Page 48 - Pictorial History of EUB Church by Glovier
P. 48
48 HISTORY OF THE VA CONFERENCE, E.U.B. CHURCH—D.F. GLOVIER
ing of Otterbein and Boehm, at the Great Meeting held in Isaac Long’s barn, in
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Bishop Christian Newcomer, fourth Bishop of the Church, preached in
Virginia as early as 1795, and year after year for almost thirty years, made
visits to Virginia, continuing them almost to the time when Glossbrenner began
his work as circuit rider. In the year 1802 Geeting and Newcomer traveled the
Virginia Circuit together, one or the other preaching every day for nineteen
days and always in German. During this year Great Meetings were held in
Rockingham and Augusta Counties.
On September 19, 1796, George Adam Geeting, third Bishop of the Church,
accompanied by Christian Newcomer, started on a horseback preaching tour of
Virginia. Newcomer records “Brother Geeting preached with remarkable
power . . . with power and unction from above.” On one occasion when
Geeting was refused the privilege of preaching in a church, he preached in the
adjoining cemetery to a good crowd. In 1799 Geeting and Newcomer made
another preaching tour of Virginia, this time going as far south as
Rockingham County.
Bishop Boehm and Christian Newcomer, in 1800, the year of the first
appointing of an Annual Conference, at which Otterbein and Boehm were chosen
Bishops, made a tour of the Virginia Circuit, going as far south as Staunton and
holding a Great Meeting on the side of the mountain at the home of Henry
Menger’s (Mizers), southwest of Swoopes’ Depot, Augusta County, Virginia,
and near the present site of Bethlehem U. B. Church.
Over and over again Newcomer in his Journal refers to Bishop Boehm
as preaching with “Great Power”, with “Extraordinary Power,” and with
“Uncommon Power”.
As a distinct Church the United Brethren Sect begins with the meeting
held in September 1800, at the house of Peter Kemp, two miles west of
Frederick, Maryland. It was a two-day meeting. Fourteen preachers
appeared. It chose a name for the new denomination, and it elected two
Bishops, Otterbein and Boehm.
Bishop Otterbein, accompanied by Reverends Newcomer, Strickler, and
Crum, on June 12, 1802, held a sacramental meeting at Jacob Funkhouser’s in
Shenandoah County, Virginia. At night they held a meeting at Christian
Funkhouser’s where they had a great time, eight souls were happily converted,
and many others were crying for mercy. On Sunday, September 13th, the day
following, a great congregation assembled. Otterbein spoke first. Newcomer
says of Otterbein: “I am always astonished and lost in amazement at the
power and energy with which this old servant of God declares the counsel of
his Master. The people were very attentive, some convicted, others
confounded and not
ing of Otterbein and Boehm, at the Great Meeting held in Isaac Long’s barn, in
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Bishop Christian Newcomer, fourth Bishop of the Church, preached in
Virginia as early as 1795, and year after year for almost thirty years, made
visits to Virginia, continuing them almost to the time when Glossbrenner began
his work as circuit rider. In the year 1802 Geeting and Newcomer traveled the
Virginia Circuit together, one or the other preaching every day for nineteen
days and always in German. During this year Great Meetings were held in
Rockingham and Augusta Counties.
On September 19, 1796, George Adam Geeting, third Bishop of the Church,
accompanied by Christian Newcomer, started on a horseback preaching tour of
Virginia. Newcomer records “Brother Geeting preached with remarkable
power . . . with power and unction from above.” On one occasion when
Geeting was refused the privilege of preaching in a church, he preached in the
adjoining cemetery to a good crowd. In 1799 Geeting and Newcomer made
another preaching tour of Virginia, this time going as far south as
Rockingham County.
Bishop Boehm and Christian Newcomer, in 1800, the year of the first
appointing of an Annual Conference, at which Otterbein and Boehm were chosen
Bishops, made a tour of the Virginia Circuit, going as far south as Staunton and
holding a Great Meeting on the side of the mountain at the home of Henry
Menger’s (Mizers), southwest of Swoopes’ Depot, Augusta County, Virginia,
and near the present site of Bethlehem U. B. Church.
Over and over again Newcomer in his Journal refers to Bishop Boehm
as preaching with “Great Power”, with “Extraordinary Power,” and with
“Uncommon Power”.
As a distinct Church the United Brethren Sect begins with the meeting
held in September 1800, at the house of Peter Kemp, two miles west of
Frederick, Maryland. It was a two-day meeting. Fourteen preachers
appeared. It chose a name for the new denomination, and it elected two
Bishops, Otterbein and Boehm.
Bishop Otterbein, accompanied by Reverends Newcomer, Strickler, and
Crum, on June 12, 1802, held a sacramental meeting at Jacob Funkhouser’s in
Shenandoah County, Virginia. At night they held a meeting at Christian
Funkhouser’s where they had a great time, eight souls were happily converted,
and many others were crying for mercy. On Sunday, September 13th, the day
following, a great congregation assembled. Otterbein spoke first. Newcomer
says of Otterbein: “I am always astonished and lost in amazement at the
power and energy with which this old servant of God declares the counsel of
his Master. The people were very attentive, some convicted, others
confounded and not
