Lower Cumberland Church

The Gospel Messenger  No. 18, 1890 page 711 Vol. 28 No.45

The Lower Cumberland Church, Pa. —  Their late love-feast—History of the Congregation.

 I left my home in the morning of Oct. 23 to attend the love-feast of the Lower Cumberland church, Pa. On account of the rain I did not get there until Friday morning. The ministers present from other churches were brethren William Howe, George Winand, Jacob Hollinger, John Stamy, Cyrus Brindle, Albert Hollinger H. E. Light and J. H. Longanecker. The meeting was held in Mohler's meeting-house, on the farm that once belonged to Bro. Daniel Mohler. He was among the first deacons of the above church. The Annual Meeting of 1836 was held in his barn. There is no account given in the Revised Minutes of this meeting. This was the first Annual Meeting that I ever attended.

  I will also give a history of the Lower Cumberland church. Its first members, in Cumberland Co., Pa., were brethren Adam and Martin Brandt, and their companions. They came from Derry Township, Lancaster Co., now Dauphin County. In the year 1772 or '73 the first love-feast was held in the house of Adam Brandt, up-stair. About 1798 their ministers came from York and Lancaster Counties. They were George Petre, Henry Danner, Andrew Miller, Valentine Balsbaugh, and others. Adam Brandt was the first one chosen to the ministry, but he never served. In the year 1820 or 1821, John Zigler and Michael Mishler were elected to the ministry. A few years after, Bro. Zigler moved to Miami County, Ohio In 1823 Bro. Daniel Bollinger, a minister, moved here from Juniata County, Pa. The church was organized a few years afterwards, and Bro Bollinger was ordained as their elder. He served the church as elder about twenty-five years, and then moved to Lebanon County Pa, where he died Oct. 16, 1855.

  Bro. Rudolph Mohler was chosen to the ministry about 1832. He moved to Miami County Ohio, in 1842. In 1835 or 36 Bro. Adam Stoneberger was chosen to the ministry, but, a few years later, he moved to Miami County, Ohio. His widow, sister Stoneberger, is still living in Tippecanoe, Ohio. She is over ninety years old and blind. Bro. Daniel Hollinger was also chosen to the ministry. I do not know the year of his election, but, in 1849, he moved to the Upper Cumberland church where he was ordained as elder and where he also died. Five of his sons became ministers. George and Adam are dead; Daniel lives in Hope, Dickinson County, Kansas; Jacob is the elder of the Upper Cumberland church, Pa. John is at Dorrance, Russell County, Kansas, and is also an elder. Bro. Hollinger has two grandsons in the ministry,—Albert and Abram,—both living in the Upper Cumberland church, Pa

  Bro. Samuel Etter was chosen to the ministry about the time when Bro. Hollinger was elected. He served the church are elder for some time. David Hirst was chosen to the ministry in 1841. After Bro. Hollinger left, he was ordained. He died Sept, 15, 1863. Bro. Moses Miller was chosen to the ministry, May 4, 1849, was ordained about 1864, and died June 25, 1835. He Barred on the Standing Committee several times, and also on many other committees.

  Bro. Adam Beelman was chosen to the ministry May 29, 1851. He died several years ago. Brethren David Niesley and A. L. Bowman were chosen October, 1863. The former moved, in 1875, to Illinois, then to Douglas County, Kansas, where he died a few years ago.

  Bro. David Niesley has now the oversight of the church. Bro. Jacob Harnish was chosen in the fall of 1805, but moved, about ten years ago, to Dorrance, Kane, Bro. Cyrus Brindle was chosen in the spring of 1867, and in 1877 moved to the Upper Cumberland  church. Bro. John B. Garver, -- a minister,—moved into the congregation from the Aughwick church, Pa. about that time. Bro. B. F. Nickey was chosen May 25, 1871. He died a few years ago. He was the father of Amos J. Nickey, of Oakley, Macon Co., Illinois.

   Daniel Landis :was chosen in May, 1885; H. Beelman was. Chosen in the spring of 1837; Levi Mohler in the spring of 1889.

  My father, John Brindle, was baptized in the fall of 1818. In the summer of 1819 my mother and others were baptized by Bro. George Petre. From that time the church increased largely. Many have died and others have moved away; still they have a large membership.

John Brindle.

Meeting houses:

Boling Spring

Pleasant View

Mohler