Page 107 - United Brethren Virginia Conferences 1800-1946
P. 107
Volume 7 History of Virginia Conferences of United Brethren December 26, 2024
as the Pennsylvania, was then called the Harrisburg Conference. In the proceedings of the General
Conference of 1833, we find Hagerstown Conference bearing the name of Virginia Conference and the
Harrisburg changed to Pennsylvania. Bro. Spayth having set out in part first of this work with the names
as now applied to these conferences, we have for the sake of being better understood, pursued the same
course, yet it appears necessary to make this explanation. Notice that Mr. Hanby here calls the
Harrisburg Conference the “new” Conference, and says that this “new” Conference was thereafter called
the Pennsylvania Conference.
Dr. A. W. Drury, of the faculty of Union Biblical Seminary, among the best living authority, in a
personal letter says: “The earlier division by which Virginia and Pennsylvania Conferences were
formed furnishes some points in favor of the Virginia Conference—for example, the holding of the
name Hagerstown Conference, which had been in use for some time, and the holding of the records; also
the retaining of some of the oldest territory.” “I think that I would regard the earlier advantage on the
side of Virginia Conference, though the later advantage might be on the other side, especially as
Virginia Conference no longer holds important territory in Maryland.”
It must, however, be remembered that the Maryland territory belonged to the Virginia
Conference when that division was made, and as to the territory occupied by the original conference, it
is but fair to say that it was about equally the inheritance of each. And it has fallen out, that, as the years
passed and changes came, the Virginia Conference has held as much or possibly more than any other
conference of the original territory.
The West Virginia (Parkersburg) Conference was set off from the Virginia Conference in 1857,
and the Maryland Conference in 1887. This paper has little or nothing to do with the controversy
between the Pennsylvania and the East Pennsylvania Conferences, as to the right to the claim for the
great age. As to the territorial claim, that may be made by almost all of the eastern conferences, and as
to the claim made by the East Pennsylvania Conference of holding a copy of the minutes of the old or
Hagerstown Conference from 1800 to 1830 (see U.B. History, page 571), there is little force in it for we
have already seen that by the action of the Conference of 1830 at Shopp’s Meeting House in
Pennsylvania, they were made the property of the Hagerstown (afterward, Virginia) Conference. The
mere possession of a transcript of the records is a light claim. The right to hold them is with the Virginia
Conference. The claim for highest antiquity, of the Virginia Conference, rests favorably on the
possession of the original name, the original records and a fair proportion of the original territory. And
here it rests. As to the present numbering of our annual sessions it may be observed:
1. That our sessions were not numbered until 1879.
2. It was begun as far as records show by the secretary without instructions from the
Conference.
3. The sessions presumably date from 1831, but allowing that the sessions were annual, there
is an error of one, there having been held 68 annual sessions since the one near Shiremanstown, Pa., in
1830.
4. Prior to 1831 there had been held annually, 31 conferences since 1800, and two meetings
known as conferences held, one in 1789 and one in 1791.
5. Counting the sessions held during the Civil War, north and south of the Potomac River as
one annually, an unbroken line from the beginning shows 101 sessions held, this, in the year 1899 being
the 102nd.
1899 Reports 97
as the Pennsylvania, was then called the Harrisburg Conference. In the proceedings of the General
Conference of 1833, we find Hagerstown Conference bearing the name of Virginia Conference and the
Harrisburg changed to Pennsylvania. Bro. Spayth having set out in part first of this work with the names
as now applied to these conferences, we have for the sake of being better understood, pursued the same
course, yet it appears necessary to make this explanation. Notice that Mr. Hanby here calls the
Harrisburg Conference the “new” Conference, and says that this “new” Conference was thereafter called
the Pennsylvania Conference.
Dr. A. W. Drury, of the faculty of Union Biblical Seminary, among the best living authority, in a
personal letter says: “The earlier division by which Virginia and Pennsylvania Conferences were
formed furnishes some points in favor of the Virginia Conference—for example, the holding of the
name Hagerstown Conference, which had been in use for some time, and the holding of the records; also
the retaining of some of the oldest territory.” “I think that I would regard the earlier advantage on the
side of Virginia Conference, though the later advantage might be on the other side, especially as
Virginia Conference no longer holds important territory in Maryland.”
It must, however, be remembered that the Maryland territory belonged to the Virginia
Conference when that division was made, and as to the territory occupied by the original conference, it
is but fair to say that it was about equally the inheritance of each. And it has fallen out, that, as the years
passed and changes came, the Virginia Conference has held as much or possibly more than any other
conference of the original territory.
The West Virginia (Parkersburg) Conference was set off from the Virginia Conference in 1857,
and the Maryland Conference in 1887. This paper has little or nothing to do with the controversy
between the Pennsylvania and the East Pennsylvania Conferences, as to the right to the claim for the
great age. As to the territorial claim, that may be made by almost all of the eastern conferences, and as
to the claim made by the East Pennsylvania Conference of holding a copy of the minutes of the old or
Hagerstown Conference from 1800 to 1830 (see U.B. History, page 571), there is little force in it for we
have already seen that by the action of the Conference of 1830 at Shopp’s Meeting House in
Pennsylvania, they were made the property of the Hagerstown (afterward, Virginia) Conference. The
mere possession of a transcript of the records is a light claim. The right to hold them is with the Virginia
Conference. The claim for highest antiquity, of the Virginia Conference, rests favorably on the
possession of the original name, the original records and a fair proportion of the original territory. And
here it rests. As to the present numbering of our annual sessions it may be observed:
1. That our sessions were not numbered until 1879.
2. It was begun as far as records show by the secretary without instructions from the
Conference.
3. The sessions presumably date from 1831, but allowing that the sessions were annual, there
is an error of one, there having been held 68 annual sessions since the one near Shiremanstown, Pa., in
1830.
4. Prior to 1831 there had been held annually, 31 conferences since 1800, and two meetings
known as conferences held, one in 1789 and one in 1791.
5. Counting the sessions held during the Civil War, north and south of the Potomac River as
one annually, an unbroken line from the beginning shows 101 sessions held, this, in the year 1899 being
the 102nd.
1899 Reports 97
