Page 51 - Pictorial History of EUB Church by Glovier
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51 HISTORY OF THE VA CONFERENCE, E.U.B. CHURCH—D.F. GLOVIER
The following pithy characterization has been made as to certain of the
early preachers:
Baer was thoughtful and watchful; Shuey was liberal and generous: Bachtel
was fearless, and independent; Tobey was critical and well informed; Miles was
handsome and animated; Brashier was a sermon memorizer; Hires was a
noble singer and strong revivalist; Knott was a giant in exhortation; Rhinehart
was of fine physique, powerful voice, unusual preaching talent, and tremendous
energy in exhortation.
The biographies of these heroes of faith is in large measure the history of
Virginia Conference of the United Brethren Church from 1800 to 1860.
The Virginia Conference of 1855, held at Mount Hebron, is spoken of as
containing forty-three men, present and absent. All were of good preaching
ability, sound in doctrine, devotional, zealous, and bold as lions.
The preaching in the early days of the Church in Virginia was positive
and dogmatic. “Thus saith the Lord,” settled all questions. Great stress was
laid on the new birth. The contrast was drawn between ruin and death by sin
and salvation and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.
The following incident describes the fine sense of humor that the early
fathers of the church possessed, even though they had hard circuits and received
meager salaries.
Rev. J. Zahn in driving up to a hotel in Romney, W. Va., addressed the
negro porter, saying: “Monsieur, seize this quadruped by its government,
extricate it from the vehicle, arrange it in a separate apartment, polish it with
care, give provender according to debility of its body, and at even I will
compensate your master.”
The white in the darky’s eyes enlarged, his teeth shone, and he made this
remark to the proprietor, who was inside the hotel office: “Come out, here is
a Frenchman talking Greek.”
The following story illustrates how some of the early preachers were
forced to deal with the rough and irreverent fellows who attended their
services.
“Rev. George B. Rimel was without human polish and destitute of the
learning of schools, yet he had a strong mind and was unquestionably called
of God to preach. It is said that he was forceful and his style of preaching
was much needed in the early history of the Conference. He was its
boanerges. During a revival his speech was so hard and plain that the
people were greatly offended. Some half-dozen men made an attack on him
as he was going home from meeting. “Boys,” said he, “Let me alone.
Don’t touch me. If you do, I will straighten my arm on you that the Lord
has given me with which to defend my-
The following pithy characterization has been made as to certain of the
early preachers:
Baer was thoughtful and watchful; Shuey was liberal and generous: Bachtel
was fearless, and independent; Tobey was critical and well informed; Miles was
handsome and animated; Brashier was a sermon memorizer; Hires was a
noble singer and strong revivalist; Knott was a giant in exhortation; Rhinehart
was of fine physique, powerful voice, unusual preaching talent, and tremendous
energy in exhortation.
The biographies of these heroes of faith is in large measure the history of
Virginia Conference of the United Brethren Church from 1800 to 1860.
The Virginia Conference of 1855, held at Mount Hebron, is spoken of as
containing forty-three men, present and absent. All were of good preaching
ability, sound in doctrine, devotional, zealous, and bold as lions.
The preaching in the early days of the Church in Virginia was positive
and dogmatic. “Thus saith the Lord,” settled all questions. Great stress was
laid on the new birth. The contrast was drawn between ruin and death by sin
and salvation and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.
The following incident describes the fine sense of humor that the early
fathers of the church possessed, even though they had hard circuits and received
meager salaries.
Rev. J. Zahn in driving up to a hotel in Romney, W. Va., addressed the
negro porter, saying: “Monsieur, seize this quadruped by its government,
extricate it from the vehicle, arrange it in a separate apartment, polish it with
care, give provender according to debility of its body, and at even I will
compensate your master.”
The white in the darky’s eyes enlarged, his teeth shone, and he made this
remark to the proprietor, who was inside the hotel office: “Come out, here is
a Frenchman talking Greek.”
The following story illustrates how some of the early preachers were
forced to deal with the rough and irreverent fellows who attended their
services.
“Rev. George B. Rimel was without human polish and destitute of the
learning of schools, yet he had a strong mind and was unquestionably called
of God to preach. It is said that he was forceful and his style of preaching
was much needed in the early history of the Conference. He was its
boanerges. During a revival his speech was so hard and plain that the
people were greatly offended. Some half-dozen men made an attack on him
as he was going home from meeting. “Boys,” said he, “Let me alone.
Don’t touch me. If you do, I will straighten my arm on you that the Lord
has given me with which to defend my-
