Page 118 - United Brethren Preachers
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Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
noticed, or hereafter to be noticed, Brother Neidig was the Nathaniel. He possessed an excellent spirit—meek,
gentle, just. Of them that were without, he had a good report. The virtues and graces requisite in an elder in
the church of God were all exhibited in his character; and the clear light of his beautiful and holy life, which
shed a luster along his pathway, was never extinguished, nor even suffered a momentary eclipse. As a
preacher, he was able by sound doctrine to exhort and convince the gainsayers. His language was select and
chaste, and his manner inimitable. He was faithful in his attendance at the conferences, and was abundant in
ministerial labors. He died in 1844. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 142; see also pp. 124, 224-227, 229-234, 236,
238-241] and Holdcraft 1939, p. 302; Gibble 1951, p. 47; Glovier 1965, pp. 18, 87; Lycoming 2013]
NELSON: Harding Nelson was born July 25, 1919, at Cherry Grove in Pendleton County,
W.Va., the son of Paul and Jane Waybright Nelson. On Feb. 10, 1940, he married Miss Vergie
Judy and to this union have been born two sons, Jerry Lee and Philip Harding Nelson, Jr. Mr.
Nelson was converted in 1952 in the Solomon’s Chapel U.B. Church and from 1953 until 1963
served the Old Constitution U.B. Church at Forks of Waters in Highland County, Va. In 1963
Mr. Nelson came into Va. Conf. of the EUB Church and accepted the South Branch Charge in the
Petersburg District, 1963-69. Mr. Nelson graduated from high school in Pendleton County,
spent some time with the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s, and is now pursuing the
reading course of the denomination looking forward to ordination in the future. [Glovier 1965,
pp. 295-296, from which the picture is taken; see also p. 259]
NELSON: John K. Nelson joined Va. Conf. and was licensed to
preach in 1862; he was ordained in 1864; transferred to Maryland
Conference 1887; and joined O.C. Denomination, 1890. He
served as a local pastor (appointed by the district superintendent)
in Brock’s Gap, 1858-1859. He served appointments at
Winchester, 1862-1866; Bath (Berkeley Springs), 1867-1867;
Back Creek Mission, 1868-1869; Bath (again), 1869-1870;
Frederick, 1870-1872; Myersville, 1872-1875; Winchester Circuit,
1875-1877; Winchester Station, 1877-1878; Martinsburg Station, 1878-1880;
and Keedysville Station, 1885-1887. He was Potomac District Presiding Elder
during 1880-1882 and South Branch District Presiding Elder, 1882-85. Following a revival, the church at Mt.
Pleasant (Winchester Charge) was organized with Rev. John K. Nelson as the first pastor. Mt. Olive Church of
the West Frederick Charge, Winchester District, was built in 1869 under the pastorate of Rev. John K. Nelson.
In 1877, Rev. Nelson dedicated the first church building for Mt. Carmel Church in Brocks Gap, Rockingham
County. He transferred to the new Maryland Conference in 1887 and served Hagerstown, 1887-1888. In
1890, he joined the Old Constitution (O.C.) U.B. Church (“the radicals”). He died on Oct. 19, 1896, at
Winchester. Born and reared in Pendleton County, W.Va., he had a ministry of some 35 years in the
Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. The picture is from [Glovier 1965, p. 68-70], the
one on the left taken in 1873, the other in 1886. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 142; see also pp. 126, 164, 197-198,
260-290] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 68-69, 89, 166, 248-249]
NELSON: M. W. Nelson joined the Conference in 1916; in 1921 he was a local elder living in Circleville,
W.Va. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 129, 307-309, 311-312; Glovier 1965, p. 91]
NEWCOMER: Bishop Christian Newcomer (b. Feb. 1, 1749, Lancaster County, Pa.; d. Mar.
12, 1830, Beaver Creek, Md.; mar. Elizabeth Baer) was a member of Conference in 1800;
ordained 1813. He served Cumberland Circuit, 1802-03; Maryland (and part of Pa.) Circuit,
1805-06; and Ohio Circuit, 1812-13. He was elected bishop, 1813-30. He attended almost
every Conference through 1829. “When 81 years old, Newcomer attempted a trip into
Virginia. Sunday, Mar. 1, 1830 [5 weeks before the next Annual Conference], he rode to the
home of Michael Thomas at Boonsboro, 9 miles from his own house, and lodged there for the
night. Next morning he was too ill to go on and he returned. Wednesday, he wrote thus:
“This forenoon I tried to write in my journal, but alas! I find that I am not able to perform the
task, so i lay down my pen. The Lord alone knows whether I shall be able to resume it again. The Lord’s will
be done. Amen. Hallelujah.” Extracts from Newcomer’s Journal, especially those relevant to Va. Conf., are
provided in [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 52-65]. The sketch is from [Glovier 1965, p. vii]. Joseph Hoffman and
Frederick Shaeffer were ordained at the hands of Otterbein, together with Newcomer, not long before
Otterbein’s death, on Oct. 2, 1813, with the assistance of William Ryland, an elder of the Methodist Society of
Baltimore [Drury 1884, pp. 358-359; recall that Otterbein had assisted with the ordination of Bishop Asbury].
