The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-20
Every State in the Union Represented. and
Delegates from the Churches in Denmark
and Sweden in Attendance Now.
Another Branch OF the Church Holding
a Big Convention at Camden.
That Section Known Us "0ld Order" of Dunk
ards Gathering from All Points for Its
Annual Four bays Conference.


Thirty-One Head of Cattle and > 900 Loaves
Necessary to Fecd Them.
Special 10 the Indianapolis Journal
MUNCiE. Ind, May 19-Prosperous Mum
Gle has for her guests. this week and next.
n great gathering of members of the Ger
man Baptist or Dunkard Church, who are
holding their annual national meeting.
There are already several thousand of these
peculiar people In the city, and il is esti-
mated that there will be about twenty
Thousand Dunkards here by Sunday. The
meeting proper was to commence its seven
day session tonight. but the unexpected
crowd here yesterday caused the initial
meeting to be held to-day.
The address was made by Rev. j. ;.
Florey. of California. Regular services
Will now be conducted each morning.
afternoon and night The meetings are
being held at the Muncie fair grounds.
where large tabernacle with Q seating
capacity for 5000 has been constructed,
together with a dining hall that will seat
over 1000. Besides these q large lunch
stand and other public comfort buildings
have been erected TO accommodate the
wants of the brethren.
While nunkards are pecG liar enough In
their religious manners and habits, judg-
ing from the bill of fare they
are strong admirers of the inner man.
Thirfy-one head of fine cattle, which were
carefully fatteneG on corn. Will be slaugh-
tered during the meeting. Over twelve
hundred pounds of ham and five hundred
pounds of bologna will be eaten. The
breadstutf consists of five thousand loaves.
fifteen thousand buns one thousand pounds
of cakes and two hundred pounds of crack
ers; also. three Thousand pies. four hundred
pounds of coffee, l4l bushels of potatoes,
thirty-seven pounds of tea. one Thousand
pounds of butter. $50 dozen of eggs, thir-
teen hundred pounds or prunes. 375 pounds
OF cheese. seventy-tive boxes of oranges
and lemons. three hundred pounds or pea
nuts. two hundred pounds of stick candy.
sixteen barrels OF pretzels. 125 gallons of
applebutter and five hundred gallons of
milk. There are number of incidentGls
purchased not named In the above. The
cook handles his meat with pltchfork
and potates with scoop shovel.
THE SEXES DO NOT MIX.
, The Brethren" as they see fit to be
called. all wear the regulation broad
brimmed hat. The women's hcadQear is also
a hat The men greet each Other with a
kiss and cf.ress, but the sexes do not mix in
the oscule cory proceeding. On the contrary
they 20 to the other extreme, avoiding all
signs of familiarity. Every State in the
Union Is or will he represented at this
gathering, with representatives. from both
Denmark and sweden. Each church in the
United States must be represented by one
or more. The grounds and buildings are
beautifully lighted with electricity. and
electric cars pass the entrance gates
every two minutes. All the visitors board
ut the grounds. paying % cents Tor meals.
Several thousand beds were secured from
private families In the city. and they pay
81 per dav for these.
The tract committee. consisting of ID. l..
Miller. of Illinois; Samuel Hoover, of Ohio;
Daniel Hayse. of West virginia: j. ID.
Parker, OF Ohio: Samuel Book, of Ohio;
Enooh Eby. of Kansas; l.. w. Teeter. of In
diana. and Issac FrantZ, of Ohio, has been
In session all week. The dnty of this COM
mittee Is to examine all commune atoms
and decide whether they shall be given
space in the church paper. the Gospel Mes
senger. published by Mr.. Miller. at Mt.
Morris, Ill. This man Is recognized as
bright light. He has made three trips 10
Palestine and other parts of the old world
ia the interest of the church. The brethren
do not discriminate one above the other.
all being on the same level in the eyes of
the Lord. The brethren who arranged for
the meeting and are the most Impor tant
persons at this time are Lewis Hooke.
ID. +. Hoover j. +. Wellington. Henry
Diiling. Alexander Snyder, George L.
Studebaker, Isaac Branson and j. w.
Rsrick. No manuscript of any sort Is toll
y
the proceedings are kept
The faith and practice of the church are
not generally known OF well understood,
and they claim that the errors in books
which attempt TO describe them are lament
able and gross misrepresen tatioDs. They
deny the statement thaa they are celIbates.
dIscOuraging marriage. or that they do not
marry outside their own fraternity; that
they live in communities, anu like
wild assertions. Their organization grew
fr,ff hA ratf CIn "a " yCh rOh
occurred IN Germany during the closing
years of the seventeenth century, when
large numbers. becoming dissatisfied with
the lack of spirituality IN the state church,
withdrew from Its communion and met
together for the worship of God. They
were called Separatists, or Pietlsts and
among them were to be found such men as
jacob Philip Spencer. Herman Francke the
founder of the Orphans Home and School
at Halle), Earnst Christian HICKMAN. Alex
ander Mack. and many other pious men,
whose names have become historical. The
PIetists were bitterly prosecuted by the
Reformed and Catholic churches. and
were driven from place 10 place
until finally Count CsssimIr. of
Witgenstein opened place of refuge for
tho persecuted brethren IN his province.
Here. In the village of Schwartzenau.
Alexander Mack. and others similarly
minded. met together to read and study
Gods word. They mutually agreed TO 10y
aside all existing creeds. confessions of
faith, and catechisms and search for the
truth In Gods book alone. and. having
found it, to follow 1t wherever 1t might
lead. They were led TO adopt the New
Testament as their creed and 10 declare in
favor of "a literal observance of all the COM
mandments.
ORGANIZING THE CHURCH.
In 17OS a small company of only eight
souls repaired to the river Elder and were
buried with Christ" in baptism, three I'M
mersions being the mode used. The church
was then organized and Alexander Mack
was chosen as Its first minister.
However, he has never been re-
garded as the founder of the church.
In 17l9 they commenced emigratinR TO
America, and In less than ten years the
entire church found itself quietly settled
down in she vincinity of Germantown and
Philadelphia. From this on the church
grew and spread out. becoming vory num-
erous in Pennsylvania, Mary land. Virginia,
Ohio. Indiana. Illinois. Iowa. Missouri. Ne
braska and Kansas. They believe in future
rewards and punishments. but In the sub-
tleties of speculative theology the church
takes little interest They are In every
respect evangelical in their faith. and bap-
tisn is administered by tr.ns immersion.
Before partakiDg of the sacred Lords sup
per the religions rite of washing feet Is Oh
, served. In this tho sexes do not mix. AS
they are seated around the table the right
hand OF fellowship and the kiss of charity
are given. Love-feasts are held once or
twice year.
The church has a republican form OF