Page 86 - United Brethren Preachers
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Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
his convictions. Splendid common sense and a great fund of practical knowledge were his, both in worldly matters and the
affairs of the church. Hoffman was a very helpful associate, and the ruling authorities of the church called him much into
their councils. He was also most companionable, being a fine talker, full of anecdote and thrilling incident connected with
his long and useful life, and he had the happy faculty of relating these things in an interesting way. Many was the time,
when the writer of these reminiscences would go to Hoffman’s house, and work hard all day, perhaps cutting and hauling in
firewood, so that the old gentleman might go with him to his quarterly meetings in and across the mountains. For Hoffman
was acquainted with every path and every home, and was loved and respected by all the mountain people. See also
[Glovier 1965, pp. 50, 87]
HOFFMAN (HUFFMAN): George Hoffman (b. 1806; d. Oct. 22, 1888) was another member of
Conference in 1830; ordained 1833; died 1888, aged 82. “Uncle George” was the Hoffman
spoken of as having “gone to Augusta” (County). He served as Conference Book Agent, 1867-69.
[Funkhouser 1921, pp. 138, 172; Lycoming 2013] His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below).
The picture is from [Glovier 1965, p. 69], taken in 1873. From [Glovier 1965, pp. 104-105]:.
The name of George Huffman was on the church roll for 59 years. “Uncle George”, as he was familiarly
called by those who knew him, often was heard to speak of his early experiences, about the eventful scenes
he had witnessed, and about the progress made by the Church. He was a man with many strong friends. He
watched with a jealous eye every departure from established customs and habits. He did not preach often in
his old age, but when the end came, he was ready, and died in great peace. On Monday, Oct. 22, 1888, at his home at Mt.
Zion, near Mt. Solon, Augusta County, Va., he departed this life at the ripe old age of about 82 years. He was buried at Oak
Hill Cemetery, near Mt. Zion, Augusta Co., Va. See also [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 227-228, 231, 241-256, 258-261, 265-270,
272-273, 275-277, 278, 280-281, 283-285, 287-288] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 88, 93, 104-105, 117, 230, 231]
HOFFMAN: George W. Hoffman (b. May 26, 1820; d. Mar. 1, 1883) was licensed in the East Pa. Conf. in
1854 and ordained there in 1857. While never serving in the Va. Conf., he is noted as the founder of the
United Christian denomination, which has a retirement home in Annville PA and a campground in Cleona,
Pa.—the United Christian (formally organized 1877) and United Brethren Old Constitution (1889) are the two
conservative splits from the main branch of the U.B. Denomination. The group was first known as the
“Hoffmanites” in the 1860s. [Lycoming 2013]
HOFFMAN: John H. Hoffman [b. May 10, 1767, Millerstown, Pa.; d. Aug. 5, 1849, Liberty, Ohio; mar.
Barbara Magdalene Limbert (b. Jan. 10, 1770; d. Mar. 27, 1820] became a member of Conference and
licensed in 1826; ordained 1829. In 1838 he transferred to Miami Ohio Conf. He is interred at Liberty UMC,
Liberty, Ohio. Note: John Hoffman is the brother of George (1775-1839) Hoffman and Joseph Hoffman. Mrs.
John Hoffman is believed to be a sister to Mrs. George Hoffman and Mrs. Joseph Hoffman. [Funkhouser 1921,
p. 125, 138, 231, 234-235, 238, 240-241; Glovier 1965, p. 88; Lycoming 2013]
HOFFMAN: Bishop Joseph Hoffman (b. Mar. 19, 1780; d. Nov. 8, 1856; mar. Susannah
Limbert, 1781-1847) became a member of Conference in 1806; ordained 1813; born in
Cumberland Co., Pa., 1780 [Funkhouser 1921, p. 138], began preaching 1802; preached to
unspecified societies for a year, 1806-07; preached 3 months each in Virginia, Maryland, and
Pennsylvania, 1808-09; traveled with Christian Newcomer, 1809-10; served Lancaster Circuit,
1810-11, preached in Maryland and Pennsylvania, 1811-12 (after which he had a leave of
absence due to ill health); succeeded Otterbein as pastor in Baltimore (1814-17); and also
served as Presiding Elder, 1816-18. Joseph Hoffman and Frederick Shaeffer were ordained at
the hands of Otterbein, together with Newcomer, not long before Otterbein’s death, on Oct. 2,
1813, with the assistance of William Ryland, an elder of the Methodist Society of Baltimore [Drury 1884, pp.
