Page 155 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 155
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
58; Frederick, 1858-59; and Hagerstown Circuit, 1859-61. He transferred to the Rock River Conference in
1862. Isaac K. Statton was born in Hampshire County, Va., Dec. 25, 1830. From [Holdcraft 1938, p. 310]:
He was a son of Jacob, who in 1812 married Margaret C. Highof. Their children were James H., John F.,
Nancy J., George W., N. Green, Amelia, Isaac K., David E., Margaret C., Mary C., and Elizabeth. From
[Funkhouser 1921, pp. 145, 185-186, 311]:
Isaac K. grew up as free as the fowls of the air or the deer of the forest. He worked on the farm, and at times with his
father and an older brother at carpentering, this making him a fairly good mechanic. His educational opportunities were
limited, yet his brother John finished an academic course without a teacher and with only a final examination. He was first
placed on the Hagerstown circuit as junior. Next year he was on the Winchester circuit. Sixteen appointments were filled
every five weeks by each preacher, and though the work was hard, there was the beginning of a useful life. Mr. Statton
then served Mason, Buckhannon, Churchville, and Meyersville. He was next appointed a missionary to Kansas and solicited
donations to build a church in that new country. The appointment was reconsidered because of political excitement and
border warfare. For the rest of the period before the civil war his fields were Frederick and Hagerstown. 1858 was a
banner year on the Frederick circuit, there being 150 conversions and over 100 accessions. Late in March, 1861, he took a
train for Le Harp, Illinois, and in July bought forty acres at St. John, Missouri, intending to retire from the ministry. Before
reaching their destination the family ran upon small squads, both of Confederates and Unionists, and were compelled to
turn back, leaving much of their effects in the road. After sundry discomforts and some experiences with bills emanating
from broken banks, they got back to Le Harp, their personal effects now reduced to one trunk and one small box. Joseph
Watson, an old friend, sent him an invitation to take Pine Creek circuit in the Rock River Conference. Mr. Station accepted
at once, but the elder had given the place to another man. He then worked in the harvest field, and three months as a
supply for a minister smitten with sore eyes. For the latter service he received five dollars in money, one ham, a few
potatoes, and one sack of flour. At the Rock River Conference, Bishop Markwood replenished his empty purse, and had him
put on Princeton station, where there were nine members and a debt of $1,000. But Isaac K. had a good year and the
largest salary he had yet enjoyed—$400. He remained in the West, preaching in Illinois, Iowa, and California. In a ministry
of almost fifty years, he had preached over 6,000 times, married 815 couples, and conducted 1,627 funerals—some of them
suicides and some of them for men killed in battle. He built five churches and five parsonages. He had moved 23 times,
served five times in General Conference, and entertained that body once, at Lisbon, Iowa. Mr. Statton remarks in his letter
that if all the people to whom he had preached were “gathered in one congregation, he would certainly be overwhelmed
with awful thoughts of his responsibility.” In 1921, he was living in Lisbon, Iowa. See also [Funkhouser 1921, p. 126, 129,
254, 256-262] and [Glovier 1965, p. 89]
STATTON: John F. Statton, brother to George W. Statton and Isaac K. Statton, became a member of
Conference and licensed to preach in 1853. He was listed as pastor of Frederick Circuit (with Jacob Bachtel),
1853-54 [Eberly 1911, p. 245]. He transferred to Kansas Conference in 1855. The following reminiscences
are provided in [Funkhouser 1921, p. 83]:
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 24 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.” [Funkhouser 1921, p. 145; see also pp. 126, 256-257] and [Glovier 1965, p. 89]
STEARN: Dr. Charles Thomas Stearn , D.D. (b. Jan. 1, 1839, Mt. Jackson, Va.; d.
May 19, 1909, York, Pa.; mar. Anna Duterra), was given quarterly conference license
by Lacey Springs Circuit in 1857; became a member of Va. Conf. and licensed to
preach in 1859; was ordained in Rock River Conf. in 1963; and transferred to Pa. Conf.
in 1871 C. T. Stern served Woodstock, 1859-60; Franklin, 1860-61; Winchester
Circuit, 1861-62; Highland, 1862 (from which he had to resign and leave due to the
Civil War); Chicago Mission (Rock River Conf.), 1862-63; Hagerstown, 1864-65;
Frederick, 1865-66; Myersville, 1867-68; and Boonsboro, 1868-1871. In Pa. Conf. he
served Baltimore Second, 1871-75; Mechanicsburg, 1875-78; Presiding Elder, Baltimore District, 1878-82;
Presiding Elder, Harrisburg District, 1882-86; Harrisburg Otterbein, 1882-86; Baltimore Fifth, 1889-90;
Chambersburg, 1890-94; York Second, 1894-1902; Presiding Elder, Baltimore District, 1902-03; and
conference missionary (too ill to itinerate), 1903-09. He died in 1909 and is interred at Louden Cemetery,
Baltimore, Md. From [Holdcraft 1938, p. 307, 310, 368, which provided the 1888 picture on the left and the
1901 picture on the right]: He served some difficult fields in Va. Conf. and had to flee for his life because of
his Union sympathies during the Civil War—his horse was shot from under him. Coming to Pa. Conf. in 1871
he immediately was considered a leader in the work of the Conf.—he served as one of the presiding elders,
1882-68, and again from Mar. 1902 to Oct. 1904. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 145; see also pp. 126, 261-269,
285] and [Glovier 1965, p. 89; Lycoming 2013]
STEARN: John William Stearn (1864-1936) was born near Lacey Springs Virginia in 1864.
