CHURCHES

in the

BUCKEYE COUNTRY

A History of 's

Religious Groups Published

In Commemoration Of The State's Sesquicentennial

1953

By The Religious Participation Committee Of The Ohio Sesquicentennial Commission An Inter-Faith Group Introduction

By Frank J. Lausche tion of peoples from every quarter of the Governor of Ohio globe, representing a multiplicity of religious denominations. Ohio shared in this diversity. A S we celebrate the sesquicentennial an- The geographical position and the industrial- niversary of the statehood of Ohio we ization of Ohio are responsible for a hetero- justifiably point with pride to the noteworthy geneous population which in turn is r spon- material advances made by our state in 150 sible for many religious denominations large years. We recall that in 1803 when Ohio be- and small being founded here. Religious cen- came the seventeenth state in the Union, and suses reveal that there are at least 75 different the third to be admitted from the new ter- religious sects in Ohio, and that no one de- ritory in the West, it was little more than a nomination dominates the religious scene of wilderness which a comparatively small num- the state. precariously against ber of white settlers held the significant developments of this English and the wild beasts. One of the Indians, the multiplicity of religious bodies in Ohio has is an empire within an empire- Today, Ohio been the establishment of a number of church- a complex commonwealth with a population state. At least 25 Austria, Greece or supported colleges in this greater than that of have some connection with the we are one of the great- Ohio colleges Sweden. Industrially church, or are church-supported and control- est centers in the world. learning have point led. These institutions of higher But we would be remiss if we did not the culture and welfare of only in greatly enriched out that the greatness of Ohio lies not have made a wholesome contribu- resources, its factories, Ohio, and its wealth and material tion to American life. skyscrapers, mines and farms, but also in its religious faith and spiritual strength. As we take inventory of our material re- America was founded on religious faith. sources we should also remember that America The founders of this nation came from dif- was founded with a prayer and preserved with ferent lands. They worshipped at different prayers. The founders of this nation fell to altars. They came as Puritans, Cavaliers, their knees in humble prayers of thanksgiving Catholics, Protestants, Jews, English, French, as they landed upon these shores. From earli- German, Dutch, Swedes, Scotch, Irish and est colonial days, through wars and national others. But faith in God was common to all. crises our people and leaders have prayed for The American people convenanted with the Divine guidance and help. living, universal God and accepted His pur- At Valley Forge, at Bull Run, through the pose for human life and for the worth and long and bloody years of World Wars I and II dignity of every human' being. The perpetual our men and women appealed to God Al- witness to the truth of this covenant is the mighty for strength and courage to win motto which this nation adopted: through. In every moment of peril, in every "In God We Trust." hour of discouragement, whenever the clouds In this faith our institutions were establish- gathered, we placed our faith in God and al- ed, our laws enacted, and our liberties secured. ways we vowed, "In God we trust." The early settlers of Ohio were God-fearing So, while we celebrate the 150th anniversary men and women. In the Ohio wilderness they of the statehood of Ohio and count our many sought to make a sanctuary for religious free- blessings-fertile fields, rich woodlands, a vast domi and political freedom. They embodied in store of raw materials and mineral resources, the bill of rights of our State Constitution the an abundant water supply, good rivers and principle that each man has a right to express harbors-all the factors necessary to 'make this or keep private the dictates of his soul. They one of the greatest agricultural and industrial believed that the soul is the Divine element in states in the Union-we should remember our man, and cannot be interfered with by other greatest intangible asset, namely our spirit- men or governments of other men. They had ual resources and the strength that comes from faith in the American principle that all men faith and the belief in God. are equal in the sense that they are created In the faith that a better future can be built 'in the image of God. -better than anything we have known in the Here in Ohio men and women of the Protes- past-let Protestants, Catholics and Jews, tant, Catholic and Jewish faiths built a com- working together, inspire the hearts of all munity upon a social faith. They learned to men with this faith and move them to go forth live together in the true spirit of the father- and build it. Thus and only thus can we hood of God and the brotherhood of man. achieve the fulfillment of mankind's fondest The guarantee of religious freedom in the dream of establishing throughout the world was responsible for the migra- human freedom under God.

2 The Importance of Religion In the History of Ohio

By Arthur Hamilton, Where justice hangs in balance. President, Ohio State I do not think Archaeological and Historical Society I ever thought they would But I am prejudiced beyond debate THOMAS CARLYLE seldom spoke with In favor of my right to choose which greater insight than when he defined his- side tory as "the essence of many biographies". Shall feel the stubborn ounces of my Friedrich Nietzsche seldom spoke with less weight." discernment than when he characterized reli- Their deep faith in the ultimate triumph of gion as "the opiate of the people". Those of us righteousness and truth, and their determina- who have been privileged to carefully evaluate tion to "tip the hovering scale where justice the 150 years of Ohio's noble history can con- hangs in balance", had much to do with the fidently testify to the truth that many biogra- expansion of the State of Ohio as a great politi- phies inspired and empowered by a vital faith cal, industrial, and social force in our nation. in God, are truly the essence of her history. These pioneers of faith were men who suf- Religion has been anything but an "opiate" fered hardships, privation, and pain; but who to the people of our State. On the contrary, it never retreated until they had molded strong provided the early settlers with moral, spirit- character and stimulated exemplary ideals. ual, and intellectual stimuli which enabled Wherever men and women went the church them to carve a great commonwealth out of the was there before them to provide a stabilizing barren wilderness. Through the years, it has influence for the rough and turbulent times. continued to inspire our people with confidence In days when a skyview of Ohio would show to face the unknown, and with courage to at- miles and miles of thick forests with only a tempt the hazardous. The history of religion, few tiny, carved-out squares where settlers therefore, is an integral part of the history of lived the church was present to remind them, our State and a key to the secret of her great- in the midst of their loneliness, that they were ness. not alone. Before the State of Ohio came into being, Down through the years as the state has pioneers of the faith came to our land with the grown in power and influence, the competency Bible in their hands and a dynamic faith in of religion has also been enhanced. Even to their hearts. The values which that book this day, more than one-half of Ohio's 66 col- taught and the energy which that faith en- leges are controlled and maintained by reli- gendered created the kind of men and women gious groups. The medical, social, and charita- who were able to mold a great agricultural and ble institutions which owe their very existence industrial empire out of the raw materials of to religion bear witness to the fact that in our the earth. It created the kind of persons who times, as in times past, the unconquerable faith could say: of the people of Ohio is manifest in all of her "You say the little efforts that I make achievements. Truly, the biographies of men Will do no good: and women inspired, strengthened and blessed They never will prevail by a deep faith in God, are the very essences To tip the hovering scale of the marvelous history of our great state.

3 Foreword

ONE of the influences that has made Ohio a We are grateful to Frank J. Lausche, Gov- great state is the deep-rooted religious ernor of the State of Ohio, for the Introduction; feeling of its citizens. From early pioneer days to Arthur Hamilton, president of the Ohio various religious groups have figured promi- Archaeological and Historical Society, for the nently in the history of Ohio. Accordingly the statement on "The Importance of Religion in Religious Participation Committee of the Ohio the History of Ohio"; to Mrs. Inez DeFourney, Sesquicentennial Commission decided that a a student in the Fine Arts Department of Ohio permanent record, sketching the histories of State University, for designing the cover; to the various religious groups in Ohio, would be Arthur A. Parks for editing, and to Mrs. Is- the greatest contribution this Committee could abelle Culler for many faithful hours of secre- make to the Sesquicentennial observance. tarial work. No such general history has been attempted In the name of the Religious Participation before, to the best of our knowledge. The com- Committee, thanks are extended to the chair- mittee, therefore, approached officials of the man of the Historical Research Committee, Dr. religious groups, Protestant, Catholic, Jewish Harold L. Yochum; to the chairman of the and Eastern Orthodox, asking that selected Observance Committee, the Rev. Raymond E. representatives - preferably historians - pre-. Dronsfield; to the chairman of the Publications pare condensed histories of their respective Committee, John F. Young, and to Dr. Lester origins and developments in Ohio. The com- L. Roush and Miss Lillian Cisler for assistance mittee has no way of guaranteeing the validity in gathering data. Appreciation is also express- of all statements made in this book, only that ed to those others, too numerous to mention, the articles are as accurate and official as possi- who have assisted in the preparation and pub- ble under the circumstances. While obviously lication of this unique and historic book. quite limited in length, the articles provide a timely record of the contribution made to Rev. W. Henry Shillington, chairman Ohio's development by these religious groups, Harold K. Schellenger, secretary and will give those who read them a panorama Bishop Fred L. Dennis of religious life throughout the 150 years of Rev. Raymond E. Dronsfield Ohio's history. Rabbi Jerome D. Folkman This committee was constituted by the Ohio Bishop Henry Wise Hobson Sesquicentennial Commission on an inter-faith Dr. J. Gordon Howard basis and has functioned accordingly. All reli- Dr. A. E. Klick gious groups were invited to be represented in Rev. Robert Leake this book, insofar as this Committee was aware Dr. Harold B. Monroe that these groups were connected with Ohio Dr. Paul history or was able to reach responsible lead- Judson Morris ers. The committee regrets any omissions and Dr. Gilbert L. Pennock assures readers that every effort was made to Most Rev. John C. Staunton have complete coverage. Neither the length Dr. C. C. Stoughton of the articles nor the order of their appear- Bishop Hazen G. Werner ance in this book should be considered as a Dr. Harold L. Yochum reflecton of favoritism. John F. Young

I II ------I -

IN THE ORDER OF THEIR APPEARANCE ....

The four principal religious groups-Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Eastern Orthodox -appear in this book in that order simply because that is the order of their appearance on the Ohio scene.

Insofar as it was mechanically possible, histories of Protestant groups in Section II were arranged in alphabetical order, at the same time trying to group various branches of basic denominations.

4 Section I

Catholics of Ohio

Whose First Mass In What Is Now Ohio Was Said In 1749

Father Fenwick's visit to three Catholic families settled near Somerset in the year of 1808.

5 Catholic Assembled and Prepared By Right Reverend Michael Hynes Reverend John H. Lamott Reverend Thomas P. Conry, S.J. Reverend Vincent M. Martin, O.P. S early as 1749, the Catholic Indians living near Sandusky were visited by Jesuit Mis- sionaries from Detroit-Fathers Pierre Potier, the authority on the Huron language, a n d Armand de la Richardie, who presumably built some sort of rude chapel for them. Another Jesuit-Father Joseph Pierre de Bonnecamps -the chronicler and map-maker, who accom- panied the expedition of Celeron re Blainville into the Ohio country in 1749, tells of the visit with the Miami Indians in the southern part of the state. Undoubtedly, he celebrated Mass- the first Catholic religious service in the dis- trict. First , located in West Liber- After the withdrawal of the Jesuits and dur- ty, Logan County, Ohio - the first Catholic ing the time of the English occupation of Church erected b e t w e e n and and northwestern Ohio, Father Ed- Sandusky, built in 1828. mund Burke, later a Bishop in Nova Scotia, served as Chaplain to the English garrison and jurisdiction of Bishop John Carroll of Balti- ministered to the Indians near Toledo at Fort more, the first Catholic Bishop in the United Meigs, the present Perrysburg, from 1794 to States. In that year, Ohio was part of the im- 1796. mense territory confided to the spiritual care The first Catholic white settlement was made of Bishop -the first in 1790 at Gallipolis near Marietta by a group Bishop of Bardstown in Kentucky. His Diocese of Frenchmen who fled the . was the first to be set up west of the Alleghe- The French Benedictine Father-Peter Joseph nies. He made several missionary journeys Didier, and perhaps a few other priests lived through Ohio and has left us reports on what with them for a few years. he found. Not long after the beginning of the white He gave over the care of the Catholics in settlement and the admission of Ohio into the this State to Father Fenwick, who made the Federal Union as a sovereign state, several Church near Somerset the center of his mis- Catholic communities were to be found scatter- sionary activities. His work as a simple itiner- ed throughout the thinly populated area. One ant missionary, and later as the first Bishop of such community, composed of some thirty souls Cincinnati-1821-, merited for him the title of the Dittoe and Fink Families, w h o had of "Apostle of Ohio." Assisted by his nephew, settled in the territory near Somerset (in the Father Nicholas Young, O.P., and other Domin- present Diocese of Columbus) and not far from icans, he endured the hardships of the primi- the National Highway running through the tive country, travelling on horseback often state and connecting the new country with the through the virgin forests, and died a victim of East, was visited by Father , his zeal and of the plague, at Wooster in 1832. the founder of the in the But, before that sad event, he had organized United States as early as 1808. Ten years later, Catholic congregations not only at the places on land donated by Jacob Dittoe, Saint Joseph's mentioned above but at Zanesville, Steuben- log church-the Catholic Mother-Church of the ville, Danville, Deavertown in the southern State - was erected under the direction of part of the state; and at Dungannon, Canton, Father Fenwick. Soon afterwards, a second log Doylestown, Louisville, Canal Fulton, Tiffin, chapel - Saint Mary's - was erected at Lan- Peru, Randolph and Youngstown in the north- caster. Another group of Irish origin was to be ern section. found at Cincinnati in 1811. About 100 persons The second Bishop of Cincinnati-a Diocese under the leadership of Michael Scott attended which included the whole of Ohio-was John the opening of Christ's Church there on Easter Baptist Purcell, previously the President of Sunday of 1819. Saint Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Before 1808, Ohio was under the spiritual During his active administration (1833-1880),

6 the northern section of the state made un- precedented progress and began to rival the development of the district around Cincinnati. The steam railroads penetrated into districts not already covered by the canals. The Catholic population was very much increased by the influx of immigrants from Ireland and Ger- many who, after working on the construction of the lines, made permanent settlements on the farms or homes in the larger towns. The champion of the Church in the West was an ardent advocate of Catholic schools. Saint Xavier College, Cincinnati, was entrusted to the Jesuit Fathers in 1840, and Mount Saint Mary's Seminary of the West was opened in V 1851. A monumental new Cathedral at Cin- V. cinnati was consecrated in 1845. In 1850, Bishop Purcell became the first eq11 Archbishop of the new Province of Cincinnati, which included in its jurisdiction the Dioceses of Louisville, Kentucky, Detroit, Michigan, Vincennes in Indiana and Cleveland, Ohio. The northern section of the state was erected into the new Diocese of Cleveland in 1847 and Amadeus Rappe, a missionary who was born The jMost in France, became the first Bishop. He con- 13cDrcind a\ e Edward Fcirk, ().r. 1. I tinued to labor as a missionary Bishop, organi- the )postlcof Ohio [L ______L. zing new congregations from that time until his Bishop Edward Fenwick, 0. P. He became resignation in 1870, when he retired to New the first bishop of the Diocese of Cincinnati in England to exercise his ministry among the 1821. The Diocese at that time and for several French Canadians, and to die in 1877. years thereafter embraced the entire State of The third Diocese to be set up in Ohio was Ohio. He merited the title of "Apostle of Ohio." that of Columbus, comprising the territory in the southeastern part of the State. Its first 1909 to 1921; Bishop (after- Bishop-1868-1878-was Bishop Sylvester H. wards Archbishop) 1921 to 1945; the present Rosecrans, the brother of General William S. Archbishop Edward F. Hoban, who became Rosecrans of Civil War fame. Coadjutor and Administrator in 1943, and suc- The Diocese of Toledo-the fourth division ceeded to the title of "Bishop of Cleveland" in in the northwestern part of the state-was es- 1945. tablished in 1910, and Bishop Joseph Schrembs In Columbus, the successive Bishops were was made its first head. In 1943, the new Dio- the following: Bishop Ambrose Watterson, 1880 cese of Youngstown in the northeastern part of to 1900; Bishop Henry Moeller (afterwards, the state received its first head in the person of Archbishop of Cincinnati) 1900 to 1904; Bishop Bishop James A. McFadden. Steubenville was James J. Hartley, 1904 to 1944. The present elected as the seat of the sixth Catholic Diocese Bishop Michael J. Ready was installed in Janu- in Ohio. Its territory comprised thirteen coun- ary, 1945. ties in the southeastern part of the State and In Toledo, Bishop Samuel A. Stritch, later was organized in 1944. Its first head-Bishop Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago, succeeded John K. Mussio-was appointed in the follow- Bishop Schrembs in 1921. Archbishop Karl J. ing year. A lt e r (present Archbishop of Cincinnati) The names of the Bishops, who have succeed- followed as Bishop of Toledo from 1931 to 1950. ed these first , may be of interest. In Bishop George J. Rehring is the present head Cincinnati, Archbishop of this Diocese. governed the Archdiocese from 1880 until 1904; In Youngstown, Bishop James A. McFadden Archbishop Henry Moeller, from then until was the first Bishop of the Diocese from 1943 1925; Archbishop John T. McNicholas, O.P., to 1952. Bishop Emmet M. Walsh became Coad- from 1925 until 1950. He was succeeded by the jutor Bishop in 1949, and succeeded to the title present Archbishop Karl J. Alter. of "Bishop of Youngstown" in 1952. In Cleveland, the following Prelates came The growth of the Catholic Church in the after Bishop Rappe: Bishop , State of Ohio may be illustrated by these in- 1872 to 1892; Bishop Ignatius F. Horstman, teresting statistics. When Father Purcell began 1892 to 1909; Bishop John Patrick Farrelly, his ministry, he was the only missionary in

7 the vast territory with what few Catholics brought from Catholic countries to serve the there were scattered along the main highways pioneers. They are being educated in some 22 and hidden in the woods. In 1833, there were seminaries which have succeeded the original 16 parishes in the State. In 1846, there were ecclesiastical schools in Cincinnati and Cleve- some 70 church buildings and about 50 missions land of the early days. Many of these students with a Catholic population of approximately are preparing themselves for missionary ca- 70,000 who were attended by about 73 priests. reers abroad. One seminary-the Josephinum, In 1867, there were 154 churches, and sixty near Columbus - was founded to prepare stations where religious services were held at priests for service outside the state. Many of intervals; about 150,000 'Catholics and 159 the clergy are engaged almost entirely in teach- priests. ing in the colleges and the seminaries. By the year, 1902, there were about 553 Many religious orders or societies of men Churches and 724 Priests 70,397 children were have succeeded the pioneer Dominicans, the in the parochial schools. The Catholic popu- Jesuits, the Fathers of the Precious Blood and lation was estimated at 531,000, or approximate- the Society of Mary. Nearly 10,000 women (7,- ly twelve per cent of the total population of 000 of them are teachers), who belong to 144 the State. In 1933, there were 801. parishes Religious Congregations, have replaced the served by about 1,600 priests and over 158,000 small original bands of consecrated souls who children in the parochial schools. The Catholic came from Europe at the invitation of the early population was estimated at approximately 1,- Bishops to care for the schools and the hospi- 086,000, or about thirteen per cent of the total tals. Over 500 Religious Brothers are occupied population. in the work of Catholic education. They, the At the present time-1953-more than 17 clergy and the Religious Orders of women are percent of the citizens of the state profess the teaching in 13 colleges and universities, which Catholic faith. The percentage in the industrial have an average attendance of over 10,000. In centers is considerably higher. Greatly aug- the high schools and academies, numbering mented by the immigration from the Slav coun- approximately 125, there is an average attend- tries at the turn of the century, they furnished ance of about 38,000 young people. In the ele- the manpower for the mines, the factories, the mentary schools, there is an average attendance mills and for industry in general. The Catholic ance of over 187,000. Under Catholic auspices, authorities have always encouraged the new- 37 hospitals are operated in the state, and 18 comers to become citizens and, in becoming as- schools of nursing. Over 1,800 orphans are similated with the population, to contribute cared for in the Catholic orphanages. There their share to the welfare and progress of their are more than 1,800 people in the 17 Catholic communities. They have given their full share homes for the aged. at all times to the armed forces of the country, In the state from the beginning, the Catholic and in every branch of civil life they have Church has grown with the state in its 150 served with distinction. years of existence. And, while teaching her Attending to the religious needs of the Catho- children the truths of religion and good living, lic population are nearly 2,500 priests. Almost at the same time she has always insisted upon without exception these men were born and their duties as loyal citizens, and has contri- bred in the state or in the Federal Union. They buted her full share in the progress and pros- have succeeded the first missionaries, who were perity of the state.

8 Section II

Protestants of Ohio

Whose First Service In What Is Now Ohio Was Held On Christmas Day, 1750

9 Advent Christian

By Rev. John H. Crouse He led in the opening up of churches, one near Cecil and another in Antwerp. FOLLOWING the downfall of the Holy In 1870 a group of ministers started a work Roman Empire and the abdication of its in Sparta where a church was built in 1876; emperor, Francis, in 1806, there developed a this is the oldest existing Advent Christian movement of preaching the of Church now in the state. The building is being Christ throughout the world, among Protes- remodeled extensively. tants and Catholics. Dr. J. H. Tims was one of its early laymen This movement was led in America by min- leaders. The Rev. Ida Manville of Mt. Vernon, isters from various denominations: William now in her ninety-third year, was one of its Miller, a Baptist; Joshua V. Himes, a Christian; early pastors. Workers from this church helped , a Methodist; , a to organize churches in Mt. Liberty, East Porter Congregationalist; Henry Ward, an Episcopa- and Stantontown. lian, and many others. Out of the interest The Rev. 0. M. Owen was the first pastor of created, several denominations came into ex- this last church. The Rev. S. A. Williams was istence, among which was the Advent Chris- one of the early pastors of Mt. Liberty and tian. The Rev. Horace L. Hastings and the Rev. East Porter. The Rev. E. C. Manville helped to Miles Grant were outstanding men in organ- organize a church at Claiborne. izing this group. The Rev. A. E. Babcock started a meeting in Most of the earlier churches were on the Millville, later named Rockbridge, in 1870. Eastern seaboard of the United States, but These meetings were held in a tent. There was many of its members followed the urge to soon interest enough to organize a church migrate west along with thousands of others during the same year. They sent two laymen who settled in the central and western states. delegates, Martin Agner and David W. Huls, as representatives to the state conference which Among these there came the family of was organized that year in Nevada. George B. Terwilleger, from New York City, William and Owen Huls were leading laymen into Crawford County, Ohio. He was an archi- in this church, also Martin Inboden, Henry tect and contractor and built a goodly number Troxel and Earl Fink. The Rev. D. T. Call was of public buildings, such as court houses, school called as first pastor, Two brothers, Wesley houses and churches. and Green McBroom served as early pastors. Soon after coming into this community in The former turned over the pastorate to his 1851, he met another family of the same faith, brother, while he went about in the area to by the name of Badey. They arranged for organize new churches; one of these was Oak- services in a school house, known sometimes dale, near Glouster, and the other was Mount by the names of Armstrong or Badey. They Zion, near Quaker City. Rockbridge built their obtained the services of a minister, Homer A. first church in 1872 and their second was com- King, who came from the New England area. pleted in 1927. In 1949 they built their first Services were held in various communities, but parsonage. the chief interest developed in Nevada, where Three brothers, all ministers, Marshall, Harry a gracious revival broke out and many souls and Eusebius McCullock, labored extensively were saved. This meeting was assisted by the throughout the state. There should also be Rev. and Mrs. D. R. Mansfield of Chicago, Ill., mentioned the Rev. the Rev. in March of 1867. Lizzie Fleming, the Rev. and Mrs. W. Grove, A strong church was organized and a build- the Rev. Anna Brandt Purington, and the Rev. ing erected in the following year. This church George Turner and William Dodson who were became the center of the work throughout the early pastors and leaders. state and remained so for many years. The Rev. John H. Crouse, grandson of About the same time another group of Ad- George B. Terwilleger, was sent by the confer- vent Christian believers succeeded in organ- ence and the Central A. C. Mission Society into izing in Norwalk and other towns of that area. Columbus in 1921 to organize a church, which Dr. P. B. Hoyt led in forming a Northern Ohio was accomplished, and their building was Conference in March of 1864. J. D. Knapp was erected in 1924 on East Avenue. chosen as president and Dr. Hoyt, secretary. The Rev. L. M. Spaulding, pastor of the A state-wide conference was organized in church at Mt. Liberty, is now the president of Nevada in 1870, which has continued through- the state conference, which meets each year the out the years. George B. Terwilleger moved first week in September in one of the churches into Paulding County to continue his construc- of the state. Joseph W. Huls of Rockbridge, a tion work and also his interests in the cause. layman, served as president for many years.

10 Seventh-day Adventist

By M. E. Loewen Akron to Cleveland. They were successful in prevailing on William Advent hope, the cherished possession Miller and Joshua Himes T-HE to return with them. The boat trip to Akron of all Christian churches through the cen- turies, was occupied in singing, prayer, and a lecture received new emphasis in the period by Brother Miller. beginning about 35 years after the organization Substantial church buildings were of Ohio as a state in the obtained Union. The careful in Cleveland, Akron and Cincinnati. study of the prophetic portions In the of the Bible, latter place it is reported that about 4,000 simultaneously throughout Christendom, people gathered to hear William Miller deliver brought a profound conviction of the imminent his famous return. lectures on prophecy. Isolated groups of the Advent believers 'The be- Adventists penetrated Ohio along the gan to teach the doctrine of the seventh-day Erie Canal and the wagon roads of the lake Sabbath. Until 1851 the only records coast available and the mountains. Ohio then had a tell of trips of leading ministers through Ohio million and a half inhabitants, a majority of to encourage the scattered members. Joseph the population of the entire Northwest Terri- Bates, a converted sea captain and tory and a leading in the number of citizens was the third organizer of the church, made repeated trips State in the Union.' The Adventist literature through the northern part of the state until was scattered over the towns and settlements 1852. and many believed the earnest message The unorganized groups of believers received preached. ever-increasing attention. In 1851, J. N. An- Charles Fitch was the first Adventist minis- drews (later to be the first foreign missionary ter of note to locate in Ohio. In 1842 he moved of the church), made a trip through Ohio. His to Cleveland and was in demand as a minister itinerary included Cleveland, Milan, Norwalk in various parts of the state. Oberlin College and Cincinnati among other communities. invited him to give a series of lectures on Bible The company at Milan was a staunch outpost prophecy in 1842 and again in 1843. Akron of the faith and Lovett's Grove, near Bowling and Marietta are mentioned among the places Green, also gained a reputation for the earnest- where he visited and established churches. ness of its members. Among the pioneer travel- William Miller greatly respected Charles ing Adventist preachers were J. N. Lough- Fitch and visited Ohio in 1844 especially to borough (1852 and later), in Huron and Seneca lend assistance to him in Cleveland. A group counties. Also T. J. Butler, G. W. Holt and of about one hundred believers from Akron H. S. Case worked to encourage the believers chartered a boat and came up the canal from near Bowling Green.

