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Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
was a delegate to several General Conferences. At the age of 55 he was elected Bishop at the General
Conference of 1833, and again in 1837. Bishop Hiestand served his church with quiet distinction and great
acceptability. He was a man of deep piety, a faithful and efficient expounder of the Holy Scriptures. The quiet
influence of his Virginia Moravian background was reflected in his preaching. Even though his license to
preach bears the date of 1820, Hiestand was secretary of the General Conference of 1821, and he was a
member of General Conference of 1825. He was a man of good social qualities, and noted for his generous
hospitality, no one ever going away hungry from his door. At his home in Fairfield County, Ohio, on Oct. 9,
1838, Bishop Hiestand’s life quietly and peacefully slipped away. He had reached the age of 56, and had
spent 20 years in the ministry. From Funkhouser 1921, p. 152; see also p. 147, 247]:
Samuel Hiestand, ninth bishop of the United Brethren Church, was born in Page County, Va., Mar. 3, 1781. His parents
were Moravians. About 1804 he went to Ohio, and through the influence of George Benedum was roused from a
backslidden state, becoming associated with him as an evangelist. In 1810 he helped to organize the Miami Conference,
the first daughter conference of the Church. He was a faithful itinerant and became bishop in 1833. Bishop Hiestand was a
man of estimable social qualities. As an English scholar he was indifferent, but he was well read in the German. He died in
Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1838. See [Glovier 1965, pp. 52, 97].
HIGGENS: Henry Higgens (also, Hikens) became a member of Conference in 1829; ordained 1831; died
about 1832. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 125, 138, 240, 242; and 243 (as “Higgins”)] and [Glovier 1965, p. 88;
Lycoming 2013]
HILDT: John Hildt (b. Sep. 21, 1775; d. Apr. 4, 1862) was licensed and became a member of Conference
in 1817; ordained 1820. He served as Presiding Elder, 1823-26. Note [Lycoming 2013]: John Hildt was a
member of Otterbein’s Reformed Church in Baltimore and one of the bishop’s closest friends during the final
years of his life. He moved to Martinsburg, W.Va., about 1817 and later to Dover, Ohio. In 1834 he
translated and published Newcomer’s Diary, a document in which he himself is mentioned over 50 times.
Three sons were active in church work: Francis Hildt (d. 1859) was a local Methodist preacher in Dover, Ohio,
and later an ordained member of the Muskingum Conference [UB]; John Hildt, Jr., was a Methodist class
leader in Dover, Ohio; and George Hildt (b. Feb. 26, 1803; d. Mar. 7, 1882) [see Newcomer’s Diary, p. 315]
was a Methodist preacher in the Baltimore Conference. He prepared “Life and Journal of Christian Newcomer”
[Hildt 1834]. From [Drury 1884, p. 163]:
John Hildt was a member of Mr. Otterbein’s vestry as early as 1809 and for a number of years before Mr. Otterbein’s
death was one of his nearest and most trusted friends. Even down to the close of his life, Mr. Hildt could not speak of Mr.
Otterbein without a rush of tears. He was a man of good education and strong, responsible character. He was converted
under an Easter sermon preached by Mr. Otterbein; and so much was he esteemed by him that Mr. Otterbein once said to
him, “I want you to hold yourself for my place.” In 1817 he began to preach, and was long a successful minister among the
United Brethren. In a letter, part of which was published in The Religious Telescope of July 28th, 1858, he stated that Mr.
Otterbein was called [to his Baltimore congregation] “provided he would consent to be, or become, independent of the
Synod of the German Reformed Church”; and that when Mr. Otterbein was apprised of the condition insisted on by the
congregation, he demanded 3 days’ time for consideration, at the expiration of which time he acceded.” [Funkhouser 1921,
p. ii, 1, 5, 53, 125, 138, 231-239; Glovier 1965, p. 87]
HILL: B. A. Hill served Antioch Circuit, 1940-41. Nothing else is known.
