Page 41 - History of UB Church in Hburg Region
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History of U.B. Churches in Harrisonburg-Staunton Region December 26, 2024
e. “Colored” Churches in Rockingham County, 191211
So far as ascertained, [in 1912] there are eight colored churches in Rockingham: Two Baptist,
two Methodist, and four United Brethren. The colored Baptists in Harrisonburg have had a church
organization for many years. Shiloh Church was dedicated July 11, 1875; and again in June 1882. The
Baptists of Bridgewater erected a church on Mt. Crawford Avenue, near Main Street, about 10 years
ago.
The colored Methodists of Harrisonburg dedicated John Wesley Church November 25, 1866. In
January 1870, they purchased the “brick church on the hill” shortly before [it was] relinquished by the
Baptist congregation (supposedly the colored Baptists), for $2500; and in January 1880 they purchased
Andrew Chapel, on the west side of German Street, [from] the white Methodists. The colored
Methodists of Bridgewater used to meet in an old school house that stood on the southwest side of the
river, not far from Warm Spring. In May 1879, they first used the present house of worship, west of
Main Street. In 1879, Mt. Moriah, the colored M. E. Church at Mt. Vernon Forge, was burned.
The four United Brethren churches [still active] are the following:
Harrisonburg—Organized in April, 1876, by Rev. A. H. Wells.
Linville
Long’s Chapel—Near Lacey Springs; used as early as 1885.
Dunge’s Chapel—Near Pleasant Valley.
Reliable statistics of membership of the colored churches have not been available.
f. History of Freedmen’s Mission in Virginia (Extract from Glovier)12
Slavery, Negro Preachers, And Freedmen’s Missions. From the very first the sentiment of the
Church of the United Brethren in Christ was distinctly against the institution of slavery. This was partly
because the Germans of America were very generally averse to holding slaves, because they held it was
wrong. United Brethren were not generally large land owners but small farmers and did not need slaves. All
the counties in which our church arose were overwhelmingly white in population, and the actual number of
slaveholders was very small.
The General Conference of 1817 was held in Pennsylvania and adopted a rule on slavery which is
stated in very explicit and energetic language. It resolved that “all slavery, in every sense of the word, be
totally prohibited and in no way tolerated in our community.”
Forty years prior to the Civil War the General Conference made slavery a test of membership. No
man, who owned slaves and would not arrange to free them, could remain a member of the church .
This, of course, kept the United Brethren Church out of the South, except in the north of Virginia, where
the church had been carried by the early German settlers, and where there were not many slaves.
Christian Shuey, who gave the land and assisted largely in building Bethlehem Church near Swoope,
Augusta County, Virginia, was a small slave owner. Although he was the class leader and mainstay of his con-
gregation, his son, and his son-in-law, Bishop Glossbrenner, enforced the law of the church against him, and
expelled him from membership in his own church. However, the question of character was not involved,
11 [Wayland 1912, pp. 275-276].
12 The entirety of this section is from [Glover 1965, Chap. 6, pp. 39-56].
I.A.5 U.B. Churches in Rockingham County, 1912 27
e. “Colored” Churches in Rockingham County, 191211
So far as ascertained, [in 1912] there are eight colored churches in Rockingham: Two Baptist,
two Methodist, and four United Brethren. The colored Baptists in Harrisonburg have had a church
organization for many years. Shiloh Church was dedicated July 11, 1875; and again in June 1882. The
Baptists of Bridgewater erected a church on Mt. Crawford Avenue, near Main Street, about 10 years
ago.
The colored Methodists of Harrisonburg dedicated John Wesley Church November 25, 1866. In
January 1870, they purchased the “brick church on the hill” shortly before [it was] relinquished by the
Baptist congregation (supposedly the colored Baptists), for $2500; and in January 1880 they purchased
Andrew Chapel, on the west side of German Street, [from] the white Methodists. The colored
Methodists of Bridgewater used to meet in an old school house that stood on the southwest side of the
river, not far from Warm Spring. In May 1879, they first used the present house of worship, west of
Main Street. In 1879, Mt. Moriah, the colored M. E. Church at Mt. Vernon Forge, was burned.
The four United Brethren churches [still active] are the following:
Harrisonburg—Organized in April, 1876, by Rev. A. H. Wells.
Linville
Long’s Chapel—Near Lacey Springs; used as early as 1885.
Dunge’s Chapel—Near Pleasant Valley.
Reliable statistics of membership of the colored churches have not been available.
f. History of Freedmen’s Mission in Virginia (Extract from Glovier)12
Slavery, Negro Preachers, And Freedmen’s Missions. From the very first the sentiment of the
Church of the United Brethren in Christ was distinctly against the institution of slavery. This was partly
because the Germans of America were very generally averse to holding slaves, because they held it was
wrong. United Brethren were not generally large land owners but small farmers and did not need slaves. All
the counties in which our church arose were overwhelmingly white in population, and the actual number of
slaveholders was very small.
The General Conference of 1817 was held in Pennsylvania and adopted a rule on slavery which is
stated in very explicit and energetic language. It resolved that “all slavery, in every sense of the word, be
totally prohibited and in no way tolerated in our community.”
Forty years prior to the Civil War the General Conference made slavery a test of membership. No
man, who owned slaves and would not arrange to free them, could remain a member of the church .
This, of course, kept the United Brethren Church out of the South, except in the north of Virginia, where
the church had been carried by the early German settlers, and where there were not many slaves.
Christian Shuey, who gave the land and assisted largely in building Bethlehem Church near Swoope,
Augusta County, Virginia, was a small slave owner. Although he was the class leader and mainstay of his con-
gregation, his son, and his son-in-law, Bishop Glossbrenner, enforced the law of the church against him, and
expelled him from membership in his own church. However, the question of character was not involved,
11 [Wayland 1912, pp. 275-276].
12 The entirety of this section is from [Glover 1965, Chap. 6, pp. 39-56].
I.A.5 U.B. Churches in Rockingham County, 1912 27