The Mount Vernon Academy, a 12-grade boarding school, established the Seventh-day Adven- tist Church in 1893 at Mount Vernon, Ohio.

11 The Adventists were gradually being forced to the conclusion that some organization would be necessary to enable them to share fully in fellowship with others of like faith. The first Seventh-day Adventist church in Ohio was organized February 8, 1862, at Lovett's Grove near Bowling Green. This was a year before the present name was officially adopted. Oliver Mears was the organizer of the Lovett's Grove church. After the organization of the Ohio Conference in 1863 he was the head of the church in Ohio for a number of years. Most recent Seventh-day Adventist Church He traveled all over the state in his lumber completed in Ohio. It is the First Seventh-day wagon, preaching, organizing, and raising Adventist Church at Dayton. money for the prosecution of the work. He spent most of his time in soul-winning work but kept his farm near Bowling Green which gatherings were held beginning in 1854 would his family faithfully tended during his long include most of the major cities and towns of trips from home. the state. Parochial schools were started on the grade The Ohio Conference was organized just in school level in the 1870's. In 1893 Mount time to send delegates to the meeting which Vernon College was founded; this institution organized the national General Conference. continues today as Mount Vernon Academy. Ohio thus became a charter member of this In 1907 a gathering of the leaders of the union of state conferences. At this meeting the world work of the Seventh-day Adventists was name Seventh-day Adventist was officially held in Mount Vernon and the work for the adopted as the name of many of the Adventist young people of the church was organized into churches, which previously had been meeting a separate department of the General Con- under various titles. ference. Since that time special attention has The Adventists worked in the cities as well been given to summer camp programs for as in the towns and country; but the most children and youth. Also a special program has significant progress was made among the been outlined for the youth including character country people. In consequence, the constitu- building, nature study, and craft activities ency of the early Seventh-day Adventist to be taken outside school hours to develop church was composed chiefly of the sturdy, Christian character and leadership. This has reliable, confident, and resourceful people of been a powerful means of inspiring young rural and pioneer stock. Out of it came the people, both the members of the church and leaders who have most definitely molded the their friends. work of the church up to the present time. At the present time there are 89 organized The habit of camp meetings was a means of Seventh-day Adventist churches in the state of bringing strength into the churches. Each year, Ohio, and they conduct 26 parochial schools. as the crops were laid by and the harvest The 1952 per capita gifts of the church mem- ended, the believers would load provisions for bership amount to $202.55. This is used to several weeks into their wagons and gather in support not only the extensive work in Ohio a central spot to exchange experiences and but also the far-flung mission program through- study their Bibles. Nationally known preachers out the world. There rings through the ranks would travel to these convocations to encourage of the believers the hope of the imminent re- the people. The list of cities in which these turn of Christ.

12 Assemblies of God

The original store-room meeting place of the First Christian Assembly of God (left) and its newly constructed church edifice (right) on William Howard Taft Road, Cincinnati.

By Rev. James Van Meter Church in Cleveland with 24 ministers and delegates present representing 16 churches. T HE Assemblies of God came into existence At that meeting they elected J. Narver Gortner as the result of a spiritual awakening near chairman and J. R. Evans secretary-treasurer. the turn of this century. It spread quickly to Of the sixteen churches represented, eight were all parts of the country, Ohio not being ex- from Ohio. These were, Cleveland, Akron, cepted. Findlay, Dayton, Toledo, Conneaut, Warren It has been said that the character of this and Elyria. movement is "early Wesleyan." There is one The organization effected was as simple as difference to this comparison in that, beyond possible. It was Pentecostal in doctrine and the necessity of the New Birth and the need Congregational in government. The purpose of for personal holiness, the Assemblies of God establishing a district organization was to carry believe in the privilege of a personal out the idea of co-operative fellowship. The in the Holy Spirit. spirit of the movement was intensely evangeli- The first record of such experience in Ohio cal and missionary. was in January of 1890 when a minister, Daniel Many of the Pentecostal Churches, Missions Awrey, received this Holy Spirit Baptism at and Assemblies were in existence before this Delaware. Some 15 years later T. K. Leonard, Council was organized, but did not immediately a pastor in Findlay, received the Pentecostal affiliate with the newly formed organization. message and the experience, and became a In succeeding years they did identify them- pioneer for the movement in Ohio. selves with the Council. The distinction of In the Spring of 1907 a Miss Ivy Campbell being the first Ohio church to affiliate went to returned from California, where she had made the Pentecostal Church of Cleveland. contact with the experience, to evangelize in The Central District was favored with excel- the cities of Akron and Youngstown. It was in lent leadership. J. Narver Gortner served as the summer of that same year that the Pente- chairman from 1920 to 1925. C. A. McKinney costalists met together for a camp meeting in succeeded him and served the year of 1925 to Alliance. This camp was sponsored by Levi R. 1926. Flem Van Meter was elected as the first Lupton and was attended by several men who full time superintendent in May of 1927 and later became leaders of the Assembly of God. served in that capacity until 1931. Under his Among those attending were J. Roswell Flower, leadership 70 churches were set in order, and now General Secretary of the denomination, affiliated with the Assemblies of God. and the late C. A. McKinney pastor emeritus In 1931 G. F. Lewis became superintendent. of the North Hill Pentecostal Church in Akron. As the churches of the district increased in In April of 1914, the Assemblies of God number it became apparent that a division organized nationally in Hot Springs, Ark., and would be necessary. With still further expan- from June to November of that year the head- sion anticipated Michigan seceded from the quarters office was in Findlay, Ohio. At that Central District in 1945 to organize their own time there was no District Council, and it was council. That same year G. F. Lewis was voted not until October 26, 1920, that representatives an assistant superintendent of the Assemblies from the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and of God, and moved to Springfield, Mo. E. E. Illinois met to form the Central District of the Bond, assistant district superintendent filled Assemblies of God. out the term. This meeting took place at the Pentecostal In 1946, Indiana followed Michigan's example

13 and seceded. With this secession Ohio was licensed ministers, 33 exhorters and 32 mission- forced to reorganize into the Ohio District aries. Council and elected E. E. Bond as the first The visionary effort of that first meeting has District Superintendent. He served until his resulted in a sound, balanced program of death in 1950. In the Spring of the year, the church work that includes an accelerated Sun- present Superintendent, James Van Meter, was day School effort, a youth program, a Women's elected. Missionary Council, a worthy devotional pro- The success of this comparatively new move- gram, a home missionary program, and a for- ment in Ohio has been almost spectacular. eign missions program that reached a new peak From the eight Ohio churches represented at of $128,000 this past year. the first council in 1920 the number of As- Now in the second generation of the move- sembly of God churches in the state has swelled ment, we who have received into our trust to 155. From the handful of ministers who met the Pentecostal message rise in respect and at that first meeting the number has increased honor and to the example of those who pio- until now Ohio has 168 ordained ministers, 84 neered the Pentecostal message before us. Christian Union By James C. Shady 6. Each local church governs itself. 7. Partisan political preaching discounten- CHRISTIAN Union was officially organized anced. on the third day of February, 1864, at a In Ohio the Christian Union movement Convention held in Deshler Hotel, Columbus, spread rapidly in the late 1800's until its con- Ohio. This convention was the climax to sev- gregations were formed in most sections eral years' effort by various religious leaders to throughout the state. inquire what steps should be taken in order to By 1908 it was found necessary, because of provide for the religious needs of a larger distance and mode of travel to separate Ohio portion of the people, who had become dis- into two Councils. These were called North satisfied with the sectarian and divisive teach- Ohio Annual Council and South Ohio Annual ings of the ecclesiastical organizations of that Council. Later, on February 6, 1946, these two day. councils were re-united and incorporated as the The chief reasons for the organization of this Ohio Council of the Christian Union. Head- new movement was: First, Political preaching quarters has been established at Greenfield, which seemed to reach its height during the Ohio. All annual meetings as well as Youth Civil War; Second, The forbidding of the lay- Camps are held at the camp ground which has man to interpret the scripture and his right to been established just north of the city limits at practice or refrain from practicing the ordi- Greenfield. nances of Baptism, Lord's Supper and Feet During a special session of the General Coun- Washing; Third, The strong ecclesiastical con- cil of Christian Union, which was held at trol of the longer denominations over their Excelsior Springs, Mo., the church directory churches and ministry. and constitution was revised. The organization Two of the most influential men of the Chris- has been strengthened and its doctrines has tian Union movement were: Rev. J. F. Given, been interpretated in a doctrinal statement. publisher of the Christian Union Witness which There are at present 67 churches in Ohio. was published at Columbus, and Dr. J. V. B. Six of these are in cities and 61 are in rural Flack of Illinois, who for a number of years communities or small villages. There are 14 was the guiding hand of Christian Union. parsonages. The intent of the early leaders of Christian Christian Union does not maintain a school Union was to foster a union of Christians into a of its own, but has a trustee on the Board of fellowship for the furtherance of the Gospel Ft. Wayne Bible College, Ft. Wayne, Ind. Fort and not to start another denomination. In ac- Wayne Bible College of Indiana, Moody Bible cordance with this purpose seven principles Institute of Chicago, Ill., Wheaton College, were drafted. They are: Wheaton, Ill., and Taylor University of Upland, 1. The oneness of the Church of Christ. Ind. are endorsed as schools for the training of 2. Christ the Only Head. its young people and ministers. 3. The Bible the only rule of faith and The official publication is "The Christian practice. Union Witness," a semi-monthly, 16-page maga- 4. Good fruits the only condition of fellow- zine. Rev. James C. Shady is editor and pub- ship. lisher. Editorial offices are maintained at 5. Christian Union without controversy. Greenfield, Ohio.

14 Baptist

By The Rev. 1. N. DePuy

THE early settlers of Ohio were a superior people. Before them were the Mound Builders, the Indians, the Trappers, the Ad- venturers-all playing a part in the Ohio Story. But these early settlers from the East came to establish a free government in a free land and build permanent homes. They were a sturdy folk with a religious faith. The church building and the school house were built along with their homes. There were those holding Baptist beliefs among those early settlers. One story is that the one, who first held a definite Christian service, was a surveyor for the Virginia Colony, Christopher Gist. The service was held on Christmas 1750. Mr. Gist was a Baptist. Again in 1782 and in 1789, a very forceful character, Chaplain Jones, toured this coun- try holding religious services. He was a very capable man, a college graduate and an in- tense Colonist, regarding the colonial regalia as the only Christian clothing for a gentle- man. Among those first settlers in Marietta in 1780 was a Captain Mason, a Baptist. In the second group of Colonists from the east, who settled in the Cincinnati area were Baptist people. The first organized church of any kind in the entire was a Baptist Dr. Jonathan Going was the second president Church. This great territory was organized of Denison University, and one of the founders in 1789 and consisted of what are now the states of much of the Baptist work in Ohio and the of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin Midwest. and Eastern Montana. In January of 1790 in a block house near what is now Cincinnati, nine organized at Lancaster. The old Chillicothe earnest men and women organized this church. Church was organized in 1802. A church at The land was given by one Major Sites and Zanesville was started in 1816 but was not he united with the church the next day after organized until 1821. The church at Granville the gift. was organized in 1818 and in 1823 the First The Rev. John Gano was the first pastor to Church was organized in Columbus. be followed later by the Rev. John Smith. In the Western Reserve (Cleveland District) The church was called the Columbia Church. the record is that one Rev. Henry Spear was In 1835 it moved to the neighborhood of Duck one of the first preachers. A church was or- Creek and then became extinct. However, in ganized at Warren in 1803, in Garrettsville December 24, 1860, it was reorganized and 1808, In Jefferson in 1811, at Kingsville in 1813 today two churches in Cincinnati claim the and in Cleveland in 1833. honor of being descendants- the Hyde Park The Baptist principle of independence has and the Columbia Churches. been a blessing and a hindrance. Those early By 1797 there were three Baptist Churches churches were reluctant to form associations. in the Cincinnati area. In 1798 the Rainbow The first one organized was the Miami As- Church was organized near Marietta and later sociation (Cincinnati) June 3, 1798. There became a part of that church. Other Baptist were only three churches, but these brethren Churches were organized out in the land of felt the need of cooperative effort. woods and running streams and widely scat- In 1826 this feeling of unity had so developed tered settlers. The fifth Baptist Church to be that there was organized what is now the Ohio organized was that of Centerville, Ohio (south Baptist Convention. Its first meeting was at of Dayton). It was organized in 1790 and thus Zanesville, May 24, 1826. At that time the has had 163 years of continued ministry. estimated population of Baptists in Ohio was In 1801 there was a German Baptist Church about 8,000.

15 As a part of the American Baptist Con- vention, The Ohio Baptist Convention has in its fellowship one Class A City Society in Cleveland; and seven other City societies that do not have a full time executive. Those early churches had many problems to settle. There were bitter controversies. The foreign mission movement, starting w h e n Adoniram Judson and his companions went to India and finally Burma, divided all churches. In Ohio the feeling was intense. The Baptist Churches divided on the subject. Even to 1840. the Baptist Churches were listed in the Annual as Missionary and anti-Missionary. However the Missionary group since then has been blessed of God and developed into our present Baptist Denomination. Other questions which divided the churches were those of slavery, the independence of the local church and many others. The strong leadership of the Rev. Alexander Campbell, in 1813 and following, resulted in taking many Baptist Churches for his movement and as a result has come the strong Disciples of Christ Church today. We have difficulties today, but they had some in- tense ones in those years. One of the great matters for discussion in the early days was that of an educated minis- try. Again there was a division, some people holding to the false doctrine that ignorance was synonymus with piety. However, there was another group formed of strong believers Swasey Chapel was the gift to Denison Uni- in an educated ministry. versity of Ambrose Swasey, an outstanding The latter group in 1830 organized an Edu- Baptist layman of Cleveland. It is the worship cational Society especially for the training of center for students of the University, and the men for the ministry. As a result of this Baptist hosts who gather for annual confer- movement, in 1831 there was organized "The ences. Granville Literary and Theological Institute." There were 37 pupils. From this beginning The Ohio Baptist Convention represents the there has developed our splendid Denison cooperating Baptists of the Commonwealth, University located at Granville. members of the Ohio Council of Churches, the Ohio Baptists have grown to be one of the National Council, and the World Council of foremost church groups of the Commonwealth, Churches. with more than 350 churches and a total mem- The offices of The Ohio Baptist Convention bership of almost 100,000. are located in Granville.

16 National Baptist Convention

By Dr. Theodore S. Boone

IMPERISHABLE are the contributions that were made by early Negro Baptists of Ohio. Names are not too numerous to be called in connection with the early church movements. There was the Branch of Enon Church, Cincin- nati, that had its pulpit filled by supply min- isters from 1831-1835. There were Drs. Lynd and Patterson, both white, who usually baptized and administered the Lord's Supper to the members of that church as they found opportunity. In 1832 the venerable Elijah Forte was chosen to take tem- porary oversight of the church. His worth to the church cannot be estimated. The church was re-organized as the African The Rev. and Mrs. Wallace Shelton Union Baptist Church in 1835, and the Rev. David Nickens was called to take the pastoral oversight of the church. He probably was the first ordained Negro minister in Ohio. He died in 1838. But his labors blessed the church with a day and Sunday School. The church after a period of waiting and seeking called Charles Satchell, a young man of great promise. Some of the early ministers of the state who made contributions were: Allen Graham, W. P. Newman, Henry Adams, H. L. Simpson, H. H. White, James H. Magee and Henry Williams, Sr., who led 20 members, who left Union Baptist Church into the organization of Zion Baptist Church. Outstanding among those pioneers was Wallace Shelton, leader among Negro Baptist The Rev. and Mrs. Peter Farley Fossett pastors who served the Second Baptist Church in Columbus and later Zion Baptist Church in Out of the South and fresh from the shackles Cincinnati, that was organized early in 1843 by of slavery Negroes had emerged as fugitives the twenty members who left Union Baptist through the underground railroad into Ohio. Church, December 9, 1842. Their trek across the state line made it possible Elder Shelton travelled by horse to Xenia, for slaves and "free men of color" to federate Dayton, Springfield, back to Columbus and themselves together in small groups to thank other points and organized churches. He was God for deliverance from the afflictions and ably assisted in his organizational work by persecutions of serfdom and bondage. Out of Peter Fosset, who was said to have been a the group-meetings small church organizations grandson of Thomas Jefferson, former Presi- emerged along with others that came as the dent of the United States of America, and flowers of encouragement, support and direc- James Poindexter, great champion of human tion given by God-fearing, liberty-loving-for-all rights. whites, who were moved to their aid and Second Baptist Church, Columbus; Union assistance. Baptist Church Cincinnati; Zion Baptist The few churches that had been organized Church, Cincinnati and Shiloh Baptist Church, formed an association in 1836. The new organ- Cleveland, were among the leading early ization was called the Providence Missionary churches of Ohio. Zion led the other churches Baptist District Association of Ohio. That was of Ohio in providing an edifice for worship, the first independent Negro organization of as in 1867 Zion built the first "big brick church" Baptist churches in this country. among Negroes in Cincinnati, and for many Negroes also resorted to politics as a means years that was the finest structure for Negro of escape from the ravages of social serfdom. churches in the Middle West. They had to assert themselves in instances

17 where no advance preparation had been made. 1866 a former citizen of Ohio, Richard De- But some made marvelous records. The efforts Baptiste was president of the Consolidated of Wallace Shelton in Columbus and Cincinnati American Baptist Missionary Convention, and will linger and those of James Poindexter in Henry L. Simpson of Cincinnati was recording Columbus will never be dimmed by time. The secretary. Other sessions of the same conven- outstanding achievements in politics of George tion were attended by James Poindexter, J. H. W. Williams, who though pastor of Union Magee, and Wallace Shelton, in which they Baptist Church, Cincinnati, studied law in the held offices and participated in the delibera- office of Judge Alphonso Taft and the Cincin- tions. nati Law School, as a member of the Supreme On November 24, 1880, the first session of Circuit Court of Ohio, a nominee for the Legis- the Foreign Mission Baptist Convention of the lature from Hamilton County, Ohio, holder of U.S.A. was held at Montgomery, Alabama, as many political positions, and the greatest Negro guest of the First Baptist Church, in answer to historian of his time will serve as blessed re- a call that was made by Elder W. W. Colley. minders where noble deeds are prized. Ohio had representation at that meeting, which In the field of human rights no state has en- was furnished by Elder P. H. Williams, of joyed the distinction of having bestowed upon Middleport. He was very conspicuous as a its subjects greater service than that rendered participant during the session, thereby placing by James Poindexter. He embraced religion Ohio very much before the notice of the and was baptized into the communion of the representatives of the other states who at- Second Baptist Church of Columbus, by Elder tended. He served on important committees, Wallace Shelton, in the spring of 1840. took an active part in the devotional phases of He was ordained an elder in 1849 and was the session, was elected a member of the Ex- chosen pastor of that church in 1862. The ecutive Board and also was elected the eighth singular distinction was his to have been named vice-president of the convention. as the first Negro for a seat in the Ohio House Ohio was without further representation in of Representatives. It was significant that he the convention until the meeting of the fourth was a member of the Pastor's Union of Colum- annual session, which convened at Manchester, bus where he was the only Negro member. Virginia, September 19, 1883, when Mount Among early educators of the nation, Ohio Moriah Church, S. Nanly, representative, rep- stood high. No name is more highly listed resented with $2.25, and P. Creek Baptist than that of J. H. Washington, Oberlin gradu- Church, I. Bryant, representative, represented ate, who was elected the first secretary of the with $11.05, a total of $13.30. Freedman's Baptist Convention of Texas in Out of these small beginnings the early 1873. Negro Baptists of Ohio moved forward di- In early conventional movements Negro recting the course that has led to this glorious Baptists from Ohio were active. As early as day.

18 Primitive (Old School) Baptist

By Eldon Allen Huchison

APTIST history in Ohio and the Northwest Territory had its beginning when a flat- boat with 28 persons aboard (two of them chil- dren) drifted down the Ohio River and landed near the point where the flows into the Ohio. This was about five miles above what is now the city of Cincinnati. The pioneers named their new settlement Columbia. The date of their arrival was the evening of Nov. 18, 1788. When they had gone ashore, members of the little band "lifted their voices in hymns of praise, and offered up prayer to Almighty God for his sustenance, guidance and protection." They could drift west, but they could not drift back east; they had come to stay. The leader of this group was Maj. Benjamin Stites, who was a member of the old Scotch Plains Baptist Church of New Jersey, as were six other persons of this pioneer band now seeking new homes in the black forest of the Ohio Country. Among the number was John S. Gano, a drummer boy in the War for Ameri- can Independence, and a son of Elder John Gano, a distinguished chaplain with the Con- The Columbia Baptist Church, believed by tinental forces in the Revolutionary War. many to have been the first house of worship in Ohio In 1790, the six persons of the (circa 1790). The sketch from the initial group American Pioneer, who were Baptists, together with three published in 1842, shows others, the were organized into a Baptist edifice as it stood in 1830. It was destroyed church at the in 1835. home of Benjamin Davis, by Elder Stephen Gano. The confession of faith which they adopted was an abbreviation of the London moderator of this meeting. Confession of Faith (1689) and accepted as the After two subsequent meetings, one on June standard of Baptist faith and practice by the 3, 1798, and another the third Saturday in Philadelphia Baptist Association (organized October, 1798, plans for the organization of the 1707) and with whom the members of the new Miami Baptist Association were completed, church were previously associated. their rules of decorum and articles of faith The first meeting house of this church was being based on those accepted by the Philadel- completed in 1793. It was the first Protestant phia Baptist Association. meeting house built in Ohio. The newly organ- The first Baptist Association in Ohio was ized church, which was called the Columbia held with the Columbia church "on Friday be- Baptist Church, may indeed be regarded as the fore the second Lord's Day in September, mother church of the many Baptist churches 1799." At this time, two other churches were which were organized by the pioneers of the admitted into the association, Middle Run near Miami Valley in the two decades which Waynesville, Ohio (organized 1799) and followed. Straight Creek. The Middle Run church is still On the fourth of November, 1797, delegates in existence. from four pioneer churches-Columbia, Miami By the time Ohio was admitted to the Union, Island, Sycamore and Clear Creek (Warren 22 churches had been organized and received County)-met at Columbia for the purpose of into the Miami Baptist Association. The group organizing the group into a Baptist association, known as "the old school" is fortunate in and to draft "and present to the several having in a good state of preservation all of the churches general principles of Faith, Practice original minutes, and the original articles of and Decorum as a basis for an association." faith from the initial meeting of the founding Elder John Smith, who was later chosen as the churches on November 4, 1797, to the present first United States senator from Ohio, was the date.

19~ Elder Daniel Clark, a licentiate of the Co- lumbia Baptist Church, and later ordained by that church, was the first minister of the gospel of any denomination to be ordained in the state of Ohio. He is buried in the Old Baptist Cemetery at Lebanon, near the meeting house of the pioneer church he organized in 1802. The congregational church polity of this de- nomination, which was a democracy in itself, was an excellent institution for the training of the pioneer in the art of self-government, and these pioneer churches not only left a clear and distinct impress of a standard of morality and conduct upon their membership, but upon local civil government as well. Historical research shows there is scarcely a Mt. Pleasant ("Old School") Primitive Bap- county in southwestern, southern and central tist Church, one mile west of Poast Town on Ohio, where this denomination did not organize Rt. 4. Its present pastor is Dr. Eldon A. Huch- the first local church to be found in these ison who has the distinction of being (in point counties. of ordination) the oldest Old School Baptist While Baptists from New Jersey and the minister in the State of Ohio. seaboard were establishing -settlements and organizing churches in the Miami Valley, other the church and to the old London Confession of groups were settling in the Virginia Baptist Faith were called "Old School." Those who Military District. Two of these (old school) accepted the new theological teachings of the which were organized prior to Ohio's churches group were designated as "New School" Bap- admission to the Union are indeed worthy of tists. Later some of the "old school" churches notice. Run Baptist Church, near in order to place emphasis on their belief, were The Pleasant Baptists. Many of was organized in Virginia in 1790, known as "Predestinarian" Pleasantville the churches of this group still retain the name to Ohio as a body in 1801. Their and emigrated of "Regular Baptists", as deeds to their prop- was due to their opposition to the migration erty are recorded under this title. institution of slavery. It was one of the four churches which organized the Scioto Baptist The name "Primitive," which had its origin Association at Chillicothe in 1805. The other is in the South, was not generally used by the the Laurel Baptist Church in Perry Township, northern churches of this denomination until Hocking County, which was organized in 1803 about 50 years ago. and is still in existence. The Mount Pleasant Old School Baptist It is interesting to observe that the early Church, north of Middletown, Ohio, meet for churches took their names from the streams on worship in what may be the oldest meeting which they were located, hence so many house in the state of Ohio. It was constructed "creeks" being the name of the local churches in 1836, and is located on the original land grant and "rivers" referring to associations. of one of its founders, John Lucas a Revolution- Other early Baptist Associations which would ary soldier who came to this vicinity about afford a key to the location of pioneer churches 1800. are the Muskingum Baptist Association, organ- Although the "old school" party was in the ized in 1811, and the Mad River Baptist As- majority at the time of the historic division of sociation organized in 1812. the two groups, it has declined in membership In the early history of this denomination the throughout the state of Ohio. At present only name "Baptist" served to distinguish them from five associations with only a few churches in other religious groups. However, a division each continue in the faith of their fathers. In which took place among the Baptists about 1832 addition to the above, there are also two and the years following, resulted in the use of colored Baptist associations, one being known the adjectives "Old School" and "New School" as "Primitive" and the other as "Predesti- to distinguish the groups claiming to be narian" Baptists. Baptists. The Old School Baptists are strongly Calvin- This division had to do with the atonement- istic in their belief, and their membership is whether it was "special" or "general." Also as generally well informed as to faith and practice. to the means of regeneration-whether it was The quality of their religion might be expressed the result of "the direct and effectual work of in the following: (1) They have a God worth the Holy Spirit," or through the preaching of serving; (2) A gospel worth preaching; (3) A the gospel. religion worth enjoying; (4) A church worth Those who adhered to the historic position of sustaining.

