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History of U.B. Churches in Harrisonburg-Staunton Region December 26, 2024
U.B. Focus in Shenandoah Valley. It was in the Shenandoah Valley where the Mission had its
most long-reaching effect. This was accomplished mostly in Augusta and Rockingham Counties of
Virginia. Rockingham County seems to be the center of the Freedmen’s Mission Project, as most of the
FM churches were organized here, and the Augusta [FM] Charge was often included with Rockingham
County. The early ministers for the Mission were all transferred to, or were on loan to, the Virginia
Conference from northern conferences. Many times, there were no ministers appointed to the Mission
and were listed at the end of Annual Conference as “to be supplied.” At these times, often lay or local
ministers served the Mission.
b. The Ministers for Freedmen’s Missions
It should be noted that these ministers served both Rockingham and Augusta Counties at one
time or another, and sometimes both at the same time. Not much information is available about these
ministers, except for a few who were important to the Freedmen’s Mission. Many times there were no
ministers assigned to the Mission, and are listed as “Freedmen’s Mission to be supplied.” Often these
Churches were ministered by lay leaders or local ministers, when no minister was assigned to the
Freedmen’s Mission by the Virginia Conference. There were a number of white members of the United
Brethren Church that built churches for the colored population as early as 1815, as the United Brethren
opposed slavery at that time. There is no mention of a Freedmen’s Mission until the Conference Minutes
of 1869, and no mention of an actual Mission Church or ministers until 1870. It should be noted that
John Brown and S. T. Wells were preachers sometime before 1870, but were probably Methodist
Episcopal (today known as AME) at that time. They converted to the United Brethren Church because
of the United Brethren’s ties with the black community, as well as theology of both churches being
similar. After the dissolving of the Freedmen’s Mission by the United Brethren Church in 1809, many of
these churches were absorbed into the African Methodist-Episcopal Church.
The following U.B. preachers are arranged in the chronological order of their known period of
services in the Virginia Conference:
John Brown, 1870.
S. T Wells, 1875-1877. Transferred from the Des Moines Conference
James A. Evans, 1875-1880 & 1895. Rev. J. A. Evans was accepted by transfer from the
Michigan Conference. As a member of the Virginia Conference, he was sent by the General
Board of Missions, as a missionary to Freetown, West Africa, in 1880. He and his wife served as
missionaries for a number of years, died, and were buried in Africa. Rev. Evans was also a
missionary to Africa before he was assigned to the Freedmen’s Mission in 1878. He served both
the Rockingham and Augusta Charges before returning to the Missionary field.
Frank Paine (Payne) (Layman), 1880-1882. No Active Minister assigned to the Freedmen’s
Mission during this period.
J. Waite, 1879.
I.A.5 U.B. Churches in Rockingham County, 1912 21
U.B. Focus in Shenandoah Valley. It was in the Shenandoah Valley where the Mission had its
most long-reaching effect. This was accomplished mostly in Augusta and Rockingham Counties of
Virginia. Rockingham County seems to be the center of the Freedmen’s Mission Project, as most of the
FM churches were organized here, and the Augusta [FM] Charge was often included with Rockingham
County. The early ministers for the Mission were all transferred to, or were on loan to, the Virginia
Conference from northern conferences. Many times, there were no ministers appointed to the Mission
and were listed at the end of Annual Conference as “to be supplied.” At these times, often lay or local
ministers served the Mission.
b. The Ministers for Freedmen’s Missions
It should be noted that these ministers served both Rockingham and Augusta Counties at one
time or another, and sometimes both at the same time. Not much information is available about these
ministers, except for a few who were important to the Freedmen’s Mission. Many times there were no
ministers assigned to the Mission, and are listed as “Freedmen’s Mission to be supplied.” Often these
Churches were ministered by lay leaders or local ministers, when no minister was assigned to the
Freedmen’s Mission by the Virginia Conference. There were a number of white members of the United
Brethren Church that built churches for the colored population as early as 1815, as the United Brethren
opposed slavery at that time. There is no mention of a Freedmen’s Mission until the Conference Minutes
of 1869, and no mention of an actual Mission Church or ministers until 1870. It should be noted that
John Brown and S. T. Wells were preachers sometime before 1870, but were probably Methodist
Episcopal (today known as AME) at that time. They converted to the United Brethren Church because
of the United Brethren’s ties with the black community, as well as theology of both churches being
similar. After the dissolving of the Freedmen’s Mission by the United Brethren Church in 1809, many of
these churches were absorbed into the African Methodist-Episcopal Church.
The following U.B. preachers are arranged in the chronological order of their known period of
services in the Virginia Conference:
John Brown, 1870.
S. T Wells, 1875-1877. Transferred from the Des Moines Conference
James A. Evans, 1875-1880 & 1895. Rev. J. A. Evans was accepted by transfer from the
Michigan Conference. As a member of the Virginia Conference, he was sent by the General
Board of Missions, as a missionary to Freetown, West Africa, in 1880. He and his wife served as
missionaries for a number of years, died, and were buried in Africa. Rev. Evans was also a
missionary to Africa before he was assigned to the Freedmen’s Mission in 1878. He served both
the Rockingham and Augusta Charges before returning to the Missionary field.
Frank Paine (Payne) (Layman), 1880-1882. No Active Minister assigned to the Freedmen’s
Mission during this period.
J. Waite, 1879.
I.A.5 U.B. Churches in Rockingham County, 1912 21
