Page 29 - Pictorial History of EUB Church by Glovier
P. 29
29 HISTORY OF THE VA CONFERENCE, E.U.B. CHURCH—D.F. GLOVIER
and yet, each family had its own burial ground on a hillside. Their
relationship has never been traced by any one of the present time. On this
journey, Otterbein preached nearly every night. Services were held at Crum’s,
at Geeting’s, at Newtown, at Niswander’s in Middletown, and at
Winchester.
In October of 1802, Newcomer and Geeting traveled the Virginia Circuit,
one or the other preaching every day for nineteen days and always in
German. Their preaching places were much as before, Stoverstown (Strasburg)
being one of the appointments. At Mengen’s, their most southern point, was
the great meeting for which they set out. To attend the two-day services, the
people came in some instances, thirty to fifty miles.
“Year after year for almost thirty years Newcomer made visits to Virginia,
continuing them almost to the time when Glossbrenner began his work as
circuit rider.
“The meeting places were changed to suit local conditions. From Hoffman’s
the meetings were changed to Peter Myer’s near the present Pike Mennonite
Church. George Hoffman moved to Augusta, taking his religion with him, and
Mount Zion, near Mt. Solon, became an early preaching place. Peter Myers
built a dwelling house with a large room in it for meetings, which were held
regularly here for many years.
“In the spring of 1809 Newcomer made a unique visit to Harrison-burg. He
came as a committee to confer with Bishop Asbury and the Baltimore
Conference of the Methodist Church on the subject of church union. This
conference was held in the Log Church on the hill where the old burial
ground still remains. Two bishops, Asbury and George, and sixty preachers
were present. The day after it closed, Newcomer, delighted with his cordial
entertainment, rode down the valley with Asbury and other preachers, among
whom was Henry Boehm, son of the Bishop.
“The last visit by Newcomer was in 1828, when he was seventy-nine years
old. That summer he held eight camp meetings, three of them in Virginia. In
company with William Brown, afterward bishop, and William R. Rhinehart,
a sweet singer and later the first editor of the Religious Telescope, he made the
usual stops until he came to a camp meeting on Mill Creek, two miles west of
Mount Jackson. Such meetings were held here from 1825 to 1830 inclusive, on
the farm of the great grandfather of A. P. Funkhouser. The camp spring is yet
pointed out in the middle of Mill Creek. After the close of the meeting, the
preachers went on to Rockingham and spent the night with Jacob Whitesell,
who had married Brown’s sister in Pennsylvania, and who had now an old
mill on Dry River, a mile or two below Rawley Springs. Whitesell and
and yet, each family had its own burial ground on a hillside. Their
relationship has never been traced by any one of the present time. On this
journey, Otterbein preached nearly every night. Services were held at Crum’s,
at Geeting’s, at Newtown, at Niswander’s in Middletown, and at
Winchester.
In October of 1802, Newcomer and Geeting traveled the Virginia Circuit,
one or the other preaching every day for nineteen days and always in
German. Their preaching places were much as before, Stoverstown (Strasburg)
being one of the appointments. At Mengen’s, their most southern point, was
the great meeting for which they set out. To attend the two-day services, the
people came in some instances, thirty to fifty miles.
“Year after year for almost thirty years Newcomer made visits to Virginia,
continuing them almost to the time when Glossbrenner began his work as
circuit rider.
“The meeting places were changed to suit local conditions. From Hoffman’s
the meetings were changed to Peter Myer’s near the present Pike Mennonite
Church. George Hoffman moved to Augusta, taking his religion with him, and
Mount Zion, near Mt. Solon, became an early preaching place. Peter Myers
built a dwelling house with a large room in it for meetings, which were held
regularly here for many years.
“In the spring of 1809 Newcomer made a unique visit to Harrison-burg. He
came as a committee to confer with Bishop Asbury and the Baltimore
Conference of the Methodist Church on the subject of church union. This
conference was held in the Log Church on the hill where the old burial
ground still remains. Two bishops, Asbury and George, and sixty preachers
were present. The day after it closed, Newcomer, delighted with his cordial
entertainment, rode down the valley with Asbury and other preachers, among
whom was Henry Boehm, son of the Bishop.
“The last visit by Newcomer was in 1828, when he was seventy-nine years
old. That summer he held eight camp meetings, three of them in Virginia. In
company with William Brown, afterward bishop, and William R. Rhinehart,
a sweet singer and later the first editor of the Religious Telescope, he made the
usual stops until he came to a camp meeting on Mill Creek, two miles west of
Mount Jackson. Such meetings were held here from 1825 to 1830 inclusive, on
the farm of the great grandfather of A. P. Funkhouser. The camp spring is yet
pointed out in the middle of Mill Creek. After the close of the meeting, the
preachers went on to Rockingham and spent the night with Jacob Whitesell,
who had married Brown’s sister in Pennsylvania, and who had now an old
mill on Dry River, a mile or two below Rawley Springs. Whitesell and
