Page 52 - History of UB Church by A. Funkhouser Ver 1
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the article, "Right Side Up," by the editor, Mr. Edwards, "which we regard as saying, substantially,
that the wrong side was up at the time being;" and by "Zethar," concerning " 'a religion more
refined and less repulsive to the feelings of the fashionable,' which, with its connection, we regard
as saying of us that our resolution proposing to 'consider the propriety,' etc., approbated upon our
part the refinement and fashionableness related to slavery."
These resolutions show, after all, that the Virginia membership was sensitive on the topic of
slavery. That this membership was but a small part of the total membership of the church, and that
it was resident in a locality not thoroughly permeated by the slave labor system, were the
conditions that prevented a schism, comparable to that which took place a few years earlier in the
Methodist Episcopal Church.
"The Conference News" was finally established as the local organ of the Virginia Conference, but
it was discontinued in 1911.
As to the province of a denominational paper, the projector of this book made the following
observations:
"Debate is inherent in democracy. As the highest form of government, democracy demands the
highest intelligence and the soundest morality. The Puritan experiment in government provided the
town meeting and the schoolhouse by the side of the church.
The United Brethren in theory is the most democratic church in America. Have we made the
full, intelligent, and general participation of our people in church government one of our distinctive
characteristics? Our highest law-making body is made by the direct vote of our people, and yet
how few voted in the recent election.
The forum must be our church paper.
The General Conference is one-half ministers (of whom one-half follow the leaders) and one-
half laymen, few of whom have given thought to church problems or taken an active part in
legislation. These will come with good hearts but feeling the need of more information. If there is
lack of vision, where's the wonder?"
For many years instrumental music in church worship was held in great disfavor, and so late as
1865 there was a rule against its use. Neither were there any choirs, and ministers never thought
of reading their sermons. It was about this time that that stern conservative, Bishop Edwards,
protested against placing an organ in the Sunday school at Dayton, Ohio. This prejudice has faded
away, as has also the prejudice against mustaches and long beards among the ministers.
So late as 1845 the Church was taking little interest in frontier and foreign missions, the
reasons being thus summed up by a minister who began preaching about the time mentioned: "A
want of information concerning the state of the world, and the little interest the preachers feel on
the subject. There is not the taste for reading among us there ought to be. Intelligence, liberality,
and virtue generally go hand in hand." And yet foreign missionary work was begun in 1854, and in
the home field still earlier. There are now missions in Japan, China, Africa, the Philippines and Porto
Rico.
A mission in Germany was opened in 1869. As a people mainly of German origin, the United
Brethren would seem eminently suited to arrest the coming back of the thinly disguised Teutonic
paganism which has been so painfully in evidence since 1914. Even in the youth of Otterbein, the
German Reformation of the sixteen century had spent its force. He was himself aware of the wave
of rationalism that was spreading mental and moral ruin in its haughty and self-sufficient march
over Germany. The established churches of that land were forced into a subservient attitude toward
the state. This is why Spener, himself a Lutheran, sought comfort in separation from the ruling
elements of life. This explains why he and his followers sought to promote inward piety in the
restricted fellowship of kindred souls.
The earliest history of the United Brethren Church is Spayth's, and it did not appear until 1851.
It has been followed by several others, and by many volumes on biography and reminiscence.
A church paper to represent the narrowing German-speaking element was started in Baltimore
in 1841. The General Sunday School Board appeared in 1865, the Board of Education and the
Church Erection Society in 1869, and the Woman's Missionary Association in 1875.
Chapter XIII 52 The Church in Recent
Times
that the wrong side was up at the time being;" and by "Zethar," concerning " 'a religion more
refined and less repulsive to the feelings of the fashionable,' which, with its connection, we regard
as saying of us that our resolution proposing to 'consider the propriety,' etc., approbated upon our
part the refinement and fashionableness related to slavery."
These resolutions show, after all, that the Virginia membership was sensitive on the topic of
slavery. That this membership was but a small part of the total membership of the church, and that
it was resident in a locality not thoroughly permeated by the slave labor system, were the
conditions that prevented a schism, comparable to that which took place a few years earlier in the
Methodist Episcopal Church.
"The Conference News" was finally established as the local organ of the Virginia Conference, but
it was discontinued in 1911.
As to the province of a denominational paper, the projector of this book made the following
observations:
"Debate is inherent in democracy. As the highest form of government, democracy demands the
highest intelligence and the soundest morality. The Puritan experiment in government provided the
town meeting and the schoolhouse by the side of the church.
The United Brethren in theory is the most democratic church in America. Have we made the
full, intelligent, and general participation of our people in church government one of our distinctive
characteristics? Our highest law-making body is made by the direct vote of our people, and yet
how few voted in the recent election.
The forum must be our church paper.
The General Conference is one-half ministers (of whom one-half follow the leaders) and one-
half laymen, few of whom have given thought to church problems or taken an active part in
legislation. These will come with good hearts but feeling the need of more information. If there is
lack of vision, where's the wonder?"
For many years instrumental music in church worship was held in great disfavor, and so late as
1865 there was a rule against its use. Neither were there any choirs, and ministers never thought
of reading their sermons. It was about this time that that stern conservative, Bishop Edwards,
protested against placing an organ in the Sunday school at Dayton, Ohio. This prejudice has faded
away, as has also the prejudice against mustaches and long beards among the ministers.
So late as 1845 the Church was taking little interest in frontier and foreign missions, the
reasons being thus summed up by a minister who began preaching about the time mentioned: "A
want of information concerning the state of the world, and the little interest the preachers feel on
the subject. There is not the taste for reading among us there ought to be. Intelligence, liberality,
and virtue generally go hand in hand." And yet foreign missionary work was begun in 1854, and in
the home field still earlier. There are now missions in Japan, China, Africa, the Philippines and Porto
Rico.
A mission in Germany was opened in 1869. As a people mainly of German origin, the United
Brethren would seem eminently suited to arrest the coming back of the thinly disguised Teutonic
paganism which has been so painfully in evidence since 1914. Even in the youth of Otterbein, the
German Reformation of the sixteen century had spent its force. He was himself aware of the wave
of rationalism that was spreading mental and moral ruin in its haughty and self-sufficient march
over Germany. The established churches of that land were forced into a subservient attitude toward
the state. This is why Spener, himself a Lutheran, sought comfort in separation from the ruling
elements of life. This explains why he and his followers sought to promote inward piety in the
restricted fellowship of kindred souls.
The earliest history of the United Brethren Church is Spayth's, and it did not appear until 1851.
It has been followed by several others, and by many volumes on biography and reminiscence.
A church paper to represent the narrowing German-speaking element was started in Baltimore
in 1841. The General Sunday School Board appeared in 1865, the Board of Education and the
Church Erection Society in 1869, and the Woman's Missionary Association in 1875.
Chapter XIII 52 The Church in Recent
Times
