Page 64 - United Brethren Preachers
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Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
the Chautauqua idea, which was planned for and held in a grove in Mt. Jackson, Va. Later, he purchased a
site near Harrisonburg, Va., named Assembly Park, and erected a large Tabernacle and a number of cottages
to further the laudable conception. He was Superintendent of Rockingham County Public Schools for four
years, and through his efforts the schools of the county reached a very high standard. In 1897 he was
appointed postmaster at Harrisonburg, Va., and served in that capacity for 8 years. During his administration
of the office, Rockingham County was given a complete county rural free delivery, and [it was] the first county
in the entire United States to be so equipped. Brother Funkhouser for the 2 years prior to his death was a
student at Union Theological Seminary, and at Columbia University in New York, from which he would have
received his Doctor of Philosophy Degree in another year. He is now perhaps most well-known for his work as
Va. Conf. Historian, compiling his materials from 1890-1915. His book, History of the Church of the United
Brethren in Christ: Va. Conf., was published posthumously in 1921. He died on July 16, 1917, at his home at
Assembly Park, Harrisonburg, Va., where he had built a tabernacle and cottages for a Chautauqua, after an
illness of about 48 hours duration, and is buried in Woodbine Cemetery there. He served Winchester U.B.
Church 1908-1909. He built the U.B. Church in Dayton (1878) and dedicated numerous church houses:
Belmont in 1884, Mt. Bethel in 1890, Midland in 1894, Fairview (W.Va.) in 1896, Prize Hill in 1896,
Crabbottom in 1902, among others. His memoir, as well as his wife’s, is provided in Section II.A (below).
The left-most picture is from [Funkhouser 1921, p. ii]; the two in the middle are from [Glovier 1965, pp. 69,
76], the one at the right taken in 1886 and the other in 1913. The right-most picture is from [U.B. Yearbook
1898, p. 27]. See also the biographical sketch provided by Oren F. Morton in [Funkhouser 1921 (Chap.
XXIII), pp. 203-213; and pp. 127, 136, 269-290, 292, 295-299, 302-306]. [Glovier 1965, p. 116; see also
pp. 13, 29, 45, 49, 68, 89, 95, 111, 144, 152, 158, 166, 171, 188, 205, 223, 327, 333] and [United Seminary
Yearbook 1907, which provided the picture of A. P. Funkhouser when President, L.V.C., in 1907]
FUNKHOUSER: Daniel Coffman Funkhouser (b. Feb. 18, 1809; d. Aug. 31, 1869; mar.
Susanna Sherk, b. Dec. 15, 1802) was reared at Mt. Hebron; licensed in 1834, became a
member of Conference in 1835 [Funkhouser 1921, p. 136]; and was ordained in 1837 in Pa.
Conf. He served Lancaster Circuit, 1834-35; Dauphin Circuit, 1835-37; Carlisle Circuit, 1837-
38; and Lancaster Circuit, 1838-40. He transferred to Va. Conf. in 1841. In 1847 he
transferred to E. Pa. Conf. and served Highspire Circuit, 1847-49. He transferred to Pa. Conf. in
1858. He died in 1869 (obituary in the Pa. Conf. Journal of 1870, p. 23) and was interred at
Salem Church, Franklin County, Pa. [Miller 1968, p. 70] reports, He traveled circuits for 6 years
before his health broke. Although he never returned to itinerant work, he served as a local
preacher, speaking as often as 100 times a year. Mr. Funkhouser’s son Benjamin was the
father of Mrs. William H. Washinger, whose husband was a pastor and superintendent in Pa. Conf. for many
years and later a bishop. [Funkhouser 1921; 125-126, 136, 250-252; Holdcraft 1938, p. 293 (which provided
the picture); Glovier 1965, p. 88; Lycoming 2013]
FUNKHOUSER: Joseph Funkhouser became a member of Conference in 1844; farmer near Keezletown,
Va.; ordained 1847; joined MECS in 1865 (or 1866). [Funkhouser 1921, p. 60, 126, 136; 250-256, 258-261,
265; Glovier 1965, p. 88]
GAIN: George Ronald Gain was born in Martinsburg, W.Va., Sep. 12, 1945, a son of George
Wesley and Helen Elizabeth Parsons Gain. He was active in the St. Luke’s Church and felt the
call to the ministry since early in life. He is in the second year at Shepherd College. At the
conference session in 1964 he was assigned to the Antioch Charge consisting of Antioch,
Fountain and Mt. Zion Churches. Note: A Joseph R. Gain (1929-2000) was born Dec. 25,
1929, and died Sep. 28, 2000, last living at Lenzburg, Ill.—buried at Jefferson Barracks National
Cemetery, Lemay Township, Mo. [Glovier 1965, pp. 297, 301, from which the picture is taken]
GAINER: T. E. Gainer was admitted to Conference in 1915 and served Elkton Circuit, 1914-16.
