon. It was remodeled and enlarged and rededicated in November 1939, with Bro. C. O. Showalter preaching the ser- mon. Active church services are carried on here.
The Kelly Chapel building was erected in 1914 by Elder H. N. Kelly, a prosperous farmer and stock raiser of Russeldale. He built it with his own money on his own land. This church was
36 All Leatherman Kin History. Page 537.
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dedicated on November 11, 1914, with Bro. Jonas Fike preaching the sermon. It was enlarged and rededicated in July 1941 with Bro. A. R. Showalter preaching the sermon.
This church consistently has been one of the strong churches of the district since its founding. It has been served by the pioneer ministers mentioned above, also by I. L. Hockman, John M. Leatherman, John R. Leatherman, Raymond Martin, B. W. Smith, Willie Bane, Albert Arnold and others.
WILEY FORD
Pioneer ministers: A. J. Whitacre, D. W. Tusing.
Present ministers: Vernon Shanholtz, D. W. Tusing. Preaching place: Church in Wiley Ford.
Date of organization: 1940.
Boundary line: At the meeting with the elders on December 1, 1940, a committee from the Wiley Ford and Old Furnace churches was appointed to decide on a boundary line. The fol- lowing was submitted and approved.
Beginning at a point on the Potomac River just below Melt- enburger Island, at the House Rocks, the line runs directly west- ward across Knobley Mts. to said Potomac River at the Knobley Rocks near the Fair Grounds, thence it follows same said river downward to the starting point.
Committee:
H. M. Grapes, E. F. Powell.
Prior to 1927 the United Brethren church had been having Sunday school and church services at the old schoolhouse. But after the school was burned about that time they had no more services. The school board then asked Elder A. J. Whitacre to take up church services and he did. On April 22, 1927, a Sunday school was organized by the Brethren. D. W. Tusing was the first superintendent of the Sunday school and continued in that capacity for a number of years. J. E. Whitacre held a revival there in the Dixie school in 1929 and as a result twenty-nine were baptized. R. K. Miller, J. S. Fike, M. L. Riggleman, and W. W. Bane held meetings soon thereafter. The work then suf- fered loss when some of the Whitacres moved away.
The few years preceding 1937 were very discouraging and many were urging that the work be given up, but largely
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through the faithfulness of Bro. D. W. Tusing it held on. Then in 1937 Rev. Vernon Shanholtz moved into the community. In 1938 D. W. Tusing was placed in the ministry. Other members moved into the community and since then the work has been growing.
Services were held in the school, but a church building was much needed. The basement part of the new church was built in 1938 and dedicated on December 18, 1938, by C. O. Showalter, then elder of the Old Furnace congregation. B. W. Smith then held a revival following the dedication and three were baptized. With the new church house the work began a real growth.
Since the membership and the leadership were almost en- tirely from the village of Wiley Ford it was for some time felt that the work could prosper best if they were organized as a separate church and recognized as such. Therefore they placed a petition at the 1940 district conference for a committee of elders to meet with them at the Old Furnace church and advise what seemed best. This was granted. The committee met at the Old Furnace church on December 1, 1940, and after careful and prayerful consideration gave the following as their findings:
With grateful respect for the good work done at Wiley Ford by such men as Eld. A. J. Whitacre and others; with proper rec- ognition of the growing work at Wiley Ford and their peculiar problems; and with best wishes and prayers for the continued Christian growth of the Old Furnace territory, we believe the cause of the church and Kingdom can best be served by a new congregational organization at Wiley Ford and recommend such.
Committee: E. T. Fike, chairman, N. A. Seese, Ezra Fike, B. W. Smith, Foster M. Bittinger, secretary.
On that same day it was voted that Elder C. O. Showalter be elder-in-charge of the Wiley Ford congregation and Amos Lambert clerk. With that organization the new congregation came into being. The committee on boundary lines later re- ported as given above, with Mckinley Grapes representing Old Furnace and Earley Powell representing Wiley Ford. If they could not agree they were to choose a third member.