[Funkhouser 1921 pp. 46, 142; see also pp. 1, 5, 16, 38, 45, 52-53, 111, 124, 155, 158, 189, 224-240, 242]
and [Holdcraft 1939, p. 30; Glovier 1965, pp. 18-19, 26, 48, 52-53, 56, 87, 101, 139, 178, 188, 221, 224,
241, 250, 303-304, 349; Lycoming 2013]
NEWCOMER: James Newcomer was present as a member of the Conference of 1827; nothing else is
known. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 238]
Biographical Sketches 106
noticed, or hereafter to be noticed, Brother Neidig was the Nathaniel. He possessed an excellent spirit—meek,
gentle, just. Of them that were without, he had a good report. The virtues and graces requisite in an elder in
the church of God were all exhibited in his character; and the clear light of his beautiful and holy life, which
shed a luster along his pathway, was never extinguished, nor even suffered a momentary eclipse. As a
preacher, he was able by sound doctrine to exhort and convince the gainsayers. His language was select and
chaste, and his manner inimitable. He was faithful in his attendance at the conferences, and was abundant in
ministerial labors. He died in 1844. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 142; see also pp. 124, 224-227, 229-234, 236,
238-241] and Holdcraft 1939, p. 302; Gibble 1951, p. 47; Glovier 1965, pp. 18, 87; Lycoming 2013]
NELSON: Harding Nelson was born July 25, 1919, at Cherry Grove in Pendleton County,
W.Va., the son of Paul and Jane Waybright Nelson. On Feb. 10, 1940, he married Miss Vergie
Judy and to this union have been born two sons, Jerry Lee and Philip Harding Nelson, Jr. Mr.
Nelson was converted in 1952 in the Solomon’s Chapel U.B. Church and from 1953 until 1963
served the Old Constitution U.B. Church at Forks of Waters in Highland County, Va. In 1963
Mr. Nelson came into Va. Conf. of the EUB Church and accepted the South Branch Charge in the
Petersburg District, 1963-69. Mr. Nelson graduated from high school in Pendleton County,
spent some time with the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s, and is now pursuing the
reading course of the denomination looking forward to ordination in the future. [Glovier 1965,
pp. 295-296, from which the picture is taken; see also p. 259]
NELSON: John K. Nelson joined Va. Conf. and was licensed to
preach in 1862; he was ordained in 1864; transferred to Maryland
Conference 1887; and joined O.C. Denomination, 1890. He
served as a local pastor (appointed by the district superintendent)
in Brock’s Gap, 1858-1859. He served appointments at
Winchester, 1862-1866; Bath (Berkeley Springs), 1867-1867;
Back Creek Mission, 1868-1869; Bath (again), 1869-1870;
Frederick, 1870-1872; Myersville, 1872-1875; Winchester Circuit,
1875-1877; Winchester Station, 1877-1878; Martinsburg Station, 1878-1880;
and Keedysville Station, 1885-1887. He was Potomac District Presiding Elder
during 1880-1882 and South Branch District Presiding Elder, 1882-85. Following a revival, the church at Mt.
Pleasant (Winchester Charge) was organized with Rev. John K. Nelson as the first pastor. Mt. Olive Church of
the West Frederick Charge, Winchester District, was built in 1869 under the pastorate of Rev. John K. Nelson.
In 1877, Rev. Nelson dedicated the first church building for Mt. Carmel Church in Brocks Gap, Rockingham
County. He transferred to the new Maryland Conference in 1887 and served Hagerstown, 1887-1888. In
1890, he joined the Old Constitution (O.C.) U.B. Church (“the radicals”). He died on Oct. 19, 1896, at
Winchester. Born and reared in Pendleton County, W.Va., he had a ministry of some 35 years in the
Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. The picture is from [Glovier 1965, p. 68-70], the
one on the left taken in 1873, the other in 1886. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 142; see also pp. 126, 164, 197-198,
260-290] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 68-69, 89, 166, 248-249]
NELSON: M. W. Nelson joined the Conference in 1916; in 1921 he was a local elder living in Circleville,
W.Va. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 129, 307-309, 311-312; Glovier 1965, p. 91]
NEWCOMER: Bishop Christian Newcomer (b. Feb. 1, 1749, Lancaster County, Pa.; d. Mar.
12, 1830, Beaver Creek, Md.; mar. Elizabeth Baer) was a member of Conference in 1800;
ordained 1813. He served Cumberland Circuit, 1802-03; Maryland (and part of Pa.) Circuit,
1805-06; and Ohio Circuit, 1812-13. He was elected bishop, 1813-30. He attended almost
every Conference through 1829. “When 81 years old, Newcomer attempted a trip into
Virginia. Sunday, Mar. 1, 1830 [5 weeks before the next Annual Conference], he rode to the
home of Michael Thomas at Boonsboro, 9 miles from his own house, and lodged there for the
night. Next morning he was too ill to go on and he returned. Wednesday, he wrote thus:
“This forenoon I tried to write in my journal, but alas! I find that I am not able to perform the
task, so i lay down my pen. The Lord alone knows whether I shall be able to resume it again. The Lord’s will
be done. Amen. Hallelujah.” Extracts from Newcomer’s Journal, especially those relevant to Va. Conf., are
provided in [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 52-65]. The sketch is from [Glovier 1965, p. vii]. Joseph Hoffman and
Frederick Shaeffer were ordained at the hands of Otterbein, together with Newcomer, not long before
Otterbein’s death, on Oct. 2, 1813, with the assistance of William Ryland, an elder of the Methodist Society of
Baltimore [Drury 1884, pp. 358-359; recall that Otterbein had assisted with the ordination of Bishop Asbury].
[Funkhouser 1921 pp. 46, 142; see also pp. 1, 5, 16, 38, 45, 52-53, 111, 124, 155, 158, 189, 224-240, 242]
and [Holdcraft 1939, p. 30; Glovier 1965, pp. 18-19, 26, 48, 52-53, 56, 87, 101, 139, 178, 188, 221, 224,
241, 250, 303-304, 349; Lycoming 2013]
NEWCOMER: James Newcomer was present as a member of the Conference of 1827; nothing else is
known. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 238]
Biographical Sketches 106
