Page 144 - United Brethren Virginia Conferences 1800-1946
P. 144
Volume 7 History of Virginia Conferences of United Brethren December 26, 2024
Toms Brook parsonage, papered, new spouting, etc., cost, $11.66. Parsonage in Stephen City, papered
and general improvements, cost, $43.75.
Missions. The great and vital interest of missions has received much attention and will show a
healthy growth. The division of the Home and Foreign interest will, in the end, prove to be a great
blessing to the cause of missions, the Conference and the individual member. The assessment for home
missions will all be paid in full, except here and there a charge. The assessment for this department
should be gradually increased, until it reaches somewhere near the amount needed. The offerings for
foreign work, I regret to say, will fall far short of the minimum standard. A few fields, however, will
reach the 25-cent-per-member assessment. The totals for missions will be far in advance of any one
year in the history of the Conference. One charge, Martinsburg, will pay more than $1,100.
Our Mission Stations. Keyser continues to enjoy a good degree of prosperity, and will in a few
years, I hope, be self-sustaining. Roanoke is in the midst of her church building enterprise and is full of
hope. Our newest mission is in South Cumberland, Md. We were unfortunate in not securing just the
right kind of ministerial work for the first 9 months, but on January 6, 1907, Rev. W. D. Mitchell was
appointed to the work and has had marvelous success. We now have 120 members and a good number
of scholars in the Sabbath school. This is a promising field. Church Erection. This great department of
church work is growing in favor with the majority of our people. They are beginning to realize what a
potent factor it is in planting and maintaining the Church in new and promising cities. We could not do
without the general and local church erection societies. I think the [statistical] chart will show the
assessments to be full.
Sabbath Schools. Much more attention has been given to the work in the Sabbath schools. We
are having better prepared teachers who are doing more definite and thorough work. Schools are better
organized and are working toward a definite object, the salvation of the scholars. Some schools have
had gracious revivals, and many precious souls have been saved in the schools. The schools as a rule
take our literature, but there are a few who do not—I say this to their shame. Most schools are
abundantly supplied with the different periodicals sent out from our publishing house. Young People’s
Societies. Five or six new societies have been organized during the year. The total number of societies
now in the Conference is 46 or 47. There are 34 seniors, 11 juniors, and 1 intermediate, with a total
membership of 2,142. Some of these societies are centers of great religious influence and power.
Without them the local church could not succeed, for they are engaged in every kind of helpful work.
Others are societies simply in name. This is a vital department of church work and should be more
thoroughly organized and worked. It is a beautiful field.
Woman’s Missionary Societies. The conference branch of this department was formally
organized March 28, 1906, with Miss Ida Funkhouser as president and Mrs. Fannie Keiter as secretary
and treasurer. It now has eight local societies, with a membership of about 130, and is doing a great and
good work. The branch convention will be held in Martinsburg, W.Va., April 10-11, 1907. This work
deserves the hearty support of the pastors and friends of missions. Ladies’ Aid Societies. Quite a
number of the pastors have organized Ladies’ Aid Societies at each appointment on the charge, and
these societies have done nobly in helping to cancel debts on churches and parsonages and in furnishing
parsonages. There should be more of these societies.
Education. More and more of our people are seeing the necessity of education. More of our
own young people are going to college than ever before. A Christian education is the best capital with
which a young man or woman can start in life. Our own school, Shenandoah Collegiate Institute and
1907 Reports 134
Toms Brook parsonage, papered, new spouting, etc., cost, $11.66. Parsonage in Stephen City, papered
and general improvements, cost, $43.75.
Missions. The great and vital interest of missions has received much attention and will show a
healthy growth. The division of the Home and Foreign interest will, in the end, prove to be a great
blessing to the cause of missions, the Conference and the individual member. The assessment for home
missions will all be paid in full, except here and there a charge. The assessment for this department
should be gradually increased, until it reaches somewhere near the amount needed. The offerings for
foreign work, I regret to say, will fall far short of the minimum standard. A few fields, however, will
reach the 25-cent-per-member assessment. The totals for missions will be far in advance of any one
year in the history of the Conference. One charge, Martinsburg, will pay more than $1,100.
Our Mission Stations. Keyser continues to enjoy a good degree of prosperity, and will in a few
years, I hope, be self-sustaining. Roanoke is in the midst of her church building enterprise and is full of
hope. Our newest mission is in South Cumberland, Md. We were unfortunate in not securing just the
right kind of ministerial work for the first 9 months, but on January 6, 1907, Rev. W. D. Mitchell was
appointed to the work and has had marvelous success. We now have 120 members and a good number
of scholars in the Sabbath school. This is a promising field. Church Erection. This great department of
church work is growing in favor with the majority of our people. They are beginning to realize what a
potent factor it is in planting and maintaining the Church in new and promising cities. We could not do
without the general and local church erection societies. I think the [statistical] chart will show the
assessments to be full.
Sabbath Schools. Much more attention has been given to the work in the Sabbath schools. We
are having better prepared teachers who are doing more definite and thorough work. Schools are better
organized and are working toward a definite object, the salvation of the scholars. Some schools have
had gracious revivals, and many precious souls have been saved in the schools. The schools as a rule
take our literature, but there are a few who do not—I say this to their shame. Most schools are
abundantly supplied with the different periodicals sent out from our publishing house. Young People’s
Societies. Five or six new societies have been organized during the year. The total number of societies
now in the Conference is 46 or 47. There are 34 seniors, 11 juniors, and 1 intermediate, with a total
membership of 2,142. Some of these societies are centers of great religious influence and power.
Without them the local church could not succeed, for they are engaged in every kind of helpful work.
Others are societies simply in name. This is a vital department of church work and should be more
thoroughly organized and worked. It is a beautiful field.
Woman’s Missionary Societies. The conference branch of this department was formally
organized March 28, 1906, with Miss Ida Funkhouser as president and Mrs. Fannie Keiter as secretary
and treasurer. It now has eight local societies, with a membership of about 130, and is doing a great and
good work. The branch convention will be held in Martinsburg, W.Va., April 10-11, 1907. This work
deserves the hearty support of the pastors and friends of missions. Ladies’ Aid Societies. Quite a
number of the pastors have organized Ladies’ Aid Societies at each appointment on the charge, and
these societies have done nobly in helping to cancel debts on churches and parsonages and in furnishing
parsonages. There should be more of these societies.
Education. More and more of our people are seeing the necessity of education. More of our
own young people are going to college than ever before. A Christian education is the best capital with
which a young man or woman can start in life. Our own school, Shenandoah Collegiate Institute and
1907 Reports 134