HINKLE: John R. Hinkle served West Frederick Circuit, 1931-32; Mt. Zion Circuit, 1932-33; Great
Cacapon Circuit, 1933-34; and Riverton Circuit, 1934-35. He graduated from Shenandoah College in 1927.
However, he apparently did not join the UMC, since he is not listed in the 1968, 1969, or 1982 UMC
Conference Minutes. In 1987 he was living on College Street in Dayton, Va. A John R. Hinkle, married to
Elsie M. Hinkle (1915-2001), died May 19, 1998. [Glovier 1965, p. 91]
HISER: Dr. Carl William Hiser was born Apr. 17, 1900,
near Petersburg, W.Va., the son of William Frederick and Ida
Rebecca (Mouse) Hiser. He attended Brake and Johnson Run
Elementary Schools; joined Conference 1917; graduated as
valedictorian at Shenandoah College in 1919; and graduated
from Lebanon Valley College with an A.B. in 1922. Converted
in 1912 and licensed in 191, he preached his first sermon at
age 16. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 168] While at Lebanon Valley
College, he served Pottsville Baltzell Church, 1919-21. He
then took special studies at Oklahoma State University in
1925; graduated from United Theological Seminary with a B.D. degree in 1930; and has taught at L. V.
Academy, Oklahoma State University, and Augusta Military Academy. He was converted at the age of 12;
received his Quarterly Conference License Nov. 7, 1915; Annual Conference License, 1917; member of Va.
Conf. 1917-1925, and member of the Oklahoma Conference 1925-1930; and joined Va. Conf. in 1930. He
was ordained at Staunton, Virginia (where in 1916 he had preached his first sermon), in 1930. He has served
some of the largest churches in Va. Conf. and has served on many important boards and committees in the
Conference, and has been a delegate to six General Conferences. He has served as Conference Secretary
1939-1969. He served Swift Run, Oct. 1917-Sep. 1919; (Penna.) Pottstown, October, 1919-Sep. 1921;
Biographical Sketches 71
was a delegate to several General Conferences. At the age of 55 he was elected Bishop at the General
Conference of 1833, and again in 1837. Bishop Hiestand served his church with quiet distinction and great
acceptability. He was a man of deep piety, a faithful and efficient expounder of the Holy Scriptures. The quiet
influence of his Virginia Moravian background was reflected in his preaching. Even though his license to
preach bears the date of 1820, Hiestand was secretary of the General Conference of 1821, and he was a
member of General Conference of 1825. He was a man of good social qualities, and noted for his generous
hospitality, no one ever going away hungry from his door. At his home in Fairfield County, Ohio, on Oct. 9,
1838, Bishop Hiestand’s life quietly and peacefully slipped away. He had reached the age of 56, and had
spent 20 years in the ministry. From Funkhouser 1921, p. 152; see also p. 147, 247]:
Samuel Hiestand, ninth bishop of the United Brethren Church, was born in Page County, Va., Mar. 3, 1781. His parents
were Moravians. About 1804 he went to Ohio, and through the influence of George Benedum was roused from a
backslidden state, becoming associated with him as an evangelist. In 1810 he helped to organize the Miami Conference,
the first daughter conference of the Church. He was a faithful itinerant and became bishop in 1833. Bishop Hiestand was a
man of estimable social qualities. As an English scholar he was indifferent, but he was well read in the German. He died in
Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1838. See [Glovier 1965, pp. 52, 97].
HIGGENS: Henry Higgens (also, Hikens) became a member of Conference in 1829; ordained 1831; died
about 1832. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 125, 138, 240, 242; and 243 (as “Higgins”)] and [Glovier 1965, p. 88;
Lycoming 2013]
HILDT: John Hildt (b. Sep. 21, 1775; d. Apr. 4, 1862) was licensed and became a member of Conference
in 1817; ordained 1820. He served as Presiding Elder, 1823-26. Note [Lycoming 2013]: John Hildt was a
member of Otterbein’s Reformed Church in Baltimore and one of the bishop’s closest friends during the final
years of his life. He moved to Martinsburg, W.Va., about 1817 and later to Dover, Ohio. In 1834 he
translated and published Newcomer’s Diary, a document in which he himself is mentioned over 50 times.