358-359; recall that Otterbein had assisted with the ordination of Bishop Asbury]. In 1817 he moved to
Fairfield County, Ohio, and transferred to Miami Ohio Conference in 1818. He was elected bishop, 1821-25.
He moved to Dayton, Ohio, in 1832, and in 1833 moved to Cincinnati. Note: Joseph Hoffman is the brother of
John Hoffman and George (1775-1839) Hoffman. Mrs. Joseph Hoffman is believed to be a sister to Mrs. John
Hoffman and Mrs. George Hoffman. Joseph Hoffman is the father of Enoch Hoffman. Joseph is reported to
have had five sons that entered the ministry. Moreover, he is part of an unbroken chain of six generations of
U.B. ministry within the Pa. Conf., as follows: (1) Bishop Joseph Hoffman (1780-1856), (2) Enoch Hoffman
(1808-1879), (3) Frances Hoffman (?-ca1912) married to Hiram Y. Hummelbaugh (1835-1868), (4) Edwin
Hummelbaugh (1864-1924), (5) Grace Hummelbaugh (1896-1979) married to Harling E. Sponseller (1892-
1963), and (6) Edwin H. Sponseller (1917-1972)—all except Frances Hoffman were regularly ordained and
served as pastors. [Lycoming 2013] The picture is from [Holdcraft 1938, p. 299], who comments: He
became the pioneer preacher and forerunner of United Brethrenism in the Scioto and Miami valleys. Prior to
removing to the “West,” he served a 3-year pastorate at the Old Otterbein Church in Baltimore. It is said that
his voice could be heard distinctly for a mile. Mr. Hoffman was elected bishop in 1821 and served one term.
He died in 1856 and is buried at Lewisburg, Ohio. See also [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 16, 124, 226-231, 233-
235; Glovier 1965, p. 87]
HOLCOMB: Joseph Holcomb became a member of Conference in 1858; ordained 1862; and served
Highland Mission, 1858-59, and Sherando Mission, 1870-71. Otherwise, he apparently did not itinerate. He
joined the MECS in 1873. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 129, 138, 260-262, 265-271; Glovier 1965, pp. 88, 148]
Biographical Sketches 74
his convictions. Splendid common sense and a great fund of practical knowledge were his, both in worldly matters and the
affairs of the church. Hoffman was a very helpful associate, and the ruling authorities of the church called him much into
their councils. He was also most companionable, being a fine talker, full of anecdote and thrilling incident connected with
his long and useful life, and he had the happy faculty of relating these things in an interesting way. Many was the time,
when the writer of these reminiscences would go to Hoffman’s house, and work hard all day, perhaps cutting and hauling in
firewood, so that the old gentleman might go with him to his quarterly meetings in and across the mountains. For Hoffman
was acquainted with every path and every home, and was loved and respected by all the mountain people. See also
[Glovier 1965, pp. 50, 87]
HOFFMAN (HUFFMAN): George Hoffman (b. 1806; d. Oct. 22, 1888) was another member of
Conference in 1830; ordained 1833; died 1888, aged 82. “Uncle George” was the Hoffman
spoken of as having “gone to Augusta” (County). He served as Conference Book Agent, 1867-69.
[Funkhouser 1921, pp. 138, 172; Lycoming 2013] His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below).
The picture is from [Glovier 1965, p. 69], taken in 1873. From [Glovier 1965, pp. 104-105]:.
The name of George Huffman was on the church roll for 59 years. “Uncle George”, as he was familiarly
called by those who knew him, often was heard to speak of his early experiences, about the eventful scenes
he had witnessed, and about the progress made by the Church. He was a man with many strong friends. He
watched with a jealous eye every departure from established customs and habits. He did not preach often in
his old age, but when the end came, he was ready, and died in great peace. On Monday, Oct. 22, 1888, at his home at Mt.
