Page 70 - United Brethren Preachers
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Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
Dayton, Va., Arthur felt called to ministry. One of his outstanding mentors was the Rev. Dr. J. Paul Gruver.
Dr. Gruver was serving First United Brethren in Christ Church when the family arrived in Roanoke in 1934 and
again while Arthur was a student at United Theological Seminary. Later, Arthur succeeded him as minister of
Cherryvale EUB Church, Staunton, VA, (1963) and years later was honored by the family to share in his
funeral service. During his junior year at Bridgewater College, received room/board with Rev. Mr. George S.
and Mrs. Elaine Widmyer and family at the parsonage for Mt. Clinton EUB Church in Mt. Clinton, VA. During
the 4 years of ministry on the Berkeley-Morgan Charge in Berkeley Springs, WV, Arthur received room/board
with Mrs. Agnes Courtney Bowers Weber, step-mother of the Rev. Mr. Charles B. Weber of Va. Conf. Shirley
Courtney Grant was distantly related to Mrs. Weber. Shirley Courtney Grant’s family was rooted in the
churches of the Berkeley-Morgan EUB Charge. Three of these Churches had been transferred from the
Western Pa. Conf. of the former Evangelical tradition. Mount Zion had been transferred from the Central Pa.
Conf. (Evangelical). As noted, Arthur served Berkeley-Morgan Charge, 1958-62 (Mt. Zion EUB, Michael’s
Chapel EUB, Trinity EUB, and Mahnes EUB—all in Berkeley Springs, W.Va.); Winchester Charge, 1962-63 (Mt.
Pleasant EUB of Gerrardstown, W.Va., Pleasant Valley EUB of Winchester, Va., and Red Bud EUB of
Winchester, Va.); Cherryvale EUB/UMC of Staunton (1963-76); Kernstown UMC of Winchester (1976-81);
Grace UMC of Roanoke (1981-86); and Woodlawn UMC of Roanoke (1986-2001). Arthur retired at the end of
June 2001 with 49.75 years of active Ministry in the Conference. In retirement, Arthur went on to serve
Greene Memorial UMC of Roanoke as Minister to Homebound, 2002 to the present. Arthur served 25 years as
District Secretary of Global Ministries on the Winchester and Roanoke Districts and as a member of Va. Conf.
Division of Mission Education and Cultivation. During that time, he planned and conducted numerous District
and Conference educational bus trips to Red Bird Missionary Conference, Hinton Rural Life Center, Native
American Ministries, Appalachian Ministries, and New York Board of Global Ministries. Among the many
accomplishments of his ministry was the purchase of a parsonage for the Berkeley-Morgan Charge; planning
and beginning construction of an Educational Unit for Pleasant Valley EUB of Winchester; initiating (with
member Tootie Fauber) the Corinthian Club, which is a ministry to the needy at Cherryvale UMC; assisting
development and building of Camp Overlook in Keezletown, Va. (“hands-on”); building the new Cherryvale
Parsonage (“hands-on”); building a new church at Kernstown; and beginning the Healing and Wholeness
Ministry at Woodlawn UMC in Roanoke. In 2012 Arthur was listed as a retired elder of the Va. Conf. still living
in Roanoke, Va. [Glovier 1965, pp. 86, 92, 222, 226, 258, 259, 273 (which provided the picture on the right);
General Minutes 1995, p. 955; VAC 2012 p. 36]
GREGORY: Bishop David Thomas Gregory, son of Joseph T. and Sarah F.
Fulk Gregory, was born in Berkeley County, W.Va., July 16, 1889—”the
parents and grandparents of Mr. Gregory were among the most loyal of
United Brethren, their homes being stopping places for Bishops Glossbrenner
and Hott, as well as others.” In a family of six boys and six girls, he was
educated at a one-room school near his home, Martinsburg Normal School,
Shenandoah Institute (Class of 1915), Lebanon Valley College, and
Bonebrake Theological Seminary. He had the degrees of A.B., B.D., and the
honorary degree of D.D. Bishop Gregory was converted in a revival at
Pleasant Plain U.B. Church in Berkeley County. He joined the Conference and was licensed
to preach in 1915. He served West Frederick, Jones Springs, and Shenandoah (1914-15) charges in Va. Conf.
He was ordained in 1920. While in school at Lebanon Valley College he served Bethany Church in the Pa.