20 Seventh Day Baptist

By Corliss F. Randolph As early as 1810, a group of families on the Mad River Bottom, in Greene County, along WHEN, soon after the close of the Revolu- with others, in Greene, Clark and Montgomery tionary War, migration westward began counties, were organized into a church under from the Atlantic seaboard, Seventh Day Bap- the name of Little Bethel. Its membership di- tists joined those who sought homes beyond minished through migration and death, and it the Allegheny Mountains. In 1789, a very small was finally disbanded in 1836. group from Westerly, R. I., settled at Marietta, "On October 4, 1824, there was organized a Ohio; and in 1806 another small group settled Seventh Day Baptist Church 'in Beech Wood in Mahoning County, Ohio. on Mad River.'" So runs the record. This In 1789, an entire church, as a body, left its church, often spoken of as the "Mad River home on the New Jersey coast not far from Church", was properly known as the "Pike Asbury Park and settled at what is now Salem, Seventh Day Baptist Church"; and, as such W. Va. It was this group that furnished the was admitted, in 1829, into the Seventh Day most of the Seventh Day Baptists of the early Baptist Conference, a body embracing churches history of Ohio. of that faith in America and Great Britain. In 1805, a group of them including David Fitz This is the first such recognition of any church Randolph and three brothers-in-law, James in Ohio. Hill, Jonathan Clayton, and William Brand, The Pike Church flourished until, with a with their respective families settled in Warren membership of 150, dissension arose over the County. They were followed by other families temperance question in 1839, and a split en- from Salem and vicinity, named Maxson, Bab- sued, about 100 members leaving the church cock, Lippincott, Sutton, and others, scattering and forming new churches, namely; Port Jef- about in Butler, Greene, Fayette, Hamilton, ferson, Plum Creek, and Jackson Center. A and Pickaway counties, besides Warren. Some "Temperance Reform Church" was formed at moved into counties northward. A group of Northampton, with a strong temperance con- families by the name of Clayton settled some stitution, and headed by the elders and deacons five miles south of the city of Lebanon, a settle- of the old Pike Church, with a large member- ment then, and for some decades later, known ship roll. as "The Claytons." Of all these churches, the one at Jackson A church was formed in or near Butlerville Center gave most promise of stability and and soon incurred opposition because of ob- growth; but in 1854, doctrinal differences arose, servance of "Saturday for Sunday"; and perse- and a split ensued. A new church known as the cution arose. The pastor, Thomas Babcock, was Free Will Seventh Day Baptist Church was arrested twice and fined for working on Sun- formed and flourished for a time. But the day. The church paid the fine. When arrested personal feelings which caused and nourished the third time, , then a rising it died down; and early in 1858 a reconciliation young lawyer, volunteered his services, de- was effected and the dissenters returned to the manded a jury trial, and his client was fold of the mother church. acquitted. In Stokes Township, a few miles distant from The membership of the church consisted, for Jackson Center, there lived a group of Seventh the most part, of those living at or near its Day Baptists, and a church of their faith was center in Warren County, but also included organized in 1852; and a small church was familes scattered about in adjoining counties. formed in Holgate in July, 1899. There was a small group in Pickaway County, Later, a small college was opened in Jackson at, or near, Bloomfield, who formed the Scioto Center, which was still in active operation as Church in 1842. The constituent members of late as 1890. But it now has passed into history. this church were from New York State. Of all the foregoing churches, the only sur- The parent church, largely because of perse- vivor is the one at Jackson Center, which, in cution, perhaps, was soon decimated by its 1940, celebrated the centenary of its organiza- families moving away, largely north to Greene tion. Never a large church, nevertheless it has and Clark counties. The church became extinct had qualities of permanancy lacking in its sister as early as 1842. The Scioto Church continued churches of its faith in Ohio. Members of other its activities for a time and it too passed out. churches moved farther westward.

21 By Rev. H. H. Helman THE Church of the Brethren was established in America in 1719, when a German "Tunker", by the name of Peter Becker, im- migrated from Schwarzenau, Germany, to Ger- mantown, Pennsylvania, with twenty families and organized the first "German Baptist Breth- ren" church. Pennsylvania was not only the first state to become the home of the Brethren in America, but is at present the home of more members than any other State. However, Ohio has been one of the leading Brethren states for more than a century. The first churches were organized above the Ohio River in the area east of Concinnati. Some ten Stonelick Church (Church of the Brethren) congregations were formed in the latter part in Clermont County, organized about 1795. of the 18th century and the early part of the This building was erected in 1854. 19th. About this same time other Brethren im- I. J. Rosenberger, George Hoke, I. D. Parker, migrants began moving into Northeastern Ohio and others. Dr. Paul M. Robinson, a native of from Western Pennsylvania, particularly into Ohio, is president-elect of the Biblical Semi- Stark County. nary, at Chicago. Rev. Paul Kinsel, of Trot- By 1812 there were perhaps twelve con- wood, and Rev. John D. Long, of Dayton, are gregations in the Southwestern part of the present members of the General Brotherhood State and as many in the Northeastern part by Board, with headquarters at Elgin, Illinois. 1850. Each District organizes with Boards and In the 1820s, churches were organized in the Commissions to promote the local and the Northwestern part of the State and by 1850 general work of the denomination. The Minis- there were nine churches in this area. try, Missions, Christian Education, Brethren The earliest congregations in Ohio had no Service and young peoples' work are guided church houses but met in homes and some- by these organizations. Camp work is em- times in barns where larger facilities were phasized and the Brethren in Ohio have con- needed. Soon, however, very plain churches tributed more "heifers for relief" than any spotted the Brethren areas, with no belfries, other section of the nation. no organs, no carpets and a long bench serv- Montgomery and Miami counties contain ing for the pulpit. more churches and members than any other Each church elected its own ministers who part of the State. Many large, modern, beauti- served without pay. Hymns were "lined" as ful churches have been erected in the State sung. There were no Sunday schools, and during the last decade, a far cry from the plain "plain" clothing and simple living were the edifices of the early days. In the early days the order. Church discipline was often severe, and "free" ministry was generally practiced, but worldliness emphatically condemned. at present most churches are served by semi- Three "districts" were later organized: nary-trained men who are adequately sup- Northeastern Ohio, 1850 (?); Southern Ohio, ported by their congregations. Ohio churches 1858, and Northwestern Ohio, 1864. These cooperate in the Ohio Council of Churches, three divisions of Ohio Brethren continue at and with the National Council of Churches in present with a reported membership totaling America. 21,647, with 12,027 of these in the Southern The congregational polity obtains, but there District; 6,077 in the Northeastern District and is close contact and cooperation with overhead 3,543 in the Northwestern District. boards. Brethren are baptists in the strictest Throughout its history the Church of the sense, with a practice of trine emersion, for Brethren (name adopted in 1908) in Ohio has those received by confession of faith. They furnished outstanding leadership for the hold the Bible to be the inspired Word of God, church in America. The first publication of the and accept the New Testament only, as the church, The Gospel Visitor, had its debut in rule of faith and practice. The church is known 1851 from Poland, Ohio. Henry Kurtz, the as a pacifist church, though it does not coerce editor, was a leader in the denomination. its members to hold the strict pacifist posi- Ohio men remembered in this sesquicenten- tion. The general conference for this year was nial year, include, James Quinter, Jacob. held in June at Colorado Springs. Miller, Peter Nead, Jacob Garber, J. C. Bright, The church is growing.

22 Brethren in Christ

By Rev. Ohmer U. Herr

TrHE beginnings of the Brethren In Christ TChurch point back to Upper Switzerland, and to various scattered groups of earnest sin- cere Christians in Europe, who began to state their spiritual convictions courageously, from the time of the Reformation. Among these groups were the Waldensians, Moravians, Ana- baptists, and Pietists. About 1750, a number of families, having come through a long period of persecution in which they suffered imprisonment and con- fiscation of property, decided to emigrate to the Brethren in Christ Church, Maiden Lane and United States. Among them were some who Bechtle Ave., Springfield. definitely had a Mennonite background. While crossing the ocean, one of their ships containing reached early, not many years after Ohio be- their goods was lost, and the immigrants landed came the 17th state to be admitted to the in this country almost destitute, but free to Union, in 1803. worship God according to their own con- Again in Ohio, the early Church fathers wor- sciences. shipped in their homes, until after the period Among the number who located in the south- of the Civil War. The first Brethren In Christ western part of Lancaster County, Pa., near the church in Ohio, was built in Stark County, near banks of the Susquehanna River, were John Canton. It is known as the Valley Chapel and Jacob Engle. Their group, with some from Church and is located three miles east other of the churches who were spiritually awakened city on the Trump Road. An active congrega- and grieved at the formalism which character- tion still worships there and is now ized making many churches, began engaging earnestly plans for building an addition to the in revival church. efforts. These resulted in many genu- In March of 1953, they entertained the 60th ine conversions. These experiences through Joint Council of the Brethren In Christ of the God's transforming grace, were to be followed Ohio-Kentucky area. by outward testimony through baptism and the Another church was built in Wayne establishment County. of a church. It is known as the Sippo Valley Church, located The Engles stood among those who believed two miles west of Massillon. The in trine Pleasant immersion as the Scriptural method of Grove Church was built in Richland baptism. County, Those of varying opinions agreed to but the work of the Church in that area shifted work separately, and it fell to the lot of Jacob to Ashland County where the Chestnut Grove Engle to become the first minister of the newly Church was built, near Five Points on Route established organization. They were originally 42. Preaching appointments were held at a known as the "Brethren at the River," and by number of other places in Northern Ohio outsiders as "." Their number through the years. spread to other counties of Pennsylvania. More recently the "Christian Fellowship These earnest Christians upheld definite con- Mission" was opened in Massillon, version and trans- from sin, righteous living, separation ferred to a large church which was from worldliness, purchased the keeping of the ordi- at 370 First Street, S.E. Through their ex- nances, the doctrine of non-resistance, and panding activities and radio other broadcasts, other fundamental truths. Their first organ- congregations have been established ization in 1778 at Shanes- was simple, but as their num- ville and at Uniontown. The Valley Chapel bers increased, a more permanent form became Memorial Home has been opened near the necessary and was adopted about 1820. In Valley Chapel Church. connection with their legal recognition by the Bishop H. P. Heisey of United Rt. 2, Louisville, Ohio, States Government, as a non-resistant is the present overseer of church the Northern Ohio at the time of the Civil War, they District. A few of his predecessors formally may be recorded their duly adopted name mentioned: Elder Henry Davidson, "Brethren Dr. W. 0. In Christ." Baker, Bishop B. F. Hoover, Some Bishop .W. J. families of the Brethren In Christ Myers, and Bishop M. L. Dohner. Church moved northward from Pennsylvania During the 1820's and 30's, a number to , and of others spread out with the gen- Brethren In Christ families came to Southern eral migration westward. Thus Ohio was Ohio and settled on farms located in the area 23 of Dayton, in Montgomery County. Some of Jacob Wingert, Bishop J. N. Hoover, Bishop the family names represented were: Rasor, A. M. Engle, Bishop Orville B. Ulery, Bishop Wenger, Herr, Dohner, Cassel and Hocker. W. H. Boyer and Bishop Wilber Snider. John Wenger, Jr., and Samuel Herr were the Also in that year 1904, the church in Ohio ministers in these early days, the latter having sent a petition to General Conference which moved to Ohio in 1832. resulted in the incorporation of the church's Here again their services were held in their organization. houses in winter and in barns in summer. If A number of General Conferences of the there happened to be no preacher present, they entire Brethren In Christ Church, scattered still enjoyed the presence of the Lord in fellow- widely over the United States, and Canada, ship, prayer and testimony services. Their have been held in Ohio, beginning with 1865 baptismal services were held at the Stillwater and possibly one before that. The succession of River near Englewood. annual conferences began in 1871 in Stark About 1848, a Union Church was built in County. Eighty-three have now been held Englewood, as the town is now named. Several which includes two in Northern Ohio and eight denominations had services in it. Many soul- in Southern Ohio. stirring revivals were held there. Those who In 1912 a mission was opened in Dayton. found God were quickly going after others to Property was purchased which was later used lead them to Christ, and the number of Chris- as a parsonage, and a chapel was built in 1916, tians grew. where an active congregation ministers to In 1865, Bishop Levi Lukenbach came to many in Dayton. Ohio from Pennsylvania to have charge of the In Clark County, the center of activity of the Dayton District, but at the same time was Church has been moved to Springfield. The bishop over a large portion of the church. church first built there in 1911 has now been Samuel L. Herr was ordained as one of the enlarged and remodelled. It has become the ministers, and owning land around Englewood, best-equipped Brethren In Christ Church in he suggested that a church be built for particu- the State of Ohio, and houses the largest Sun- lar accommodations for the Brethren In Christ. day School. A picture of this church accom- He gave the lot for the erection of a church, panies this sketch. Bishop Carl J. Ulery, the and the Fairview Church was built in 1876. present overseer of the Southern Ohio District, A commodious church was built at Donnels- lives nearby. ville, Clark County, in 1886, and the Highland The Brethren In Christ Church of Ohio, Church, near West Milton, Miami County, in though not as high in membership as other 1889. A church building was also purchased in sections of the Brotherhood, has been an active Pleasant Hill. unit of the church; and the church as a whole Bishop Lukenbach held the position as over- though not a large denomination, is definitely seer of the Southern Ohio Brethren In Christ a missionary church in various missionary for 30 years-1865-1895. Bishop Jacob Wingert fields throughout the world. Her purpose is to succeeded him. In 1904, the area was divided carry the knowledge and power of the Gospel into three districts with bishops chosen for of Christ to all it can reach, with a well- each. Those serving as such have been: Bishop rounded and full gospel message.

24 Church of Christ, Scientist By Ralph F. Stewart CHRISTIAN Science was discovered in 1866 by Mary Baker Eddy and in 1879 a church was established in Boston, Mass. "to commemo- rate the word and works of our Master, which should reinstate primitive and its lost element of healing." This church is now known as The First Church of Christ, Scientist, or The Mother Church. As far as can be determined, Christian Sci- ence was first introduced in Ohio in 1885 when Gen. Erastus N. Bates came to Cleveland and set up an office in the downtown business sec- tion to practice Christian healing. Gen. Bates had been a prisoner in Libby Prison during the war between the states. Here he contracted a disease from which he was subsequently healed by the reading of the Christian Science Textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. cornerstone of this building was In 1888 a laid May 7, dispensary was opened in the Not- 1900, and was dedicated in 1904 tingham Block free of debt. Building, 89 Euclid Avenue, The present location of First Church a place where of those desiring to be healed Christ, Scientist, Cleveland, is 2200 Overlook through Christian Science could come for Road. treatment and to learn more of its teachings. In January, 1887, Miss Sarah J. Clark came These dispensaries were the forerunner of the to Toledo from Jamestown, present N. Y. at the request Christian Science Reading Rooms. of Mrs. Eddy to establish Christian In Science in August of this same year, a church was that community. The first church services organized were and Rev. George A. Robertson was held in the Madison Hotel on Easter Sunday, named the pastor. Services were first adver- 1889. tised in May of 1889. On October 2, 1891, the In 1887 a similar group was holding services church was granted a charter from the State in various homes in Piqua, Ohio. They also met of Ohio, and was known as Christ's Church, in the Macabees' Hall, Odd Fellows' Hall, West Scientist, later being changed to First Church High Street and finally to a building of pur- Christ, Scientist. chased from the United Presbyterians on North Church services were held in various lo- Downing Street. cations, one being the Pythian Temple located Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Armstrong and James on Huron Road. In 1897, a lot was donated to A. Neal brought Christian Science to Spring- the church at the corner of Cedar Avenue and field, Ohio. The first meetings were held in the Kennard Street, now East 46th Street. The home of F. C. Reisensan. The churches in Toledo, Piqua and Spring- field were all organized under a State Charter in 1890. In 1895 the preaching of services by personal ministers was dispensed with in all Christian Science Churches throughout the world, and Mrs. Eddy ordained that the Bible and the Christian Science Textbook, Science and Health with key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, should be the pastor of The Moth- er Church and of every loyal branch of this church. At the present date there are 108 Christian Science Churches and Societies in the State of Ohio, all of them branches of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, and First Church of Christ, Scientist, Cedar and listed in The Christian E. 46th Sts., Science Journal, the Cleveland. official organ of this church.

25 Congregational Christian By Dr. Roy E. Bowers /ANASSEH CUTLER, minister of Ipswich, Massachusetts, "Prince of Diplomats and First of Lobbyists," revived, revised and urged through Congress the epoch-making Ordinance of 1787. Concurrently he organized the Ohio Land Company and enlisted the first company of settlers, mostly college graduates, led by General Rufus Putnam. They landed at the mouth of the Muskingum in April, 1788, and founded Marietta. Zealous for "religion, morality and knowl- edge," Cutler in Massachusetts obtained able young Daniel Story of famous family, as minister, and Mrs. Mary Bird Lake in 1790 opened the first Sunday School in the Ter- Ohio Con- ritory. In 1796 when Indian troubles had calm- The house in which the Miami ed, the First Congregational Church in the ference of the Congregational Christian Church Territory was organized in Marietta on a com- was organized. munity basis, welcoming all denominations into membership. School Theology. In 1837 the Presbyterian Massachusetts turned down Cutler's plea for General Assembly cut off the New School more missionaries because it was New Eng- presbyteries containing most of the Plan of land's policy to keep Congregationalism there Union Churches. By a series of surprises where it was indigenous. But concern for its Oberlin became a storm center; anti-slavery youth who were flocking westward moved students left Lane and asked Oberlin for in- Connecticut to organize a Missionary Society struction; Charles G. Finney, New School and to work out with the Presbyterians of evangelist, was secured as professor of The- the Middle States a "Plan of Union", to use ology. Also women and Negroes were accepted the missionaries and administer the money as peers of the white male students. Congre- secured by Connecticut in founding churches gational homes and meeting houses became in the new settlements. These churches were stations on the "underground railroad" and a largely Congregational in local matters, but Congregational consciousness began to de- were gathered into Presbyteries for fellowship. velop. Joseph Badger, the first Plan of Union mis- Laymen of the Marietta region became pain- sionary, came to the Western Reserve, "New fully aware of the spiritual isolation of the Connecticut," the last week of 1800, called Valley churches and moved the Marietta "Con- on every family on the Reserve and organized sociation" to issue a call for an "organizing the first Plan of Union Church at Austinburg convention." It assembled at Mansfield in in October, 1801. This was the harbinger of a June, 1852, and there the Ohio Conference of great and successful work among New England Congregational Churches was born. From that and New York settlers, whereby in the follow- hour Conference has been a warm-hearted ing forty years 180 churches were planted on fellowship of kindred minds. the Reserve and hundreds westward in the No record of rivalries, heresy trials, ecclesi- Great Lakes area. They were known chiefly astical politics or division can be found in a as Plan of Union Churches, or simply as century of history. Of course, the slavery issue "Churches of Christ". was at first dominant. In the law office of Western Reserve College at Hudson and Joshua R. Giddings, founder of the Jefferson Lane Seminary at Cincinnati, also Marietta Church, the first Republican platform was College as a local enterprise, and many acade- shaped. In 1858 the conference moderator, mies and institutions were organized and Professor Henry Peck, was jailed without trial prospered. "Oberlin Collegiate Institute," a for three months for complicity in the "Well- non-denominational, indeed by its charter, ington Rescue Case." When war came Ohio hardly a Christian School, was independently sent more men into the Army than any other opened to prepare self-supporting youth for state and the churches of the Conference gave college. more than their quota. However the slavery issue was warming up; With war's end and its moods, the church also the controversy between the Old and New life passed into a genial easy-going fellowship 26 undisturbed by slogans and aggressive action. "Christian Connexion". In Fruit of the "Ken- 1871 the first National Triennial Congre- tucky Revival," largely led gational by lay preachers Council met in Oberlin, as its moder- with two great enthusiasms, ator said, "On and the grave of buried prejudice." education, they founded Antioch College with In 1872 Conference received women as dele- Horace Mann as president. gates. Forthwith they took the lead in mission- Losing control of that because of poverty, a ary education and stewardship. In the 80's generation later they took charge of Defiance and 90's Sunday Schools, youth and lay activi- College. After decades of adjustment the two ty surged. Marion Lawrence of Toledo led in denominations united in Ohio in 1930, ahead forming the Ohio Sunday School Association, of nation-wide union. The sorrows of "The first of the State's interdenominational bodies. Depression" cemented the union and made it In Cleveland laymen organized the Bohemi- permanent. The second union proposal was an Mission and the City Missionary Society, that with the Evangelical Protestant Churches first Congregational Corporations in Ohio. Out in and around Cincinnati. After twenty-two of the Mission grew the Bible Readers School years of gradual approach, union was com- which, with the ardent support of church pleted by the reception of the new Cincinnati women, has come to be Schauffler College, Association in 1947. training young women of many races and de- The last decade has seen unprecedented ad- nominations for religious and social service. vance. The jubilant Centennial of Conference In foreign missions the century closed found its work led by Superintendent Everett tragi- A. Babcock cally with the martyrdom of missionaries and with three district and four de- their families in the Boxer uprising. partment superintendents, cooperating on a Largely democratic from Ohio, their names, twenty in all, basis with fourteen Associations of may be three hundred read on the Missionary Arch of Oberlin Cam- and fifty churches. Their march- pus. ing song is the great hymn written by Samuel The Wolcott, the first superintendent of Ohio Con- new century brought forward ideals of ference: Church Union. Washington Gladden's influ- "Christ for the world! we sing; ence was potent in creating the Ohio Council of The world to Christ we bring, Churches. Hopes of several denominational With loving zeal, unions were blighted, but two prospered. Dr. With fervent prayer, Gladden 'advocated union With one accord, with churches of the With joyful song!" Community Churches By Rudy H. Thomas

THE Community Church idea is not new in Ohio. The present Central Community Church of Columbus was organized in the Old Canal Hotel on February 6, 1843, when our capital city was a small town numbering only 7,000 people. On December 17 of the same year the new church building was formally dedi- cated and four days later the congregation took action which permitted the women of the congregation to have an equal voice in the management of the church. At the very outset this church declared it- self on the issue of freedom. The constitution of the church to this very day includes The old Canal Hotel in Columbus where the the Central words, "A liberal, progressive, and Community Church was founded in tolerant 1843. Christianity has ever been, and shall always remain, the cornerstone of our faith . . . This Church shall never affiliate with any synod tarianism and creedal formalism. The original or other denominational organization which re- sanctuary is still in regular use in downtown quires it to subscribe to a definite creed and Columbus. to surrender its liberal principles ... " Community Churches come into being in Although the name of the church has various ways. Some have been born out of changed over the years it has always been a denominational settings. completely autonomous church free of all sec- The Howland Community Church near War- 27 ren, Ohio, is such a church. Organized in 1830 as a Disciples of Christ Church by members of the Warren Disciples Church, the congrega- tion in 1940 voted to become an inclusive mem- bership church by opening its membership rolls to members of any church regardless of form of baptism, but with the stipulation that all new Christians would be baptized by im- mersion. In 1944 the policy was further liberal- ized to permit the individual the right to choose his own mode of baptism. Other Community Churches have come into being because the people of the community sought a free~ church capable of serving the religious needs of all the Protestants of the community. construction In Dayton, the Comity Committee of the New Community Church under Church Federation awarded the Greenmont at Dayton. School District to the people of the community for the purpose of establishing a Community tion. We are interested in the people of the Church. In December 1946, the Greenmont- community and we are publicly on record as Oak Park Community Church was founded willing to lose our own identity whenever the with 46 members. Today the membership in- United Church of America comes into being. cludes 460 resident members plus 250 junior This spirit is clearly evident in the action members. It is a "family church" consisting taken by the association in its Annual Meeting almost entirely of young parents who have been on January 14, 1950. The records of that meet- worshipping and working together to build the ing include this significant action: "Whereas Christian community in their own neighbor- the Ohio Association for Community Centered hood. Churches has plowed an abundance of ground, Since its organization the congregation has planted seed extensively, and whereas (a) the used the Community Hall of Greenmont Vil- Town and Country Committee of the Ohio lage and the VanBuren Township Elementary Council of Churches has employed the Rev. School for its worship services, educational pro- Clyde Rogers for rural community work and gram, and social activities. But these Christians, is now promoting a splendid program .. . be through sacrificial giving, and with no money it resolved, First: that our association become whatsoever from any denominational board, inactive except as a fellowship group . .. Sec- will soon find themselves in their new church ond: that we urge our churches to cooperate building that is located in the very heart of the fully with the Town and Country Department community on two acres of land. of the Ohio Council of Churches. Third: .. . In another Ohio community four churches that we instruct our Treasurer to contribute joined together to become a Federated Church. our treasury balance to the work of the Town In Columbus another denominational church and Country Committee of the Ohio Council became the First Community Church. Today of Churches." it has a membership of over 5,000 and includes Many Community Churches today are af- people from some 34 different faiths all wor- filiated with the International Council of Com- shipping and working together to build the be- munity Churches with headquarters in Co- loved community. This church was selected as lumbus. one of th e "ten outstanding churches in The council is committed to the idea of a America" in a recent national survey conduct- United Church. Indeed it is a fellowship of ed by The Christian Century. churches, many of whom have already experi- And so the story goes all over Ohio-and the enced a "united church" in their own com- nation. Community Churches are not new but munity. It is no more a denomination than a they often bring a new spirit and dynamic to Council of Churches is a denomination. There the religious life of a community. On June 29, is no required statement of faith, no set form 1945, at the First Community Church in Co- of organization, no stipulated interpretation of lumbus many interested members of the laity the sacraments, no uniform liturgy or required and the clergy met to form the Ohio Associa- ritual to be imposed on any individual church. tion for Community Centered Churches. This The movement concedes to each congregation, organization never intended to become another as each congregation does to each of its mem- denomination. Indeed, every tendency toward bers, full freedom of self-expression. any such development was always heartily Under God, Community Churches will con- resisted by Community church churchmen. tinue to make their contribution to the spiritual We are not interested in another denomina- strength of the people of Ohio.

