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Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
license at Middleburg (State Line). He was licensed in 1890 and ordained 1893 in Iowa Conf. During 1888-
1890 he was a student at Buckhannon Academy at Buckhannon, W.Va., in 1890-92 at Western College in
Toledo, Iowa [sic], and 1893-96 at Union Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He transferred to Md. Conf. in 1896 and
served Hagerstown, 1896-98. In East Ohio Conf. he were Canton, Ohio, 1898-1904; and in Pa. Conf. he
served Chambersburg First, 1904-11; First Church, New Haven, Conn., 1911-12; and Baltimore Fourth, 1912-
13. For the U.B. Church he was General Secretary, Sunday School and Brotherhood Work, 1913-29; and
General Secretary, Evangelism, 1928-33. He retired in 1939 after serving Dayton Fairview (Miami Ohio
Conf.), 1933-39. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 294, 300, 305; Glovier 1965, p. 77; Lycoming 2013]; see also
[Miller 1968, p. 395]. [United Seminary Yearbook 1907] provided the picture on the left, from the Union
Biblical Seminary graduating Class of 1896. The pictures on the right are from [Pa. Conf. 1923, p. 13] and
[Pa. Conf. 1963, p. 4].
BREWER: John Brewer served West Frederick Circuit 1963-64, 1965-66, and 1967-69. A Johnnie E.
Brewer is listed among the Class of 1962 at Shenandoah College—in 2002 he was pastor of Landmark Chapel
and living in Winchester with his wife Peggy; their children are Johnnie, Paul, Phillip, and James. A John A.
Brewer, ordained in 1974, was a member of the Pacific N.W. UMC Conf. in 1995.
BRICKER: Luther O. Bricker became a member of Conference in 1898 and was ordained in 1900. He
served New Creek, 1898-99; and Staunton, 1899-1902. He was given an open transfer in 1904. [Funkhouser
1921, p. 133; see also pp. 128, 294, 296, 297, 298] and [Glovier 1965, p. 90]
BRIDGERS: Lucius Gary Bridgers served Winchester U.B. Church
1938-1945. He was born in Northampton County, North Carolina, on
Mar. 15, 1887. He attended Shenandoah Institute 1912-13. Before
joining Va. Conf. in 1917, he served as an assistant at a mission at
Ridgeley and continued there as pastor until 1924. He was converted
in 1897, licensed in 1918, and ordained on Sep. 14, 1923. On July 30,
1917, he married Mamie Elizabeth Albright. Their son, Robert Bridgers,
is a minister in Va. Conf. He served Petersburg Charge for four years
(1924-28) before going to Bonebrake Theological Seminary at Dayton,
Ohio. He served churches in that area until 1932, when he was assigned to Cumberland and served there
until 1938. He later served Winchester First, 1939-45; Keyser, 1945-48; Westernport, 1949-51; and Potomac
Park Circuit, 1951-56. From the time of retirement until his death on Feb. 7, 1960, he made his home in
Potomac Park. He is buried in Hillcrest Burial Park near Cumberland. His son, Rev. Dr. Robert L. Bridgers,
was also a life-long U.B. and UMC pastor, born 1921 and died in 2006. His memoir is provided in Section II.A
(below). The two pictures on the left are from [Glovier 1965, pp. 77, 82]; the left-most was taken in 1919,
and the middle picture in 1956. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 157; see also pp. 307, 308-309, 311-312] and [Glovier
1965, p. 135; see also pp. 96, 127, 145, 186, 259, 298, 317]
BRIDGERS: Robert Lucius Bridgers was born Mar. 11, 1921, at
Ridgeley, W.Va., the son of Rev. Lucius and Mrs. Mamie Bridgers. He said
that he never felt himself as anything else but a Christian, joining the
Church at Petersburg, W.Va., in 1928, under his father’s ministry. During
his high school days he had plans to enter the field of pharmacy, but
received the call to the ministry at the annual Leadership Training School at
Shenandoah College the summer of 1939. He was graduated from Handley
High School, Winchester, Va., in 1940. He attended Shenandoah College in Dayton, Va., for
2 years (Class of 1942), and was awarded the Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude by Otterbein College in
1944. He joined Va. Conf. in 1944 with Howard Lee Fulk, and he entered Bonebrake Seminary May 30, 1944,
where he participated in the accelerated program, occasioned by World War II, and completed his academic
work in Nov. of 1946. Immediately upon completion of Seminary he began work at the new mission at
Potomac Park in Nov. 1946. He was married to Miss Bonnie Brentlinger on Jan. 23, 1947, at Dayton, Ohio.
