Page 156 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 156
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
ordained in 1904. He served the following charges: Broadway, 1897-1901; Shenandoah City Mission, 1901-
04; Franklin, 1904-18, and Riverton, 1912-13; West Rockingham, 1918-1924; and Elkton, 1925-1931. In
1931 Elkton had 1,208 members. Rev. Stern died at his home in Elkton, Va., on Dec. 19, 1936, at age 72 and
was buried there. He was married to Bessie Irene Stearn (1874-1948). His memoir, as well as Bessie’s, is
provided in Section II.A (below). The picture is from [Glovier 1965, p. 68], taken in 1919. [Funkhouser
1921, p. 145; see also pp. 28, 199, 201-202, 297-299, 302] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 77, 90, 123, 217, 219,
220
STEEDMAN: Paul Steedman was given License to Preach by the Antioch Quarterly Conference and was a
Probationer 1948-50 while a student at Shenandoah College (Class of 1950). A Paul K. Steedman is living in
Keyser, W.Va.
STEVANUS: Kenneth E. Stevanus served West Frederick Charge, 1956-58.
STEVENS: B. N. Stevens, an African-American, served Linville (Freedmen’s) Mission for conference year
1885-96. Conference Minutes also show that he was serving in Zendra, Va., 1900-02, along with the
following in the Virginia Mission (FM) District: T. K. Clifford, Harrisonburg; W. W. Colley, Harrisonburg; B. N.
Stevens, Zenda; Thomas Givens, Linville; Brown Colbert, Harrisonburg; and G. A. Newman, Harrisonburg.
Linville Circuit (FM) had Long’s Chapel, Linville, Wardensville, Beasley, and Cold Stream. [Glovier 1965,
pp. 41-42]
STEWARD: John G. Steward became a member of Conference in 1844; ordained 1847. He attend his first
Conference in 1853. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 126, 145, 250-256; Glovier 1965, p. 88]
STICKLEY: Benjamin Stickley (1805?-1865?) became a member of Conference and licensed to preach in
1840; ordained 1843; tender-hearted, but a giant in strength; arrested in Hampshire, 1862 and confined to
Staunton; released on writ of habeas corpus; transferred to Iowa Conference 1863. Ben Stickley served
Pendleton, 1844-45; Franklin, 1845-46; Lewis, 1846-48; Franklin, 1848-50; South Branch, 1851-52;
Buckhannon, 1852-54; Franklin, 1855-56; Highland, 1856-57; and Claysville, 1858-61. In 1861, when
Alleghany mission had just been formed to favor some 30 or more members who had moved into Garrett
county, Md., mostly from Somerset county, Pa., Benjamin Stickley was given $50 in missionary money and
sent to travel it 6 months—Lewis Roderick then took charge, finding 15 appointments and 210 miles to travel
each month. From [The W.Va. Encyclopedia, e-WV] provides: An important early U.B. evangelist was
Benjamin Stickley. He was converted by the preaching of Michael Moses and licensed in 1840. For years he
traveled throughout present northern West Virginia establishing churches. John W. Fulkerson relates the
following reminiscences [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 74-76, 180]:
Benjamin Stickley was unique. Va. Conf. never had but one “Uncle Ben,” and will never have another. Before
conversion it was his special delight to annoy the religious gatherings of Christian people. He would not raise a disturbance
himself, but would induce others to do so by bribing them with plenty of whiskey. The more fuss he could make the greater
his fun, although he would keep himself out of sight. When he was converted at a camp meeting, he had two bottles of
whiskey in his pockets. His whiskey was a free treat to his rowdy comrades. He did not sell it to them as camp meeting
roughs have done in later years. When Stickley was converted, he was converted through and through. All his chums in
wickedness were forsaken. His still was at once given up. Although he could hardly read his text or his Scripture lesson, he
began holding meetings every Sunday, sometimes riding 40 miles to reach an appointment and get home. Stickley was