The church basement had been in use since 1938. It had been built thirty-four by fifty feet, of concrete blocks, with the inten- tion of adding the superstructure when they were able. In 1937 there was a membership of twenty-one. Now it is one hundred. During that time the Sunday-school enrollment has more than doubled. The old debt was paid off so the needed edifice was
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brought to completion in 1942. The second story was added and a double story vestibule entrance was added. Stained glass windows portraying the life of Christ were used. A baptistry and Sunday-school rooms were included, also a sanctuary with a seating capacity of one hundred seventy-six. This beautiful building was dedicated April 19, 1942, with A. R. Showalter preaching the sermon and other church groups and ministers from near by assisting.
Now with a splendid building, Vernon Shanholtz, pastor, A. R. Showalter as elder, and many other faithful workers, the church goes forward.
CHAPTER V
UNIFYING THE WORK IN WEST VIRGINIA
To Brethren Valentine and Martin Powers and their congre- gation on the South Branch in 1785 was sent a committee to set them in harmony with the church and her stand on war and oath taking. Another committee was sent in the year 1790. So by that time the church in what is now the First District of West Virginia must have been pretty well known in the brotherhood.
The district was represented on Standing Committee at the Conference of 1814, at Pipe Creek, Maryland, by Brethren Sam- uel Arnold and Daniel Arnold. They also represented at the Conference at Daniel Reichard's, Washington County, Maryland, in 1826. Daniel Arnold represented at the Conference at Linville Creek, Virginia, in 1837, at the Morrison Cove Conference, Bed- ford County, Pennsylvania, in 1840, and at the Somerset County Conference, Ohio, in 1841.
Here follows the more recent representation at Conference: 1871, Martin Cosner; 1872, Martin Cosner; 1873, Martin Cosner; 1874, Martin Cosner; 1875, Elias Auvil; 1876, D. B. Arnold; 1877, Sam. A. Fike (up to this time the First and Second districts were together); 1878, D. B. Arnold; 1879, Solomon Bucklew; 1880, Jacob Thomas; 1881, D. B. Arnold; 1882, D. B. Arnold; 1883, Sam A. Fike; 1884, Solomon Bucklew; 1885, D. B. Arnold; 1886, Asa Harman; 1887, Solomon Bucklew; 1888, D. B. Arnold; 1889, D. B. Arnold; 1890, Aaron Fike; 1891, -; 1892, George S. Arnold; 1893, -; 1894, Jeremiah Thomas; 1895, D. B. Arnold; 1896, To- bias Fike; 1897, G. S. Arnold; 1898, B. W. Smith; 1899, Jeremiah Thomas; 1900, G. S. Arnold; 1901, Jeremiah Thomas; 1902, G. S. Arnold; 1903, Jeremiah Thomas; 1904, Solomon Bucklew, T. S. Fike; 1905, G. S. Arnold; 1906, Jeremiah Thomas; 1907, D. B. Arnold; 1908, Jeremiah Thomas; 1909, Emra Fike; 1910, A. W. Arnold; 1911, E. T. Fike; 1912, Jeremiah Thomas; 1913, E. T. Fike; 1914, J. S. Fike; 1915, Jonas Fike; 1916, Ezra Fike; 1917, B. W. Smith; 1918, L. H. Fike; 1919, -; 1920, E. T. Fike; 1921, E. T. Fike; 1922, Obed Hamstead; 1923, C. E. Grapes; 1924, C. E. Grapes; 1925, Ezra Fike; 1926, A. S. Arnold; 1927, E. T. Fike; 1928, R. G. West; 1929, B. W. Smith; 1930, Chester Thomas; 1931, W. W. Bane; 1932, Earl Fike; 1933, Jeremiah Thomas; 1934, R. K.
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Miller; 1935, Ezra Fike; 1936, E. T. Fike; 1937, D. B. Spaid; 1938, Chester Thomas; 1939, F. M. Bittinger, S. P. Daugherty; 1940, Raymond Martin; 1941, N. A. Seese; 1942, Raymond Martin; 1943, R. K. Showalter, A. R. Showalter; 1944, A. S. A. Holsinger, Oscar Bowman.