28 Disciples of Christ

By Henry K. Shaw The entire Mahoning Baptist Association dis- solved itself into independent churches of DISCIPLES of Christ should feel at home in Christ at Austintown in 1830. The Stillwater Ohio for it was on the Western Reserve Association and many unattached congrega- and in settlements along the Ohio River that tions soon followed. The Christian Connection, they got their start. They began in the early a similar movement made up of Presbyterian nineteenth century as an ecumenical move- and Methodist dissenters, joined forces with ment with a distinctive American flavor. them. Alexander Campbell never approved of Alexander Campbell and his followers be-, a separate movement but soon found he had lieved they had a simple formula to resolve all one on his hands. Some congregations called denominational differences and put an end to themselves Christian churches and others pre- the rapid multiplication of new religious so- ferred the name Church of Christ. Through cieties and sects. It was an appeal to all Chris- Campbell's influence the group finally became tians to return to what they called, "The known as Disciples of Christ. ancient order of things." This "ancient order" Following what they held as biblical tra- was none other than a reconstruction of the dition, the Disciples observed the Lord's Sup- church and spirit of New Testament religion. per each Sunday, baptized by immersion and looked to the New Testament for rules of faith They wanted to be reformers . . . and Discipline. They made nothing a test of They considered themselves reformers and fellowship that the New Testament had not had no intention of playing any other role. Most made a test of salvation. Salvation, they be- of them were sincere Baptists: but not a few lieved, was a gift to the penitent believer who Presbyterians, Methodists and Congregation- made a public confession of Christ as Lord and alists were among them. Their Christian Unity Savior, was baptized by authority of scriptural plea seemed so simple they were sure that once command and who lived the Christian life. heard, it would be forthwith embraced with thanksgiving by all thinking people. What they Evangelistic but not revivalistic fondly called their "plea" was a bold challenge Great impetus was given to the movement to existing denominations to renounce formal in the beginning by one Walter Scott who creeds, theological systems and denominational traveled around the Western Reserve with a attachments; to unite on the basic fact of Jesus new type of evangelism. Scott found great num- Christ as Lord and Savior. Like a new broom bers of people ready for church membership that sweeps clean, they tried to clear away but not able to conscientiously declare a mirac- what they considered the accumulated specu- ulous conversion experience. He preached lative cobwebs of the theological centuries, to that anyone could become a Christian by reveal New Testament faith in its original simply obeying, in logical steps, what the Scrip- purity. They thought that if the "true" faith tures commanded. His approach was unemo- were recovered it could become a common de- tional and strictly an appeal to reason. At the nominator on which all could unite. time, Disciple leaders were strongly influenced by the Lockian empirical school of philosophy. .. . But their plan backfired The idea of a fresh start in religion was With strong emphasis on lay leadership American to the core. Transplanted European Early Ohio preachers were laymen for the religious thought was no more congenial to the most part. They made no distinction between frontier mind than transplanted European po- clergy and laity. Church ordinances adminis- litical ideas. What the reformers didn't realize, tered by laymen were as efficacious to them as was that people, primarily the clergy, would those administered by clergymen. James A. resent the idea that someone thought they Garfield was one of the best known of these needed to be reformed. The reformers were laymen-preachers. He preached, officiated at soon standing alone and apart. Subject to weddings and funerals, administered the Lord's vicious attacks, they responded viciously. Soon Supper and baptism and held evangelistic a state of belligerency existed. Those were days meetings. Even when be became President of of debate and controversy, charges and coun- the United States he was affectionately known tercharges, church trials and excommunica- among the Disciples as "Brother Jim". tions. Soon these reformers who had set out with the best of motives to unite a divided Centralization Inevitable Christendom, unwittingly themselves became a When the Disciples became a separate part body to another division, though they would in 1830 there was no organization among them never admit it, even to themselves. commissioned to send out missionaries, train 29 Buckeye State. They have produced their quota of distinguished persons, having pro- vided a President of the United States, three Governors of Ohio, many members of both houses of Congress as well as leaders in scien- tific, literary and educational fields. They still are witnesses to the cause of Chris- tian union, preach a Bible-centered faith, co- operate in interdenominational work and align themselves with progressive religious, social and economic movements. They have an in- tense yearning to unite all God's people and wistfully declare among themselves that when the great day of union comes they will have less to give up and more to contribute than many others.

Churches of Christ By D. L. Adams

Alexander Campbell, founder of the Disci- A portion of the large following of Alexander ples of Christ Church. Campbell separated in the late 18th Cen- tury in a development hinging on the search for the ancient order of doctrine and worship. A leaders or to establish new congregations. after the Civil War. In Meet- liberalistic trend arose Partly to remedy this defect, the Yearly census separated the groups It was nothing more 1906 the religious ing system was adopted. churches of Christ and the Disciples of in a given geographi- -the than a popular assembly Christ or "Christian Church." cal area. They met for inspiration, instruction in the scriptures, fellowship and mutual aid. In the Ohio area the contenders for the an- Being a minority group, they developed along cient order were for the most part in the minor- a natural homogeneous pattern. ity, and had to work earnestly to rebuild the original plea for restoration of apostolic Chris- Finally the need to organize on a state level became apparent. This was done at Wooster in tianity. 1852. The Ohio Christian Missionary Society John F. Rowe, born in 1807, raised in Woost- which has had continuous existence for a cen- er, Ohio, studying under Alexander Campbell tury, was an outgrowth of the state conven- at Bethany, W. Va. was one of the leaders in tion. Fully half of the Disciples' churches in the Church's fight against liberalism. During Ohio owe their origin to it. his second year in school, Rowe started preach- In college, Rowe also served as one of The Ohio Society maintains a staff of pro- ing. the editors of the Stylus, the college paper. ressional workers, assists churches in pastoral relationships, acts as a clearing house for Following the journalistic tendency John various missionary and benevolent funds, con- Rowe founded one of the leading journals of ducts a leadership program of religious educa- the group-the Christian Leader-in 1886. Pub- tion and operates its own summer camp for lished in Cincinnati until 1945, its publications youth conferences and similar activities. Head- office was then moved to Dresden, Ohio, from quarters for the Society is at 987 The Arcade, whence it still goes to all parts of the world. Cleveland, Ohio. The Rev. Herald B. Monroe Editorially, a long-time foe of liberalism, today is executive secretary. the Christian Leader is championing a program of constructive development designed to add Disciples still have that wistful longing impetus to the growth of the church. The Disciples of Christ have played no small In 1953, the Christian Leader published a part in Ohio history. From a small group of in- Directory of Churches of Christ in the northern dependent churches they have grown into a states which lists 216 congregations in Ohio major religious communion with some 500 with a membership as stated earlier of around churches and 150,000 communicants in the 15,000.

30 Protestant Episcopal

Diocese of Southern Ohio bury, Conn. By November, the entire company had arrived and the group numbered 100. On By Ann Natalie Hansen December 26, 1803, at a Christmas celebration, HEN all the Ohio country was an un- the first in Ohio held according to the old Eng- bounded wilderness, an experienced lish tradition, it was announced that the name woodsman from Maryland, Christopher Gist, of the town would be Worthington in honor came into the region as an agent for the Ohio of their generous benefactor, Thomas Worth- Land Company of which Lawrence and Augus- ington of Chillicothe. tine Washington were prominent members. It Barely more than a month later, February was the middle of December, 1750, when Gist 6, 1804, St. John's Church in Worthington and reached a town of the Wyandot Indians on the Parts Adjacent was organized. This was the site of present-day Coshocton, where he met first parish of the Episcopal Church west of George Croghan, the Pennsylvania trader, and the Allegheny Mountains. According to the Andrew Montour, a Canadian half-breed who Articles of Agreement of the Scioto Company, served as interpreter. a town lot of one acre and a farm lot of not less Here, on Christmas Day, 1750, Christopher than 100 acres was set aside for the use of the Gist read the Homilies of the Church of Eng- "Protestant Episcopal Society." This grant is land to an assemblage of Indians and white still held by the Parish of St. John's. men who were disposed to listen. As far as is The Rev. Roger S e a r 1e had laid the known, this was the first Anglican service ever foundations of many parishes in Ohio, partic- held in what is now Ohio. ularly in the northern part of the state; but, Nearly a half-century passed before another a new era for the Episcopal Church began in service of the Episcopal Church is known to March, 1817, with the arrival from Connecticut have been held within the present bounds of of the Rev. Philander Chase. the state. After traveling miles on horseback and The Rev. Joseph Doddridge, later also a phy- holding services in villages along the way, he sician, moved westward to Charlestown, Virgi- reached Worthington and held services here nia (now Wellsburg, W.Va.) after his ordination on the first Sunday of June and promised to to the diaconate in 1792. While settled there he become of St. John's, and also of Trinity made trips at varying intervals across the river Church, Columbus, and St. Peter's, Delaware. to the village that had sprung up on the site He took up his residence in Worthington, and of old Fort Steuben. Here he held the first the following year at a convention held in this Christian services in what is now Steubenville. town, the Rev. Philander Chase was elected His activities apparently met with success, be- the first Bishop of the Diocese of Ohio which cause by 1796, he was holding regular monthly had been organized six months earlier, in Jan- services in the settlement; and, he was ordain- uary of 1818. ed priest in 1800. No parish, however, was or- After his in Philadelphia, in ganized here until 1819. February, 1819, Bishop Chase carried out his In the meantime, a little band of Churchmen episcopal visitations by riding horseback all in western Connecticut was preparing to mi- over his huge diocese, administering baptism grate to the Ohio country. Their leader, the and confirmation wherever he went. Rev. , who was in Deacon's Late in 1823 he sailed for England to raise Orders, had organized the Scioto Company in funds there for the building of a seminary in 1802, in Granby, Conn. After a journey of ex- the West. There had been no seminary of the ploration a tract along the high east bank of Episcopal Church in the United States until the Whetstone River, now known as the Olen- 1817, when General Theological Seminary was tangy, in the United States Military Lands was established in New York by Bishop John Hen- decided upon and 16,000 acres were purchased ry Hobart. Chase immediately encountered the at $1.25 per acre. opposition of Hobart who wished no 'competi- In the spring of 1803, Kilbourne and a group tion for his school; nevertheless, he was able from the company came out and began clear- to win the support of the Archbishops of Can- ing the land and planting crops. They also terbury and York. built a log cabin which was to be used for a With the generosity of English friends, par- school during the week, a church on Sunday, a ticularly Lord Kenyon, Lord Gambier, and place of entertainment in the evenings, and as Lord Bexley, Bishop Chase was able protection to raise against the Indians if the need for about $30,000. He selected acreage in this the hills arose, which it never did. of Knox County and named his town Gambier; On September 15, 1803, forty proprietors and his college, Kenyon; and later when the their families build- started westward from Sims- ing was erected for the theological school, it 31 was named Bexley Hall. The site was pur- chased in 1826, and the college moved from Worthington two years later. After Bishop Chase's return from England in 1824, it had been incorporated and instruction carried on in the Bishop's home in Worthington. Through the munificent efforts of Sir Thom- as and Lady Acland of Devonshire, a printing press was purchased in this country and fonts of type were sent over from England. The latter were held in New York until Bishop Chase could raise the funds to pay the duty on them. In 1830 the press was set in operation and began to issue the Gambier Observer, the first Episcopal newspaper west of the Alle- gheny Mountains. The press continued to op- erate until 1884, printing pamphlets, , college catalogues, and 11 books. Philander Chase resigned from the presi- dency of Kenyon and his bishopric in 1831, and the following year the Rev. Charles P. McIlvaine was consecrated second Bishop of Ohio. By 1850 the Episcopal Church in Ohio numbered 84 parishes and had 72 clergy be- St. John's Episcopal Church, Worthington, longing to the Diocese. The parishes, though, the first Episcopal parish west of the Alle- were still very small; but, the pioneers, through gheny Mountains. This edifice, still in use, was their untiring efforts, had laid the foundations built 1827-31. well. * * * to administer Holy Communion on the West- ern Reserve was the Rev. Jackson Kemper, Diocese of Ohio afterwards a distinguished missionary bishop By Herman S. Sidener of the Northwest, who spent several weeks at Canfield, and Poland during Sep- services on the West- Boardman, THE earliest Episcopal tember of 1814. Kemper's helpfulness to Ohio ern Reserve were conducted at Cleveland Churchmen extended beyond his brief visit, in 1797, by the Rev. Seth Hart, successor to for he encouraged other missionaries to come Moses Cleaveland as superintendent of the to Ohio. Connecticut Land Company's surveying ex- pedition. He officiated at a burial, a baptism, The year 1817 marked the coming of two and a wedding in that year. Connecticut clergymen who rank with Dod- dridge and Kilbourne as founders of the Epis- after the Handicapped by a lack of clergy copal Church in Ohio. The first co arrive was people Revolutionary War, devoted church the Rev. Roger Searle, Rector of St. Peter's formed congregations and maintained services Church, Plymouth, Conn., who reached Ashta- Gunn, in many places. At Portsmouth, Samuel bula on February 16. who moved from Connecticut to Ohio in 1805, held services which led to the organization of Searle organized a number of parishes and All Saints' Church in 1819. At Boardman, Jo- completed the organization of several others, seph Platt conducted services in 1808, and including: St. Peter's, Ashtabula; Trinity, pio- Judge Turhand Kirkland presided at the or- neer Church of Cleveland which in time be- ganization of "a regular Episcopal society" in came the cathedral parish of the Diocese of 1809. Ohio; St. Paul's, Medina; St. Luke's, Ravenna; At Ashtabula, Zadoc Mann held services in St. James', Boardman; St. Paul's, Chillicothe, the first 1813, giving rise to the organization of a parish whose house of worship, in 1821, was in 1816. At Stow Corners, in Summit County, Episcopal Church consecrated west of the Al- Mrs. Josiah Wetmore read the service and her leghenies; and St. Paul's, Norwalk, "Mother husband a every Sunday for three Church of the Firelands." years, beginning in 1818, and people "came A month after Searle's arrival, the Rev. with ox teams and on horseback from all the Philander Chase, destined to become the lead- region around," attending services in which ing figure in the early history of the Episcopal the parishes at Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, and Church in Ohio, conducted his first service in Kent had their inception. the state at Conneaut Creek. He had resigned The first Episcopal clergyman to preach and the rectorship of Christ Church, Hartford, in

32 the preceding month. Few men would have February, becoming the first bishop of the first relinquished a position so well-established to diocese of the Episcopal Church beyond the brave the rigors of pioneer missionary work borders of the original thirteen states. His in the wilderness of the Midwest. However, as episcopate in Ohio-he later became the first one has said, "Philander Chase was of heroic Bishop of Illinois and, by virtue of seniority, mould." Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church- Several months later, Chase settled at Worth- covered about twelve and one-half years. His ington where he became Rector of St. John's supreme accomplishment was the founding of Church, and principal of Worthington Acad- Kenyon College. emy, his nephew, Salmon P. Chase-after- Through the years, many of Kenyon's alum- wards a distinguished American statesman-- ni have become eminent in public life, includ- being among his students. ing Rutherford B. Hayes, Edwin M. Stanton, Chase organized a number of parishes, in- several justices of the United States Supreme cluding: Trinity, Columbus; St. Peter's, Dela- Court, and numerous bishops of the Episcopal ware; and Christ, Cincinnati, of which William Church. Henry Harrison was an organizing member, The majestic tower of the commons building and where the Rev. Samuel Johnston, who at Kenyon was named holds in honor of Philander a place with the founders of the Epis- Chase- a fitting memorial copal Church to the one whose in Ohio, served as Rector from faith and fortitude served religion 1818 until 1827. and educa- tion as a tower of strength, and from whose Chase was elected Bishop of Ohio in June self-sacrificing life is to be derived great in- of 1818 and was consecrated in the following spiration for the tasks of today!

"Old Kenyon," built by the founder of Kenyon College at Gambier, Bishop Philander Chase, in 1827; destroyed by fire in 1949 and rebuilt in 1950.

33 Evangelical United Brethren By Everett E. Harris ties with them indicates that they were not trying to run away from God. THE opening of the Northwest Territory to Their political freedom in the new territory loose moral life. settlers in the latter part of the eighteenth did not mean license for a and the admission of Ohio to statehood They saw the need of God in the new country century church they in the; early part of the nineteenth century did and thus sought to establish the doing so. Religious much in preparing the way for the entrance loved, and succeeded in United services were held in homes, schoolhouses, of the Evangelical before church into the territory west and north of the Ohio and other public places even River.' houses could be established. a very Evangelical United Brethren Church, There were three sections of Ohio, at The the potency now known, represents the union of two early date, definitely stamped by as Evangelicals and denominations, which union had its consum- of the life of those known as mation in 1946. The two denominations former- United Brethren. ly known as The Evangelical Church and The One of these sections was the Miami region, Church of the United Brethren in Christ came comprising in part Hamilton, Butler, Mont- into Ohio largely on a missionary basis shortly gomery, and Preble Counties. Another sec. after the beginning of the nineteenth century. tion covered is that now known as Fairfield, and Ross counties. The third sec- There were two aspects of the missionary Pickaway, in Ohio. One was tion definitely touched by the reprsentatives adventure of these churches Brethren Church is had been members of of the Evangelical United to care for those who the section in the east and the other was to the notheastern portion of Ohio; the churches in the cities of New Phila- many as possible of the new settlers which we now find lead as Akron, Cleveland, and many to Christ. delphia, Canton, other smaller ones. these denominations had their origin Both years, the Church was predomi- the German-speaking people of Penn- For many among rural in Ohio and still has a large rural sylvania and it was natural that their efforts, nantly at the first, should be among the people of constituency. who spoke the same language. From the There are many familiar family names Ohio the beginning of the two denominations there was which occupy a place in the annals of kinship between them. This was espe- Evangelical United Brethren Church in Ohio; a close Benedum, evident in the realms of evangelistic zeal, such names as Kreider, Zeller, cially Saylor, Hoffman, democratic spirit, and church polity. Heistand, Kramer, Hoy, Mechlin, Dresbach, Hennig, Baulus, Pontius With the many people coming into the Ohio and Eckhart. section following the subjugation of the In- considered a mission field very naturally, Ohio was dians by the Federal government, early in the nineteenth century and Henry there were Evangelical and United Brethren Frederick Showers were com- they should Hennig and people. The churches felt that missioned as missionaries by the Evangelical gospel, and thus follow their members with the the needy people of the new state. coming into Ohio to Church to .soon "preachers" were began their work near New Philadelphia. "scrattered sheep." They care for the Several ministers of the United Brethren Some Evangelical United Brethren families Church came into Ohio about the beginning of made special appeals to the churches of the the nineteenth century and served in a large .east to send to them spiritual advisers and way in establishing the church in this new ministerial leaders. These appeals did not fall field. upon deaf ears and at a very early date classes Bishop Christian Newcomer of the United or local churches had their beginnings in the Brethren Church, who lived for many years Ohio section. near Hagerstown, Md., and died in that vicini- Some of the newcomers to Ohio seemed to ty, came into Ohio many times on horseback arrive in groups or little colonies, or formed during the period from 1810 to 1829. Some of such groupings soon after arrival. his trips to Ohio as a pioneer preacher were a In many instances, the staunch character of made when he was an aged man. He was He kept a the people coming into the Ohio territory is home missionary of the first order. revealed by the fact that they brought their careful diary of his work which has become an religion with them. They were not all godless, important record for the church and which is notwithstanding what some people have highly prized by the Library of Congress be- thought to the contrary. The fact that they cause of its notations of important places and brought their religious convictions and loyal- events. 34 Stone house in Michael Kreider farm, near Chillicothe. It was on this farm the first United Brethren conference west of the Ohio River was held in 1810. It is not certain whether this is the exact building in which the conference was held.

One of the early important figures of the a part of the eastern conference until several Evangelical Church in Ohio was Bishop John years later. Seybert. His labors came a little later than The Evangelical United Brethren "the work of Bishop Newcomer but they were people of Ohio, serving the church of Christ during most effective and the results abide to this al- day. most one hundred and fifty years, may be characterized as being evangelistic, mission- According to available evidence, the first ary, benevolent, ecumenical, progressive, and United Brethren church organized in Ohio patriotic in spirit and life. was in the vicinity of Germantown in 1805 or Notwithstanding 1803 at the home of Andrew the rather meager begin- Zeller who later nings of this denomination became a bishop in the Church. The records in Ohio, it now seem to indicate numbers approximately 750 ministers and has that several classes, or church- a membership es, of the Evangelical denomination of more than 134,000. Local were or- churches are located in ganized in the northeastern part such cities as Dayton, of the state headquarters of the Church, Columbus, during the winter of 1816-17. Some organiza- Cleve- tions may land, Canton, Akron, Toledo, Cincinnati, have been effected even earlier than Portsmouth, the dates here given. and in many other smaller cities and towns, as well as having a strong rural The first meeting of United Brethren constituency. preachers in Ohio, which may be called an Annual Conference, The Evangelical United Brethren Church, was held in 1810 at the being an home of Michael Kreider American born church, easily adapt- in Ross County, a ed its life and procedures few miles north of Chillicothe. Thirteen to the development preachers were present. of the region now known as the State of Ohio. This church is an integral part of the life The first such meeting of of Evangelicals seems Ohio and has in the past and will continue to to have been held in 1819 at a point north of make rich contributions to the on-goings of Canton. However, the Ohio District remained this great state.

35 Evangelical and Reformed

By Joseph Pierce Alden THE oldest churches of this denomination in Ohio were Reformed and had their begin- ning in the migration of members from eastern states, principally Pennsylvania, Maryland and North Carolina; many of them were German speaking. The oldest congregation dates from the com- ing of Rev. Jacob Christman from North Car- olina in 1802 to the Clear Creek Settlement near Springboro in Warren County. Services were held in the homes of the people as there was no church building. Returning to North Carolina to dispose of his property and resign his pastorate there, Rev. Christman came again to Ohio in 1803, bringing some of his family Former home of the Rev. Thomas Winters' with him. Early in 1804, he organized Salem Private Theological Seminary (Evangelical and Church. Reformed), Germantown (circa 1820). The first service in a log church built by the congregation was held March 16, 1806. During where he ministered to congregations in that the pastorate of Rev. Thomas Winters a frame region. church was built and, in 1863, the p r e s e n t By order of the Synod in the east, the Ohio building was erected in Springboro. Classis was organized in 1820 by five ministers: In 1805, Rev. John Jacob La Rose came also Revs. Thomas Winters, Peter Mahnenschmidt, to Ohio from North Carolina and preached at George Weisz, Benjamin Faust of Canton and various points in Montgomery, Preble and Sonnendecker of Wooster. Four lay elders also Warren Counties. In 1809, he organized St. were included. John Church at Germantown. There were then fifty congregations with That same year, Rev. Thomas Winters came about 1,800 members in the Classis. Several to Ohio and in 1815 became p a s t o r of the ministers with their congregations stayed out, church at Germantown. He a 1s o organized but in a few years these also joined and the preaching stations and congregations in the number of ministers doubled and the number neighboring counties of the Miami Valley and of congregations and members rapidly served them as pastor. increased. He was active in training young men for the So in 1824, the Classis organized itself as the ministry, the custom of those days when there Synod of Ohio in order to provide for the ordi- was no theological seminary. Among them nation of men for the ministry, as the time were his own sons, Thomas H. and D a v i d and expense of a journey to eastern Pennsyl- Winters. The latter continued the work of his vania for that purpose were inconvenient and father in and about Dayton in all his active caused delay. In December, 1836, the Synod ministry until almost the close of the century. was granted a charter by the Ohio Legislature In northeastern Ohio, services were held as " The German Reformed Synod of Ohio." among the Reformed people in their homes in Later, there was a division of the Synod the early 1800's. Rev. Peter Mahnenschmidt into two Synods as the use of the English lan- organized the first Reformed Church in that guage was general in many churches, but a area in 1812. Other ministers came also from new immigration of Germans from E u r o p e Pennsylvania and founded churches in and with those churches still using the German about Canton. language made it advisable to organize them (The above paragraph is based on a sentence as the Central Synod. In 1923, the decrease in Dr. J. I. Good's History of the Reformed of the use of German resulted in the union of Church in the United States. Rev. E. D. Fager the two Synods as the Ohio Synod of the of Lisbon, Ohio, writes, "St. Jacob's Church Reformed Church in the United States, and was organized in 1811, Unity Church in 1800, the articles of incorporation were changed and I think one or two others were organized accordingly. before 1812. Unity celebrated its sesqui-cen- In Germany in 1817, in celebration of the tennial three years ago.") three hundredth anniversary of the Protestant In 1816, the Synod in eastern Pennsylvania Reformation, the King of Prussia succeeded sent Rev. George Weisz to Lancaster, Ohio, in uniting Lutheran and Reformed Churches 36 merger which constituted the Evangelical and Reformed Church, Central Seminary merged with Eden Theological Seminary under that name at Webster Groves, Missouri. Other institutions of the c h u r c h are the Home for the Aged at Upper S a n d u sky, founded in 1916, and, in Cleveland, Fairview Park Hospital, 1892, and Evangelical Deacon. ess Hospital, 1919. The denomination supports other hospitals, children's homes, homes for the aged, educational institutions and a publishing house which are not located in Ohio. Reformed Church Salem Evangelical and Reformed Church at By J. J. Van Heist Ellerton, organized in 1815. This is the congre- REFORMED Church in America, gation's second founded church building, erected in in Colonial times 1860. by Protestant settlers from the Netherlands, is Presbyterian in form of Government. By 1867, when into the Evangelical Church. Many the present German name became its official title, the membership immigrants to America were of this church of the church was distinctly American. The and on coming to America organized them- Belgic selves Confession of Faith, the Canons of into Independent Protestant Evangelical Dordt Congregations. and the Heidelberg Cathechism are its doctrinal standards. Gradually the need of closer cooperation brought their ministers Rev. Jones Michaelius in 1628 organized the together first in 1840 first as the G e r m a n Evangelical Reformed Church in New Amsterdam. Society of the This West, which, with the congregations they congregation still survives as the im- portant served, became later the German and influential Collegiate Church of Evangelical New York Synod of the West and, in 1877, the Evangel- City, the oldest church in the middle ical Synod of North America. States. The writer of this article has no knowledge In 1866 Hope College and Western Theo- logical of the date of the earliest congregations found- Seminary were founded in Holland, ed in Ohio, but certainly they were before Mich. 1840. The First Dutch Reformed Church in Ohio After several years of negotiation and culti- was established in Cleveland, June 16, 1866 by vation, the Evangelical Synod of North Amer- the Classis of Geneva, New York, Rev. B. ica and the Reformed Church in the United Bassler and Rev. J. W. Dunnewold repre- States merged into the Evangelical and Re- senting the Classis. The congregation met in a formed Church in June, 1934, and in Ohio home for some time until the first church build- have been organized into four Synods named ing was built on East 33rd street about 100 feet for the four quarters of the state and number- south of Cedar Ave. Soon this building proved ing 320 pastors, 356 congregations and 111,000 too small, and another was built on Blair St. members. between Cedar St. and Central Avenue. Here For a number of years it was felt necessary all the Hollanders of Cleveland worshipped to provide a school to prepare men for the from both East and West side. A third time the ministry. After the failure of several attempts, congregation moved and this time to a new the Ohio Syno d of the Reformed Church building on Lexington Ave. founded Heidelberg College in 1850 at Tiffin, In 1929, after a continuous history of 62 Ohio, and with it the Heidelberg Theological years, this First Reformed Church in Ohio dis- Seminary. banded; one group formed the Christian Re- The college was opened November 11 of formed Church-one congregation on the East that year with five students and two teachers: Side, 12708 Union Ave., one on the West Side, Rev. Jeremiah H. Good and his brother, Rev. Triskett Road-and another group formed the Reuben Good. It has been coeducational from Calvary Reformed Church on West 65th St. its beginning. William Terry Wickham is now The Calvary Reformed Church has mothered the president, the faculty n u m b e r s 55 and two churches, the Riverside Community there are approximately 725 students. Church on Rocky River Drive and the Brook- The Heidelberg Theological Seminary in lyn Reformed Church in Brooklyn Village. 1907 was merged with the Ursinus School of The Reformed Church no longer ministers to 'Theology of Philadelphia as Central Theolog- Hollanders solely, since there are very few in ical Seminary, which was removed to Dayton Cleveland, but to Americans of all varied na- the following year. In 1934, the year of the tional extraction and background.