[Funkhouser 1921, pp. 128; Glovier 1965, pp. 91]
GAITHER: Golden Albert Gaither (b. Oct. 27, 1927). In Sep. 1949, the Superintendent reported that
Golden Gaither, Berkeley Place, Martinsburg Charge, among others, had been recommended by their
respective quarterlies to the annual conference for the Probationer’s License. We know this young man
personally and we are convinced he has been called to the Christian Ministry and he intended to prepare
Himself fully for the Ministry by availing themselves of full college and seminary training. Golden is now in
Shenandoah College and from here plan to attend Lebanon Valley College and Bonebrake Seminary. He
graduated from Shenandoah College in 1950 and then finished a B.A. at Lebanon Valley. He went on to
complete his M.Div. at what is now United Seminary. G. A. Gaither served Broadway Circuit, 1955-59. In
1959 he transferred to Pa. Conf., where he served Greenmount (Md.), 1959-61; Baltimore Otterbein, 1961-
64; Dillsburg, 1964-68; Mont Alto, 1968-71; Mapleton yoked parish, 1971-74; Yoe Christ, 1974-88; and
Greencastle, 1988-90. In 1990 he retired. In 1996 he was interim pastor for New Freedom Trinity, having
previously served as interim pastor for Airville McKendree Church. In 2002 he was retired as serving as a
Biographical Sketches 52
the Chautauqua idea, which was planned for and held in a grove in Mt. Jackson, Va. Later, he purchased a
site near Harrisonburg, Va., named Assembly Park, and erected a large Tabernacle and a number of cottages
to further the laudable conception. He was Superintendent of Rockingham County Public Schools for four
years, and through his efforts the schools of the county reached a very high standard. In 1897 he was
appointed postmaster at Harrisonburg, Va., and served in that capacity for 8 years. During his administration
of the office, Rockingham County was given a complete county rural free delivery, and [it was] the first county
in the entire United States to be so equipped. Brother Funkhouser for the 2 years prior to his death was a
student at Union Theological Seminary, and at Columbia University in New York, from which he would have
received his Doctor of Philosophy Degree in another year. He is now perhaps most well-known for his work as
Va. Conf. Historian, compiling his materials from 1890-1915. His book, History of the Church of the United
Brethren in Christ: Va. Conf., was published posthumously in 1921. He died on July 16, 1917, at his home at
Assembly Park, Harrisonburg, Va., where he had built a tabernacle and cottages for a Chautauqua, after an
illness of about 48 hours duration, and is buried in Woodbine Cemetery there. He served Winchester U.B.
Church 1908-1909. He built the U.B. Church in Dayton (1878) and dedicated numerous church houses:
Belmont in 1884, Mt. Bethel in 1890, Midland in 1894, Fairview (W.Va.) in 1896, Prize Hill in 1896,
Crabbottom in 1902, among others. His memoir, as well as his wife’s, is provided in Section II.A (below).
The left-most picture is from [Funkhouser 1921, p. ii]; the two in the middle are from [Glovier 1965, pp. 69,
76], the one at the right taken in 1886 and the other in 1913. The right-most picture is from [U.B. Yearbook
1898, p. 27]. See also the biographical sketch provided by Oren F. Morton in [Funkhouser 1921 (Chap.
