Page 40 - History of UB Church by A. Funkhouser Ver 1
P. 40
The same writer gives a personal incident. At a conference session in March, 1850, the only
daughter of Jacob Funkhouser, an interesting young lady, seventeen years of age, came into church
in the afternoon, this being the first time she attended conference in day time. The pews faced the
doors, and by looking straight ahead, one could see every one coming into the church. The writer
looked, saw, and was conquered. By the time she had reached her seat, he had decided she was
the ideal of the woman he wanted. He had not been thinking of marrying for at least five years,
and in his case there were good reasons why marriage should be delayed. But in looking at Miss
Funkhouser, the matter was settled at once. She and her family were perfect strangers, yet he
made up his mind to marry her very soon if it were all right with her. He had been traveling a
circuit three years, had been over the whole conference district, and had become acquainted with
hundreds of interesting young ladies, many of them suitable for becoming the wives of preachers.
Yet not one of them had appealed to him as a wife. There was now the purpose to marry as soon
as he could. But it took months of the most assiduous courting before the wish was accomplished.
The Funkhousers were Lutherans. A young Lutheran minister wanted her as much as he did, and
prosecuted his suit with all the power that was in him. Devotion, perseverance, and ardent love
won a triumph, and the marriage was solemnized by Jacob Markwood. Yet the couple were
permitted to walk together only fourteen months.
About this time the narrator was assigned to Winchester circuit, which included twenty-nine
appointments scattered over the counties of Frederick, Morgan, Berkeley, Clarke, and Warren. His
colleague was John E. Perry, a most unpromising candidate, who had a hard time getting into
conference, although it turned out there was no mistake in admitting him. Each of the two men
made a round every five weeks, meeting twice in every round at the house of Isaac Stanholtz, not
far from the Morgan line. There they spent one night together, the preaching being alternately by
the two men. The narrator's revival meeting at the Quaker meeting house near Anthony
Funkhouser's resulted in about eighty conversions and three new church buildings; United
Brethren, Lutheran, and Reformed. As preacher-in-charge, he gave a sermon one Sunday morning
at the meeting at Green Spring. The large building was well filled, both floor and gallery, with
intelligent, well-to-do people. The narrator was thought to be much the better preacher, and used
for his text, "Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, all is vanity." But the sermon was a most
wretched failure and very mortifying to the preacher as well as to all the friends of the church.
Jacob Hott invited him to dinner, as was his custom, his home being open to all the preachers. Hott
was a most excellent judge of preaching and one of the greatest "Scriptorians" the writer ever
knew. When about halfway home he looked toward the preachers and said in a laughing manner,
"Brother Statton, it was vanity of vanities all the way through and nothing but vanity. Why did you
not take a text that had something in it? Then you could have preached a sermon that we would
not be ashamed of." The good dinner was not enjoyed by a certain one of the guests. At night
Perry preached to another crowded house a sermon that was excellent, considering that at that
time he was inexperienced, and uncouth and awkward in address. This time he won the laurels and
carried them away in glorious triumph. On this circuit Statton's salary was $140, his colleague's
$100. Yet they lived on what they received and were happy. Perry was a devout Christian, lived an
honored life, and died in old age at Philadelphia. Before his conversion George B. Rimel was a
hardworking farmer, and afterward he still labored with his hands a good deal. He was without
human polish and destitute of the learning of the schools, and from a human viewpoint was a most
unpromising candidate for the ministry. Yet he had a strong mind and was unquestionably called to
preach the gospel. He was powerful in prayer and clear and pointed in his application of Bible truth
to the conscience. Churches sometimes err in calling men into church work, but God never does.
The work Rimel performed could not have been done by anyone else. He was forceful and his style
of preaching was much needed in the early history of the conference. He was its Boanerges. He
gave sledgehammer blows at sin without fear of the consequences, for there was no fear in him.
During a revival in Harbaugh's Valley, Maryland, his speech was so plain and hard 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 myself, and you will think a horse has kicked you.