37 Friends ()

By David 0. Stanfield, Charles P. Morlan and Ralph S. Coppock FRIENDS (Quakers) were a significant part of the early white population of Ohio. The first recorded activity of Friends in die Northwest Territory was a religious visit to the Shawnee and Delaware Indian tribes in 1775 by Thomas Beals, a Friends minister, Bowater Sumner, William Hiatt and David Ballard. Their concern was to preach among those who had suffered at the hands of the white men. The Quaker mystical approach to worship, based on silent, expectant waiting for the promptings of the Spirit, was understood and appreciated by the Indians more readily than these Friends had anticipated. Friends had no ordained ministers, but only lay ministers who Mt. Pleasant, built in 1814, for many years felt the call to preach and who were recog- the home of the Friends' Ohio Yearly Meeting. nized, or "recorded", as possessing a spirit- It has been acquired by the Ohio Archaeologi- ual gift by the Meeting (church) to which cal and Historical Society for restoration. they belonged. When Thomas Beals returned from this George Harlan's family was the first Friends visit to North Carolina, he told his friends family to move to Ohio. In 1795 it settled at that he saw with his spiritual eye the seed of Deerfield on the Little Miami River, now in Friends scattered all over that good land and Warren County four miles below Morrow. that his faith was strong in the belief that he Friends from Virginia began moving into, would live to see Friends settle north of the western Pennsylvania and then into Ohio, Ohio River. crossing the Ohio River at Wheeling. Friends In 1799, twenty-four years after this visit, from the Carolinas and Georgia generally he moved with his family to Quaker Bottom, came down the Kanawha River Valley, in which is on the north side of the Ohio River what is now West Virginia to the Ohio River, opposite the mouth of the Guyandote River, and then began to move up the Scioto and in what is now Lawrence County. The first Miami Rivers and their tributaries. known association of Friends for worship inet By 1800 Friends were settling in Belmont here in that year. However, after a short time County, opposite Wheeling. It was in this area the several Friends families there moved up that the first official organization of Friends the Scioto River to Salt Creek and settled in was established. In 1801 Concord Monthly several locations within a radius of ten miles Meeting (a local church organization which from Chillicothe. holds a monthly business meeting) was set up In 1801 Thomas Beals died and was buried under the care of Redstone Quarterly Meet- near Richmondale, south of Chillicothe, where ing (an area organization of several Monthly his grave is now marked. Meetings which holds business sessions each At the turn of the 19th century Friends be- quarter) in southwest Pennsylvania. gan to pour into eastern and southern Ohio. This was then a subdivision of Baltimore There were two reasons why thousands of Yearly Meeting (a regional organization of Friends had moved into Ohio by 1807. One several Quarterly Meetings which holds an reason was that they had long been struggling annual business session). By 1803 there were with the question of slavery. By 1787, long three log meeting houses being used in this before the Emancipation Proclamation, no vicinity; previous to their erection, Friends Friend owned a slave. In North and South had met in each others homes for worship. Carolina and in Georgia they had come under A third group of Friends was busy getting persecution and ostracism for this testimony. settled in Warren County in the vicinity off When the Northwest Territory was estab- Waynesville at this same time. In 1800 Joseph lished as a "free" territory, this offered a Cloud, a Friends minister from North Caro- haven for conscientious Friends. The other rea- lina, held what is believed to be the first meet- son for this Quaker migration was the lure of ings at Waynesville. By 1801 a regular meeting broad farm lands. In a few cases a whole for worship was being held there. In 1803 Meeting moved as a body to these new lands. Miami Monthly Meeting was established at

38 Waynesville under the care of Rerstone Quar- acquired a good reputation as centers of learn- terly Meeting. In that year a log meeting house ing, drawing students from quite an area. was built. In 1811 a brick meeting house was Both in Ohio and in Indiana, Friends' built which is still in use. schools and teachers largely shaped the pat- By 1810 there were so many Friends in Ohio tern of our public school system. As the public that they wanted a Yearly Meeting of their schools grew, many Friends schools died out. own. After permission was granted from Balti- However, the more advanced, boarding more Yearly Meeting, the new Yearly Meet- schools remained on for a time. The only one ing in Ohio was established in 1813 at Short in operation today in Ohio is the Friends Creek, near Mount Pleasant. It has been Boarding School at Barnesville, which was estimated that by this time there were 20,000 established in 1837. Friends who were members of this new Year- Friends generally had a tender conscience ly Meeting. toward minority and oppressed groups. For When Ohio Yearly Meeting was established, the Indians they built grist and saw mills and the men and women held separate business instructed them in agriculture. In 1831 a sessions, as was their custom. The women government agent bought Indian lands and met in the brick meeting house while the men by falsifying the contract gave the Indians a met in a nearby shed sitting on improvised bad deal. A group of Friends and the Chiefs seats. It was evident that a larger house was went to Washington where the delegation was needed to accommodate the assembly, so in able to get some relief for the Indians. 1814 a committee was appointed to erect a Friends were also strong abolitionists. From suitable house at Mt. Pleasant. A brick house the very beginning of the Underground Rail- was built that year and served for many way, almost every Friends' community was years. In recent years it has not been used, a rendezvous for fugitive slaves. and it has been acquired by the Ohio Archae- Later on in the 19th century there were ological and Historical Society for restoration. some unfortunate doctrinal divisions, so that Education was a living concern among today there are two Ohio Yearly Meetings Friends. It was the general practice of Friends and Wilmington Yearly Meeting in the to state. build a log school house next to the meeting During the 20th century, however, there has house as soon as possible. These Monthly been increasing interest in healing some of Meeting schools were supported by subscrip- these ancient wounds and drawing closer to- tions from the members of the Meetings; some gether.

"None Shall Make Them Afraid," a painting depicting a pioneer meeting of Friends. Churches of God By F. D. Rayle counties of Ohio: Richland, Marion, Craw- CHURCHES of God made their appearance ford, Mercer, Allen, Van Wert, Wayne, Holmes, in Ohio very shortly after the beginning Stark, Tuscarawas, Coshocton, and Portage, as of the movement in eastern Pennsylvania in well as four counties in western Pennsylvania 1825. In and around Harrisburg, Pa., under the still attached to the Ohio Eldership. A year leadership of John Winebrenner, a number of later the work spread to Knox, Summit, and these churches had been established. By the Columbiana counties, and to West Virginia time an eldership was organized in 1830, fami- and Indiana. lies from these churches were affected by the By the time the Ohio Eldership was 10 years urge to find new homes among the early set- old, it had succeeded in establishing sister tlers of Ohio. elderships on each side. In 1844 the West Penn- Among those who emigrated to Wayne sylvania Eldership was launched with juris- County and counties adjoining were Beery, diction over the easternmost of Ohio's coun- Sherrick, Beidler, Funck, Metzler, and Hart- ties. In 1846 the Indiana Eldership was brought man. Soon these families from Pennsylvania into being with jurisdiction over the western- Churches of God were holding services in most tier of Ohio counties. several localities. Joseph Adams preached for These early Churches of God in Ohio were them, and the thriving churches kept urging active in the movement for abolition of the the eldership in Pennsylvania to send them slave trade. They stood just as strongly against more leaders. the use of alcoholic beverages. The East Pennsylvania Eldership in 1834 In the late forties and early fifties the work appointed Thomas Hickernell and Jacob Kell- in eastern Ohio still centered about Wayne er to the "Ohio Circuit." They began with 12 County where the church at Wooster dedicated appointments. In just two years there were 40 its building in 1855. G. U. Harn, a staunch points, and an Ohio Eldership was organized advocate of the doctrines and practices of the after the pattern of the parent group in Churches of God, and a fiery opponent of Pennsylvania. slavery, came from Eastern Pennsylvania to The elders of the Churches of God in Ohio lead the Wooster church. held their organization meeting at the home A cluster of churches spread through Stark, of John Beidler in Holmes County, September Tuscarawas, Holmes, Summit, Coshocton, and 17, 1836. The Pennsylvania churches were rep- Knox counties. There were a few churches in resented at this meeting not only by the two Columbiana, Athens, and Meigs, young circuit-riding missionaries who had In the west the Churches of God rapidly been so successful, but by the presence of were spreading into Richland, Crawford, John Winebrenner himself. Indeed, Winebren. Wyandot, Marion, Logan, Hancock, Seneca, ner was elected unanimously as Speaker. Wood, Auglaize, and Shelby. Up and down With the organization of an eldership, the the western tier of counties churches were Churches of God in Ohio had graduated from established in Williams, Defiance, Paulding, the status of mission points. They immediately Van Wert, Mercer, Darke, and Preble. became active in sending their missionaries In response to this westward growth, the out from the area where their principal work Ohio Eldership sought and obtained permission centered. At their second eldership, held in to divide its territory. A West Ohio Eldership. Wayne County in 1837, they sent Thomas was organized in 1857. It had the aggressive Hickernell to western Pennsylvania. At their leadership of Thomas Hickernell who had al- third eldership in Tuscarawas County in 1838, ready done so much toward establishing the they sent the same young man to a newly Churches of God in Ohio. created St. Mary's Mission in western Ohio. With him were men for many years hailed Young Hickernell had been only 21 when throughout the brotherhood as giants as first sent from eastern Pennsylvania to the preachers, evangelists and pastors. J. M. West,. Ohio country. At 24 the Ohio churches he had T. H. Deshiri, and R. H. Bolton were leaders established were sending him back into west- at the start. They were joined by G. W. Wil- ern Pensylvania to lay the foundations for son, C. S. Bolton, W. P. Small, and J. W. Auk- what was to be a West Pennsylvania Elder- erman. These men and others like them open- ship. At 25, he was sent to the western ex- ed up new churches in frontier communities, tremity of Ohio, where he soon had flourish- and gave them such leadership that the West ing churches. From headquarters in western Ohio group forged forward. Ohio, he also led in pioneer work in Indiana. Eventually, in 1875, the two Ohio elderships A West Ohio Eldership and an Indiana Elder- were reunited. A few years later, in 1881, the ship grew from these beginnings. General Eldership of the Churches of God in By 1841, there were Churches of God in 12 North America established Findlay College.

40 Church of God in Christ Jesus

By G. E. Marsh for several years. But in January 1903, a meet- ing of the Church of God in Cleveland was ALTHOUGH the Churches of God in Christ called for the purpose of considering the sub- Jesus (which is the official name of this ject of again organizing a state conference. The denomination in Ohio) has maintained local result of this activity was a meeting held at organizations and district gatherings for more Salem, Ohio, beginning on August 15, 1903. than a century in the state, it was not until Here a conference was organized with the fol- October 29, 1857, that the first state conference lowing officers: President Wm. Pate; Vice- was held at Fairport, Ohio. President D. C. Robinson; Secretary J. C. Representative churchmen from many parts Thompson; Treasurer John Lehman. of the state were present whose names have In 1904 the Conference was again held in long been associated with our denominational Salem, in 1905 the Cleveland church acted as work. To name a few out of the many: A. G. host, and following year the Brush Creek Stewart, G. W. Smith, Evangelist J. M. Judson, church, a rural church north of Dayton, re- W. Fish, P. Ailing, B. Seymour, D. C. Robinson, quested the gathering for 1906. Samuel Elton, Stanley Sanford, John Lehman, One of the first churches to organize locally G. L. Holman, Evangelist Peter Neill, Walter was that in Springfield, Ohio, which was es- Tomlinson, A. R. Curtis, and Nancy Barbel. tablished in 1856. Charter members here were Elder , editor and publisher of Wm. Fish and wife, A. B. Barnes, Alec Dean, the first Church of God journal established in and George Cherry and wife. the United States, gave the initial address. In November, 1863, the group organized in At this conference the following resolution Cleveland. There were twelve members at that was adopted: time. Their first pastor was M. Joblin who 1. That we should, when there are three or served them in that capacity until 1908. more believers in a place, organize ourselves The distinguishing tenets of faith of the under the name Church of God, recognizing no Church of God are expressed in the follow- other name for ourselves than Christians, and ing statement which appeared for many years none for the church but the Church of God. in The Restitution, its official organ: 2. That we should "The Restitution advocates the final 'resti- appoint an elder or elders tution and a deacon or deacons. of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy 3. That prophets since the we, in our organization, should make world began.' As a means no declarations to this end the es- than simply declare that we, tablishment of the kingdom the undersigned, of God on the do organize ourselves under earth, with Christ as King of kings, the name of the Church and the im- of God in (naming the mortal saints as joint-heirs with him place) recognizing as the New in the Testament as government of the nations; the restoration the constitution of the church, and of the Bible as Israel; the literal resurrection of the dead; the the only rule of faith and practice. immortalization of the righteous, and the final Owing possibly to the confusion occasioned destruction of the wicked; eternal life only by the approach of the Civil War, the churches through C h r i s t, and many other kindred of the state discontinued their united activities truths." Church of God in Christ

By Elder Chester A. Ashworth bers including himself and his wife. ELDER Mack E. Jonas was saved on April In the same year at the annual national con- 20, 1906, in Los Angeles, and later the vocation in Memphis, Elder Jonas was ap- same year he felt the call to preach the Gospel. pointed overseer of the Church of God in He believed his field of labour was in the Christ, in the state of Ohio, by Bishop C. H. South. After two years in Griffin, Ga., he went Mason. to Memphis, Tenn., and there he joined the The Ohio Church grew from nine members Church of God in Christ. in 1917 to 28 churches and missions in 1931. In 1917, Elder Jonas, came to Cleveland, The first piece of property was bought in the Ohio, and organized the Church of God in state of Ohio for the Church of God in Christ Christ at 2830 Scovill Avenue, with nine mem- by Elder T. D. Kittrell, in Ashtabula in 1921. 41 The first church edifice erected in the state was of Williams Temple, a symbol of a leader's by Elder J. L. Finnie, in Canton in 1923. In faith in God. In Cleveland it was known as 1924, the second church edifice was erected by the Depression Church, due to the fact that Elder T. M. Young, in Akron. Elder W. J. on the day of ground-breaking the banks of Johnson began the third church at Columbus. the city closed their doors. With only two men The church edifice in Toledo, was brought by working in the meager congregation, there Elder William Brown, in 1926. were days of hardship, often with lack of funds When Elder Jonas resigned as state overseer to purchase material to continue to build this in 1931, the late Bishop R. F. Williams was faith building. Members not employed offered appointed overseer of the Churches of God in free labor. Through this great leader's faith in Christ. He began his work officially in 1932. God the church was completed. The mortgage The church is now valued Under his leadership the Church of God in was burned in 1944. than $200,000 and has a membership Christ, has grown to seventy churches and mis- at more sions with twelve districts, with approximately over 600. 6,000 members and valuation of church proper- God called Bishop Williams, from his labor ty two million dollars or more. to reward on March 18, 1952. Of the many things accomplished in the The new overseer, Elder Ulysess E. Miller, church under the leadership of Bishop Wil- continues to lead the Church of God in Christ, liams, one of the outstanding was the erection ever onward and upward.

Church of God, Pentecostal By Bishop Homer A. Tomlinson J. B. Mitchell, of Sandusky, Ohio, and A. J. Tomlinson, of Westfield, near Indianapolis, mHE first record and word received of the Indiana, traveled yearly to the North Carolina establishment of a congregation of the mountains as colporteurs of the American Bible Church of God Pentecostal movement in the Society and of the American Tract Society, of state of Ohio came from Rev. B. L. Leonard New York. Dayton being convenient for both and Robert Cossum in Findlay, Ohio, early in they met there, beginning in 1896, assembling 1907. This was just four years after the move- their Bibles and tracts, clothing for the moun- ment was inaugurated by Bishop A. J. Tomlin- tain poor, and loading their Bible wagon with son, June 13, 1903, in a mountain cabin of the two horses there, to make their way to North Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. Carolina each summer. A definite organization was completed in Bishop W r i g h t, of the United Brethren he 1909 by Rev. Efford Haynes in Chillicothe, Church, editor of their publication, the Reli- at having come direct from the headquarters gious Telescope, was their strong friend. Bishop Cleveland, Tenn., to set the church in order. Wright was the father of Wilbur and Orville than From this beginning there are now more Wright, who, during some of the years, also well es- 300 congregations of the movement, went to North Carolina, at the other end of the many tablished in most communities and with state for their aircraft tests. Both the Church strong churches in the larger cities. of God and the airplane, the late Bishop A. is dis- The Church of God of this movement J. Tomlinson pointed out, started the same the tinctively the Pentecostal movement, with year, and in the same state, 1903. Pentecostal Day manifestations in the churches with other tongues," as described The Church of God Pentecostal Movement of "Speaking all in The Acts 2:4, and strong in the preaching in the State of Ohio has flourished among of healing by the laying on of hands and prayer the races and language groups, and increasing and other signs following believers as described apace is now represented with varying adminis- in the 16th chapter of St. Mark. In this respect trative headquarters known as "The Church of the groups may be distinguished from other God," "The Assemblies of God," "The Four- and older groups known as the Church of God square Gospel Church,'/ "The Apostolic Faith with many churches in the state of Ohio. Church," The "Church of Jesus," "Pentecostal There is a Dayton, Ohio, story of the begin- Assemblies," etc., yet all maintaining the like ning of the rise of The Church of God, that distinctive form of worship as introduced at has special significance this year, which the the beginning. late Bishop A. J. Tomlinson, founder of the All groups maintain state headquarters, and movement recalled frequently with much satis- most of them have established widely known faction, and having to do with the Golden Anni- camp meeting grounds, which flourish in the versary of Aviation being celebrated this year. summer months.

42 Lutheran

By W. D. Allbeck, Martin H. Ilse, Jr., First it was from Virginia that these Luth- G. A. Aho, and 0. N. Olson erans came. Some arrived bringing baptism certificates they had received in Pennsylvania THEN the Northwest Territory was opened and Maryland. A Lutheran pastor making W a for settlement there were Lutherans missionary tour of the state in 1806 met families among those who invaded the forest and oc- which had come from parishes in North Caro- cupied the new land north of the Ohio River. lina familiar to him. Through the years others As immigration into the state increased in sub- came from New York, from Germany, and sequent later decades Lutherans continued to be a from the Scandinavian countries and central definite part of the new population. Europe. Sometimes they were families which mingled In the early years most of them spoke in the community conglomerate of various na- German. Because of this language tional problem origins. At other times they congregated they were not likely to be community leaders as part of a German settlement which gave that or to appear prominently in the public records. national name to the locality. Thus there is to The change from the European language to be found in Ohio a Germantown and seven English as the language used in public worship German Townships. often was painful for families and congrega-

Early group of Lutherans in Marietta being served by the first Episcopal rector their there in "greenwood" place of worship. (Artist's impression From account* contained in Historical Sketch of St. Luke's Lutheran Church, Marietta, Ohio, I)y Thomas H. Cisler.) * "They were a very devout Christian community. Their around. The singing (German pastor had died on the voyage. His son, hymns) was magnificent. ac- a well-educated companied by a full band of wind instruments. The novelty young man and speaking English fluently, was introduced to of these me, and not being himself religious services was soon noiLed abroad, and people in Orders, begged that I would came from great distances to attend them. give them, at least, an occa ional service. This One of the natives I did repeated- expressed great surprise at the preacher's silk hunting ly, uling a portion of the Prayer Book, the shirt ing by my young man stand- -my black silk gown. side, and interpreting, sentence by sentence, serv- "I baptized the infants ice and sermon. We met at a school of these good people in their green- hou e, which being en- wood place of worship; but for the other Sacrament, tirely too small, we went to a grassy well-shaped slope near the Holy by, my Communion, they camne to St. Luke's and I u-ed German in interpreter and myself at the bottom of our natural administering the amphitheatre, and elements to them. They sometimes number- the congregation in concentric groups ed twenty and thirty recipients."

43 tions. Yet it was a change which did take place 1930 it merged with the Iowa and the Buffalo gradually so that now English is used in all the Synods to form the American Lutheran congregations with a few services in other Church. Its educational institution in Ohio is languages. the Lutheran Theological Seminary founded in 1830, now a part of Capital University in was felt The need for the service of pastors Columbus chartered in 1850. at an early date. In the east was the Minis- terium of Pennsylvania-a synod that might From the time of the Synod's founding in supply that need. John Stauch, a pastor of that 1818 there were English-speaking pastors and synod living in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, congregations included in its membership. An began making missionary tours in Ohio, and English District was set up in 1836. But three soon settled in Columbiana County. times in the Synod's history a group of English- speaking pastors withdrew to form separate In 1805 the Ministerium commissioned Pastor synods. George William Forster to be a traveling preacher in Ohio for a year, and a year later he In the first instance the group which later settled in Fairfield County. The next traveling took the name "East Ohio Synod" soon shared preacher was Paul Henkel of New Market, the state with the Miami Synod organized in Virginia, who toured the southern counties of the southern part, and the Wittenberg Synod Ohio as far west as Montgomery County. His in the western part. journal makes fascinating reading. In the second instance the synod formed by From these accounts it is possible to see that withdrawal from the Joint Synod soon ceased the first groups of congregations were in three to exist. areas in the state. For the first settlers followed In the third instance the body was known as the valleys and waterways from the Ohio River the District Synod of Ohio. It together with the into the interior. East Ohio, Miami and Wittenberg Synods, In the southwest by way of the Miami Valley joined in the formation of the United Lutheran there had come Lutherans into Montgomery Church in America in 1918, and two years later County where congregations were soon formed. merged into a single Synod of Ohio. Its educa- Into the central part of the state via the Scioto tional institution is Wittenberg College and Valley came Lutherans into Fairfield and Hamma Divinity School in Springfield, founded neighboring counties. And in the northeast in 1845. stringing westward from Little Beaver Creek, Beginning in 1838 a Lutheran pastor named congregations began to appear in Columbiana, F.C.D. Wyneken visited parts of Ohio where Stark and other counties. Before long the immigrants from Germany had settled. He was Lutherans were to be found throughout most a man of powerful frame and educated mind, of the state. zealous and eloquent for the Gospel. His first The next problem was that of organizing the service probably was near Wapakoneta where congregations into a synod; for they must work Lutherans settled in 1833. He found many together, and their pastors must be properly localities where there were Lutherans without educated and ordained. At first the pastors a pastor. On a speaking tour through Germany were members of the Ministerium of Pennsyl- he aroused great interest in the struggling vania. But it was a long trip to conventions churches of the new world, bringing a stream east of the mountains. of money, books and pastors to Ohio. Next the pastors and congregations west of He soon established contact with Lutherans the mountains in Pennsylvania and in Ohio newly settled in Missouri. In 1847 his group were designated as a Western Conference joined with those farther west to organize the whose first meeting was held in Washington German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of County, Pennsylvania, in 1812. Six years later Missouri, Ohio and other States. Ohio furn- this Conference organized itself as a separate ished six of the 22 charter member pastors, synod at a meeting in Somerset, Ohio. In both more than any other state. instances John Stauch was the first president. During the decades which followed, their Thirteen years later the Synod had greatly strength increased by the formation of many increased in size, with more than 150 congrega- congregations especially along Lake Erie and in tions and over 12,000 members. Because of the the Maumee Valley, as well as elsewhere in the long distances to travel to conventions the state. They are now part of the Lutheran synod was subdivided into two districts, an Church-Missouri Synod. This body is notable Eastern and a Western, which met jointly every for its system of grade and high schools in second or third year. Hence the Synod was which the "fourth R"-religion-finds an im- long known as the Joint Synod of Ohio. portant place. It continued to grow rapidly in size, spread- As Ohio became industrialized it attracted to ing across the country and into Canada. In its cities Lutherans of other national strains.

44 A considerable settlement of Finns was made of the industrial cities of northern and eastern in the cities along Lake Erie east of Cleveland. Ohio. The first congregation was in Ashtabula, organ- Thus at Ohio's Sesquicentennial Lutherans ized in 1884. Into the same area came Swedes look back over the decades of great expansion also whose congregations now belong to the to the early time when John Stauch was li- Augustana Lutheran Church. Their first con- censed "to preach in the western parts of gregation was formed in 1881 in Ashtabula Virginia and Pennsylvania and yet further Harbor. (und als weiter)". For him the words "und als In Cleveland there are two congregations of weiter" came to mean Ohio. Today the monu- Lutheran Hungarians as well as two congrega- ment at his grave near Shelby is a testimonial tions of persons of Norwegian ancestry. Slovak to the humble beginnings and the great growth Lutheran congregations are to be found in most of in our state.