Prior to 1866 the Standing Committee was appointed by the elders of the church where the meeting was held, they to receive all papers sent by the churches and to supply them with answers to be considered by the open Conference. The honor of origi- nating our district meetings is claimed by D. H. Zigler 1 for Vir- ginia, which asked for such a division by a query in 1856.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
The great field of religious education had its origin in the dis- trict in the year 1902. Prior to that date there was much reli- gious teaching in the church but no records or reports were made of it. At the White Pine church on October 17, 1903, George S. Arnold, the district Sunday-school secretary, gave a report of the work done in 1902 as follows: number of church houses in dis- trict, nineteen; number of preaching places, sixty-nine; number of Sunday schools, thirty-two; total enrolled in Sunday school, one thousand three hundred thirty-eight. At this meeting they asked the Sunday-school secretary to go places where Sunday schools were needed, work up sentiment in favor of them, and wherever possible organize. His traveling expenses were paid by the district mission board.
The following year the Sunday-school secretary reported an increase of six in the number of preaching places. Four new Sunday schools had been organized with an increase in enroll- ment of three hundred ten. On October 20, 1906, at the Salem church, reports were given by Allie D. King of Eglon and J. B. Leatherman of Burlington, east and west secretaries. These reports were encouraging.
The temperance work was started in 1911 in the district. At the Knobley church, German Settlement petitioned district meeting to appoint a temperance committee. Jeremiah Thomas, Ezra Fike, and Lillie Moore were the first temperance committee in the district. In one year the committee had local committees
1 Zigler, D. H., History of the Brethren in Virginia. Page 66.
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in nine congregations. Bro. Quincy Leckrone lectured in almost all of the congregations. Much temperance literature had been distributed.
On October 23, 1914, at the Salem church the first district peace committee was appointed in the persons of Emra T. Fike, A. W. Arnold, and Chester Thomas. They wrote President Wil- son a letter of approval and praise for his peace efforts. The fol- lowing year each congregation was asked to appoint a peace committee and hold peace programs. All were urged to send letters to senators and representatives, disapproving the increase of armament and the supplying of money and ammunition to warring nations. The year before the war closed, the peace com- mittee was encouraged by the stand taken by many young Breth- ren who were drafted. All churches were asked to pray ear- nestly for those who were drafted. It was recommended that two Brethren full of faith and love be appointed to confer with and advise them if necessary and, if allowed, support the work outlined by the advisory committee to conscientious objectors. G. S. Arnold and E. T. Fike were appointed.
On October 8, 1921, in the Keyser church the peace commit- tee presented a letter commending President Harding for calling the disarmament conference. The letter was approved and sent. In 1930 Dove Fike became the peace representative. She was able to get programs in sixteen churches and a total of four hun- dred forty peace pledges signed in two years' time.
In 1914 the temperance committee made the following state- ment: "Though the state is now dry the work is not yet done." How well the citizens of the present day can appreciate that statement!
At the Beaver Run church in 1923 the Sunday-school board's name was changed to the board of religious education. This board co-operated with Minor C. Miller in holding a four-day training school in Keyser. Two years later the temperance, pur- ity, peace, and child rescue committees merged into one board. The board gave their regrets through district meeting that Bro. Minor C. Miller was making his exodus as director of religious education. The board called for some means of financing the work. It was decided that each congregation was to lift a liberal offering and send it to the board of religious education.
In the Eglon church on October 9, 1926, this board was reor-
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ganized with Dr. B. B. Miller chairman, H. E. Arnold secretary- treasurer, Jesse Arnold east side assistant, D. B. Spaid west side assistant, and R. G. West director. The director was to be the field worker for the district, having oversight of the religious educational work of the district, and by virtue of his office was to become district representative on the regional board and serve on the executive committee of the state council of religious edu- cation. Bro. Ezra Flory held the training school in Keyser in 1926.
The next year was one of great activity in religious educa- tion in the district. Six vacation Bible school teachers were working in the district. Five training schools were held. The Church of the Brethren took over a sixty-acre tract of land in the Blue Ridge Mountains as a site for Camp Bethel, a camp for the youth and intermediates of the church. Keyser had a co- operative Bible school with twenty-five teachers and workers and two hundred children enrolled.
For the last ten years the vacation Bible schools and training schools have been emphasized by this board. Many of the churches have sponsored schools of this nature. State standards of rating the Sunday schools were purchased and sent to each superintendent in the district for use in his school. A pamphlet, What a Young Christian Ought to Know, was bought and given to all ministers and Christian workers desiring it for use in in- structing young converts in the churches. This work must con- tinue. If the Christian church meets the needs of today it must be a dynamic body. The uniting of individuals in a great co- operative movement demands a great efficient educational pro- gram through the department of Christian education.
