Page 14 - United Brethren Virginia Conferences 1800-1946
P. 14
Volume 7 History of Virginia Conferences of United Brethren December 26, 2024
The following a recorded roll of all the ministers of the church, who up to this date were authorized “to administer all the
ordinances of the house of God.” None were ordained. The authorization had been at some great meeting, or a conference to
administer the sacraments:
William Otterbein, Christian Newcomer, Christopher Grosh, John Neidig, Christian Hershey, Isaac Niswander, Peter
Kemp, Martin Boehm, Christian Crum, Abraham Draksel, David Long, Abraham Meyer, Daniel Troyer, Adam Riegel, George
A. Guething. John Hershey, Ludwig Duckwald, Abraham Hershey, William Ambrose, George Benedum, Frederick Schaeffer,
Joseph Hoffman, David Snyder, David Gingerich, Christian Smith, Christian Berger.
Died: Matthias Kessler, George A. Guething.
A. Meyer to assist in holding two great meetings in Virginia. Spayth to visit Virginia in November.
Note:—Guething was secretary of the Conference from 1800 to 1812, inclusive. Shortly before his death he finished
transcribing the Minutes from loose leaves into a conference book.
1813
Conference again at Christian Herr’s. Christopher Grosh, chairman; Christian Smith, secretary.
Present: Christopher Grosh, Christian Newcomer, John Neidig. Abraham Meyer, Adam Riegel, Christian Crum, Frederick
Schaeffer, Jacob Baulus, Valentine Baulus, David Snyder, Christian Hershey, Abraham Hershey, George Guething, Michael
Baer, Henry G. Spayth, Christian Smith, Henry Hiestand, Joseph Jordan—18.
Licensed to exhort: John Brown, John Geisinger, Charles Hassell, George Kolb.
An address, signed by Bishop Asbury, received from the Baltimore Methodist Conference, and Newcomer and Baulus
directed to prepare a reply.
Newcomer, Crum, Hoffman, and Baulus appointed a committee to meet a committee from the Evangelical Association for
the purpose of effecting an organic union. This proceeding grew out of a visit by Newcomer to the Evangelical Conference in
April, 1813. He was given a letter to be laid before the United Brethren Conference. The committee—Newcomer, Crum,
Hoffman, and Baulus—met the Evangelical committee at New Berlin, Pa., and conferred several days without coming to any
conclusion. The Albrights (Evangelicals) had been working about 15 years, and had 15 itinerants and 800 members. Their
General Conference of 1816 changed the name of the Denomination to its present form, and discussed the proposed union. A
committee of six from each church met at Henry Kumler’s in 1817, but failed to come to any understanding.
Christian Newcomer elected bishop for one year.
Ordered that the Discipline and the Confession of Faith be printed.
Died: William Otterbein, aged 87.
1814
Conference at Hagerstown, Md., May 24. C. Newcomer, bishop; J. Baulus, secretary.
Present: Christian Newcomer, Abraham Meyer, John Baer, David Snyder, George Geeting, Thomas Winter, Frederick
Schaeffer, Christian Crum, Jacob Dehof, Henry G. Spayth, Joseph Hoffman, Christopher Grosh, Valentine Baulus, Herman
Ow, John Neidig, John Snyder, Jacob Baulus, Isaac Niswander, Christian Smith, Christian Berger, Michael Thomas—21.
Licensed to preach: John Rathfang, Joseph Fry, George Kolb, John Geisinger, Henry Kumler, Jacob Wenger.
Authorized to administer the ordinances: Herman Ow, John Snyder, Henry G. Spayth.
Christian Newcomer elected bishop for 3 years.
Christian Hershey elected presiding elder for 2 years “over the district in his part of the country.”
A letter from Otterbein’s congregation expressing the wish to connect itself with the United Brethren and thus to be
supplied with preachers in future.
The first Thursday in August designated as a day of fasting and prayer.
Itinerants: John Snyder, Hagerstown circuit; Henry G. Spayth, Rockingham circuit.
1815
Conference at Henry Kumler’s, Franklin Co., Pa., May 9. C. Newcomer, bishop; J. Baulus, secretary.
Present: Christian Newcomer, David Snyder, Isaac Niswander, Valentine Baulus, Henry Kumler, Jacob Baulus, Christian
Berger, Jonas Witmer, John Neidig, John Baer, Jacob Dehof, Henry G. Spayth, Michael Baer, Henry J. Fry, Joseph Hoffman,
Abraham Meyer, John Crider, John Snyder, George Geeting, Henry Hiestand, Jacob Wenger, Jacob Winter—22.
Licensed to preach: Peter Swartz, Valentine Hiskey, Jonas Witmer.
Licensed to exhort: Daniel Pfeifer, Jacob Flickinger, George Brown, Samuel Huber, Samuel Brandt.
A camp meeting,—the first by the United Brethren,—ordered at Rocky Springs, Franklin Co., Pa., August 11.