Mennonite

By Rev. James Steiner IN the year 1803 came the first Mennonite settlers to Ohio. The first to come, that we have record of, was Christian Stehman (later known as Stemen) and his family, who came to Fairfield County, Ohio, from Red Stone, Penn. Later came the Brennemans from Vir- ginia, the Beerys, the Hubers, the Goods, the Shanks, the Funks, the Gingeriches and others. Among the sons of Christian Stehman was Henry Stemen who was ordained to the minis- try in 1809, becoming the first resident minister to serve this small band of Mennonite settlers. In 1820 Stemen was ordained bishop and con- tinued to serve these churches in that capacity until a few months before his death in 1855. Much credit is due this eloquent horseback preacher for his untiring efforts to establish and minister to churches in this frontier coun- The Turkey Run Mennonite Church, Fair- try where men "were more accustomed to the field County, built in 1858, the first Mennonite Church building in howl of the wolf and yell of the Indian than the state. to the cheery sound of the gospel"! His grand- son, C. B. Stemen, gives the following account the hills they sought out springs near which of him: "His mode of travel was always on they built their cabins. But many times, evi- horseback and he usually rode about 40 miles dently, even these springs were not to be a day. Like all the family, he loved a first-class trusted, for there were severe and repeated saddle horse. He never travelled by buggy or epidemics of typhoid which took a heavy toll on a railroad, but with his trusty horse he in lives. This factor, together with the dif- would go through the wilderness, the mud and ficulty of making a living in that hilly terrain the storm, and frequently knelt in his saddle in a large measure accounts for many of the while his horse would swim the stream that he survivors moving west. To these small churches might meet his appointment in good time; pre- this was a staggering blow and the few who re- ferring such a risk to losing time in hunting a mained behind seemed to be unable to continue more available crossing point." the functions of the church, so most of these The first settlers came up the Hocking River congregations are now non-existant. by boat. After examining possible locations for However, the Turkey Run congregation near settlements, they chose the hill country in the town of Bremen has survived and is today Perry and Fairfield Counties in preference to an active, though small, church. the more level and fertile bottom lands. The Perhaps one of the most notable contribu- latter tended to be swampy and malaria-infest- tions of these Mennonite settlements to the ed in those days before they were drained. In Mennonite denomination is that they became a

45 mighty springboard to the West. Scores of Evangelical Mennonite Mennonite settlers moved into these parts to remain only a few years and then to move on By Reuben Short to cheaper and more fertile land farther west. A number of the Mennonite congregations in THE roots of the Evangelical Mennonite Allen, Hancock and Putnam Counties owe Church reach back into the their Reformation birth to this westward migration of Men- Period. The actual founding of the movement nonites from Perry, Fairfield and Franklin was spearheaded by a body of Zwinglian dis- counties. senters in Zurich, Switzerland in the year 1523. The second general Mennonite settlement in Dominant leaders of this group were Conrad Ohio was made in Mahoning and Columbiana Grebel, Felix Manz, Wilhelm Reublin, and Counties in 1807 when Jacob Oberholzer and Simon Stumpf. These met in homes to study Henry Stouffer from Bucks County, Penn., the Bible. This then was the founding of the each bought fairly large tracts of land. Each movement known as "". sold parcels of this land to incoming settlers Founding the movement incurred martyr- and this furnished the nucleus for a thriving dom for the cause. Opposition was rude and Mennonite community. There developed in this fierce. Felix Manz, a Hebrew scholar, well settlement four Mennonite congregations which educated, and frequently imprisoned for re- are still active today: Midway and Pleasant fusing to obey the orders of the Zurich Council View churches, near Columbiana; Leetonia to cease preaching and baptizing became the Church, near Leetonia, and the North Lima first martyr. Manz was thrown into the Lake Church. of Zurich in January 1527. Scores of martyrs Jacob Oberholzer, who was already a minis- followed the fate of Manz in the same year and ter when he came to Ohio in 1807, became the more in the years to come. But this tended to recognized leader of the group and was very spread the movement. likely the first resident Mennonite minister in The Mennonite church gets its name from Ohio. Jacob Stouffer later served the churches Mennon Simons, also one of these early Ana- as bishop. In the meantime, Jacob Nold, who baptists. Simons was a contemporary of Martin had moved into the community in 1817, had Luther, having been born in 1496 in a little been serving these churches as bishop. He is Frisian village called Witmarsum. He assumed recognized as being the first resident bishop in the duties of the priesthood at 28 years of age, Ohio. He was extremely active and energetic but in January of 1536 he laid down his priestly and in succeeding years organized churches at office. He became a voluminous writer. Most Moultrie, Canton, Orrville and Wadsworth. of his literary work consisted of an amplifica- From the very beginning of their settlement tion of his arguments first presented in debates in Mahoning and Columbiana Counties, the on various Anabaptist doctrines. Mennonites have been interested in education. From this early movement emerged the After their cabins were built, they next set Evangelical Mennonite Church. Mennonites out to build a school which also served as a had migrated to the United States and Canada place of worship. In those days public schools in search for religious freedom. In heart and had not yet been established in their locality, mind they were opposed to all forms of war. so they continued their own school supported They thus sought a land which offered them by subscription. After public schools were the freedom of conscience which was no longer available, the subscription school was of course granted in the European areas. Such a haven discontinued, but their interest in education was found in North America. has continued and many teachers and edu- Bishop Henry Egly, a leader in cators have come from their ranks. the Mennon- ite church of Indiana, was led by the Spirit of The third general settlement of early Men- God to realizing the necessity of the New Birth. nonites was located in Holmes and Tuscarawas He was excommunicated from his church. But Counties. As early as 1808 to 1810 the move- this was only the beginning of a new movement ment to these counties began. There are today in the Evangelical faith. The movement spread a number of active churches there. through Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, In the next few years, particularly the 1820's, Michigan, Kansas, and Ohio. This group be- more churches were founded in Wayne, Stark came firmly rooted in these areas and today is and Medina Counties. Wayne County has at the known as the Evangelical Mennonite Church. present time a larger population of Mennonites Jacob Rupp of Archbold, 0. and later than any other county in Ohio. Abraham Steiner of Bluffton, 0. became lead- Later settlements were made in Allen, Han- ers of this movement in Ohio. This movement cock, Putnam, Fulton and Williams Counties in began in the years 1864-66. These men taught the 1830's; and Champaign and Logan Counties the Bible as the inspired Word of God, insisted in the 1840's; and more recently in Clark and on simplicity, modesty, honesty, and a high !Madison Counties. regard for individual rights.

46 Methodist

By John Herrold Lancaster ing places and the routes of the circuits to in- clude new settlements. Space does not permit AT the time when early pioneers were push- details of the rapid expansion of the Methodist ing into the territory later to become Ohio, Church and the services of the many preach- the Methodist Church was a very young in- ers and lay leaders with the guidance and en- stitution in America, having been organized in couragement of Bishops Francis Asbury and 1784 in Baltimore. American Methodist Soci- William McKendree. eties had been started, in the 1760s, in New A few names that appear often in the early York City, Maryland, and Philadelphia, under records are those of William Burke, Peter the leadership of Methodist local preachers Cartwright, John Collins, James B. Finley, from England. By 1784 there were 83 preachers Benjamin Lakin, Robert Manley, John Meek, in America, of whom 60 attended the organ- James Quinn, John Sale, Henry Shewell, and izing conference. Asa Shinn. Among the Methodist women who Even before the official organization of the were influential in the early days were Chari- Methodist Episcopal Church in America, Meth- ty Hendershott, Elizabeth Kenton, Rachel Mc- odist itinerant preachers had crossed the Al- Dowell, and Jane Trimble. legheny Mountains. One of these, George Cal- The Methodist organization was well-suited lanhan from Virginia, visited Carpenter's Sta- to the frontier. Local preachers among the tion blockhouse (near the present Warrenton, settlers could organize classes and conduct Jefferson County) in 1787 for what was prob- weekly devotional meetings in the cabins. Itin- ably the first Methodist preaching in Ohio. erant preachers on circuits could administer Francis Clark, a local preacher from Danville, the sacraments every few weeks. The ministry Kentucky, preached at Fort Washington in followed the people and could expand as the 1793, and James Smith, a local preacher from population increased. Richmond, Va., preached near Cincinnati in A class consisted of about a dozen persons 1795. with a lay leader. Two or more classes could An energetic promoter of early form a society. A pastoral charge consisted of a in Ohio was Francis M'Cormick, a local large society (station) or a group of societies preacher who came from Virginia by way of (circuit) able to support a pastor. Twelve or Kentucky in 1797 and settled at Milford, Cler- more neighboring stations and circuits formed mont County. Here he formed a "class", the a district supervised by a presiding elder. From first Methodist organization in the Northwest- two to 10 districts formed an annual confer- ern Territory. He soon formed other classes ence headed by a bishop. Camp meetings and near Lockland and near Columbia, and ap- revivals were regular and effective parts of pealed for an official preacher. the Methodist evangelistic program. In response, Bishop Francis Asbury directed One of our links with the early days of Meth- John Kobler, presiding elder of the Kentucky odism in Ohio is the limestone building (re- district, to cross the Ohio River as a mission- stored in 1888) at Upper Sandusky which was ary. Kobler, in 1798, with M'Cormick as guide, built in 1824, and served as a mission to the visited the small settlements and organized Wyandot Indians until they .were transferred the first "circuit" (known as the Miami) run- to the West in 1843. The missionary work was ning from the Ohio up the Little Miami and Mad Rivers to where Dayton now stands, and returning down the Big Miami. After nine months on the Miami circuit, Kobler was succeeded by Lewis Hunt. The second circuit (the Scioto) was formed in 1799 by Henry Smith aided by Colonel Joseph Moore, a local preacher from Ken- tucky, who had made the first clearing in the woods of that part of the territory. On land along the Scioto Brush Creek, (about 14 miles from Portsmouth) given by Colonel Moore, a log meeting house was built in 1800-1801, the first Methodist Church in the Northwest Ter- ritory. Other early circuits were the Hockhocking and the Muskingum. Methodism, at the begin- Methodist mission to the Wyandot Indians ning of the 19th century was growing rapidly. at Upper Sandusky, built in 1816 and restored Continuous changes were made in the preach- in 1888.

47 One of the earliest Methodist structures in Ohio was the White Brown barn, built in 1803 about eight miles north of the state's original capital at Chillicothe. It was used for summer meet- ings for many years. The church now on the site is Brown's Chapel. started in 1816 on his own initiative by John people to read and in other ways encouraged Stewart, a new convert to the church, and was education. made a part of the church work in 1819. The first Methodist seminary in the state It is difficult for us in 1953 to imagine the was opened at Norwalk but was abandoned primitive conditions in which people lived and upon the founding of Ohio Wesleyan Univer- worshipped in this territory a century and a sity in 1842. To disseminate Methodist infor- half ago. Up to about 1800, the land west and mation and inspiration, the church, in 1834, north of the Ohio River was still the heavily began publication of the Western Christian wooded hunting grounds where Indians resent- Advocate at Cincinnati with Rev. Thomas A. ed the encroachment of the white man. The Morris as the first editor. block-house fort was still a place of refuge Methodist laymen, as class leaders and local even after the Indian wars had closed in 1794 preachers or exhorters, learned the art of with the treaty of Greenville. The early homes public speaking and public leadership. A were mostly one-room log cabins; beds often number of Methodist local preachers were were ticks filled with dried leaves; corn and among the members of the convention which wild game were staple foods; clothing was of framed the first constitution for the state of buckskin and homespun; a man's regular cos- Ohio, notably Dr. Edwin Tiffin who became the tume included powder-horn, shot-pouch, gun, first governor of the new state, Judge Thomas and tomahawk. Scott, later chief justice of the Ohio supreme The Methodist itinerant preachers were court, and Philip Gatch an associate judge. among the earliest pioneers, often traveling in With the passing years, as Ohio has devel- pairs on horseback and armed, with food for oped, so has the Methodist Church with its a few days. Usually, they would find a night's contributions to leadership in public affairs and shelter at a friendly cabin. Sometimes they to the spiritual, mental, physical, and social camped along the blazed trail, one keeping welfare of the people. Now in 1953, Ohio Meth- watch while the other slept. They w o u ld odism has about 1,200 ministers serving over preach at any time and at any place they found 1,900 congregations with a total membership of people to listen, in cabins, taverns, barns, or more than 500,000 persons. In addition to under trees. churches, the Methodists of Ohio also sponsor In the Ohio frontier society, Methodism was two homes for children, three homes for the an important factor. Not only did the circuit aged, five hospitals, and four colleges. rider exert a powerful influence for righteous- All in all, it is quite a contrast with the 99 ness, but he was an intellectual leader. Living members of the first circuit of eight or 10 in the homes of the people, he set an example preaching appointments organized in 1798 by with his study, prayer, conversation, and be- Rev. John Kobler as a Methodist missionary havior; he brought books for the i s o 1 a t e d from Kentucky.

48 African Methodist Episcopal By Bishop Reverdy C. Ransom

O- N August 28, 1830, the Western Annual Conference of the African Methodist Epis- copal Church was organized at Hillsboro, Ohio, embracing all the territory west of the Alle- gheny Mountains. There were 15 ministers and 1,194 communicants. The reason for the organization and opera- tion of the African Methodist Episcopal Church cannot be understood without a knowledge of its background. The organization of this church was not caused by convictions or beliefs con- cerning religious doctrine or dogma. Its organizers were members of St. George Methodist Episcopal Church in the city of Philadelphia. The system of slavery permitted no organization of any kind among Negroes. Two outstanding figures in the history of the In the north at that time there was only a the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Left, small sprinkling of Negroes scattered through Bishop Daniel A. Paine, founder of Wilberforce the different religious denominations among University. Right, Bishop Morris Brown, found- white people. er of Ohio Conference, AME Church, 1833. Not only their presence but their member- ship was permitted in the churches of most all came the first ever established in our country of the religious denominations. But in 1787 the by Americans of African descent. Negro members of St. George Church in the The Ohio Annual Conference of the African city of Philadelphia withdrew in a body and Methodist Episcopal Church meeting in Colum- later organized what they chose to call the bus appointed a committee to select a tract of African Methodist Episcopal Church. land for the purpose of erecting a seminary of At that time the word Negro was not used learning on the manual labor plan. They se- when referring to Americans of African de- lected 172 acres of land in Franklin County, scent. They were called Africans therefore to 12 miles west of Columbus. It was to be known distinguish themselves from the Methodist as the Union Seminary of the African Meth- Episcopal Church they used the word "African odist Episcopal Church. It is the first recorded Methodist Episcopal Church". In 1787 the effort upon the part of Negroes in the United words "Freedom" and "Independence" were in States to establish an institution of any kind the very air. for the education and training of this race. The American Declaration of Independence In 1855 the Methodist Episcopal Church had been adopted. Americans of African de- established a school for the higher training of scent were imbued with the spirit and ideals Negro youth at Tawawa Springs, Ohio, located that swept the country; therefore, when they three miles east of Xenia, which they later sold were required by the officers of St. George's to Bishop Daniel A. Payne on behalf of the Methodist Episcopal Church to be segregated African Methodist Episcopal Church, to be into the balcony and also to receive the Holy known as Wilberforce University. Communion after the white members had been This is the first college owned, controlled and served, they withdrew in an orderly manner operated by Negroes themselves in the world. and established a separate place of worship. Wilberforce University will celebrate its 100th The leader of this movement was a local anniversary in June 1956. i preacher, whose name was Richard Allen. The African Methodist Episcopal Church has Their withdrawal had nothing to do with re- made many valuable contributions to our state ligious doctrine or dogma, but freedom and and national welfare. The first Negro minister human rights. to serve as a chaplain in the United States This organization with about 23 members army was Henry McNeal Turner, who was ap- spread into Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland pointed by President Abraham Lincoln. and New York and was incorporated under The first Negro United States senator was the laws of Pennsylvania in 1816. It thus be- Hiram Revels of Mississippi, another African

49 A.M.E. Zion Church

By Mrs. W. G. Alstork

THE Ohio Conference of the A. M. E. Zion church an offspring of the Allegheny Con- ference, was organized by Bishop J. W. Hood, September 1891. It included all that part of the State of Pennsylvania lying west, of the Alle- gheny River and hoped to include as much of the State of Ohio as could be occupied. At the beginning, there were only a few appointments, and for a long time Zion made little impression in Ohio. The conference, how- ever, flourished during the ministry of Rev. Joseph Armstrong, and Rev. Jehu Holliday. This is St. John AME Church, erected in With the hope of building the conference, Xenia in 1837. several active young ministers were sent in and some, including J. H. Trimble and George W. Lewis, distinguished themselves. Methodist preacher. The bill creating Labor Day as a holiday was introduced into the Ohio Following Bishop Hood, Bishop George C. Legislature by John P. Greene, a Negro at- Clement was assigned to this conference, and torney from Cleveland. in the 1924 General Conference, he reported The law abolishing or repealing all discrimi- that "The Ohio Conference experienced the nating "Black Laws" on the statute books of greatest era of prosperity in its history." Ohio was offered by Bishop B. W. Arnette, Four years later, 1928, Bishop Clement re- while setting as a member of the Ohio State ported the Ohio Conference with a membership Legislature. of 8,000. In the matter of religious beliefs and church The Ohio Conference has grown from a small polity the African Methodist Episcopal Church membership to one of the leading conferences adopted the doctrine and polity of the Meth- in the A. M. E. Zion Church and a large mem- odist Episcopal Church. It has nothing new to bership; many of the strong men of the con- offer now, unless freedom and equality of nection have served this area. Serving this opportunity for all men regardless of race, conference as leader now is Bishop J. W. creed, or color. Martin.

50 Wesleyan Methodist

By R. J. Stratton of Indiana and Illinois and the territories of Wisconsin and Iowa in the formation of the rTHE early beginnings of Wesleyan Method- Miami Conference. The first annual session of ! ism, originally known as The Wesleyan the Miami Conference met October 4, 1843 at Methodist Connection of America, had its ori- Cincinnati, Ohio, and the second session of the gin in the troubled and tumultuous days of our Allegheny Conference met August 28, 1844 in national life in the years just preceding the out- Leesville, Ohio. break of the Civil War. Following the formal organization of the new The abolition movement, the outgrowth of movement rapid progress was made in this area the rapidly rising sentiment against slavery in due to its strategic geographical location and the country, was gaining ground, and discus- because of the ever-increasing feelings on the sions, debates, and strong feelings prevailed subject of slavery. Ohio became a storm-center throughout the northern states. The unrest and on this issue due to its close contact with the sharp differences of opinion were to be found grievous results of slavery. It was the hub of even within the bounds of various church many activities which developed to assist flee- movements of that day. The slavery question ing slaves to make good their escape into free was already a national issue and was fast be- territory to the north. The days of "the under- coming a serious barrier in the work of the ground railroad" are a part of the colorful yet Church. Methodism was in the throes of dis- sad history of those pre-war days. Early unity in various quarters over the issue, as well Wesleyan Methodists were actively engaged in as were other church organizations. this humanitarian effort towards helping heal Strong-charactered men and staunch re- the open sore of the nation. formers who championed the cause of aboli- It is of interest to note that four of the earlier tionism within the churches and who were church organizations of the present Ohio Con- strongly opposed by their leaders soon felt the ference which are still in existence are now need of uniting with others of like faith and over 100 years old and two of these are cele- principles. brating their 110th anniversary this summer of The Wesleyan Methodist Connection of 1953. These two are the Africa Wesleyan Meth- America was the outgrowth of a separation odist Church in Delaware County and the West from the parent body due to the connection of View Wesleyan Methodist Church west of that organization with slavery. Secession of Cleveland in Cuyahoga County. churches and ministers took place in different Since the majority of the early membership northern states. Members and ministers from of the movement were of Methodist connection other churches also affiliated with the new it is to be expected that the doctrinal position movement. taken was the same as that existing in the Measures were taken to hold a convention original Methodist organization. In government at Andover, Mass., in February, 1843. Later, the new church is republican in form. The May 31, 1843 a General Convention was held present bounds of the Ohio Annual Conference at Utica, N. Y., at which a general organization are the ultimate results to date of various was effected and a Discipline adopted. The changes made by the General Conference with first General Conference was held in October, the passing of the years regarding original and 1844. It is significant that this Conference was subsequent boundaries. held at Cleveland, Ohio. Rev. Luther Lee of Since some of the Wesleyan Methodist Massachusetts was elected president and Rev. churches Robert developed as a result of the great McMurdry of Troy, Ohio, was elected interest and secretary. concern shown towards the escaping negro slaves the Miami Conference The territory in the State of Ohio was part had both white and Negro congregations. In of two of the six original Conferences which 1891 it appeared that the work could be better had been formed prior to the first General conserved by the creation of another Con- Conference. Originally that part of Ohio east ference, the South Ohio Conference, composed of the Scioto River was placed in the Allegheny almost entirely of Wesleyan churches of the Conference which also included that part of Negro race and supervised by Negro pastors Pennsylvania west of the Allegheny Mountains and conference officials. The name Miami as and western Virginia. That part of Ohio west a Conference disappears from the records later of the Scioto River was included with the states as a result of further conference re-alignments.

51 Moravian

By Roy Grams Chief Netawatwes, a wood-constructed build- ing with shingled roof, board floors, staircase IT is significant that the work of the Mo- and stone chimney, Zeisberger preached the ravians in Ohio was begun with a sermon. historic sermon to a literally packed house. It was the first Protestant sermon in the Ohio As a result of this visit and of the kindly territory. Its subject was the corruptness of reception given him by the Delawares, and in human nature and the efficacy of Christ's consideration of the general difficulties be- atonement. It was preached by David Zeis- tween Indians and whites, the unreclaimed berger, "the Apostle to the Indians." wilderness of what is now Ohio appeared to Fittingly, Zeisberger's dust lies in a little be the solution for the disposition of the Chris- "God's acre" wherein are interred the bones of tian Indians in the great missionary enterprise his "beloved brown brethren," at Goshen in of the Moravian Church. Moravian work in Tuscarawas County. "This faithful Servantof America at that time was still considered a the Lord," as the inscription on the marble slab foreign mission project by the governing head- relates it, "laboured among the American quarters of the church in Herrnhut, Germany. Indians as a Missionary, during the last 60 Zeisberger was given an able assistant in the Years of his Life." person of John Heckewelder, surveyor, linguist Zeisberger stands as the pivotal man in the and missionary. Zeisberger came West with beginnings of the Moravian work in Ohio, of him and others from Fort Pitt in March, 1772. the Protestant movement in Ohio, and of the The travelers reached the Tuscarawas River, Christianizing of the American Indian in Ohio. passed the future sites of Zoar, Dover and The impetus for each of these beginnings New Philadelphia, and arrived at a place with came from a still greater and more compelling a large spring, above which lay a plateau af- force. This consisted in the inexorable western fording an ideal site for a town. trend of civilization, which in itself was the The missionary himself writes: "Long ago, result of many causes. Among these were the perhaps more than a century ago, Indians must rivalry between French and English; the grow- have lived here, who fortified themselves ing independence of the colonial settlers; the against the attacks of their enemies. The ram- constant influx of immigrants; the consequent parts are still plainly to be seen. We found demand for expansion; the difficult adjustments three forts in a distance of a couple of miles. and tensions brought on by intimate contacts The whole town must have been fortified, but between the cultures of the white man and the its site is now covered with a thick wood. No Indian; the resulting policy of withdrawal by one knows to what nation these Indians be- which Christian Indians were removed farther longed; it is plain, however, that they were a and farther westward to escape the conflicts warlike tribe." inherent in the entire situation. The spring was discovered by the missionary As early as 1764 Christian Frederick Post on March 16, 1772. Three weeks later, with and John Heckewelder had been sent by the Moravians to Ohio. They had attempted to establish a mission near what is now Bolivar, on the Tuscarawas River. Pontiac's conspiracy nipped this in the bud. In March, 1771, Zeisberger made an explora- tory visit to Gekelemukpechunk. This was the capital of the Delawares, a little east of New- comerston, Tuscarawas County. This village had about 100 log houses, and was the seat of the Grand Council. The missionary had come by horseback along the old Fort Pitt trail, accompanied by four Indians. One was Anthony, baptized in Bethle- hem, Penn., in 1870, an eloquent orator; Glik- kikan, a captain of the Delawares, another able speaker, who had silenced the Jesuits at Venango with his histrionics, but who had sub- sequently been won to Christ; Jeremiah, a Mingo chief, a convert; and another convert, a Delaware brave. On March 14, 1771, in the spacious home of The Church at Schoenbrunn

52 Reconstructed Village of Schoenbrunn five Indian families, numbering 28 persons, he removed to Lichtenau (near Newcomerstown). left the Mission on the Beaver in Pennsylvania. New Schoenbrunn, This group on the western bank of the reached its destination May 3. Ap- Tuscarawas River, was propriately, the begun in 1779. In 1780, name Schoenbrunn, beautiful with war all around them, the Indians spring, was chosen. never- theless flourished as in an oasis. By June 9, 1772, the mission house had been But beginning in 1781, completed, the heart and culminating in and core of the village, the massacre of 90 Christian Indians and on June 27 the Lord's (including Supper was cele- women and children) plus six brated within its walls. It visiting Indians was dedicated as a by Colonel David Williamson and chapel on September 19, 1772. militiamen at Diagonally Gnadenhutten, there was a general exodus. across from it was built the first schoolhouse in The date of the shameful massacre-a Ohio. Nearly one hundred pupils used it by dis- 1775. grace to the American name-was March 8, The village, with fences and gardens, 1782. grew to include Ironically, it occurred over five months 60 houses of squared logs, plus after the huts and lodges. British had surrendered at Yorktown. There was much moving about Another town had been laid out near the of the be- present site leaguered Christian Indians: to Upper and of Dover, but Netawatwes had ob- Lower jected to its development. Sandusky; to Detroit; to Fairfield, Therefore, a second Ontario, Canada, town was begun in October, 1772, where a settlement of relative at Gnaden- permanence was made; hutten. This is the only site which remains and back to Tuscarawas to- County at Goshen, in 1798. day as an active Moravian work in the exact There Zeisberger locality in which the mission work was lived and died with his initiated. brown brothers. At his death in 1808 only 20 Indians remained Other villages were begun: with him. In 1824 the Goshen Lichtenau, 1776; mission was abandoned. New Schoenbrunn, 1779; Salem, 1780; Goshen, 1798. In a few years the Christian The Christian Indian missions failed physi- converts in cally because Schoenbrunn and Gnadenhutten numbered they were in the vortex of the over 400 souls. Their civilization conflicting racial, economic and political storm was a happy areas. combination of both cultures - Indian But the eternal ideals had been trans- and mitted effectively white. A carefully devised set of 19 rules and successfully to the con- verts. Souls, numbered governing the mission was drawn up, agreed in the hundreds, had upon- and practiced. been won to Christ. Manual crafts, agronomy, But other the three R's had been taught. The Christian circumstances intervened: border Indians conflicts; the had formed a buffer between the Revolutionary War; suspicions Americans aroused by the and the hostile tribes. The influence Moravian Indians' consistent of Zeisberger attempt to maintain neutrality. and powerful chieftains may well have saved the entire cause for In 1777 Schoenbrunn the Americans and Gnadenhutten by tipping the scales in their favor. The were abandoned, the churches record were burned to of this work - like the restored village prevent desecration, and the inhabitants at were Schoenbrunn-stands as an inspiration for all. 53 Church of the Nazarene By Joe Olson