He received his quarterly Conference license in 1894, joined the Conference in 1897, and was
Biographical Sketches 143
58; Frederick, 1858-59; and Hagerstown Circuit, 1859-61. He transferred to the Rock River Conference in
1862. Isaac K. Statton was born in Hampshire County, Va., Dec. 25, 1830. From [Holdcraft 1938, p. 310]:
He was a son of Jacob, who in 1812 married Margaret C. Highof. Their children were James H., John F.,
Nancy J., George W., N. Green, Amelia, Isaac K., David E., Margaret C., Mary C., and Elizabeth. From
[Funkhouser 1921, pp. 145, 185-186, 311]:
Isaac K. grew up as free as the fowls of the air or the deer of the forest. He worked on the farm, and at times with his
father and an older brother at carpentering, this making him a fairly good mechanic. His educational opportunities were
limited, yet his brother John finished an academic course without a teacher and with only a final examination. He was first
placed on the Hagerstown circuit as junior. Next year he was on the Winchester circuit. Sixteen appointments were filled
every five weeks by each preacher, and though the work was hard, there was the beginning of a useful life. Mr. Statton
then served Mason, Buckhannon, Churchville, and Meyersville. He was next appointed a missionary to Kansas and solicited
donations to build a church in that new country. The appointment was reconsidered because of political excitement and
border warfare. For the rest of the period before the civil war his fields were Frederick and Hagerstown. 1858 was a
banner year on the Frederick circuit, there being 150 conversions and over 100 accessions. Late in March, 1861, he took a
train for Le Harp, Illinois, and in July bought forty acres at St. John, Missouri, intending to retire from the ministry. Before
reaching their destination the family ran upon small squads, both of Confederates and Unionists, and were compelled to
turn back, leaving much of their effects in the road. After sundry discomforts and some experiences with bills emanating
from broken banks, they got back to Le Harp, their personal effects now reduced to one trunk and one small box. Joseph
Watson, an old friend, sent him an invitation to take Pine Creek circuit in the Rock River Conference. Mr. Station accepted
at once, but the elder had given the place to another man. He then worked in the harvest field, and three months as a
supply for a minister smitten with sore eyes. For the latter service he received five dollars in money, one ham, a few
potatoes, and one sack of flour. At the Rock River Conference, Bishop Markwood replenished his empty purse, and had him
put on Princeton station, where there were nine members and a debt of $1,000. But Isaac K. had a good year and the
largest salary he had yet enjoyed—$400. He remained in the West, preaching in Illinois, Iowa, and California. In a ministry
of almost fifty years, he had preached over 6,000 times, married 815 couples, and conducted 1,627 funerals—some of them
suicides and some of them for men killed in battle. He built five churches and five parsonages. He had moved 23 times,
served five times in General Conference, and entertained that body once, at Lisbon, Iowa. Mr. Statton remarks in his letter
that if all the people to whom he had preached were “gathered in one congregation, he would certainly be overwhelmed
with awful thoughts of his responsibility.” In 1921, he was living in Lisbon, Iowa. See also [Funkhouser 1921, p. 126, 129,
254, 256-262] and [Glovier 1965, p. 89]
STATTON: John F. Statton, brother to George W. Statton and Isaac K. Statton, became a member of
Conference and licensed to preach in 1853. He was listed as pastor of Frederick Circuit (with Jacob Bachtel),
1853-54 [Eberly 1911, p. 245]. He transferred to Kansas Conference in 1855. The following reminiscences
are provided in [Funkhouser 1921, p. 83]:
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 24 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.” [Funkhouser 1921, p. 145; see also pp. 126, 256-257] and [Glovier 1965, p. 89]
STEARN: Dr. Charles Thomas Stearn , D.D. (b. Jan. 1, 1839, Mt. Jackson, Va.; d.
May 19, 1909, York, Pa.; mar. Anna Duterra), was given quarterly conference license
by Lacey Springs Circuit in 1857; became a member of Va. Conf. and licensed to
preach in 1859; was ordained in Rock River Conf. in 1963; and transferred to Pa. Conf.
in 1871 C. T. Stern served Woodstock, 1859-60; Franklin, 1860-61; Winchester
Circuit, 1861-62; Highland, 1862 (from which he had to resign and leave due to the
Civil War); Chicago Mission (Rock River Conf.), 1862-63; Hagerstown, 1864-65;
Frederick, 1865-66; Myersville, 1867-68; and Boonsboro, 1868-1871. In Pa. Conf. he
served Baltimore Second, 1871-75; Mechanicsburg, 1875-78; Presiding Elder, Baltimore District, 1878-82;
Presiding Elder, Harrisburg District, 1882-86; Harrisburg Otterbein, 1882-86; Baltimore Fifth, 1889-90;
Chambersburg, 1890-94; York Second, 1894-1902; Presiding Elder, Baltimore District, 1902-03; and
conference missionary (too ill to itinerate), 1903-09. He died in 1909 and is interred at Louden Cemetery,
Baltimore, Md. From [Holdcraft 1938, p. 307, 310, 368, which provided the 1888 picture on the left and the
1901 picture on the right]: He served some difficult fields in Va. Conf. and had to flee for his life because of
his Union sympathies during the Civil War—his horse was shot from under him. Coming to Pa. Conf. in 1871
he immediately was considered a leader in the work of the Conf.—he served as one of the presiding elders,
1882-68, and again from Mar. 1902 to Oct. 1904. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 145; see also pp. 126, 261-269,
285] and [Glovier 1965, p. 89; Lycoming 2013]
STEARN: John William Stearn (1864-1936) was born near Lacey Springs Virginia in 1864.
He received his quarterly Conference license in 1894, joined the Conference in 1897, and was
Biographical Sketches 143