Conf. From 1926 to 1936 he was pastor of the Euclid Avenue Church in Dayton, Ohio, and was
Superintendent of the Ohio Miami Conference, 1926-1937. General offices held: Associate Editor of the
Religious Telescope, 1920; Assistant Executive Secretary of the Denominational Board of Administration,
1921; President of Shenandoah College, 1922-1926; Executive Secretary of the Denominational Board of
Administration, 1937-1950; and Bishop of the East Central Area with residence at Pittsburg, Pa., 1950-1956.
He also served as Executive Secretary of the General Board of Administration, Chairman of the Department of
Home Missions and Church Extension, Vice President of the General Board of Missions, and President of the
Flat Rock Children’s Home. Bishop and Mrs. (Margaret Broy) David Thomas Gregory together, came to
sudden and tragic deaths in an automobile accident Thursday, Dec. 27, 1956. Funeral services were
conducted in Euclid Avenue Church, Dayton, Ohio, Dec. 31, 1956, by the pastor Emerson D. Bragg, with
Bishop Fred L. Dennis preaching a sermon on “Faith in God.” Others assisting in the service were Bishop G. E.
Epp, Bishop A. R. Clippinger, Dr. Harvey Hahn, Dr. Harry J. Fisher, Dr. William K. Messmer, and Dr. H. W.
Kaebnick. On Jan. 2, 1957, in our St. Luke’s Church at Martinsburg, W.Va., Bishop Dennis again brought the
message. The bodies of Bishop and Mrs. Gregory rest in Rosedale Cemetery, at Martinsburg. A tribute paid
to Bishop Gregory by Bishop J. Gordon Howard at the Annual Conference of 1957 was: “It would be impossible
to list and commend all of the many virtues and admirable qualities which made Bishop Gregory so widely
respected and greatly loved.” His memoir, as well as tributes to his wife and Bishop Shannon, is provided in
Section II.A (below). The picture on the left is from [Holdcraft 1938, p. 389]; the one on the right is from
[Glovier 1965, p. 69]. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 165; see also pp. 128, 306-308, 310] and [Glovier 1965, p. 132-
Biographical Sketches 58
Dayton, Va., Arthur felt called to ministry. One of his outstanding mentors was the Rev. Dr. J. Paul Gruver.
Dr. Gruver was serving First United Brethren in Christ Church when the family arrived in Roanoke in 1934 and
again while Arthur was a student at United Theological Seminary. Later, Arthur succeeded him as minister of
Cherryvale EUB Church, Staunton, VA, (1963) and years later was honored by the family to share in his
funeral service. During his junior year at Bridgewater College, received room/board with Rev. Mr. George S.
and Mrs. Elaine Widmyer and family at the parsonage for Mt. Clinton EUB Church in Mt. Clinton, VA. During
the 4 years of ministry on the Berkeley-Morgan Charge in Berkeley Springs, WV, Arthur received room/board
with Mrs. Agnes Courtney Bowers Weber, step-mother of the Rev. Mr. Charles B. Weber of Va. Conf. Shirley
Courtney Grant was distantly related to Mrs. Weber. Shirley Courtney Grant’s family was rooted in the
churches of the Berkeley-Morgan EUB Charge. Three of these Churches had been transferred from the
Western Pa. Conf. of the former Evangelical tradition. Mount Zion had been transferred from the Central Pa.
Conf. (Evangelical). As noted, Arthur served Berkeley-Morgan Charge, 1958-62 (Mt. Zion EUB, Michael’s
Chapel EUB, Trinity EUB, and Mahnes EUB—all in Berkeley Springs, W.Va.); Winchester Charge, 1962-63 (Mt.
Pleasant EUB of Gerrardstown, W.Va., Pleasant Valley EUB of Winchester, Va., and Red Bud EUB of
Winchester, Va.); Cherryvale EUB/UMC of Staunton (1963-76); Kernstown UMC of Winchester (1976-81);
Grace UMC of Roanoke (1981-86); and Woodlawn UMC of Roanoke (1986-2001). Arthur retired at the end of
June 2001 with 49.75 years of active Ministry in the Conference. In retirement, Arthur went on to serve
Greene Memorial UMC of Roanoke as Minister to Homebound, 2002 to the present. Arthur served 25 years as
District Secretary of Global Ministries on the Winchester and Roanoke Districts and as a member of Va. Conf.