XXIII), pp. 203-213; and pp. 127, 136, 269-290, 292, 295-299, 302-306]. [Glovier 1965, p. 116; see also
pp. 13, 29, 45, 49, 68, 89, 95, 111, 144, 152, 158, 166, 171, 188, 205, 223, 327, 333] and [United Seminary
Yearbook 1907, which provided the picture of A. P. Funkhouser when President, L.V.C., in 1907]
FUNKHOUSER: Daniel Coffman Funkhouser (b. Feb. 18, 1809; d. Aug. 31, 1869; mar.
Susanna Sherk, b. Dec. 15, 1802) was reared at Mt. Hebron; licensed in 1834, became a
member of Conference in 1835 [Funkhouser 1921, p. 136]; and was ordained in 1837 in Pa.
Conf. He served Lancaster Circuit, 1834-35; Dauphin Circuit, 1835-37; Carlisle Circuit, 1837-
38; and Lancaster Circuit, 1838-40. He transferred to Va. Conf. in 1841. In 1847 he
transferred to E. Pa. Conf. and served Highspire Circuit, 1847-49. He transferred to Pa. Conf. in
1858. He died in 1869 (obituary in the Pa. Conf. Journal of 1870, p. 23) and was interred at
Salem Church, Franklin County, Pa. [Miller 1968, p. 70] reports, He traveled circuits for 6 years
before his health broke. Although he never returned to itinerant work, he served as a local
preacher, speaking as often as 100 times a year. Mr. Funkhouser’s son Benjamin was the
father of Mrs. William H. Washinger, whose husband was a pastor and superintendent in Pa. Conf. for many
years and later a bishop. [Funkhouser 1921; 125-126, 136, 250-252; Holdcraft 1938, p. 293 (which provided
the picture); Glovier 1965, p. 88; Lycoming 2013]
FUNKHOUSER: Joseph Funkhouser became a member of Conference in 1844; farmer near Keezletown,
Va.; ordained 1847; joined MECS in 1865 (or 1866). [Funkhouser 1921, p. 60, 126, 136; 250-256, 258-261,
265; Glovier 1965, p. 88]
GAIN: George Ronald Gain was born in Martinsburg, W.Va., Sep. 12, 1945, a son of George
Wesley and Helen Elizabeth Parsons Gain. He was active in the St. Luke’s Church and felt the
call to the ministry since early in life. He is in the second year at Shepherd College. At the
conference session in 1964 he was assigned to the Antioch Charge consisting of Antioch,
Fountain and Mt. Zion Churches. Note: A Joseph R. Gain (1929-2000) was born Dec. 25,
1929, and died Sep. 28, 2000, last living at Lenzburg, Ill.—buried at Jefferson Barracks National
Cemetery, Lemay Township, Mo. [Glovier 1965, pp. 297, 301, from which the picture is taken]
GAINER: T. E. Gainer was admitted to Conference in 1915 and served Elkton Circuit, 1914-16.
[Funkhouser 1921, pp. 128; Glovier 1965, pp. 91]
GAITHER: Golden Albert Gaither (b. Oct. 27, 1927). In Sep. 1949, the Superintendent reported that
Golden Gaither, Berkeley Place, Martinsburg Charge, among others, had been recommended by their
respective quarterlies to the annual conference for the Probationer’s License. We know this young man
personally and we are convinced he has been called to the Christian Ministry and he intended to prepare
Himself fully for the Ministry by availing themselves of full college and seminary training. Golden is now in
Shenandoah College and from here plan to attend Lebanon Valley College and Bonebrake Seminary. He
graduated from Shenandoah College in 1950 and then finished a B.A. at Lebanon Valley. He went on to
complete his M.Div. at what is now United Seminary. G. A. Gaither served Broadway Circuit, 1955-59. In
1959 he transferred to Pa. Conf., where he served Greenmount (Md.), 1959-61; Baltimore Otterbein, 1961-
64; Dillsburg, 1964-68; Mont Alto, 1968-71; Mapleton yoked parish, 1971-74; Yoe Christ, 1974-88; and
Greencastle, 1988-90. In 1990 he retired. In 1996 he was interim pastor for New Freedom Trinity, having
previously served as interim pastor for Airville McKendree Church. In 2002 he was retired as serving as a
Biographical Sketches 52
