Page 24 - History of UB Church by A. Funkhouser Ver 1
P. 24
Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. It adopted a Confession of Faith, substantially the same as
that of 1789, and Rules of Discipline, based on those of Otterbein's church in Baltimore. The
Discipline was ordered to be printed, but only in German. However, the next general conference,
that of 1817, ordered that 100 copies of the Revised Discipline be printed in English. This book
includes forms for the ceremony of marriage and the ordination of bishops and ministers. The
Confession of Faith "rests on the Apostles' Creed and the New Testament, and adds only those
necessary specifications in regard to the application and mission of the gospel that even the
simplest of the later creeds have been compelled to include. The creed might be called a working
creed for a revival people."2
In 1841 the Confession of Faith was revised and a Constitution adopted. These remained in
force until 1889.
It had now been half a century since the meeting of Otterbein and Boehm in Long's barn. The
early fathers of the United Brethren had passed away. Thirteen years more and the ministry had
ceased to be exclusively local. The pioneer period in the history of the church may therefore be
considered to close in 1830.
Of the three leading fathers of the church, Otterbein was the skilled theologian. He was
eloquent and argumentative, and his elucidation of Scriptural truth was exceptionally clear. Boehm
was essentially an exhorter, and his appeal was to the feelings. Geeting was regarded by Henry
Boehm as the greatest orator among the United Brethren.
It is well for us to speak further of George Adam Geeting, whose name in German tongue is
spelled Guething. He came to America in his youth, and settled about 1759 on Antietam Creek near
the present town of Keedysville. In winter he taught school and in the warm weather he quarried
rock and dug wells. He seems to have been converted through the preaching of Otterbein and he at
once became an earnest Christian. For a while he read printed sermons to his congregation.
Discerning that Geeting was capable of doing better than this, Otterbein had a friend come up
behind the young preacher and take the book out of his hand. Geeting was thus thrown back on his
own resources, yet delivered an impressive discourse. In 1783 he was ordained as a minister of the
Reformed Church. The Geeting meeting house, a small log building dating from a little before the
beginning of the Revolution, is believed to have been the first house of worship built by Otterbein's
followers of the revival movement. Otterbein was too heavy a man to be cast out of the Reformed
Church, yet Geeting was expelled for "wildly fanatical" preaching that was at variance with
"decency and order." Thenceforward, his home was with the new church, of which he has been
called the St. John, and also the Apollos. He was the traveling companion and adviser of Otterbein.
His house was a favorite stopping place for Newcomer and other early preachers. His meeting
house was an Antioch to the young church and many revivals took place here. Geeting died in 1812
at the age of seventy-three years. Otterbein, Boehm, and Geeting were the "clover leaf" of the
early church, and their departure occurred at nearly the same time. This coincidence, coming as it
did in the formative period of the church, had a depressing effect. Much depended on the new
leadership that became necessary.
2 Drury. 24 Early Years of the
Chapter VI
Church
that of 1789, and Rules of Discipline, based on those of Otterbein's church in Baltimore. The
Discipline was ordered to be printed, but only in German. However, the next general conference,
that of 1817, ordered that 100 copies of the Revised Discipline be printed in English. This book
includes forms for the ceremony of marriage and the ordination of bishops and ministers. The
Confession of Faith "rests on the Apostles' Creed and the New Testament, and adds only those
necessary specifications in regard to the application and mission of the gospel that even the
simplest of the later creeds have been compelled to include. The creed might be called a working
creed for a revival people."2
In 1841 the Confession of Faith was revised and a Constitution adopted. These remained in
force until 1889.
It had now been half a century since the meeting of Otterbein and Boehm in Long's barn. The
early fathers of the United Brethren had passed away. Thirteen years more and the ministry had
ceased to be exclusively local. The pioneer period in the history of the church may therefore be
considered to close in 1830.
Of the three leading fathers of the church, Otterbein was the skilled theologian. He was
eloquent and argumentative, and his elucidation of Scriptural truth was exceptionally clear. Boehm
was essentially an exhorter, and his appeal was to the feelings. Geeting was regarded by Henry
Boehm as the greatest orator among the United Brethren.
It is well for us to speak further of George Adam Geeting, whose name in German tongue is
spelled Guething. He came to America in his youth, and settled about 1759 on Antietam Creek near
the present town of Keedysville. In winter he taught school and in the warm weather he quarried
rock and dug wells. He seems to have been converted through the preaching of Otterbein and he at
once became an earnest Christian. For a while he read printed sermons to his congregation.
Discerning that Geeting was capable of doing better than this, Otterbein had a friend come up
behind the young preacher and take the book out of his hand. Geeting was thus thrown back on his
own resources, yet delivered an impressive discourse. In 1783 he was ordained as a minister of the
Reformed Church. The Geeting meeting house, a small log building dating from a little before the
beginning of the Revolution, is believed to have been the first house of worship built by Otterbein's
followers of the revival movement. Otterbein was too heavy a man to be cast out of the Reformed
Church, yet Geeting was expelled for "wildly fanatical" preaching that was at variance with
"decency and order." Thenceforward, his home was with the new church, of which he has been
called the St. John, and also the Apollos. He was the traveling companion and adviser of Otterbein.
His house was a favorite stopping place for Newcomer and other early preachers. His meeting
house was an Antioch to the young church and many revivals took place here. Geeting died in 1812
at the age of seventy-three years. Otterbein, Boehm, and Geeting were the "clover leaf" of the
early church, and their departure occurred at nearly the same time. This coincidence, coming as it
did in the formative period of the church, had a depressing effect. Much depended on the new
leadership that became necessary.
2 Drury. 24 Early Years of the
Chapter VI
Church