I don't want to hurt you." There was no further trouble in that neighborhood. At another time,
while on his way to Brock's Gap, Rimel lodged with Andrew Horn, a prominent member near
Turleytown. There was a union church in his neighborhood, and it was a moderately good building
Chapter X 40 Reminiscences of Some Early
Preachers
daughter of Jacob Funkhouser, an interesting young lady, seventeen years of age, came into church
in the afternoon, this being the first time she attended conference in day time. The pews faced the
doors, and by looking straight ahead, one could see every one coming into the church. The writer
looked, saw, and was conquered. By the time she had reached her seat, he had decided she was
the ideal of the woman he wanted. He had not been thinking of marrying for at least five years,
and in his case there were good reasons why marriage should be delayed. But in looking at Miss
Funkhouser, the matter was settled at once. She and her family were perfect strangers, yet he
made up his mind to marry her very soon if it were all right with her. He had been traveling a
circuit three years, had been over the whole conference district, and had become acquainted with
hundreds of interesting young ladies, many of them suitable for becoming the wives of preachers.
Yet not one of them had appealed to him as a wife. There was now the purpose to marry as soon
as he could. But it took months of the most assiduous courting before the wish was accomplished.
The Funkhousers were Lutherans. A young Lutheran minister wanted her as much as he did, and
prosecuted his suit with all the power that was in him. Devotion, perseverance, and ardent love
won a triumph, and the marriage was solemnized by Jacob Markwood. Yet the couple were
permitted to walk together only fourteen months.
About this time the narrator was assigned to Winchester circuit, which included twenty-nine
appointments scattered over the counties of Frederick, Morgan, Berkeley, Clarke, and Warren. His
colleague was John E. Perry, a most unpromising candidate, who had a hard time getting into
conference, although it turned out there was no mistake in admitting him. Each of the two men
made a round every five weeks, meeting twice in every round at the house of Isaac Stanholtz, not
far from the Morgan line. There they spent one night together, the preaching being alternately by
the two men. The narrator's revival meeting at the Quaker meeting house near Anthony
Funkhouser's resulted in about eighty conversions and three new church buildings; United
Brethren, Lutheran, and Reformed. As preacher-in-charge, he gave a sermon one Sunday morning
at the meeting at Green Spring. The large building was well filled, both floor and gallery, with
intelligent, well-to-do people. The narrator was thought to be much the better preacher, and used
for his text, "Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, all is vanity." But the sermon was a most
wretched failure and very mortifying to the preacher as well as to all the friends of the church.
Jacob Hott invited him to dinner, as was his custom, his home being open to all the preachers. Hott
was a most excellent judge of preaching and one of the greatest "Scriptorians" the writer ever
knew. When about halfway home he looked toward the preachers and said in a laughing manner,
"Brother Statton, it was vanity of vanities all the way through and nothing but vanity. Why did you
not take a text that had something in it? Then you could have preached a sermon that we would
not be ashamed of." The good dinner was not enjoyed by a certain one of the guests. At night
Perry preached to another crowded house a sermon that was excellent, considering that at that
time he was inexperienced, and uncouth and awkward in address. This time he won the laurels and
carried them away in glorious triumph. On this circuit Statton's salary was $140, his colleague's
$100. Yet they lived on what they received and were happy. Perry was a devout Christian, lived an
honored life, and died in old age at Philadelphia. Before his conversion George B. Rimel was a
hardworking farmer, and afterward he still labored with his hands a good deal. He was without
human polish and destitute of the learning of the schools, and from a human viewpoint was a most
unpromising candidate for the ministry. Yet he had a strong mind and was unquestionably called to
preach the gospel. He was powerful in prayer and clear and pointed in his application of Bible truth
to the conscience. Churches sometimes err in calling men into church work, but God never does.
The work Rimel performed could not have been done by anyone else. He was forceful and his style
of preaching was much needed in the early history of the conference. He was its Boanerges. He
gave sledgehammer blows at sin without fear of the consequences, for there was no fear in him.
During a revival in Harbaugh's Valley, Maryland, his speech was so plain and hard 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 myself, and you will think a horse has kicked you.
I don't want to hurt you." There was no further trouble in that neighborhood. At another time,
while on his way to Brock's Gap, Rimel lodged with Andrew Horn, a prominent member near
Turleytown. There was a union church in his neighborhood, and it was a moderately good building
Chapter X 40 Reminiscences of Some Early
Preachers