He was given the Bachelor of Divinity degree by Bonebrake Seminary in May 1947. He served the Ridgeley
Church, 1945-46; Potomac Park Circuit, 1946-48; Keyser Circuit, 1948-1959; and Harrisonburg Station,
1959-1969. He and Mrs. Bridgers are parents of two children, Elwood born in 1952 and Ruth Ann in 1957. He
retired from Va. Conf. in 1985. He died in 2006. His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). The picture
on the left is from [Kline 1981, p. 47]. [Glovier 1965, p. 269-270; see also pp. 86, 92, 135, 153, 163, 170,
174, 184, 257, 317, 339; the middle picture is from p. 269] and [General Minutes 1985, p. 936]
BRIGHT: J. C. Bright served Hardy Circuit, 1924-27; and Sleepy Creek Circuit, 1927-28. He became a
member of Va. Conf. In 1927, together with E. Lee Sheaffer and Wade H. Miller. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 257;
Glovier 1965, p. 91]
BRILL: James William Brill was born near Capon Springs, W.Va., Dec. 13, 1859, and is a son of John A.
and Eliza Brill. He joined Conference and was licensed in 1894, ordained in 1901, and was been an itinerant
25 years. He served the following charges: Lost River, 1894-98; Rio, 1898-1900; Pendleton, 1900-08; East
Biographical Sketches 18
license at Middleburg (State Line). He was licensed in 1890 and ordained 1893 in Iowa Conf. During 1888-
1890 he was a student at Buckhannon Academy at Buckhannon, W.Va., in 1890-92 at Western College in
Toledo, Iowa [sic], and 1893-96 at Union Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He transferred to Md. Conf. in 1896 and
served Hagerstown, 1896-98. In East Ohio Conf. he were Canton, Ohio, 1898-1904; and in Pa. Conf. he
served Chambersburg First, 1904-11; First Church, New Haven, Conn., 1911-12; and Baltimore Fourth, 1912-
13. For the U.B. Church he was General Secretary, Sunday School and Brotherhood Work, 1913-29; and
General Secretary, Evangelism, 1928-33. He retired in 1939 after serving Dayton Fairview (Miami Ohio
Conf.), 1933-39. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 294, 300, 305; Glovier 1965, p. 77; Lycoming 2013]; see also
[Miller 1968, p. 395]. [United Seminary Yearbook 1907] provided the picture on the left, from the Union
Biblical Seminary graduating Class of 1896. The pictures on the right are from [Pa. Conf. 1923, p. 13] and
[Pa. Conf. 1963, p. 4].
BREWER: John Brewer served West Frederick Circuit 1963-64, 1965-66, and 1967-69. A Johnnie E.
Brewer is listed among the Class of 1962 at Shenandoah College—in 2002 he was pastor of Landmark Chapel
and living in Winchester with his wife Peggy; their children are Johnnie, Paul, Phillip, and James. A John A.
Brewer, ordained in 1974, was a member of the Pacific N.W. UMC Conf. in 1995.
