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Archiver > BRETHREN > 2000-07 > 0962673103


From: Merle C Rummel <>
Subject: Re: Carolina Brethren/Universalism
Date: Mon, 03 Jul 2000 21:11:43 -0400
In-Reply-To: <001101bfe49e$d79e3a60$4eb8d6d1@bccsuec>


>
>I seek information about David and George Martin. David is listed as a
Brethren minister in SC. I believe that he and possibly George Martin may
have also served a congregation in present Gaston County, NC. Does anyone
have information on these people and documentation about their ministry.
>
>I am also interested in any other German Baptist ministers who may have
served in NC or SC during this time period -- prior to and shortly after
the American Revolution.
>
>I also seek information about what happened to two Brethren ministers:
Christopher Guiss, Guise, Guss, etc. and Philip Earhart, Earhard. Both
lived in present eastern Lincoln County, NC. They are documented Brethren
in Pennsylvania and apparently served a church called Killians Settlement
here.
>
>Finally, I seek information about a Rev. Henry Rhodes (Heinrich Roth). He
married Clara Hire and removed to NC sometime after the American
Revolution. He is listed as a Brethren minister here in NC in the 1800's
until his death prior to the Civil War. I suspect that he comes from the
Viriginia Brethren Roth/Rhodes family. I would like to have some proof.
"Sue F. Carpenter" <>

>
I'm interested in what you may find about the Carolina churchs. Dr Roger
Sappington wrote on the Carolina Brethren, but you are asking questions he
doesn't cover.

David Martin is a known son of George Adam Martin, the Beisselite minister
of Pennsylvania. George Adam Martin pastored at the Conowago Church, where
he became involved with Conrad Beissel -then he went to the Antietam, near
Waynesville PA, near where the Snowhill Cloisters were (Ephrata). He moved
on to Brother's Valley, Somerset Co PA (1764), where he caused considerable
confusion. He took trips to the Carolinas where he had children (I know
only of David).

David was a strong leader in the Carolinas. He died on the Broad River in
1796 I think it was. He taught Brethren Universalism/Restorationism -which
Annual Meeting condemned in 1798. Because David was already deceased, the
Ban was on "John H" -who was most likely John Hendricks. Elder John
Hendricks moved on to Warren Co Kentucky, and died on a trip to Kaskaskia
IL in 1813. The result of the ban -was the loss of all the churches in the
Carolinas. Many of the members moved to Kentucky, and carried their
Pietism, and their Universalism with them.

Christopher Guis was minister at the Catawba Congregation, and lived at
Middle Creek from 1756 to 1768, when he moved back to Virginia. Samuel
Sauders was minister there with him, and Lemuel Saunders is listed as an
Elder at the Long Creek Baptist Church (died 1795). This may be a Brethren
congregation, since we did not adopt the name "German Baptist" till 1830.
I do not see the name Earhardt in any of Sappington's list. Sappington
gives from Morgan Edwards' Baptist listing 1770, that Christopher Guss was
at the Shenadore Congregation (Shenandoah), Valley of Virginia.

My own ancestor was Conrad Kerns, minister at Crane Creek, Salisbury NC.
He served with his brother, John Kerns. James Hendricks was a minister
there also, but he moved up to Dutchman's Creek where John Hendricks is
listed.

Jacob Stutzman and Michael Pfoutz are listed as ministers at Ewarry Creek,
Randolph Co NC (c1764). Jacob was the one who brought the attention of
Annual Meeting to the teachings of David Martin and John Hendricks on
Universalism. In 1801, he moved to the Beech Creek Church, Shelby Co KY,
then about 1805 to the Olive Branch Church in Clark Co IN.

Dutchman's Creek was at the forks of the Yadkin, in Davie Co NC. Its
preachers included the Hendricks brothers, and Gaspar and Joseph Rowland.
These went to several of the Kentucky Churches: John Hendricks to Drakes
Creek Church, Warren Co; James Hendricks to Hinkston Creek, Montgomery Co;
Joseph Rowland to Bourbon Co; and possibly Gaspar Rowland (at least his
son) to the Drakes Creek Church, Bowling Green.

the Fraternity Church, Winston Salem NC is still in existence. Its
ministers were John Burkhart, Jacob Pfau and a John Tanner/Danner?.

the Beaver Creek Church, on the Santee River, Newberry Co SC lists David
Martin as its minister, with John Pearson and Giles Chapman also ministering.

the Edisto Congregation, which I know was southeast in South Carolina, but
other than that I haven't located (Long Creek, Cattle Creek) lists Elijah
Patchet as minister.

There are other Brethren Communities, some of them being 7th Day (Ephrata)
and most of them being mixed Dunker Brethren and 7th Day Brethren. There
was not that much difference in the Pietist Dunker Brethren, and the
Pietist 7th Day Brethren (Beisselites).

Restitutionism (ak Brethren Universalism) was a Pietist belief, held at the
time by most of the Brethren. It was just a matter of degree. God loves
his people, therefore, they will go to heaven. They may go through a type
of pergatory, to burn out the evil ways before they can go on to heaven.
This is a Christian Universalism, and not todays Unitarian Universalism.
But again -its just a matter of degree. The Anabaptists did not accept it
-and Annual Meeting accepted Restitutionism, but rejected Universalism.

I find various Brethren preachers, and preacher's children, in Kentucky,
Ohio and Indiana who preached Universalism. Some remained Brethren, others
became preachers in the Universalist Church. Many of our early churches of
Ohio and Indiana have divisions in their families, with part of the family
leaving the Brethren and helping start Universalist Churches. (This was
separate from the Great Revival/Disciples of Christ dispute, c1826.)

Merle C Rummel
Church Historian

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