Page 23 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 23
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
Delegates from Berkeley County, W.Va. For many years he was engaged in evangelistic work in Va. Conf. In
1964 he was living in Martinsburg, W.Va. Charles R. Beard died 1964 at age 86 at Rosedale Cemetery,
Martinsburg, W.Va. His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). [Glovier 1965, p. 289, from which the
picture is taken; see also pp. 91, 218, 257, 259].
BELL: Jacob Bell, an exhorter, was voted to be expelled in 1831. Nothing else is known. Funkhouser
1921, p. 244]
BELL: Bishop William Melvin Bell, 30th bishop of the
UBIC, presided over Va. Conf. during 1917-21. He was
consecrated bishop in 1905. He was noted as a visiting
minister to the 1894, 1895, 1897, and 1900 Virginia Annual
Conferences. He dedicated Blairton Church on Apr. 14,
1918; the Dayton Church addition on the same day; and a
parsonage for Blairton-Greensburg Charge on Nov. 28,
1920; a new building for the Franklin Church, Petersburg
District, in 1928; and a new building for First Church of
Winchester on Aug. 20, 1922; a new building for Calvary Church on Sep. 17, 1922; and a new building for St.
Luke’s of Martinsburg on Sep. 17, 1923, the closing day of the Virginia Annual Conference. He died in 1933.
The two pictures at the left are from [Glovier 1965, p. 77, 79], the one at the far left taken in 1916 and the
next one in 1925; the third picture from the left is from[Thompson 1906, p. 669]; and the picture on the right
is from [U.B. Yearbook 1898, p. 27]. [Funkhouser 1921; pp. 166, 194-195, 293-294, 296, 306-308; Glovier
1965, pp. 158, 184, 192, 193, 200, 215, 220, 254, 289]
BENEDUM: George Benedum [b. Mar. 3, 1766, Cumberland County, Pa.; d. Mar. 29,
1837, Ohio; married Magdalena Minnich (1766-1843)] became a member of Conference
in 1794, was licensed in 1803, and moved to Ohio in 1804; died 1837, aged 72—he is
interred at Liberty Cemetery, Fairfield County, Ohio. Benedum was one of 14 preachers
elected at the Conference of 1800 to provide a Book of Discipline.25 From [Drury 1884,
p. 238]: George Benedum, 43 years in the Ministry, preaching first in Pennsylvania and
then in Ohio, began to preach in 1794.” He is credited with influencing Samuel Hiestand,
ninth bishop of the United Brethren Church: “About 1804 he [Hiestand] went to Ohio,
and through the influence of George Benedum was roused from a backslidden state,
becoming associated with him as an evangelist. He was listed as present to the June
1815 Conference, together with Christian Crum and 19 others—at this Conference
Benedum was ordained, as were Abraham Hiestand, Henry Miller, Daniel Troyer, Andrew
Zeller, William P. Smith, and John George Pfrimmer. At the June 1816 Conference Benedum was elected, with
Abraham Hiestand, the presiding elder for New Lancaster District. [Minutes 1800-18, pp. 80-82] Christian
Newcomer mentions coming for 5 days to a camp-meeting at George Benedum’s (Cumberland County, Pa.)
during Mar. 1822. [Newcomer’s Journal, p. 281]. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 132, 152; see also pp. 124, 226-227,
229, 234] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 19, 87, 152; Lycoming 2013]. The sketch is from [Weekley 1908, p. 16].
His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). From the section on home missionaries in [Weekley 1908,
pp. 38-39]:
George Benedum, who was among the earlier fruits of the revival of religion in Pennsylvania, was admitted into the
Hagerstown Conf. in 1794, in the 29th year of his age. The date of his removal to Ohio was most probably early 1806. He
was perhaps known as widely and favorably in the early history of the Church in Ohio as any other man. Among those who
were won to Christ during the early years of his evangelistic work were four young men who became useful and honored
ministers: Dewalt Mechlin, Louis Kramer, John Smaltz, and Bishop Samuel Heistand. He assisted in the organization of
Miami Conf. and was a member of the first, third, fifth, and sixth General Conferences. Mr. Benedum was a preacher of fine
ability. Bishop Russell, his intimate fried, pays him the following tribute: “He possessed high-class natural endowments.
His apprehension was quick, judgment accurate, imagination fertile. At a camp-meeting I heard him preach a sermon
before the sacrament, on Isa. 53:12, and such was the profundity of thought, such the power of the Holy Ghost in the
sermon, that it seemed to me that heaven and earth were coming together.” As an evangelist Mr. Benedum was most
successful, and in building up converts in the faith and turning young men toward the ministry he perhaps had no superior
in his day. “He traveled extensively, preached much, and gather full harvests into the Master’s garner, receiving of earthly
compensation but slight measure, but of the eternal in great abundance.” After a faithful service as missionary in central
Ohio for 31 years and having reached the age of 72 years, he was called from labor to reward.
BENNETT: Charles N. D. Bennett (a.k.a., “S.” D. Bennett [Funkhouser 1921, p. 132]) joined Conference
in 1895 and ordained in 1898. He served Capon Springs, 1895-99; Westernport, 1901-02; West Frederick,
1902-04; Berkeley Springs Circuit (now the Alpine Charge), 1904-08; Cacapon Circuit, 1908-09; and Great
Cacapon Circuit, 1909-10. Alpine U.B. Church was built during his pastorate dedicated Aug. 6, 1905, by A. S.
Hammack; cost, $550. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 128, 193, 293, 295, 300; Glovier 1965, pp. 90, 142, 253].