A. Reports Summaries, 1789-1875 4
The following a recorded roll of all the ministers of the church, who up to this date were authorized “to administer all the
ordinances of the house of God.” None were ordained. The authorization had been at some great meeting, or a conference to
administer the sacraments:
William Otterbein, Christian Newcomer, Christopher Grosh, John Neidig, Christian Hershey, Isaac Niswander, Peter
Kemp, Martin Boehm, Christian Crum, Abraham Draksel, David Long, Abraham Meyer, Daniel Troyer, Adam Riegel, George
A. Guething. John Hershey, Ludwig Duckwald, Abraham Hershey, William Ambrose, George Benedum, Frederick Schaeffer,
Joseph Hoffman, David Snyder, David Gingerich, Christian Smith, Christian Berger.
Died: Matthias Kessler, George A. Guething.
A. Meyer to assist in holding two great meetings in Virginia. Spayth to visit Virginia in November.
Note:—Guething was secretary of the Conference from 1800 to 1812, inclusive. Shortly before his death he finished
transcribing the Minutes from loose leaves into a conference book.
1813
Conference again at Christian Herr’s. Christopher Grosh, chairman; Christian Smith, secretary.
Present: Christopher Grosh, Christian Newcomer, John Neidig. Abraham Meyer, Adam Riegel, Christian Crum, Frederick
Schaeffer, Jacob Baulus, Valentine Baulus, David Snyder, Christian Hershey, Abraham Hershey, George Guething, Michael
Baer, Henry G. Spayth, Christian Smith, Henry Hiestand, Joseph Jordan—18.
Licensed to exhort: John Brown, John Geisinger, Charles Hassell, George Kolb.
An address, signed by Bishop Asbury, received from the Baltimore Methodist Conference, and Newcomer and Baulus
directed to prepare a reply.
Newcomer, Crum, Hoffman, and Baulus appointed a committee to meet a committee from the Evangelical Association for
the purpose of effecting an organic union. This proceeding grew out of a visit by Newcomer to the Evangelical Conference in
April, 1813. He was given a letter to be laid before the United Brethren Conference. The committee—Newcomer, Crum,
Hoffman, and Baulus—met the Evangelical committee at New Berlin, Pa., and conferred several days without coming to any
conclusion. The Albrights (Evangelicals) had been working about 15 years, and had 15 itinerants and 800 members. Their
General Conference of 1816 changed the name of the Denomination to its present form, and discussed the proposed union. A
committee of six from each church met at Henry Kumler’s in 1817, but failed to come to any understanding.
Christian Newcomer elected bishop for one year.
Ordered that the Discipline and the Confession of Faith be printed.
Died: William Otterbein, aged 87.
1814
Conference at Hagerstown, Md., May 24. C. Newcomer, bishop; J. Baulus, secretary.
Present: Christian Newcomer, Abraham Meyer, John Baer, David Snyder, George Geeting, Thomas Winter, Frederick
Schaeffer, Christian Crum, Jacob Dehof, Henry G. Spayth, Joseph Hoffman, Christopher Grosh, Valentine Baulus, Herman
Ow, John Neidig, John Snyder, Jacob Baulus, Isaac Niswander, Christian Smith, Christian Berger, Michael Thomas—21.
Licensed to preach: John Rathfang, Joseph Fry, George Kolb, John Geisinger, Henry Kumler, Jacob Wenger.
Authorized to administer the ordinances: Herman Ow, John Snyder, Henry G. Spayth.
Christian Newcomer elected bishop for 3 years.
Christian Hershey elected presiding elder for 2 years “over the district in his part of the country.”
A letter from Otterbein’s congregation expressing the wish to connect itself with the United Brethren and thus to be
supplied with preachers in future.
The first Thursday in August designated as a day of fasting and prayer.
Itinerants: John Snyder, Hagerstown circuit; Henry G. Spayth, Rockingham circuit.
1815
Conference at Henry Kumler’s, Franklin Co., Pa., May 9. C. Newcomer, bishop; J. Baulus, secretary.
Present: Christian Newcomer, David Snyder, Isaac Niswander, Valentine Baulus, Henry Kumler, Jacob Baulus, Christian
Berger, Jonas Witmer, John Neidig, John Baer, Jacob Dehof, Henry G. Spayth, Michael Baer, Henry J. Fry, Joseph Hoffman,
Abraham Meyer, John Crider, John Snyder, George Geeting, Henry Hiestand, Jacob Wenger, Jacob Winter—22.
Licensed to preach: Peter Swartz, Valentine Hiskey, Jonas Witmer.
Licensed to exhort: Daniel Pfeifer, Jacob Flickinger, George Brown, Samuel Huber, Samuel Brandt.
A camp meeting,—the first by the United Brethren,—ordered at Rocky Springs, Franklin Co., Pa., August 11.
A. Reports Summaries, 1789-1875 4