THE Church of the Nazarene, which stands for the spread and the conservation of the Wesleyan doctrine of entire sanctification, has made great strides in the State of Ohio since the church was organized nationally in 1907. At the turn of the century, in Ohio, as in other states, there were a number of small independent churches in which scriptural holi- ness was preached and taught. Unity in spirit and doctrine led to an assembly at Chicago in October, 1907, which was attended by dele- gates from a group of these churches in the east and others in the west. A year later, at an assembly at Pilot Point, Texas, churches from the south and southwest joined the others. official birthday of On what is considered the Lithopolis Church of the Nazarene, on October 13, The the Church of the Nazarene, organized within a year after the parent body with a combined 1908, it had 228 churches was formed nationally. This building was dedi- membership of 10,414. cated in 1909. Now Ohio alone has more Nazarene church- were in the entire nation in 1908 es than there superintendent. He had 59 churches with three times as many members. trict and nearly 6,655 members under his charge. Ohio at first was a part of the Chicago- forge ahead. a Pitts- The Ohio district continued to Central district of the church. In 1908 spurred West- Among the prominent evangelists who burgh district was organized comprising J. Howard and Ohio. on the work were Dr. and Mrs. ern Pennsylvania, West Virginia served for a time churches in Ohio Sloan. Dr. Sloan also had There were three Nazarene superintendent. During Palestine, which had long as Pittsburgh district at that time. East that Dr. Charles A. Gibson Wesleyan doctrine, had the eighteen years been a center of the of the Ohio district more It had 82 members and was superintendent the largest church. churches were organized and Curry was pastor. Churches than 150 new the Rev. Martha new members were added.' and Columbus were both served thousands of in Lithopolis 25th annual assembly, the Rev. A. K. Welsh. Six more churches In 1943, at its by the to 180 churches with organized by 1910 at Canton, Lisbon, Mt. Ohio district had grown were Dr. Gibson told the assembly: Olive, Troy, Bentonville and Bradyville. 12,590 members. for all that He has done, but Evangelistic in emphasis, the Church of the "We praise God land ahead to be possessed." Nazarene grew rapidly. This was especially there is much assembly voted to divide the district into true in Ohio whose population included thou- The equal parts. of persons with the Methodist and Meth- two sands was created with odist Episcopal backgrounds. In 1919, when A Central Ohio district assembly of the Pittsburgh district Dr. Harvey S. Galloway as superintendent the twelfth The held at Dayton, a separate Ohio district over 85 churches with 6,250 members. was district was held at was formed. This was made up of about two- first assembly of the new grounds on Morse thirds of the state's area, all the territory west the Columbus camp meeting from West Cleveland south to road in July, 1944. During Dr. Galloway's of a line drawn in Parkersburg, W. Va. first 10 years as superintendent, ending and ap- The Ohio district started out with 28 church- 1953, the district grew to 116 churches es and 1,060 members. The larger churches proximately 9,000 members. were: Columbus, 201 members; Dayton, 118; The Rev. W. E. Albea was named super- Marion, 86; and Troy, 69. The Rev. E. E. intendent of the new Western Ohio district Wordsworth, of Middletown, Ohio, became the which started with 90 churches and about 6,- first district superintendent and the Rev. H. 340 members. The district held its first meet- C. Litle, the first district secretary. ing at Lima in July, 1944. During Rev. Albea's to 108 In 1942 the eastern third of Ohio that had supervision, in 10 years the district grew remained a part of the Pittsburgh district was churches and approximately 9,400 members. organized into the Akron district. The Rev. On the Akron district, when Rev. Benedum 0. L. Benedum, of East Liverpool, became dis- resigned as superintendent in May, 1953, the 54 district had expanded to 79 churches with 8,- tary many years. Dr. Hugh 250 C. Benner, whose members. family were members of the In Ohio Marion Church as a whole, the Church of the Naza- of the Nazarene, was elected a rene, by general super- 1953, had 303 churches and approxi- intendent of the church in June, 1952. mately 26,250 members. He also More than half of the was the founder and president for seven years churches constructed new buildings or addi- of the Nazarene Theological Seminary at tions after the close of World War II. The value Kansas City. of buildings and grounds and other property, The growth of the Church exclusive of the Nazarene of parsonages, was estimated at $7,-- in Ohio has been matched by 540,450. Parsonages alone the church else- were valued at $1,- where in the nation and the world. 500,000. The church in 1953 had a total of 3,900 churches Ohio has contributed and ap- some national leaders proximately 250,000 members. In 1952, the per to the church. The Rev. C. Warren Jones, capita giving for all purposes former pastor was $111.97, one of First Church in Cleveland of the best records among all churches. for eight years and former The Pittsburgh district same year the church supported 220 mission- superintendent, was the foreign missions secre- aries in 28 world areas. Church of the New Jerusalem By Bjorn Johannson during the services to hear the music. But enough were attracted, N 1797 a blind scholar however, by the teach- of Irish birth arrived ings to justify a formal in Steubenville, organization in 1811, Ohio, and aroused no little and in 1818 the church was incorporated. comment by denying hell-fire, That predestination same year Thomas Newport organized and a tri-personal diety. His the name was William Western Association of the New Jerusalem Grant. His ideas he derived from the writings Church. This body held its first annual meeting of the Swedish scientist and theologian, Em- on Newport's farm with nearly 300 persons in manuel Swedenborg. In Steubenville, Grant attendance. met another convert, a David Powell, and the Despite their small numbers and meager two together formed a circle of readers, which financial resources, the Swedenborgians carried later developed into an organized church so- on a vigorous missionary ciety, program, strove hard to study the ideas of Swedenborg. to advance education, About and by means of the the turn of the 18th century that printing press to disseminate legendary character, the doctrines. John Chapman-better Milo G. Williams, a pioneer known as Ohio educator, Johnny Appleseed-began to travel established the first New over the new Church Sunday settlements with his bag of apple School in America. He also seeds and the extracts had no small share from the writings of in establishing the Urbana University, Swedenborg. The latter he now distributed freely, Urbana Junior College, Urbana, Ohio. Others describing them as "news fresh from heaven". active in the founding Chapman of this school in 1852 was no eccentric, as some popular were Col. John H. James, accounts of him Rev. J. B. Stuart, imply. He had a fair education John Murdoch and the Hon. and was well Richard S. Canby. versed in the Bible and the By 1832 there were "Receivers doctrines of the New Church, of the Doc- as the adherents trines" in 22 communities and seven full-time of Swedenborg usually designate their organ- ministers. A ization. general organization to coordinate He could expound both with gentle activities was established. zeal and cogency. It was called the "Western Convention of the Receivers Next after Grant, Powell of the and Chapman came Doctrines of the New Jerusalem, West Thomas Newport who organized of the a society in Allegheny Mountains." The Western Conven- Turtle Creek in 1812, eight years after he first tion met annually in Cincinnati until 1848, in began to herald the doctrines there. Powell which year and it became the Ohio Association of Newport made missionary journeys and The New Church, hundreds and as such was admitted to heard them preach. membership in In the national body. By 1858 the meantime, a new force in the person there were 13 organized of the colorful, societies in the associ- versatile Adam Hurdus from ation and about 60 small England moved groups together with into the Ohio settlement. several hundred isolated receivers. Hurdus arrived in 1806 and began in 1808 to Swedenborgians were never hold services in his numerous in home, enlivening the ritual Ohio, but in the early days they with music from a enlivened the parlor organ he himself cultural and spiritual life of the constructed. This instrument state. Letters aroused, perhaps, and documents from this period reveal more interest than did the teachings no little Hurdus discussion and debates with clergymen of other proclaimed. Even the Indians would slip in denominations.

55 Presbyterian

By Dr. James Haldane Brown there was no Congregational body on the Re- serve. The Presbyterian Synod of the Western strong early Presbyterian influence in Reserve was created in 1825. The Old School THE but region has been attributed to the Presbyterians repudiated the Plan in 1837, the Ohio the Congrega- proportion of Scotch-Irish among the the New School clung to it until large it out in 1852. earliest Ohio inhabitants, especially in the tionalists themselves voted of the state, and The early common schools were almost en- southern and eastern sections and General Assembly noted that new tirely under the control of the churches, an early the exception Presbyterian churches were forming with it was the rule more often than rapidity. This was despite the fact that the minister was frequently the school- astonishing of the week that the denomination had little appeal for the master, with the school building masses of backwoodsmen, drawing its con- serving as the place of worship on the Sab- educa- stituency largely from emigrants of the bath. The first law passed on general Atlantic Coast and Western Pennsylvania re- tion by the Ohio Legislature, in 1821, merely gions. The early clergymen were strict in the- authorized school districts. It did not require ology, but were always first behind the settlers, them. The reading book was the New Testa- sharing their rifles in hand, fighting Indians, ment. and aiding in farm work. The early Presbyterian influence in the mat- The members of Transylvania Presbytery ter of founding and directing early colleges in crossed Kentucky into Ohio in October, 1.792, Ohio was profound. One authority states that the to meet in the first Protestant church built the Presbyterians were the most active in north of the Ohio River. James Kemper had making of collegiate history in the early days scarcely an in- been supplying the crude church in Cincin- of the Ohio Valley. There was nati, and the building had been built under his stitution, even those of distinctly non-denomi- direction. The Presbytery wanted to view his national origin, that did not feel the power and work and consider his ordination. Having influence of the Presbyterians, for of the prached and answered Presbytery's questions denominational colleges founded in the Ohio satisfactorily, he was ordained a minister. The Valley before 1840, nine of them had their Scotch-Irish emigrants entered Ohio as parts origin in the energy of those who subscribed congregations or as families, and to the Presbyterian faith. of church state eastern Ohio was for some years governed by Ohio University was chartered as a the Pittsburgh Synod. institution, but it was under the influence and Presbyterianism entered the Western Re- control of the Presbyterians. Before it was a serve with the Congregational Church on what university it was called the Athens Academy, is known as the Plan of Union of 1801. Joseph and its first president was Rev. Jacob Lindley, Badger was the first missionary to be sent who had been pastor at the Presbyterian there, arriving in 1800, and entering the Pres- church in Waterford. Ohio University looked byterian ministry in 1806. The people such men for Presbyterian leadership again in 1824, as Mr. Badger encountered were not godly when the Rev. Dr. Robert G. Wilson, of Chil- men as a rule, for their native areas were licothe, was called to its presidency. places where spiritual fervor was at a low ebb. From its opening in 1818, and for more than In addition, there were the hazards of poor 60 years thereafter, Miami University's presi- roads, unfriendly reception by some Indians, dents were without exception Presbyterians, and the sparse population. the first of these being the Rev. Robert Hamil- Most of the early missionaries on the Re- ton Bishop. serve were Congregationalists, but the dif- Of the fourteen colleges and universities ficulty of maintaining contact with headquar- founded west of the Alleghenies by 1829, seven ters in New England, caused the Congrega- were founded by Presbyterians, and of the re- tionalist group to appeal to the Pittsburgh maining seven, four were established by the Synod for men. This resulted in the forming state, and all four were under Presbyterian of a new Presbytery, Hartford, in 1807. By influence. The Presbyterian theological semi- 1812, most of the missionaries on the Reserve nary in Ohio was Lane, founded in 1832 at were Presbyterians. The arrangement between Cincinnati, with Lyman Beecher as its first the two denominations during that period was president. that the Presbyterians appointed the men, The missionary endeavors of the Pittsburgh while the Congregational group paid the Synod began at the turn of the nineteenth salaries. century, and there are regular reports from The Plan of Union had allowed for Con- year to year of how the Presbyterians sent gregational associations, as well as Presbyte- not only ministers to the Indians who were all rian presbyteries, but from 1808 until 1834 over Ohio in those years, but men who could 56 Above is drawing of first building of Pleas- ant Ridge Presbyterian Church, built 1790. Right, the church's second building, circa 1825.

teach, as well as those who were to give agricultural rians, especially those of the Chillicothe Pres- and other practical knowledge to bytery, the Indians. bore the brunt of the fugitive slave traffic between The early ministers Ripley and the central part of who traveled the young the state. By 1817 state were virtually unanimous they had already helped in their infor- about 1,000 runaways, a mation that the area was immoral. number that was to Sabbath increase substantially in later years. desecration, profanity, drunkenness, dancing, The Lane and constant Theological Seminary students in Cincinnati, fighting were cited as the prev- headed alent sins. It by Theodore Welsh, Huntington Ly- would appear that of all the sins man, and mentioned by the several others, took a leading part. early preachers, that of in- Calvin E. Stowe, toxication was most abundant. a faculty member and after Local 1836 the husband of Harriett Beecher, joined sessions of churches were given full the authority to work, as did several young ladies who ferret out the guilty parties and were teaching compel them to in the colored schools. stand church trial, and the The Ohio Presbytery higher bodies would always confirm was the first in the the find- state, being organized in 1783, ings of sessions when any cases were a division of the appeal- Synod of Virginia, which Synod also ed. The interest of the churches in matters of estab- this lished the Washington Presbytery in 1799. As kind was so great because there were few the regular sessions state lbegan to grow, the Synods of Ken- of courts of law, and the peo- tucky and Pittsburgh ple's life seems to have were formed in the clos- been more close to ing period before the the church than is now generally establishment of Ohio as the case. a state. From these grew Dancing was always looked upon the two Synods of with dis- the Western Reserve and Ohio favor, and Sabbath observance was extolled by 1825, the former in that year, the latter in 1814. strongly to the Presbyterians, although not al- ways o b Many of the churches in Ohio by 1825 were e y e d. One postmaster was refused still Communion because not large enough to sustain their own he opened the mails on ministers, as may the Sabbath. Secret orders be gleaned from the early were in like man- minutes of the Western ner condemned, and the Pittsburg Reserve Synod in Synod is- 1825, which noted that Grand sued a lengthy polemic against Freemasonry River Presby- in 1820. tery had 15 ministers and 36 churches, with only There was eight of the 15 being settled pastors. strong anti-slavery sentiment in Portage Presbytery Ohio during her early had seven settled pas- years, and Presbyterians tors with 20 congregations were to the fore in issuing strong within its bounds; declarations while Huron Presbytery had five on that subject. The southern Ohio Presbyte- settled pas- tors with 29 congregations within its bounds.

57 United Presbyteri

By Rev. Edward W. Welch and | Rev. E. Philip Vogel TN Ohio United Presbyterians number some 30,000 in 70 congregations of seven presby- teries-Cleveland, Mansfield, First Ohio, Ohio Northwestern, Steubenville, Wheeling, and Xenia. When Ohio came into being a century and a half ago, this church, in its present form, was yet unborn. It was born in 1858 at Pittsbugh, Pa., when the Associate and the Associate Re- formed Presbyterian denominations f o r m e d the union which took the name United Presby- terian Church of North America. In 1794 The Associate Presbyterian Church established a theological seminary at Service, Pa., This was some 30 miles northwest of Pitts- burgh in Beaver County. The school moved to Cannonsburg, Pa., in 1821 and in 1855 to Xenia, Ohio where it took on the name of Xenia. In 1825 the Associate Reformed Presbyte- rian Church established a theological seminary at Pittsburgh, Pa. This school was united with Xenia Seminary some years ago and at present is known as Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary and is relocating from the North Side of Pittsburgh to the University area of The grave of Gov. , elder the city. of the Sycamore United Presbyterian Church Many Congregations were organized in the 54 years (1798-1852), and one of the great early days of the Ohio Story. Here are a few: early statesmen of Ohio. organized in 1798, Struthers in 1804, Mahoning the in 1805, First Cambridge in 1822, Rev. Adam Rankin of Lexington preached Liberty the Northfield in 1833. first sermon to Cincinnati settlers in 1794, Historically, the spiritual ancestors of the people petitioned for an Associate Reformed came from Scotland and Northern Ire- pastor in 1795. Rev. Mathew Henderson and church in 1797. The land. From Pennsylvania and Kentucky they Rev. David Proudfit preached came into Ohio about the turn of the century. next year Rev. Robert Warwick organized the Presbyterians were prominent in the settling Mill Creek congregation near Sharonville 1800. An of Cincinnati in 1788. Harpers Magazine for which moved to its present site in November, 1881, relates that two Presbyterian organizer of this group was Jeremiah Morrow from Bourbon, Ky., emigrated who came down the Ohio in a flatboat in 1795 congregations church 1794 and 1795 to settle Chillicothe, Ohio's and became an elder in the Sycamore in called by death first capital. Similarly, the first two United in 1798 where he served until Presbyterian congregations of southern Ohio in 1852. from Kentucky. His grandfather, Jeremiah Morrow, was or- were sparked in In 1792 the Associate Reformed Swamp dained as a Reformed Presbyterian elder was begun in Kentucky. the Rock Creek Church near Gettysburg, Pa., Creek congregation who It moved to Ohio and in 1798 began to hold in 1753 by the Rev. John Cuthbertson worship services on what is the came from Scotland in 1751 and with Rev. regular or- present site of the cemetery at Monroe, on U.S. Matthew Lind and Rev. Alexander Dobbin 25, about 25 miles north of Cincinnati.- It ganized the Reformed Presbyterian Presby- the village name of Mt. Pleasant. tery of America in March of 1774. assumed its This has been a strong rural congregation ever Ohio's Jeremiah Morrow was probably since. A new Home for the Aged is being dedi- greatest early statesman in more constructive in 1953 at Mt. Pleasant by the Second avenues than any other one person. He was in cated a mem- Synod of the United Presbyterian Church. the Northwest Territorial Legislature, Another historic congregation is Sycamore ber of Ohio's Constitutional Convention and United 17 miles north of Cincinnati on U.S. 22. After the first Ohio Legislature in 1803, 58 States representative and senator, governor of Ohio from 1822 to 1826, welcomer of General Lafayette to Ohio in 1825, and layer of the cornerstone of the present Ohio Capitol in Columbus in 1839. Jeremiah Morrow intro- duced the bill for the Baltimore-to-Ohio Na- tional Road. The first locomotive in Cincinnati was named for him. His grave is in Union Cemetery, 18 miles north of Cincinnati, just off U.S. 22. Jeremiah Morrow was also instrumental in helping to found Miami University at Oxford, Ohio. He encouraged the beginning of an As- sociate Reformed Theological Seminary at Ox- ford in 1839. This institution later moved to Monmouth, Ill, the home of Monmouth Col- lege. Muskingum College is located at New Con- cord. This school was organized in 1837 by citizens of the village of New Concord. In Paul Hall at Muskingum College, New Con- 1888 it was taken under the care of the Synod cord. The college is an arm of the United Pres- of Ohio. The college has a present enrollment byterian Church. of around 700. The president is Rev. Robert N. Montgomery D.D. This school has and is serv- It has been said of ing the United Presbyterians in church in training Christian leaders for early days that they kept pastors, Missionaries, the Sabbath, the teachers, Christian citi- Ten Commandments, and most zenship. United Presbyterians of their money. have a church The fact is that they had to be thrifty to motto: "The Truth of God-Forbearance live. in We of the present generation owe much to Love". The church has been conservative, once these sturdy churchmen. singing Psalms exclusively and practicing At the present the three largest closed communion. In early days admission Presbyterian to groups in this country are studying a plan the communion service was by a token only. of union. These are the Presbyterian Church of This small coin-like token was issued by the USA session (Northern), the Presbyterian Church of only to those members who conformed U.S. to the (Southern) and the United Presbyterian discipline of the church. Church. Salvation Army By George E. Purdum British Isles and overseas to various parts of the world. [HE most impressive fact about the history The first expression S of of The Salvation Army throughout the outside of England world is the was in Cleveland, Ohio, in short span of time it embraces. the year 1872 when a family Less than a century by the name of ago, its humble founda- Jermy, who had been associated tions were laid in the with William East End of London by Booth in London in the work of its founder, , the Christian then a successful Mission, migrated to Cleveland and minister in the Methodist Church. instituted a program on lower Ninth Street. It was a pro- He had a divine urge to bring the Gospel of gram designed Jesus to win the lost to Christ and to Christ to the great unchurched masses bring about a better who were way of living. steeped in sin and degradation. Just before the turn Starting in the of the present century, East End of London in the great The Salvation Army organized outdoors, he preached a brass band to the hundreds who and sent it, together with stood around to listen. several of its officers, His many converts ap- to various parts of Ohio to parently were not able establish its soul- successfully to find ac- saving program. A large tent was ceptance in the then established used and in churches; many instances, it was erected in a public hence, the Christian Mission was organized. park A where many thousands of people attended the few years later the name was changed to "The meetings. Salvation Many hundreds were converted in Army" and William Booth became these tent evangelistic its General. meetings. Out of this effort came the establishment The organization soon spread throughout of the permanent corps where religious services were 59 City youngsters go boating at the Salvation Army's beautiful Greenwood Lake on the north- east edge of Delaware.

Then came: its work among social program which includes summer camp held nightly. wel- its program for the homeless; for under-privileged mothers and children; young people; activities in the prisons; and many other social fare services to families; recreational its work women; homes services. for youth; emergency homes for mothers; rehabili- The first organized and hospitals for unmarried missing friends service; Band in the United States was in East Liver- tation centers for men; in prisons and old age pool, Ohio; and one of the original members of and special services this band is still active in that corps. institutions. has the distinction of having two A later development has been the establish- Cleveland smaller institutions in the country in their ment of service units in many of Ohio's of the largest family needs. respective fields; namely, the Evangeline Res- communities, meeting particular capacity for 350 girls, and the Its services are guided by advisory boards idence with its of life. Social Service Rehabilitation Center and its program reaches into all walks new Men's work in Ohio: has the largest floor space of any in- Three commanders guide its which of Cleveland for stitution of its kind. Lt. Colonel Edward Carey Salvation Army maintains its Northern Ohio, Brigadier George Purdum of Today The Paul services in all of the larger Ohio Columbus for Central Ohio, and Brigadier evangelistic Ohio. cities. In addition, it has developed a large Seiler of Cincinnati for Southern

Street-corner evangelism, another phase of the Salvation Army's work in the cities.

60 Latter Day Saints

By John Blackmore

ON April 6, 1830 in Fayette, Seneca County, New York, a new church was organized with a very few members. It was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr., who was prophet and seer to this small group, later known as the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." Its founder claimed to have translated the Book of Mormon from gold plates received from the hands of an angel, which plates purported to contain a history of the early inhabitants of America before the days of Columbus. This new church of the Latter Day Saints grew rapidly and sent missionaries westward from New York to make converts. Missionaries of the church entered Ohio in the fall of 1830. Elders Parley P. Pratt, Ziba Peterson, Oliver Cowdery and Peter Whitmer called upon Sidney Rigdon, pastor of a congre- gation of the Disciples of Christ at Kirtland, Ohio, presenting him with a Book of Mormon and expounding the beliefs of the new church. The result was startling, for Rigdon became a convert accompanied by a number of his Kirtland Temple, built by Latter Day Saints congregation. This conversion of Rigdon was at Kirtland, Ohio, in 1836. the beginning of a dramatic episode in the early history of Kirtland, Ohio. Shortly after 1837, when Joseph Smith and others organized his conversion to Latter Day Saintism, he was a banking institution at Kirtland, which failed ordained an elder and began to preach. From in the financial panic of 1837. This bank failure that time he became a strenuous advocate of increased the resentment of the non-Mormons the beliefs of the new church. toward the Latter Day Saints, resulting in a At a conference in New York, January 2, more accelerated exodus of the Saints from 1.831 it was decided that the church should Ohio to Missouri. Finally only a few Saints move its headquarters to Kirtland, Ohio. remained in Kirtland. Their Temple was aban- Joseph Smith and his family immediately doned, farms sold and the settlement of the moved to Kirtland arriving early in February Latter Day Saints in Kirtland dwindled to a 1831. Plans were soon made for the settlement few members who courageously remained. of converts coming from the east. The head- Kirtland Temple quarters for the early Latter Day Saints church Deeply imbedded in the traditions of the were established and the saints moved forward Latter Day Saints of today is Kirtland Temple. to institute a spiritual and economic brother- Standing on a hilltop about three miles south- hood. More and more converts came from the east of Willoughby, this fine edifice may be seen east and settled in and around Kirtland. While for miles. The cornerstone of this historic many of the saints were establishing them- structure was laid July 23, 1833, and the build- selves in Ohio missionaries were sent out on ing completed March 27, 1836. It stands as a proselyting missions into Missouri. monument to the faith, courage and devotion By 1832 a conflict existed between the Latter of those early Saints. Day Saints (Mormons) and the non-members Trees were felled and logs hauled from residing in and around Kirtland. It is not neighboring forests. Stone was dragged in and within the scope of this article to discuss who with labor of love those pioneer folk built their was right and who was wrong in this struggle. unique temple. In those early days feelings and emotions were The outside walls are stone covered with a strong and much intolerance existed among the cement which was originally pale blue. The various religious sects. The saints being in the years have discolored the stucco but evidences minority found it convenient to move to of the unstinting sacrifices of the builders are Missouri where they planned to build their still visible in the gleaming sunlight. The society of an economic brotherhood. women of the colony brought their treasured An unfortunate event occurred in January glassware and porcelain china to be broken and

61 crushed and mixed in with the last coat of headquarters at Salt Lake City, Utah and "The stucco on the outside of the building. Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Its cost cannot be computed in dollars but in Day Saints" with headquarters at Independ- terms of deep devotional sacrifice, for to these ence, Missouri. The Temple at Kirtland is in builders this Temple was The House of the the possession of the Reorganized Church. This Lord. The structure contains beautiful ex- Church was given title to the property by the amples of Gothic and Colonial architecture. Court of Common Pleas, Lake County, Ohio Hand-carved designs grace the beautiful in February, 1880, as the "True and Lawful wooden columns which indicate craftsmanship Continuation of, and Successor to the said of a very highly skilled quality. One must Original Church of Latter Day Saints organized enter the sanctuary to appreciate the unique in 1830 . .. " arrangement of pulpits that accommodate the A local congregation holds regular services various degrees of priesthood rank. in the Temple which is now 117 years old. The When the Saints left Kirtland, about 1838, Church of the Reorganized Latter Day Saints the Temple was abandoned. With the death of welcomes guests every day of the week. A Joseph Smith in 1844, factionalism divided the minister guide greets visitors and explains the original church into a number of segments. symbolism of the interior furnishings and deco- The two largest groups today are "The Church rations. There are today 45 congregations of of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" with the Reorganized Church in Ohio. Universalist