CAMP GALILEE
In this generation great interest in more training in the Chris- tian way of life is being manifested. The youth camps have be- come an important institution. This youth training program was begun in the First District of West Virginia at the memorial grove at the orphanage, near Eglon, in conjunction with the Western District of Maryland. It was then later taken to the Maple Spring church. This continued for the space of about ten years. But the program grew in importance and it was felt that ยท more adequate provision was needed.
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The two districts considered a tract of land and water of about one hundred acres near Terra Alta, West Virginia. This was bought and incorporated September 22, 1938. It was organ- ized as follows: president, C. O. Showalter; vice-president, Ar- thur Scrogum; secretary, Revie Slaubaugh; treasurer, Arnold Ludwick. In 1940 a constitution was adopted and O. P. Jones became manager. The camp has become a self-supporting in- stitution and the indebtedness is now paid off. It has become an institution of great power in influencing and directing Chris- tian life in the scores it reaches each year.
COUNCIL OF BOARDS
On February 27, 1939, the boards of the district met in the home of Ezra Fike at Eglon. There it was decided that these boards should meet together annually or semiannually to plan their work and be known as the council of boards. The presi- dent of men's work, the president of women's work, the chil- dren's worker, and the president of the young people's depart- ment were also to become members of the council. At this meet- ing Bro. Foster Bittinger was selected for field director for one year.
WOMEN'S WORK
We have no record of any organization within our district until 1920, when with Mrs. Jesse Harsh as district secretary, the following organizations were made.2 In October 1920 the women of Keyser organized an aid society with the following promoters: Mrs. Lucy Roderick, Mrs. Annie Cheshire, and Mrs. Nora Lud- wick. One of their major projects was paying for the new pews for the church, which amounted to about one thousand dollars. They also gave to missions and the orphanage.
By January of 1921 there was an aid organized in the Sandy Creek congregation. Mrs. Jeremiah Thomas, Mrs. James Wolfe, and Mrs. Victor Wilson were among the first officers. This or- ganization represented the Salem and Bruceton Mills members. In October 1921 the Glade Union members organized with Mrs. Frank Guthrie, Mrs. David Van Sickle, and Mrs. S. F. Guthrie as the first officers.
The Eglon congregation organized an aid society about this
2 From records compiled by Mrs. Frank Guthrie.
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time, with Mrs. Carrie King, Mrs. Etta Bittinger, and Mrs. Virgie Fike as the first officers. The Bethel church, of the White Pine congregation, organized in 1923 with Mrs. Foster Arnold and Mrs. Mary Hinkle as the first officers.
At a district conference at the Brick church Mrs. Ezra Fike called for a district meeting of the women, and a district aid, under the name of women's work, was organized. An organiza- tion of the district was effected with Mrs. A. S. A. Holsinger as the first president and Mrs. Frank Guthrie as the first secretary and treasurer. Soon there were district reports from nine or- ganizations. In 1939 there were reports from fifteen organiza- tions.
These groups have supported every undertaking of the dis- trict or brotherhood. They have helped the work of missions, Brethren Service, the orphanage, Camp Galilee, the peace work, and the temperance work. They have attempted to share the abundant life of Christ with the whole world.
MISSION BOARD
Just when the district had its first mission board, available records do not show, but the district meeting minutes of 1888 show reports from the various congregations for home missions as follows: Beaver Run, $37.15; Allegheny, $29.00; German Set- tlement, $10.
By 1902 there was an organized mission board and in that year T. S. Fike, Jeremiah Thomas and Joseph Guthrie were to work with the mission board to effect a plan whereby more suc- cessful mission work might be done in the district. Since that time this board has assisted in promoting religious education and in supplying needy points with preachers of the gospel. This assistance has been given especially in the Capon Chapel, North Fork, Red Creek, Cheat River, Petersburg, and Greenland con- gregations. This has enabled these and other congregations to have at times part-time pastors, evangelists, Bible schools, and ministers to fill regular appointments. In 1933 the district de- cided that all congregations receiving aid from the mission board shall not procure evangelists with whose expense the board is to help without first securing the consent of the board.
The district is made up of many isolated congregations and
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the task of giving supervision and aid is a demanding one. The fields are white. The harvest is ready. The call is for workers.
