Page 102 - History of UB Church by A. Funkhouser Ver 1
P. 102
The wife of Dr. Funkhouser was Miss Minnie King, from Westerville, Ohio. Their children are Mrs.
Jessie P. Roudabush, Samuel K. Funkhouser, Mrs. Mary W. Rogers, and Edward K. Funkhouser. He
was a kind husband and father and the Funkhouser home was a happy one.
As specimens of Dr. Funkhouser's literary efforts, we present his address on "Our Church
Centenary," delivered at Lebanon Valley College, December 10, 1873, while yet a college student,
and his fraternal address to the General Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church, May 24,
1912.
OUR CHURCH CENTENARY
One hundred years ago, the blessings of civil and religious liberty did not crown our country as
they do to-day. Washington,—the greatness of whose character every one knows,—had not yet led
the American army to victory. The galling yoke of oppression bore heavily upon our ancestors. The
republic had not yet been established. Everywhere, the people were rising against tyranny, and our
political horizon was dark. Nor was this darkness confined alone to the political aspects of the
country. In a great measure, the Church had lost her original purity; form had taken the place of
power. Experimental religion was unknown even to many leading members of the Church. Yet there
were some worthy exceptions. Noble men and women, in different parts of the land, were
endeavoring to arouse and awaken the Church from her lethargy.
Prominent among these illustrious workers were found William Otterbein, Martin Boehm,
George Geeting, and others, who by their zeal in good works and their untiring energy brought
many souls to Christ and thus laid the foundation of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ.
And now we are about to be called upon to celebrate properly the one hundredth year of her
existence.
Let us take a glance at her history up to the present time. For years Otterbein and his co-
laborers directed their efforts alone to the conversion of souls. Consequently most of the converts
were gathered into other churches. But from the time Otterbein clasped Boehm in his arms and
exclaimed, "We are brethren," they looked forward to organic union. But this was not attempted
until years after. At the great meeting at Isaac Long's, God poured out his spirit upon the vast
assembly, composed of members of many churches and of as many different opinions. From this
meeting the revival influence spread in many directions. A few preachers were raised up, who
carried the gospel into the states of Maryland and Virginia. Some of their earnest workers
emigrated to Ohio and soon raised the gospel banner in the then Far West. Large meetings were
held in many places, and hundreds, yea, thousands, were converted to God, and scores were
received into the Church. The efforts were thus far confined to the German language and entirely
to the rural districts. Our fathers avoided large towns and cities.
But the country was filling up with English-speaking people, and thus arose a demand for an
English ministry which the Church was slow to supply. However, when the ministry was partially
supplied with English preachers, the progress of the Church was rapid. While some were zealously
laboring here in the East, others moved with the tide of emigration, and were soon preaching to
the inhabitants of the woods and prairies of the West. Thus the borders of the Church were
enlarged, and by the efforts of earnest men she has continued to advance until to-day she extends
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from Canada to Tennessee.
But progress for the first century was slow. Indeed, viewing it from a human standpoint, it was
remarkably slow. Near the close of this period her labor is still confined to German settlements,
without a printed discipline, a printing establishment, newspaper, college, missionary society, or
well organized itinerancy. Two annual conference districts embrace the entire work, without a house
of worship west of the Alleghany Mountains and but few east of them. In a tribute paid to the
Church in 1813 by the venerable Bishop Asbury, he estimates the whole membership to be 20,000,
and the number of ministers, 100. By a series of calamitous events between 1810 and 1820, the
membership was so primed down that by 1820 it numbered only about 9,000.
Thus we see the Church, after a struggle of forty-six years, with less than 10,000 members and
possessing nothing to make these permanent. Indeed, in the decade mentioned, despite all the
work done, there had been a total loss of more than 1,000.
Chapter XXIII 102 Sketch of A.P.
Funkhowser
Jessie P. Roudabush, Samuel K. Funkhouser, Mrs. Mary W. Rogers, and Edward K. Funkhouser. He
was a kind husband and father and the Funkhouser home was a happy one.
As specimens of Dr. Funkhouser's literary efforts, we present his address on "Our Church
Centenary," delivered at Lebanon Valley College, December 10, 1873, while yet a college student,
and his fraternal address to the General Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church, May 24,
1912.
OUR CHURCH CENTENARY
One hundred years ago, the blessings of civil and religious liberty did not crown our country as
they do to-day. Washington,—the greatness of whose character every one knows,—had not yet led
the American army to victory. The galling yoke of oppression bore heavily upon our ancestors. The
republic had not yet been established. Everywhere, the people were rising against tyranny, and our
political horizon was dark. Nor was this darkness confined alone to the political aspects of the
country. In a great measure, the Church had lost her original purity; form had taken the place of
power. Experimental religion was unknown even to many leading members of the Church. Yet there
were some worthy exceptions. Noble men and women, in different parts of the land, were
endeavoring to arouse and awaken the Church from her lethargy.
Prominent among these illustrious workers were found William Otterbein, Martin Boehm,
George Geeting, and others, who by their zeal in good works and their untiring energy brought
many souls to Christ and thus laid the foundation of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ.
And now we are about to be called upon to celebrate properly the one hundredth year of her
existence.
Let us take a glance at her history up to the present time. For years Otterbein and his co-
laborers directed their efforts alone to the conversion of souls. Consequently most of the converts
were gathered into other churches. But from the time Otterbein clasped Boehm in his arms and
exclaimed, "We are brethren," they looked forward to organic union. But this was not attempted
until years after. At the great meeting at Isaac Long's, God poured out his spirit upon the vast
assembly, composed of members of many churches and of as many different opinions. From this
meeting the revival influence spread in many directions. A few preachers were raised up, who
carried the gospel into the states of Maryland and Virginia. Some of their earnest workers
emigrated to Ohio and soon raised the gospel banner in the then Far West. Large meetings were
held in many places, and hundreds, yea, thousands, were converted to God, and scores were
received into the Church. The efforts were thus far confined to the German language and entirely
to the rural districts. Our fathers avoided large towns and cities.
But the country was filling up with English-speaking people, and thus arose a demand for an
English ministry which the Church was slow to supply. However, when the ministry was partially
supplied with English preachers, the progress of the Church was rapid. While some were zealously
laboring here in the East, others moved with the tide of emigration, and were soon preaching to
the inhabitants of the woods and prairies of the West. Thus the borders of the Church were
enlarged, and by the efforts of earnest men she has continued to advance until to-day she extends
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from Canada to Tennessee.
But progress for the first century was slow. Indeed, viewing it from a human standpoint, it was
remarkably slow. Near the close of this period her labor is still confined to German settlements,
without a printed discipline, a printing establishment, newspaper, college, missionary society, or
well organized itinerancy. Two annual conference districts embrace the entire work, without a house
of worship west of the Alleghany Mountains and but few east of them. In a tribute paid to the
Church in 1813 by the venerable Bishop Asbury, he estimates the whole membership to be 20,000,
and the number of ministers, 100. By a series of calamitous events between 1810 and 1820, the
membership was so primed down that by 1820 it numbered only about 9,000.
Thus we see the Church, after a struggle of forty-six years, with less than 10,000 members and
possessing nothing to make these permanent. Indeed, in the decade mentioned, despite all the
work done, there had been a total loss of more than 1,000.
Chapter XXIII 102 Sketch of A.P.
Funkhowser