poor, he had a large family to support, and as he received nothing from his preaching he had to work hard to keep the wolf
from the door. He thus worked several years before he was received into the Conference. He was always sent to the
mountain circuits, which were large and whose people were poor. He had to travel and preach nearly every day in the year
and got little for his work in a pecuniary way. Yet singing and praying he would go away from conference and home, and at
the end of the year would report more souls gathered into the church than was true of any of his co-laborers. He had a
powerful voice and Bachtel said of one of his sermons that it could almost be heard in hell. Stickley was the first missionary
sent across the Alleghenies into the bounds of what is now the Parkersburg Conference. What is now West Virginia was
then in great part an uninhabited wilderness. The mission circuit covered 300 miles, with preaching nearly every day in the
year. But a good report was always sure to come, even if there were little money to mention. Stickley was a missionary
here at the time the Methodist Episcopal Church split on the slavery question. Excitement was up to the danger point. One
day while he was passing the office of a leading lawyer of the town of Weston, the lawyer called him in, saying: “I want to
talk with you. Be seated,” Stickley asked what was wanted. “There is great excitement on slavery between the North and
the South,” was the reply. “The great Methodist Church has split, the nation is also going to divide, and it is all important
that every citizen take his stand and show his colors. We all want to know which way you are going.” Stickley responded
with one of his most pleasant smiles, naming the ends of his mission field: “I go up here north as far as the town of
Fetterman, and south as far as Steer Creek. If you and your niggers don’t get religion, you will all go to hell together.” The
lawyer had nothing further to say. Stickley was known to be an uncompromising Union man. When the Civil War broke out
and the Southern feeling became intensely bitter, Stickley was thrown as a traitor into a filthy prison. He soon became
broken-hearted and his glorious manhood was squelched. When liberated, he sacrificed his farm and other property, left
the home and friends of a lifetime, and migrated to Iowa, where in no long time he died, never recovering his former spirit
and ambition. After preaching a sermon at Washington, Iowa, and asking the people to sing a hymn, he died in the pulpit.
Funkhouser 1921, p. 145; see also pp. 4, 84, 126, 180, 194, 249-261, 263] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 50, 52, 88]
Biographical Sketches 144
ordained in 1904. He served the following charges: Broadway, 1897-1901; Shenandoah City Mission, 1901-
04; Franklin, 1904-18, and Riverton, 1912-13; West Rockingham, 1918-1924; and Elkton, 1925-1931. In
1931 Elkton had 1,208 members. Rev. Stern died at his home in Elkton, Va., on Dec. 19, 1936, at age 72 and
was buried there. He was married to Bessie Irene Stearn (1874-1948). His memoir, as well as Bessie’s, is
provided in Section II.A (below). The picture is from [Glovier 1965, p. 68], taken in 1919. [Funkhouser
1921, p. 145; see also pp. 28, 199, 201-202, 297-299, 302] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 77, 90, 123, 217, 219,
220
STEEDMAN: Paul Steedman was given License to Preach by the Antioch Quarterly Conference and was a
Probationer 1948-50 while a student at Shenandoah College (Class of 1950). A Paul K. Steedman is living in
Keyser, W.Va.
STEVANUS: Kenneth E. Stevanus served West Frederick Charge, 1956-58.
STEVENS: B. N. Stevens, an African-American, served Linville (Freedmen’s) Mission for conference year
1885-96. Conference Minutes also show that he was serving in Zendra, Va., 1900-02, along with the
following in the Virginia Mission (FM) District: T. K. Clifford, Harrisonburg; W. W. Colley, Harrisonburg; B. N.
Stevens, Zenda; Thomas Givens, Linville; Brown Colbert, Harrisonburg; and G. A. Newman, Harrisonburg.
