Page 134 - United Brethren Virginia Conferences 1800-1946
P. 134
Volume 7 History of Virginia Conferences of United Brethren December 26, 2024
Rau continues to lead all others in the Conference in Telescope subscriptions, he having a list of
68 subscribers. Spirituality. Many of the ministers and also many of the laity are entering into a more
devotional and deeper spiritual life and service. They are beginning to realize that without the Holy
Ghost they can do nothing. Nearly all the charges have experienced some degree of spiritual
quickening, while some have had unusual meetings. Keyser, Westernport, South Branch Circuit, West
Frederick Circuit, Toms Brook Circuit, Bayard Circuit, Berkeley Springs Circuit, Berkeley Springs,
Prince William Mission, Inwood Circuit, Winchester Circuit, and Martinsburg all had great refreshings
from the presence of the Lord. There have been more than 500 additions to the Church on the district
this year.
Finance. There was some increase in pastor’s salaries, but the greatest progress was made in the
method of securing and paying the pastor’s salaries. The disciplinary apportionment plan was adopted
by nearly all the first quarterly conferences, and the result was that more than half the congregations
paid the pastor in full, or nearly so, every 3 months. More pastors received their salaries in full the past
year than ever before. The various Conference claims have been generally supported, and all the
charges will report full on all Conference claims except just a few. I believe the time has come for the
Virginia Conference to begin the creation of a fund to increase and fix a minimum salary for the pastors.
This session of Conference should take some definite action in this matter.
Seventy-one quarterly conferences were held, 65 in person and 6 by proxy, at a cost of $125.52.
I preached during the year 194 times and traveled a distance of 4,976 miles. Salary. All the charges
paid their apportionment for elder’s salary in full except two. Salary received from charges $766.64;
salary received from house rent, $120; salary received as presents, $10; total, $896.64. Conclusion. In
concluding my report I wish to most heartily thank all my brethren in the Ministry for their great
kindness to me and to express my appreciation of their cooperation in the work, and to the Laity for their
support, sympathy, and encouragement. Our fellowship has been sweet and our communion at the
throne helpful. May the Dear Lord bless all my brethren in both the Ministry and Laity. Kindly
submitted, W. F. Gruver, P.E.
Boundaries. The Boundary and Finance Committee organized by electing A. S. Hammack,
chairman and A. J. Secrist, Secretary; Hammack, Gruver, Hott, Stover, Siever, Bell, Millard, Secrist,
Funkhouser, and Ruebush. The following resolutions were passed:
1. That Paw Paw be added to Cacapon Circuit.
2. That Excelsior be attached to South Branch Circuit and the Corner be left to the discretion
of the Quarterly Conference.
3. That Limestone be attached to Keyser.
4. That Clay Hill be detached from Churchville Circuit and attached to Rockbridge circuit.
Attach Stokes [Stokesville] to Churchville Circuit. Attach Smith’s Chapel to Rockbridge Circuit.
5. That Christiansburg be dropped.
6. That Roanoke First and Second churches be consolidated, and that C. H. Crowell, A. S.
Hammack, and J. H. Ruebush of the C. E. Society with Dr. Weekley be made a committee to relocate in
Roanoke.
7. That we constitute a work around Roanoke to be known as Roanoke Circuit.
8. That the presiding Elder districts remain as last year.
1905 Reports 124
Rau continues to lead all others in the Conference in Telescope subscriptions, he having a list of
68 subscribers. Spirituality. Many of the ministers and also many of the laity are entering into a more
devotional and deeper spiritual life and service. They are beginning to realize that without the Holy
Ghost they can do nothing. Nearly all the charges have experienced some degree of spiritual
quickening, while some have had unusual meetings. Keyser, Westernport, South Branch Circuit, West
Frederick Circuit, Toms Brook Circuit, Bayard Circuit, Berkeley Springs Circuit, Berkeley Springs,
Prince William Mission, Inwood Circuit, Winchester Circuit, and Martinsburg all had great refreshings
from the presence of the Lord. There have been more than 500 additions to the Church on the district
this year.
Finance. There was some increase in pastor’s salaries, but the greatest progress was made in the
method of securing and paying the pastor’s salaries. The disciplinary apportionment plan was adopted
by nearly all the first quarterly conferences, and the result was that more than half the congregations
paid the pastor in full, or nearly so, every 3 months. More pastors received their salaries in full the past
year than ever before. The various Conference claims have been generally supported, and all the
charges will report full on all Conference claims except just a few. I believe the time has come for the
Virginia Conference to begin the creation of a fund to increase and fix a minimum salary for the pastors.
This session of Conference should take some definite action in this matter.
Seventy-one quarterly conferences were held, 65 in person and 6 by proxy, at a cost of $125.52.
I preached during the year 194 times and traveled a distance of 4,976 miles. Salary. All the charges
paid their apportionment for elder’s salary in full except two. Salary received from charges $766.64;
salary received from house rent, $120; salary received as presents, $10; total, $896.64. Conclusion. In
concluding my report I wish to most heartily thank all my brethren in the Ministry for their great
kindness to me and to express my appreciation of their cooperation in the work, and to the Laity for their
support, sympathy, and encouragement. Our fellowship has been sweet and our communion at the
throne helpful. May the Dear Lord bless all my brethren in both the Ministry and Laity. Kindly
submitted, W. F. Gruver, P.E.
Boundaries. The Boundary and Finance Committee organized by electing A. S. Hammack,
chairman and A. J. Secrist, Secretary; Hammack, Gruver, Hott, Stover, Siever, Bell, Millard, Secrist,
Funkhouser, and Ruebush. The following resolutions were passed:
1. That Paw Paw be added to Cacapon Circuit.
2. That Excelsior be attached to South Branch Circuit and the Corner be left to the discretion
of the Quarterly Conference.
3. That Limestone be attached to Keyser.
4. That Clay Hill be detached from Churchville Circuit and attached to Rockbridge circuit.
Attach Stokes [Stokesville] to Churchville Circuit. Attach Smith’s Chapel to Rockbridge Circuit.
5. That Christiansburg be dropped.
6. That Roanoke First and Second churches be consolidated, and that C. H. Crowell, A. S.
Hammack, and J. H. Ruebush of the C. E. Society with Dr. Weekley be made a committee to relocate in
Roanoke.
7. That we constitute a work around Roanoke to be known as Roanoke Circuit.
8. That the presiding Elder districts remain as last year.
1905 Reports 124