Three sons were active in church work: Francis Hildt (d. 1859) was a local Methodist preacher in Dover, Ohio,
and later an ordained member of the Muskingum Conference [UB]; John Hildt, Jr., was a Methodist class
leader in Dover, Ohio; and George Hildt (b. Feb. 26, 1803; d. Mar. 7, 1882) [see Newcomer’s Diary, p. 315]
was a Methodist preacher in the Baltimore Conference. He prepared “Life and Journal of Christian Newcomer”
[Hildt 1834]. From [Drury 1884, p. 163]:
John Hildt was a member of Mr. Otterbein’s vestry as early as 1809 and for a number of years before Mr. Otterbein’s
death was one of his nearest and most trusted friends. Even down to the close of his life, Mr. Hildt could not speak of Mr.
Otterbein without a rush of tears. He was a man of good education and strong, responsible character. He was converted
under an Easter sermon preached by Mr. Otterbein; and so much was he esteemed by him that Mr. Otterbein once said to
him, “I want you to hold yourself for my place.” In 1817 he began to preach, and was long a successful minister among the
United Brethren. In a letter, part of which was published in The Religious Telescope of July 28th, 1858, he stated that Mr.
Otterbein was called [to his Baltimore congregation] “provided he would consent to be, or become, independent of the
Synod of the German Reformed Church”; and that when Mr. Otterbein was apprised of the condition insisted on by the
congregation, he demanded 3 days’ time for consideration, at the expiration of which time he acceded.” [Funkhouser 1921,
p. ii, 1, 5, 53, 125, 138, 231-239; Glovier 1965, p. 87]
HILL: B. A. Hill served Antioch Circuit, 1940-41. Nothing else is known.
HINKLE: John R. Hinkle served West Frederick Circuit, 1931-32; Mt. Zion Circuit, 1932-33; Great
Cacapon Circuit, 1933-34; and Riverton Circuit, 1934-35. He graduated from Shenandoah College in 1927.
However, he apparently did not join the UMC, since he is not listed in the 1968, 1969, or 1982 UMC
Conference Minutes. In 1987 he was living on College Street in Dayton, Va. A John R. Hinkle, married to
Elsie M. Hinkle (1915-2001), died May 19, 1998. [Glovier 1965, p. 91]
HISER: Dr. Carl William Hiser was born Apr. 17, 1900,
near Petersburg, W.Va., the son of William Frederick and Ida
Rebecca (Mouse) Hiser. He attended Brake and Johnson Run
Elementary Schools; joined Conference 1917; graduated as
valedictorian at Shenandoah College in 1919; and graduated
from Lebanon Valley College with an A.B. in 1922. Converted
in 1912 and licensed in 191, he preached his first sermon at
age 16. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 168] While at Lebanon Valley
College, he served Pottsville Baltzell Church, 1919-21. He
then took special studies at Oklahoma State University in
1925; graduated from United Theological Seminary with a B.D. degree in 1930; and has taught at L. V.
Academy, Oklahoma State University, and Augusta Military Academy. He was converted at the age of 12;
received his Quarterly Conference License Nov. 7, 1915; Annual Conference License, 1917; member of Va.
Conf. 1917-1925, and member of the Oklahoma Conference 1925-1930; and joined Va. Conf. in 1930. He
was ordained at Staunton, Virginia (where in 1916 he had preached his first sermon), in 1930. He has served
some of the largest churches in Va. Conf. and has served on many important boards and committees in the
Conference, and has been a delegate to six General Conferences. He has served as Conference Secretary
1939-1969. He served Swift Run, Oct. 1917-Sep. 1919; (Penna.) Pottstown, October, 1919-Sep. 1921;
Biographical Sketches 71