Zion, near Mt. Solon, Augusta County, Va., he departed this life at the ripe old age of about 82 years. He was buried at Oak
Hill Cemetery, near Mt. Zion, Augusta Co., Va. See also [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 227-228, 231, 241-256, 258-261, 265-270,
272-273, 275-277, 278, 280-281, 283-285, 287-288] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 88, 93, 104-105, 117, 230, 231]
HOFFMAN: George W. Hoffman (b. May 26, 1820; d. Mar. 1, 1883) was licensed in the East Pa. Conf. in
1854 and ordained there in 1857. While never serving in the Va. Conf., he is noted as the founder of the
United Christian denomination, which has a retirement home in Annville PA and a campground in Cleona,
Pa.—the United Christian (formally organized 1877) and United Brethren Old Constitution (1889) are the two
conservative splits from the main branch of the U.B. Denomination. The group was first known as the
“Hoffmanites” in the 1860s. [Lycoming 2013]
HOFFMAN: John H. Hoffman [b. May 10, 1767, Millerstown, Pa.; d. Aug. 5, 1849, Liberty, Ohio; mar.
Barbara Magdalene Limbert (b. Jan. 10, 1770; d. Mar. 27, 1820] became a member of Conference and
licensed in 1826; ordained 1829. In 1838 he transferred to Miami Ohio Conf. He is interred at Liberty UMC,
Liberty, Ohio. Note: John Hoffman is the brother of George (1775-1839) Hoffman and Joseph Hoffman. Mrs.
John Hoffman is believed to be a sister to Mrs. George Hoffman and Mrs. Joseph Hoffman. [Funkhouser 1921,
p. 125, 138, 231, 234-235, 238, 240-241; Glovier 1965, p. 88; Lycoming 2013]
HOFFMAN: Bishop Joseph Hoffman (b. Mar. 19, 1780; d. Nov. 8, 1856; mar. Susannah
Limbert, 1781-1847) became a member of Conference in 1806; ordained 1813; born in
Cumberland Co., Pa., 1780 [Funkhouser 1921, p. 138], began preaching 1802; preached to
unspecified societies for a year, 1806-07; preached 3 months each in Virginia, Maryland, and
Pennsylvania, 1808-09; traveled with Christian Newcomer, 1809-10; served Lancaster Circuit,
1810-11, preached in Maryland and Pennsylvania, 1811-12 (after which he had a leave of
absence due to ill health); succeeded Otterbein as pastor in Baltimore (1814-17); and also
served as Presiding Elder, 1816-18. Joseph Hoffman and Frederick Shaeffer were ordained at
the hands of Otterbein, together with Newcomer, not long before Otterbein’s death, on Oct. 2,
1813, with the assistance of William Ryland, an elder of the Methodist Society of Baltimore [Drury 1884, pp.
358-359; recall that Otterbein had assisted with the ordination of Bishop Asbury]. In 1817 he moved to
Fairfield County, Ohio, and transferred to Miami Ohio Conference in 1818. He was elected bishop, 1821-25.
He moved to Dayton, Ohio, in 1832, and in 1833 moved to Cincinnati. Note: Joseph Hoffman is the brother of
John Hoffman and George (1775-1839) Hoffman. Mrs. Joseph Hoffman is believed to be a sister to Mrs. John
Hoffman and Mrs. George Hoffman. Joseph Hoffman is the father of Enoch Hoffman. Joseph is reported to
have had five sons that entered the ministry. Moreover, he is part of an unbroken chain of six generations of
U.B. ministry within the Pa. Conf., as follows: (1) Bishop Joseph Hoffman (1780-1856), (2) Enoch Hoffman
(1808-1879), (3) Frances Hoffman (?-ca1912) married to Hiram Y. Hummelbaugh (1835-1868), (4) Edwin
Hummelbaugh (1864-1924), (5) Grace Hummelbaugh (1896-1979) married to Harling E. Sponseller (1892-
1963), and (6) Edwin H. Sponseller (1917-1972)—all except Frances Hoffman were regularly ordained and
served as pastors. [Lycoming 2013] The picture is from [Holdcraft 1938, p. 299], who comments: He
became the pioneer preacher and forerunner of United Brethrenism in the Scioto and Miami valleys. Prior to
removing to the “West,” he served a 3-year pastorate at the Old Otterbein Church in Baltimore. It is said that
his voice could be heard distinctly for a mile. Mr. Hoffman was elected bishop in 1821 and served one term.
He died in 1856 and is buried at Lewisburg, Ohio. See also [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 16, 124, 226-231, 233-
235; Glovier 1965, p. 87]
HOLCOMB: Joseph Holcomb became a member of Conference in 1858; ordained 1862; and served
Highland Mission, 1858-59, and Sherando Mission, 1870-71. Otherwise, he apparently did not itinerate. He
joined the MECS in 1873. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 129, 138, 260-262, 265-271; Glovier 1965, pp. 88, 148]
Biographical Sketches 74