BRICKER: Luther O. Bricker became a member of Conference in 1898 and was ordained in 1900. He
served New Creek, 1898-99; and Staunton, 1899-1902. He was given an open transfer in 1904. [Funkhouser
1921, p. 133; see also pp. 128, 294, 296, 297, 298] and [Glovier 1965, p. 90]
BRIDGERS: Lucius Gary Bridgers served Winchester U.B. Church
1938-1945. He was born in Northampton County, North Carolina, on
Mar. 15, 1887. He attended Shenandoah Institute 1912-13. Before
joining Va. Conf. in 1917, he served as an assistant at a mission at
Ridgeley and continued there as pastor until 1924. He was converted
in 1897, licensed in 1918, and ordained on Sep. 14, 1923. On July 30,
1917, he married Mamie Elizabeth Albright. Their son, Robert Bridgers,
is a minister in Va. Conf. He served Petersburg Charge for four years
(1924-28) before going to Bonebrake Theological Seminary at Dayton,
Ohio. He served churches in that area until 1932, when he was assigned to Cumberland and served there
until 1938. He later served Winchester First, 1939-45; Keyser, 1945-48; Westernport, 1949-51; and Potomac
Park Circuit, 1951-56. From the time of retirement until his death on Feb. 7, 1960, he made his home in
Potomac Park. He is buried in Hillcrest Burial Park near Cumberland. His son, Rev. Dr. Robert L. Bridgers,
was also a life-long U.B. and UMC pastor, born 1921 and died in 2006. His memoir is provided in Section II.A
(below). The two pictures on the left are from [Glovier 1965, pp. 77, 82]; the left-most was taken in 1919,
and the middle picture in 1956. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 157; see also pp. 307, 308-309, 311-312] and [Glovier
1965, p. 135; see also pp. 96, 127, 145, 186, 259, 298, 317]
BRIDGERS: Robert Lucius Bridgers was born Mar. 11, 1921, at
Ridgeley, W.Va., the son of Rev. Lucius and Mrs. Mamie Bridgers. He said
that he never felt himself as anything else but a Christian, joining the
Church at Petersburg, W.Va., in 1928, under his father’s ministry. During
his high school days he had plans to enter the field of pharmacy, but
received the call to the ministry at the annual Leadership Training School at
Shenandoah College the summer of 1939. He was graduated from Handley
High School, Winchester, Va., in 1940. He attended Shenandoah College in Dayton, Va., for
2 years (Class of 1942), and was awarded the Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude by Otterbein College in
1944. He joined Va. Conf. in 1944 with Howard Lee Fulk, and he entered Bonebrake Seminary May 30, 1944,
where he participated in the accelerated program, occasioned by World War II, and completed his academic
work in Nov. of 1946. Immediately upon completion of Seminary he began work at the new mission at
Potomac Park in Nov. 1946. He was married to Miss Bonnie Brentlinger on Jan. 23, 1947, at Dayton, Ohio.
He was given the Bachelor of Divinity degree by Bonebrake Seminary in May 1947. He served the Ridgeley
Church, 1945-46; Potomac Park Circuit, 1946-48; Keyser Circuit, 1948-1959; and Harrisonburg Station,
1959-1969. He and Mrs. Bridgers are parents of two children, Elwood born in 1952 and Ruth Ann in 1957. He
retired from Va. Conf. in 1985. He died in 2006. His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below). The picture
on the left is from [Kline 1981, p. 47]. [Glovier 1965, p. 269-270; see also pp. 86, 92, 135, 153, 163, 170,
174, 184, 257, 317, 339; the middle picture is from p. 269] and [General Minutes 1985, p. 936]
BRIGHT: J. C. Bright served Hardy Circuit, 1924-27; and Sleepy Creek Circuit, 1927-28. He became a
member of Va. Conf. In 1927, together with E. Lee Sheaffer and Wade H. Miller. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 257;
Glovier 1965, p. 91]
BRILL: James William Brill was born near Capon Springs, W.Va., Dec. 13, 1859, and is a son of John A.
and Eliza Brill. He joined Conference and was licensed in 1894, ordained in 1901, and was been an itinerant
25 years. He served the following charges: Lost River, 1894-98; Rio, 1898-1900; Pendleton, 1900-08; East
Biographical Sketches 18