25 Preface to the Disciple of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. Otterbein Press, 1917, p. 11.
Biographical Sketches 11
Delegates from Berkeley County, W.Va. For many years he was engaged in evangelistic work in Va. Conf. In
1964 he was living in Martinsburg, W.Va. Charles R. Beard died 1964 at age 86 at Rosedale Cemetery,
Martinsburg, W.Va. His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). [Glovier 1965, p. 289, from which the
picture is taken; see also pp. 91, 218, 257, 259].
BELL: Jacob Bell, an exhorter, was voted to be expelled in 1831. Nothing else is known. Funkhouser
1921, p. 244]
BELL: Bishop William Melvin Bell, 30th bishop of the
UBIC, presided over Va. Conf. during 1917-21. He was
consecrated bishop in 1905. He was noted as a visiting
minister to the 1894, 1895, 1897, and 1900 Virginia Annual
Conferences. He dedicated Blairton Church on Apr. 14,
1918; the Dayton Church addition on the same day; and a
parsonage for Blairton-Greensburg Charge on Nov. 28,
1920; a new building for the Franklin Church, Petersburg
District, in 1928; and a new building for First Church of
Winchester on Aug. 20, 1922; a new building for Calvary Church on Sep. 17, 1922; and a new building for St.
Luke’s of Martinsburg on Sep. 17, 1923, the closing day of the Virginia Annual Conference. He died in 1933.
The two pictures at the left are from [Glovier 1965, p. 77, 79], the one at the far left taken in 1916 and the
next one in 1925; the third picture from the left is from[Thompson 1906, p. 669]; and the picture on the right
is from [U.B. Yearbook 1898, p. 27]. [Funkhouser 1921; pp. 166, 194-195, 293-294, 296, 306-308; Glovier
1965, pp. 158, 184, 192, 193, 200, 215, 220, 254, 289]
BENEDUM: George Benedum [b. Mar. 3, 1766, Cumberland County, Pa.; d. Mar. 29,
1837, Ohio; married Magdalena Minnich (1766-1843)] became a member of Conference
in 1794, was licensed in 1803, and moved to Ohio in 1804; died 1837, aged 72—he is
interred at Liberty Cemetery, Fairfield County, Ohio. Benedum was one of 14 preachers
elected at the Conference of 1800 to provide a Book of Discipline.25 From [Drury 1884,
p. 238]: George Benedum, 43 years in the Ministry, preaching first in Pennsylvania and
then in Ohio, began to preach in 1794.” He is credited with influencing Samuel Hiestand,
ninth bishop of the United Brethren Church: “About 1804 he [Hiestand] went to Ohio,
and through the influence of George Benedum was roused from a backslidden state,
becoming associated with him as an evangelist. He was listed as present to the June
1815 Conference, together with Christian Crum and 19 others—at this Conference
Benedum was ordained, as were Abraham Hiestand, Henry Miller, Daniel Troyer, Andrew
Zeller, William P. Smith, and John George Pfrimmer. At the June 1816 Conference Benedum was elected, with
Abraham Hiestand, the presiding elder for New Lancaster District. [Minutes 1800-18, pp. 80-82] Christian
Newcomer mentions coming for 5 days to a camp-meeting at George Benedum’s (Cumberland County, Pa.)
during Mar. 1822. [Newcomer’s Journal, p. 281]. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 132, 152; see also pp. 124, 226-227,
229, 234] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 19, 87, 152; Lycoming 2013]. The sketch is from [Weekley 1908, p. 16].
His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). From the section on home missionaries in [Weekley 1908,
pp. 38-39]:
George Benedum, who was among the earlier fruits of the revival of religion in Pennsylvania, was admitted into the
Hagerstown Conf. in 1794, in the 29th year of his age. The date of his removal to Ohio was most probably early 1806. He
was perhaps known as widely and favorably in the early history of the Church in Ohio as any other man. Among those who
were won to Christ during the early years of his evangelistic work were four young men who became useful and honored
ministers: Dewalt Mechlin, Louis Kramer, John Smaltz, and Bishop Samuel Heistand. He assisted in the organization of
Miami Conf. and was a member of the first, third, fifth, and sixth General Conferences. Mr. Benedum was a preacher of fine
ability. Bishop Russell, his intimate fried, pays him the following tribute: “He possessed high-class natural endowments.
His apprehension was quick, judgment accurate, imagination fertile. At a camp-meeting I heard him preach a sermon
before the sacrament, on Isa. 53:12, and such was the profundity of thought, such the power of the Holy Ghost in the
sermon, that it seemed to me that heaven and earth were coming together.” As an evangelist Mr. Benedum was most
successful, and in building up converts in the faith and turning young men toward the ministry he perhaps had no superior
in his day. “He traveled extensively, preached much, and gather full harvests into the Master’s garner, receiving of earthly
compensation but slight measure, but of the eternal in great abundance.” After a faithful service as missionary in central
Ohio for 31 years and having reached the age of 72 years, he was called from labor to reward.
BENNETT: Charles N. D. Bennett (a.k.a., “S.” D. Bennett [Funkhouser 1921, p. 132]) joined Conference
in 1895 and ordained in 1898. He served Capon Springs, 1895-99; Westernport, 1901-02; West Frederick,
1902-04; Berkeley Springs Circuit (now the Alpine Charge), 1904-08; Cacapon Circuit, 1908-09; and Great
Cacapon Circuit, 1909-10. Alpine U.B. Church was built during his pastorate dedicated Aug. 6, 1905, by A. S.
Hammack; cost, $550. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 128, 193, 293, 295, 300; Glovier 1965, pp. 90, 142, 253].
25 Preface to the Disciple of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. Otterbein Press, 1917, p. 11.
Biographical Sketches 11
