Page 42 - History of UB Church by A. Funkhouser Ver 1
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first sent to "the College," which he found "marvelous in extent, but the scenery sublime, the air
balmy and bracing." The twenty-four appointments paid $64.40, but Selim, the dapple riding horse,
made the salary go far enough. The moral atmosphere for producing ministerial life was strong in
Pendleton and Frederick. In his soliloquy on what "some of our college-padded preachers of to-day
would do with such a charge," Mr. Fulkerson observes that "simplicity of dress with both men and
women has always been an admonition with me. If the greedy, unnecessary expenses of the
Christian Church in dress, living, and house furnishing were wisely applied to the building of church
houses and missionary effort, the world would soon be brought to God." United Brethren services
were then being transferred from the German to the English. The Virginia Conference was having
four stubborn difficulties to deal with. The German speech was giving way to the English. The
church could hold the parents, but the children were passing out of its control. George Hildt, a
strong representative preacher, had four sons preaching in other denominations. Another was too
long a delay in opening church schools. A third was slavery. Many good, honest slaveholders
attending the services of the church approved its doctrines and methods. Yet they did not see their
way to become members because they sometimes became owners of slaves not from choice, but
by legacy or marriage. The last cases of slavery in the United Brethren Church were disposed of in
1851. A fourth cause was secrecy, which turned away hundreds. Fulkerson, however, mentions a
fifth, when he remarks that a false attitude on church support is hard to correct. He preached one
full year where one member of his flock was said to be worth $80,000. At the end of the year this
man handed him a dollar. The preacher looked at the munificent gift with astonishment. "Do not be
startled," remarked the money-grubber, "I have heard better preaching than you gave,— (referring
to the fathers), and it did not cost me a cent."
Before any of the Statton family joined the United Brethren, they called the sect fanatical,
because they had been reared in the blue-stocking idea that all religious meetings must be
conducted in decency and order. When Rimel was presiding elder the Brethren had a camp-meeting
at Culp's old ground. J. F. Statton attended, more through curiosity than anything else. He was
then a young man of twenty-four and had taught several years in his home neighborhood. At the
Sunday night service Rimel preached in German, giving sinners such sledgehammer blows that
Statton was pounded into unconsciousness. When he came to himself he found himself at the
mourner's bench, a place he had despised above any other, not excepting the saloon. Before the
altar service closed, Statton was most powerfully converted, and he never got over the shouting
proclivity he then acquired. The Statton family had a tender recollection of the names of George B.
Rimel, John Ruebush, and John Fulkerson. It was the devout prayer of J. F. Statton that the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Pentecostal showers might return to the church in all her revivals.
"Some of the old fellows are getting awfully tired of the machinery revivals of the professional
evangelist."
Andrew J. Haney entered the conference in 1831. He opened the mission between Knobby Hills
and the South Branch. Hershey, Markwood, Ruebush, and Fulkerson followed consecutively. "The
College" was healthy, happy, romantic, the picturesque scenery adding enchantment to the toil.