By Rev. Harriet E. Druley

NIVERSALISM began to appear in Ohio, as an organized movement, in the 1820s. Without any definite, concerted movement, in all sections of the state, people who had come from the eastern section of the nation began forming small groups to preach and teach Uni- versalism. Ministers came to preach to them, but left no desire for organization in every place where they preached. The church which was called "the mother church" of Ohio, appeared as an organized group in Belpre. There had been visiting minis- ters to this section of the state. But, probably because of the strong community church life, The Universalist "mother church" of Ohio the Universalists did not try to organize. at Belpre. Because of the shortage of ministers of any denomination, at this time, good readers were life; as much as possible chosen from among the male citizens of the a quiet and peaceful all men; to pay particular community. These were given permission to to live peaceably with providing the pulpit attention to their moral character. This group make their own selection in informed. One of these readers, built a one-room, one-story church building committee was organization Pitt Putnam, took advantage of that 1832. This is the first permanent William in Ohio. permission. He read a sermon from one of the of the Universalist Church strong Universalist ministers of that day. Im- About the same time that the church at mediately following that reading the pulpit Belpre was being organized, there was a similar committee had a special session. As a result, organization at Marietta. For some unkown Mr. Putnam was told that his services as a reason this church did not endure for long. The reader were no longer acceptable. tradition is t h a t Universalists organized in With the Putnam family there went from the Marietta in 1818 and built a church on Third community church families by the name of St. But church building, records and any visible Loring, Stedman, Blizzard, Rathbone, Stone evidences of such an organization are no longer and others. They held their own "reading meet- in evidence. ings" and definitely organized in 1823. Permis- In 1800 or 1801 a Universalist minister by the sion to become a member of this church was name of Rev. Abel Morgan Sargent appeared given to anyone who manifested a wish to live in the Belpre and Marietta neighborhoods. He

62 did not attempt to organize a church. But he trine. As a result, the Disher home in Eldorado dropped seeds of thought into the minds of was the scene of the organization of a Univer- those who were organizers. From his preach- salist Church. Palestine and New Madison are ing there developed a number of churches in other churches organized in this area about southeastern Ohio following the organization this time. of the one at Belpre. These were located in the In the southwestern section, Cincinnati was villages of Newbury (now Little Hocking), visited by prominent Universalist ministers of Watertown, Fairfield, Vincent, Lower Salem, that day. Among these are - Rev. Sebastian Frost and many other small groups. Some of Streeter, Rev. Thomas Whittemore, Rev. Elip- these did not endure. Others have. halet Case. It was through the earnest efforts About 1805, into the Western Reserve sec- of the latter that the Universalist Church was tion of the state, there came a number of Uni- organized in Cincinnati in 1827. Another church versalist families. The Gages Smith family was was organized in Montgomery some time later. the first. It is said of him that he never wavered There is a center stone in the gable of the porch from the advocacy of his honest opinions even roof of this church on which are inscribed the though they were not at all popular. To that words, "Our God is a God of Salvation." same section there came, later, other Univer- Other preaching points were developed in salist families-Southgate, Haskell, Danforth- this area, some of them becoming churches in names familiar to Universalists of the state. later years. Major Miner Spicer was a strong Universalist Also, about this same time, there was a of the Akron area. To his home came many group in the central part of the state which was who were interested in Universalism-minis- becoming active in spreading the doctrine of ters and laity. It was through his efforts that Universalism. In Woodstock there were the Universalism became strong in the Western families of Smith, Martin, Hathaway, Sibley, Reserve area. One of the outstanding ministers Cranston, Howard and others who organized in this section was the Rev. Thomas Bigelow. themselves into a church. Their first minister The churches formed at this time include the was the Rev. Asher Davis who came to them following: Akron, Ravenna, Brimfield, Park- in 1828. man, Sharon Center, LeRoy, North Olmsted At about the same time there was an in- and others. terested group in Jersey centered about the In the southwestern area the name of Rev. Michael Beem family. The Rev. Hiram Curry Jonathan Kidwell was a familiar one in the preached to them for a time. They met in cabins period of the 1820s. He lived in Eaton and Cin- and barns until they were strong enough to cinnati and held preaching services in the area. erect a church. The story is told that a man by the name of Churches at Springfield, Columbus, Plain Daniel Disher became very much interested in City and in other communities were organized what he heard the Rev. Mr. Kidwell preach in following these efforts. a certain community. When he went home he From 1820 on for a number of years, Ohio aroused a similar interest on the part of his was dotted with many "Preaching Places." wife. Some of these became strong churches, others The next time this minister was in the neigh- were never organized and thus dropped out of borhood Mrs. Disher mounted the horse behind the picture. Others did organize but changing her husband and rode to hear this new doc.. population centers brought other changes.

63 Spirituallst

By Rev. Laura E. J. Holloway Alice L. Towner, vice president, Brady Lake; Ralph Cutlip, secretary, Ashtabula; Frank J. THE Ohio State Spiritualist Association was Renollet, treasurer, Cecil. Trustees: Rev. Mattie I organized and incorporated under the Laws E. Failor, Akron; Rev. Amy Pearce, Youngs- of Ohio in the city of Toledo on May 19, 1897. town; Mrs. Cora Yocum, Steubenville; Burl This religious corporation was formulated un- Jenkins, Elida, Ohio. der the leadership of Mrs. Carrie Firth Curran. The state association has its own Ministerial Shortly thereafter an ecclesiastical charter was Association and Healing Center. The various received from the National Spiritualist Associ- ministers of the state are affiliated with this ation of Churches who now have their head- association who meet two or three times a year quarters in , Wisconsin. At that in a social manner and to discuss mutual prob- time the National offices were in Chicago. lems. They have drawn up their own code of Those whose names appeared on this applica- ethics. The Healing Center is under the direc- tion for charter were: E. W. Bond, Willoughby, tion of Rev. Minnie Rowe of Dayton, Ohio. Ohio, Delvon A. Herrick, Akron, Ohio, Charles Here .people may either call, or write in, the W. Taylor, John D. Arras and Elizabeth Coit, names of those who are in need of healing all from Columbus, Ohio. prayers. Each day at a scheduled time the The Ohio State Spiritualist Association has leader assisted by others, holds prayers for the 24 chartered churches and one camp associ- sick and afflicted who are currently on the list. ation. Twelve churches own their own build- Spiritualism is a recognized religion in ings. Among the oldest is the First Spiritualist America and has been so recognized and re- Temple of Ashtabula, erected in 1900. This was corded in Washington, D. C., since 1893. The done under the leadership of Mrs. Irene Tal- church feels it is not only a religion, but a cott. The First Spiritualist Temple Society of science and philosophy of continuous life, based Columbus, Ohio, known as, "The Old Stone upon communication, by means of mediumship, Church," was purchased and donated by Mr. with those who live in the spirit world. A Ebernezer Barcus in 1902. Since that time Spiritualist is one who believes, as the basis of growth has continued throughout the State his or her religion, in the communication be- and the various church groups have either tween this and the spirit world by means of built or purchased their own church buildings. mediumship and who endeavors to mold his or Rev. Elizabeth Schauss of Toledo was presi- her character and conduct in accordance with dent of the Ohio State Spiritualist Association the highest teachings derived from such com- for 28 years and did much for the organization munion. A medium is one whose organism is until her death in 1937. She also was one of sensitive to vibrations from the spirit world, the organizers of the Ohio Parent-Teacher and through whose instrumentality, intelli- 'Association. gences in that world are able to convey The state association supervises and co- messages and produce the phenomena of ordinates the work of its various churches, because issues study class lessons, and sends mission- Spiritualism. Spiritualism is a science aries to assist present established churches as it investigates, analyzes and classifies facts well as organizing groups in new localities. and manifestations, demonstrated from the Each year in June a state convention is held in spirit side of life. Spiritualism is a philosophy one of the various cities where churches are because it studies the laws of nature both on located. Each church sends delegates and are the seen and unseen sides of life and bases its permitted to have so many seated officially, conclusions upon present observed facts. It according to the size of the membership. accepts statements of observed facts of past During the convention, problems are discussed ages and conclusions drawn therefrom, when and plans formulated for the constructive good sustained by reason and by results of observed of the organization. An annual election of present day. Spiritualism is a re- officers is held during each convention to fill facts of the the expired terms of office. Thus, all affairs are ligion because it teaches man to strive to under- carried out in a democratic manner. The stand and to comply with the physical, mental present officers of the association are: Rev. and spiritual laws of nature, which are the Laura E. J. Holloway, President, Dayton; Rev. laws of God.

64

By David R. Balch were conducting programs designed to meet material needs. THE people of Ohio were quick to welcome Before the turn of the century, many V. of the spiritual and material services offered A. posts had instituted salvage and rehabilita- by the Volunteers of America when, a few tion programs, under which discarded materials weeks after the organization was founded on of all kinds were collected and processed March by 6, 1896, V. of A. officers came to the handicapped workers, either for sale as scrap Buckeye State to organize posts in its principal or for distribution free or at nominal prices cities to and towns. low-income groups. By this time, too, the V. The first V. of A. post in Ohio was established of A. camping program had begun to grow out at Cleveland, according to existing records, of the one-day outings the organization pro- early in May, 1896, and newspaper accounts of vided for city youngsters, facilities for housing the first meetings held there emphasized the transient men and women were being instituted enthusiasm and friendliness of the large crowds by many p o s t s, and residences for young that turned out to greet the representatives of women working away from home had been es- the new organization. tablished. Non-denominational religious services, held Another important development in which the out of doors, attracted crowds of as many as Ohio posts of the V. of A. figured prominently 500 people, according to newspaper stories re- was that which led to the establishment of the porting the events, and when Ballington Booth, Volunteer Prison League, an organization with- founder of the V. of A., visited the city in June in the V. of A. devoted to prison reform and a crowd of 3,000 packed the Cleveland Music the rehabilitation of prison inmates. Started by Hall to hear XMayor McKisson introduce the Maud Ballington Booth, wife of Ballington famous religious leader as "the head of a move- Booth, in an effort of combat the inhuman ment which America has long needed." prison conditions that existed in the 19th Cen- tury Similar warm welcomes were accorded the (and persist to this day in some parts of organization in other Ohio communities. Lead- the country), the Volunteer Prison League pro- vides ing local clergymen offered their churches to counseling for inmates, aid for the fami- V. of A. officers for services, and townspeople lies of inmates, and job placement service for flocked to hear what the new movement was parolees and released prisoners. Posts in Ohio have all about. By the end of the year, V. of A. posts continued their work in this field to this had been organized in thirteen Ohio communi- day. ties,-Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, Barnes- With the increased emphasis on social serv- ville, Canton, Circleville, Lorain, Miami Valley, ices, it was necessary to centralize V. of A. Nottingham, Oberlin, Wickliffe, Willoughby facilities in Ohio to some extent, though the and Youngstown. areas served were not diminished and, of course, Services offered by the number of clients aided under the these posts were, initially, various almost entirely of an evangelistic services increased with population nature. Street growth and meetings, band concerts which the growth of the V. of A. itself. featured reli- Today, posts gious music and hymn singing, gospel located at Akron, Canton, Cleve- meetings land, Columbus, Mansfield, in churches and public halls were held to Sandusky and awaken religious faith. Toledo, provide a total of 27 kinds of service to the people of Ohio. The various services But the founder of pro- the V. of A. had laid the vided by each post are tailored to meet groundwork for the broad the program of social needs of the area served by the post, and so work which, in conjunction with its spiritual vary from locality to locality. services, today marks all the organization's Spiritual services, including mission operations; churches when he founded the V. of A., Ball- and pastoral counseling, are still ington Booth a vital part of pointed out that "You can't talk each post's program. The V. of A. believes to a man about that, God when he is hungry, has no as the children of God, men have spiritual place to sleep and no shoes on his feet." By needs and that these needs must be met, November of just 1896, the organization's posts in as material and psychic needs must be met, Ohio, as well as if in other parts of the country, the whole person is to be successfully served.

65 Section III

Jews In Ohio

Five of Whom Gathered In Cincinnati in 1819 To Say Their High Holyday Prayers

66 Jewish

By Rabbi Jacob R. Marcus of Jews and Jewish institutions in the state 4 N Israelite has settled in Cincinnati." began materially to increase. One of the first . That was big news in 1817 when young Jews in northern Ohio was Dr. Daniel L. M. Joseph Jonas, a watchmaker, arrived in the Peixotto, who was called in 1836 to become a Ohio city. For miles around the curious came professor at Willoughby Medical College. In to see him. "Thou art one of God's chosen 1837 Simson Thorman arrived in Cleveland people. Wilt thou let me examine thee?" Thus from Germany; in 1839 the first congregation an old Quakeress addressed him, and examine was formed there, The Israelitish Society. The him she did. "Well, thou art no different to first spiritual leader was Isaac Hoffman, who other people." served as rabbi, cantor, and circumciser. By It was a hard trip to Cincinnati in 1817. 1842 the community had grown large enough There were only two routes open to the hopeful for disagreement over ritual to arise. The com- pioneer. One was from the East, by horseback munity split into two factions, and the Anshe and wagon across the mountains to Pittsburgh. Chesed Society was formed. The community Danger from cold and Indian attacks was ever remained divided until 1846, when the two present. From Pittsburgh the traveler moved congregations were again brought together un- south on the Ohio River, if it was not frozen der the name of Anshe Chesed Israelitish So- ciety. over. It took many weeks for a flatboat to This group then erected the first syna- reach Cincinnati. gogue, at a cost of $1,500. The other way to Cincinnati lay from the One Judah Nusbaum settled in Columbus in South. In coming from New Orleans, it was 1838, four years after the city was incorporated. necessary to travel over the Natchez Trace, Soon more Jews began to arrive in the city. through Indian country to Cincinnati. The first congregation, B'nai Jeshurun, was founded The trip was hard, but the pioneers were not in 1846, although religious services deterred. By 1819 five Jews gathered together must have been held there earlier. A merchant, in Cincinnati to say their High Holyday Simon Lazarus, volunteered to act as rabbi. prayers. Not enough yet for the traditional In 1842 the first Jews settled in Dayton; the first congregation Jewish minyan of ten males, but it was the was established in that town beginning of a settlement. in 1850. Other Jewish communities founded at this time were those There had, of course, been transient of Akron (about 1850), Jews Hamilton (1855), Piqua (1858), in the Ohio River Valley since the time of the and Ports- first white settlements. mouth (1858). In 1821, there seemed to be only six known The leading Jewish community of early Ohio, Jews in Cincinnati. however, was that of Cincinnati. In 1849 the Slowly the Jewish community in Cincinnati Jewish population here was estimated at 4,000, continued to grow. Joseph Jonas, the first out of a general population of 155,000. settler, had come from England. Friends soon Already in 1841 another congregation had came to join him from the British Isles. The been formed in that town. It drew its member- first Jewish child to be born west of the ship from the German immigrants and was Alleghenies was the son of David I. and Eliza called Bene Jeshurun. A third congregation, Johnson. He was born in Connersville, Indiana, Adath Israel, was founded in 1847; a fourth, on February 1, 1819. To this same couple be- Ahabath Achim, in 1848. longs the honor of becoming Cincinnati's first The Cleveland community likewise con- Jewish parents. Another son of theirs, Fred- tinued to grow. A new congregation was erick A. Johnson, was born on June 2, 1821, founded there in 1850, Tifereth Israel. to become the first native Jewish Cincinnatian. *The close of the Civil War found the Jewish The year 1824 was an important date in the community in Ohio almost 50 years old. Yet history of the Jews of Ohio. It was in this year there was much that could be improved in the that the first congregation was formed-Con- religious life of the congregations. True, some gregation Bene Israel of Cincinnati. institutions had been created, but they were Because the laws of Bavaria, Bohemia, and still in their early stages. A skilful hand was other German lands limited the number of needed to guide their tender growth. Jewish marriages, a large stream of German Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, a Bohemian Jewish im- young people, especially betrothed migrant, filled that need. He had been called couples, began to stream into Ohio. to the pulpit of Congregation Bene Jeshurun of The German immigration of the middle- Cincinnati in 1853. At that time he was already nineteenth century had an important effect one of the outstanding liberals of the American upon the life of the Jews in Ohio. The number Jewish community. Believing in moderate re-

67 form, he introduced changes into the synagogal American customs, and established their own ritual and into the religious schools. But he social and religious institutions. The Reform was still not satisfied. Wherever he traveled in ritual which they found upon their arrival was America, he noticed the jealousies and the strange to them. They cherished Orthodox antagonism prevailing among Jews. traditions, and so they built Orthodox congre- To him, these differences had no place in the gations in America. By the end of the nine- American community. All his thinking was in teenth century there were in Ohio eighteen terms of a unified, harmonious American cities and towns with at least one Jewish in- Jewry. To effect this purpose he brought forth stitution; sixteen towns had a total of fifty or- a revised liturgy, the Minhag America, an ganized congregations. Among the newer ones American Jewish ritual. were those of Bellaire (about 1890), Canton (1885), East Liverpool (about 1880), Lima and In 1854, this versatile rabbi had founded an Lorain (about 1880), Springfield (1865), Anglo-Jewish periodical, the first in the West, Steubenville (1891), Toledo (1866), Warren The Israelite. It was soon followed by a (about 1890), Youngstown (1867), and Zanes- German companion, Die Deborah. Through ville (1891). these periodicals Wise advocated his ideas. It was in The Israelite that he issued the call in The large immigration to Ohio continued 1855 for a conference to be held in Cleveland until 1914, when it was stopped by the First im- to deliberate upon "the articles of Union of World War, never to be resumed. The American Israel in theory and practice." This migrants became Americans; their children at- com- conference, called to bring about the creation tended the public schools and became American in outlook. of a union of synagogues, the establishment of pletely a rabbinical college, and the revision of the The Jews of Ohio, today, are found in all liturgy, accomplished little. Wise was too ad- branches of industry, commerce, and profes- vanced for the time, and his plans for organiza- sional work. Joseph B. Strauss, a native of tion fell through. Of the nine rabbis who signed Cincinnati, built the Golden Gate Bridge in the call for the conference, four were Ohioans: . It is the longest single-span Isidor Kalisch of Cleveland, and Max Lilien- suspension bridge ever built. The Cincinnati thal, Rothenheim, and Wise of Cincinnati. Jewish clothing and garment manufacturers have been active ever since the Civil War. Isaac M. Wise remained undaunted, despite Fashion Frocks Incorporated is a notable ex- the apathy and discouragement which he met. ample of present-day enterprise. Many of In 1873 his opportunity came. He called a con- Ohio's Jewish businessmen are engaged in ference of congregations in Cincinnati; thus various types of merchandising, and in the was created the Union of American Hebrew service industries. They are well represented Congregations. The prime purpose of this also in the sale of insurance and in the manage- Union was the creation of a rabbinical semi- ment of motion picture theatres. The Lazaruses nary. This was done when, in 1875, the Hebrew of Columbus and Cincinnati are known for Union College of Cincinnati opened its doors. their originality in the organization and de- Wise was its first president, serving in that velopment of department stores. The late capacity until his death in 1900. Under his Julius Kahn of Cleveland and Youngstown guidance the school grew and prospered. By built the Truscon Steel Company. 1953 it had ordained over 570 rabbis who were serving liberal congregations all over the world. Jews have participated in the public, political The work which Wise began was carried on by life of Ohio since early days. Joseph Jonas, his distinguished successors, Kaufmann Kohler, the Jewish pioneer, had set the pattern in 1860, Julian Morgenstern, and the present leader, when he sat in the state legislature. Others Nelson Glueck. On January 25, 1950, the followed him to the state assembly and to the Jewish Institute of Religion of New York City state senate. Many Jews have served their merged with the Hebrew Union College. towns and cities as judges, councilmen, and mayors. One of the most distinguished figures The Union of American Hebrew Congrega- in the civic life of Ohio today is former Mayor tions also stands as a proud monument to its Murray Seasongood of Cincinnati. He is an founder. authority on municipal government. The year 1881 marked the beginning of a A number of the Jews have served the Fed- new epoch in the history of Ohio Jewry. It was eral Government in this state. They have held in that year that the new waves of immigration such offices as collector of internal revenue, rolled in from Eastern Europe. Suffering under district attorney, and collector of customs. the severe laws of the czars, Jews from Russia, Rabbi Joseph S. Kornfeld of Columbus served Poland, and Lithuania began to enter the as minister to Persia from 1921 to 1924. United States in ever increasing numbers. Jews have played their part also in the Slowly but surely the new arrivals became cultural life of the state. Both the Cincinnati Americanized. They learned English, adopted and Cleveland symphony orchestras have had

68 Jewish conductors and have drawn much of west as . The seminary's graduates their support from Jewish patrons. Moses have become important figures in national Ezekiel, the and celebrated sculptor, lived in Cin- international Jewish life. Especially in Zionist cinnati for a while, as did Henry Mosler, the affairs has Ohio played an important role. The painter. Louis Loeb founded the Cleveland Art Liberal rabbis of this state have for many years School. Jews were important also in the field been important leaders in the Zionist move- of the theatre. Cleveland supported a Yiddish ment. The late Alfred M. Cohen, of Cincinnati, theatre for many years. The Cincinnati Medical a well-known personality in the political life School bears of the impress of Jewish physicians Ohio, served as international president of the who devoted their lives to its scientific advance. B'nai B'rith from 1925 to 1938. There is not a non-denominational college or The Ohio Jewish community university in the state which does not was not the number product of any one wave Jewish instructors on the rolls of its faculty. of immigration. First in the primitive frontier settlements, The and later Ohio Jewish community has long been in the bustling towns and cities, distinguished the Jews who in the history of American Jewry. have come to this valley during In 1953 the last 150 there were over 180,000 Jews in the years have built homes for themselves state. It has and risen to this number from 14,600 their children. They have erected synagogues in 1870. Just as it has increased in number, so and schools, orphan asylums and it has increased old age in importance. Its institutions shelters, hospitals and social centers. have grown They and have become exemplary for have identified themselves with every worth- Jewish communities in many lands. The while effort of the people Hebrew about them. Their Union College and the Union of tap roots are deep. In their own American modest way Hebrew Congregations have made they have done what they could themselves to maintain felt in all the continents. Graduates the finest traditions of this great common- of the College have served congregations as far wealth-this is their home.

69 Section IV

Eastern Orthodox Church

Whose First Ohio Congregation Was Chartered In 1910

70 Eastern Orthodox

By Geo. H. Zoganas, D.D.

TOWARD the end of the 19th Century, large groups of Greeks 'left their homeland and migrated to the new world in search of new means of livelihood, and to help secure their future economically. A large percentage of these landed in New York, and many stayed there; others having a pioneering spirit went farther west and many settled in Ohio. After establishing themselves and finding jobs and homes, they felt a need for their church. Since practically all the Greeks are of the Eastern Orthodox Faith, they felt the need of a Greek priest in their community. In every city of any size, these groups of immi- grants organized into a Greek Community and rented various halls for their Church services. Visiting priests from New York and other eastern cities would perform church services and celebrate Mass many times during the year. As these communities grew larger they felt that they were able to support a full time priest. These large concentrations of Greeks were in the industrial centers of the state, such as Cleveland, Toledo, Youngstown, Canton, Greek Orthodox Church, The Evangelismos, Akron and Columbus. These communities rent- Columbus, erected in 1921, is on of the oldest ed more permanent meeting places, such as Greek Orthodox churches in Ohio. older churches vacated or not in use by other denominations, old Masonic Halls, etc. as the first permanent priest of the local parish. These first permanent priests who came to The chairman of the board of trustees was the these Ohio communities had also migrated late Angelo Freemas. from Greece. They were the missionaries of An initial contribution of $15,000 by the late the Greek Church in America. They were dele- Michael Bouzon, enabled the Columbus Com- gated with the double duty of teaching religion munity to purchase the land to build a church. and perpetuating the Greek language. A campaign was organized, money was donated Through their guidance, and the foresight by all the members and the present church was of the community leaders, lands were pur- built in 1921. The first service was held on Palm chased and Greek churches were built, most Sunday 1922. The church was dedicated on of them in the architecture of the old Byzantine August 19, 1934, by the Archbishop of North Empire, resembling the world famous St. and South America, Athenagoras, now the Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Constanti- Patriarch of Constantinople. nople. With the coming of the youth and its prob- Today there are 18 Greek Orthodox Church- lems, the Ohio Communities were faced with es in Ohio, with about 40,000 members. the problem of providing recreation halls and The Greek Orthodox Church in Columbus centers, for meetings, parties, athletics and all was founded at the start of this century, and types of social gatherings, in order to help keep meetings were held in various temporary the youngsters off the streets and make them quarters. By March 7, 1910, the Columbus good American citizens. Columbus is proud of community, the first in Ohio, was granted a its Community Center completed in 1951. It Charter by the State of Ohio and was known has facilities for athletics, arts, music, theater, as "Greek Orthodox Church, Evangelismos tis social gatherings, and administrative offices for Theotoku." the local church. It is also the meeting place of On March 1, 1913, the Columbus communi- the various Greek American Lodges, such as ty rented the old Masonic Temple at 186 South AHEPA, GAPA, Pan-Arcadian Federation, etc. Third Street, and so established the first perma- There are Community Centers in many of nent place of worship in Columbus. They the Ohio Cities, the latest being the one at then appointed the late Rev. Nathaniel Sideris, Toledo, which is being completed now.

71 I - -

Index

Pagge Page Introduction ------2 Evangelical and Reformed -- -- 36 "Importance of Religion in the Friends ------.- 38 History of Ohio" ----- 3 Churches of God ------40 .... 41 Foreword ------4 Church of God in Christ Jesus Church of God in Christ -- -- 41 SECTION I Church of God, Pentecostal - .... 42

Roman Catholic ------6 Lutheran ------43 Mennonite ------45 II SECTION Methodist ------47 Protestant African Methodist Episcopal - -- 49 A.M.E. Zion Church ------50 Advent Christian ------I Wesleyan Methodist ------51 Seventh-day Adventist ---- I Moravian ------. 52 Assemblies of God ----- IL3 Church of the Nazarene ------54 Baptist ------I[5 Church of the New Jerusalem 55 National Baptist Convention I17 19 Presbyterian ------56 Primitive Baptist ------I c United Presbyterian ------58 Seventh Day Baptist ---- 4

r22 Reformed 37 Church of the Brethren -- 'r4 Salvation Army ------59 Brethren in Christ -..---- 14 Spiritualist ------64 Christian Union ------1

r Latter Day Saints ------61 Church of Christ, Scientist - Universalist ------. 62 ,7'4 Congregational Christian - 426 Volunteers of America ------65 Community Churches --- 27 Disciples of Christ ----- 29 SECTION III

Churches of Christ ----- 30 Jewish ------.----- 67 Protestant Episcopal --- 31 SECTION IV Evangelical Mennonite --- 46 Evangelical United Brethren 34 Eastern Orthodox ------71

72