Division of Mission Education and Cultivation. During that time, he planned and conducted numerous District
and Conference educational bus trips to Red Bird Missionary Conference, Hinton Rural Life Center, Native
American Ministries, Appalachian Ministries, and New York Board of Global Ministries. Among the many
accomplishments of his ministry was the purchase of a parsonage for the Berkeley-Morgan Charge; planning
and beginning construction of an Educational Unit for Pleasant Valley EUB of Winchester; initiating (with
member Tootie Fauber) the Corinthian Club, which is a ministry to the needy at Cherryvale UMC; assisting
development and building of Camp Overlook in Keezletown, Va. (“hands-on”); building the new Cherryvale
Parsonage (“hands-on”); building a new church at Kernstown; and beginning the Healing and Wholeness
Ministry at Woodlawn UMC in Roanoke. In 2012 Arthur was listed as a retired elder of the Va. Conf. still living
in Roanoke, Va. [Glovier 1965, pp. 86, 92, 222, 226, 258, 259, 273 (which provided the picture on the right);
General Minutes 1995, p. 955; VAC 2012 p. 36]
GREGORY: Bishop David Thomas Gregory, son of Joseph T. and Sarah F.
Fulk Gregory, was born in Berkeley County, W.Va., July 16, 1889—”the
parents and grandparents of Mr. Gregory were among the most loyal of
United Brethren, their homes being stopping places for Bishops Glossbrenner
and Hott, as well as others.” In a family of six boys and six girls, he was
educated at a one-room school near his home, Martinsburg Normal School,
Shenandoah Institute (Class of 1915), Lebanon Valley College, and
Bonebrake Theological Seminary. He had the degrees of A.B., B.D., and the
honorary degree of D.D. Bishop Gregory was converted in a revival at
Pleasant Plain U.B. Church in Berkeley County. He joined the Conference and was licensed
to preach in 1915. He served West Frederick, Jones Springs, and Shenandoah (1914-15) charges in Va. Conf.
He was ordained in 1920. While in school at Lebanon Valley College he served Bethany Church in the Pa.
Conf. From 1926 to 1936 he was pastor of the Euclid Avenue Church in Dayton, Ohio, and was
Superintendent of the Ohio Miami Conference, 1926-1937. General offices held: Associate Editor of the
Religious Telescope, 1920; Assistant Executive Secretary of the Denominational Board of Administration,
1921; President of Shenandoah College, 1922-1926; Executive Secretary of the Denominational Board of
Administration, 1937-1950; and Bishop of the East Central Area with residence at Pittsburg, Pa., 1950-1956.
He also served as Executive Secretary of the General Board of Administration, Chairman of the Department of
Home Missions and Church Extension, Vice President of the General Board of Missions, and President of the
Flat Rock Children’s Home. Bishop and Mrs. (Margaret Broy) David Thomas Gregory together, came to
sudden and tragic deaths in an automobile accident Thursday, Dec. 27, 1956. Funeral services were
conducted in Euclid Avenue Church, Dayton, Ohio, Dec. 31, 1956, by the pastor Emerson D. Bragg, with
Bishop Fred L. Dennis preaching a sermon on “Faith in God.” Others assisting in the service were Bishop G. E.
Epp, Bishop A. R. Clippinger, Dr. Harvey Hahn, Dr. Harry J. Fisher, Dr. William K. Messmer, and Dr. H. W.
Kaebnick. On Jan. 2, 1957, in our St. Luke’s Church at Martinsburg, W.Va., Bishop Dennis again brought the
message. The bodies of Bishop and Mrs. Gregory rest in Rosedale Cemetery, at Martinsburg. A tribute paid
to Bishop Gregory by Bishop J. Gordon Howard at the Annual Conference of 1957 was: “It would be impossible
to list and commend all of the many virtues and admirable qualities which made Bishop Gregory so widely
respected and greatly loved.” His memoir, as well as tributes to his wife and Bishop Shannon, is provided in
Section II.A (below). The picture on the left is from [Holdcraft 1938, p. 389]; the one on the right is from
[Glovier 1965, p. 69]. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 165; see also pp. 128, 306-308, 310] and [Glovier 1965, p. 132-
Biographical Sketches 58