Linville Circuit (FM) had Long’s Chapel, Linville, Wardensville, Beasley, and Cold Stream. [Glovier 1965,
pp. 41-42]
STEWARD: John G. Steward became a member of Conference in 1844; ordained 1847. He attend his first
Conference in 1853. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 126, 145, 250-256; Glovier 1965, p. 88]
STICKLEY: Benjamin Stickley (1805?-1865?) became a member of Conference and licensed to preach in
1840; ordained 1843; tender-hearted, but a giant in strength; arrested in Hampshire, 1862 and confined to
Staunton; released on writ of habeas corpus; transferred to Iowa Conference 1863. Ben Stickley served
Pendleton, 1844-45; Franklin, 1845-46; Lewis, 1846-48; Franklin, 1848-50; South Branch, 1851-52;
Buckhannon, 1852-54; Franklin, 1855-56; Highland, 1856-57; and Claysville, 1858-61. In 1861, when
Alleghany mission had just been formed to favor some 30 or more members who had moved into Garrett
county, Md., mostly from Somerset county, Pa., Benjamin Stickley was given $50 in missionary money and
sent to travel it 6 months—Lewis Roderick then took charge, finding 15 appointments and 210 miles to travel
each month. From [The W.Va. Encyclopedia, e-WV] provides: An important early U.B. evangelist was
Benjamin Stickley. He was converted by the preaching of Michael Moses and licensed in 1840. For years he
traveled throughout present northern West Virginia establishing churches. John W. Fulkerson relates the
following reminiscences [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 74-76, 180]:
Benjamin Stickley was unique. Va. Conf. never had but one “Uncle Ben,” and will never have another. Before
conversion it was his special delight to annoy the religious gatherings of Christian people. He would not raise a disturbance
himself, but would induce others to do so by bribing them with plenty of whiskey. The more fuss he could make the greater
his fun, although he would keep himself out of sight. When he was converted at a camp meeting, he had two bottles of
whiskey in his pockets. His whiskey was a free treat to his rowdy comrades. He did not sell it to them as camp meeting
roughs have done in later years. When Stickley was converted, he was converted through and through. All his chums in
wickedness were forsaken. His still was at once given up. Although he could hardly read his text or his Scripture lesson, he
began holding meetings every Sunday, sometimes riding 40 miles to reach an appointment and get home. Stickley was
poor, he had a large family to support, and as he received nothing from his preaching he had to work hard to keep the wolf
from the door. He thus worked several years before he was received into the Conference. He was always sent to the
mountain circuits, which were large and whose people were poor. He had to travel and preach nearly every day in the year
and got little for his work in a pecuniary way. Yet singing and praying he would go away from conference and home, and at
the end of the year would report more souls gathered into the church than was true of any of his co-laborers. He had a
powerful voice and Bachtel said of one of his sermons that it could almost be heard in hell. Stickley was the first missionary
sent across the Alleghenies into the bounds of what is now the Parkersburg Conference. What is now West Virginia was
then in great part an uninhabited wilderness. The mission circuit covered 300 miles, with preaching nearly every day in the
year. But a good report was always sure to come, even if there were little money to mention. Stickley was a missionary
here at the time the Methodist Episcopal Church split on the slavery question. Excitement was up to the danger point. One
day while he was passing the office of a leading lawyer of the town of Weston, the lawyer called him in, saying: “I want to
talk with you. Be seated,” Stickley asked what was wanted. “There is great excitement on slavery between the North and
the South,” was the reply. “The great Methodist Church has split, the nation is also going to divide, and it is all important
that every citizen take his stand and show his colors. We all want to know which way you are going.” Stickley responded
with one of his most pleasant smiles, naming the ends of his mission field: “I go up here north as far as the town of
Fetterman, and south as far as Steer Creek. If you and your niggers don’t get religion, you will all go to hell together.” The
lawyer had nothing further to say. Stickley was known to be an uncompromising Union man. When the Civil War broke out
and the Southern feeling became intensely bitter, Stickley was thrown as a traitor into a filthy prison. He soon became
broken-hearted and his glorious manhood was squelched. When liberated, he sacrificed his farm and other property, left
the home and friends of a lifetime, and migrated to Iowa, where in no long time he died, never recovering his former spirit
and ambition. After preaching a sermon at Washington, Iowa, and asking the people to sing a hymn, he died in the pulpit.
Funkhouser 1921, p. 145; see also pp. 4, 84, 126, 180, 194, 249-261, 263] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 50, 52, 88]
Biographical Sketches 144