1845 was a good year on South Branch, and the good effects were to be seen many years later. An
aged man dying of cancer asked Fulkerson to preach his funeral sermon. A day was appointed, the
whole country around gathered, and the preacher talked to them and the sick man from Isaiah
XLVI, 4. The man died within the month. This was the first and last time he conducted a funeral
service for a person still living. Haney changed his preaching from German to English, and though
it was a "kind of mixture," he was still very successful. He made it a point to look after the young
and to interest them in church activities. His first home as a preacher was with Abraham
Funkhouser, whose two children were taught in English and this compelled him to converse with
them in the same language. He visited about one hundred families this year. He rode up to
Benjamin Stickley's place and asked him if he would keep a preacher. "Yes, and his horse too," was
the response. Haney praised the purity of the water and though he did not say so, he thought it ran
into a very filthy place. As they turned away from the spring, he told Stickley he knew of a purer
fountain. The distiller understood the allusion and said Haney must preach here. Stickley sent out
his children to solicit an audience and fixed seats under the sugar trees near the stillhouse. It was
after this that Stickley became a Christian and tore out his still. Both Haney and Hershey held
meetings at his house and a number were there converted. Stickley told others that after Haney
Chapter X 42 Reminiscences of Some Early
Preachers
balmy and bracing." The twenty-four appointments paid $64.40, but Selim, the dapple riding horse,
made the salary go far enough. The moral atmosphere for producing ministerial life was strong in
Pendleton and Frederick. In his soliloquy on what "some of our college-padded preachers of to-day
would do with such a charge," Mr. Fulkerson observes that "simplicity of dress with both men and
women has always been an admonition with me. If the greedy, unnecessary expenses of the
Christian Church in dress, living, and house furnishing were wisely applied to the building of church
houses and missionary effort, the world would soon be brought to God." United Brethren services
were then being transferred from the German to the English. The Virginia Conference was having
four stubborn difficulties to deal with. The German speech was giving way to the English. The
church could hold the parents, but the children were passing out of its control. George Hildt, a
strong representative preacher, had four sons preaching in other denominations. Another was too
long a delay in opening church schools. A third was slavery. Many good, honest slaveholders
attending the services of the church approved its doctrines and methods. Yet they did not see their
way to become members because they sometimes became owners of slaves not from choice, but
by legacy or marriage. The last cases of slavery in the United Brethren Church were disposed of in
1851. A fourth cause was secrecy, which turned away hundreds. Fulkerson, however, mentions a
fifth, when he remarks that a false attitude on church support is hard to correct. He preached one
full year where one member of his flock was said to be worth $80,000. At the end of the year this
man handed him a dollar. The preacher looked at the munificent gift with astonishment. "Do not be
startled," remarked the money-grubber, "I have heard better preaching than you gave,— (referring
to the fathers), and it did not cost me a cent."
Before any of the Statton family joined the United Brethren, they called the sect fanatical,
because they had been reared in the blue-stocking idea that all religious meetings must be
conducted in decency and order. When Rimel was presiding elder the Brethren had a camp-meeting
at Culp's old ground. J. F. Statton attended, more through curiosity than anything else. He was
then a young man of twenty-four and had taught several years in his home neighborhood. At the
Sunday night service Rimel preached in German, giving sinners such sledgehammer blows that
Statton was pounded into unconsciousness. When he came to himself he found himself at the
mourner's bench, a place he had despised above any other, not excepting the saloon. Before the
altar service closed, Statton was most powerfully converted, and he never got over the shouting
proclivity he then acquired. The Statton family had a tender recollection of the names of George B.
Rimel, John Ruebush, and John Fulkerson. It was the devout prayer of J. F. Statton that the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Pentecostal showers might return to the church in all her revivals.
"Some of the old fellows are getting awfully tired of the machinery revivals of the professional
evangelist."
Andrew J. Haney entered the conference in 1831. He opened the mission between Knobby Hills
and the South Branch. Hershey, Markwood, Ruebush, and Fulkerson followed consecutively. "The
College" was healthy, happy, romantic, the picturesque scenery adding enchantment to the toil.
1845 was a good year on South Branch, and the good effects were to be seen many years later. An
aged man dying of cancer asked Fulkerson to preach his funeral sermon. A day was appointed, the
whole country around gathered, and the preacher talked to them and the sick man from Isaiah
XLVI, 4. The man died within the month. This was the first and last time he conducted a funeral
service for a person still living. Haney changed his preaching from German to English, and though
it was a "kind of mixture," he was still very successful. He made it a point to look after the young
and to interest them in church activities. His first home as a preacher was with Abraham
Funkhouser, whose two children were taught in English and this compelled him to converse with
them in the same language. He visited about one hundred families this year. He rode up to
Benjamin Stickley's place and asked him if he would keep a preacher. "Yes, and his horse too," was
the response. Haney praised the purity of the water and though he did not say so, he thought it ran
into a very filthy place. As they turned away from the spring, he told Stickley he knew of a purer
fountain. The distiller understood the allusion and said Haney must preach here. Stickley sent out
his children to solicit an audience and fixed seats under the sugar trees near the stillhouse. It was
after this that Stickley became a Christian and tore out his still. Both Haney and Hershey held
meetings at his house and a number were there converted. Stickley told others that after Haney
Chapter X 42 Reminiscences of Some Early
Preachers