MINISTERIAL BOARD
The minutes of 1919 are the first to contain a report from the district ministerial board, though this board had been or- ganized for some time. It reported that year a good prospect for young ministers. Since 1917 eight young brethren had been elected to the ministry and five elders ordained. Their report in 1928 showed a membership in the district of two thousand four hundred thirty-four, thirty-five church houses, fifty-one preaching points, twenty-five elders, twenty-five installed min- isters and five licensed ministers. By 1943 the membership had increased to four thousand three hundred eighty-six, which speaks well for the work of the church and her ministry.
The work of the ministry in West Virginia has been always a sacrificial work. Many pioneer ministers traveled many hun- dreds of miles and served the church faithfully with never a single cent of remuneration. But it has been a blessed work. There is a great need yet for young ministers who are willing to serve with sacrifice and consecration these many churches and find part-time support in other fields. That seems to be the only hope for some of these outlying churches. Who will answer? Will the devotion of coming generations match that of those past? That is the challenge of history.
THE ORPHANAGE
After some discussion the elders' meeting in 1914 recom- mended that the district conference appoint a child rescue com- mittee to work out some way to help homeless children. The committee was appointed and made an effort to get child rescue committees in every congregation. In this it was not entirely successful but it did generate much interest in the field.
This interest grew until in 1919 the Eglon congregation peti- tioned the district to consider the advisability of owning a re- ceiver's home for homeless children. At that conference the child rescue committee was empowered to work with the West- ern District of Maryland and the Second District of West Vir- ginia, if they desired to co-operate, and to investigate the pos- sibility of owning such a home. Next year the committee rec-
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ommended that a home as close to Maple Spring as possible be provided. In 1921 the committee reported the purchase of the Charlie Jones farm, near Eglon, at a cost of $8,000 which was apportioned among the three districts as follows: First West Virginia, $4,000; Second West Virginia, $2,000; Western Mary- land, $2,000. The home was dedicated and opened for children on May 21, 1921, and was to be controlled by the Brethren of these three districts. The house was enlarged and made suit- able for a children's home and many children were cared for and through it many were placed in private homes. In 1931 through the liberality of the people of Terra Alta the beautiful grove adjoining the home was purchased and an auditorium thirty by seventy-two feet was erected, furnishing a place for reunions and conferences.
Gradually difficulties arose: states passed laws making it dif- ficult to pass children across state lines, exacting requirements had to be met in order to keep state licenses, there were fewer calls for children to be placed in homes, and finally it was being felt that the best interests of children could be met in private homes. Therefore, it was recommended in 1940 that the home be closed and sold. By 1942 the home had been sold to Clifford Feather for $4,000, which amount was to be divided among the three districts in the same ratio as they put funds into the home. Some of this money found its way into the second major venture of the district in behalf of its children and youth, that at Camp Galilee, and as such continues to serve a great purpose.
MEN'S WORK
Men's work was first introduced into the First District of West Virginia in July 1932 when Rev. M. J. Brougher of Greens- burg, Pennsylvania, together with a number of the men of his. local men's organization, met with the men of the First Church of the Brethren in Keyser for the purpose of effecting an organ- ization in the Keyser congregation.
A little later, August 30, 1932, an organization was formed with Charles D. Ludwick chairman, Charles Bobo vice-chairman, and T. F. Vernon secretary-treasurer. At that meeting a consti- tution and by-laws were also written and approved. Charles Bo- bo was chosen as delegate to represent men's work at the re- gional conference to be held at Bridgewater that year. He was
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appointed by that conference to be the district director of men's work in First West Virginia. In that capacity he served until the fall of 1940 when Melvin Slaubaugh was chosen for the place. The men of the district have done a great deal of service for the church, and have developed a good fellowship, which has been fostered by an annual district fellowship banquet.
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CHAPTER VI
BIOGRAPHIES
Abernathy, Isaac W.
Isaac, the son of J. W. and Hannah Abernathy, was born April 28, 1852, near Barnum, West Virginia. He was married on June 4, 1873, to Sophia Savage. He was a member of the Church of the Brethren for a long number of years and served as an elder for about forty-six years. His death occurred on June 6, 1925, and his funeral was from the Fairview church, near which he had lived most of his life. Two children, Arthur S. and Elma Carola, preceded their parents in death. One grandson, Keith A. Aber- nathy, survives.
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