The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-01
A GROWING CHURCH.
The United Brethren in Christ Who
Seek to Establish Church in
This City.
It Has Membership Of 100000,
Thirteen Colleges and a Theo-
logical Seminary.

The application made to the school
board by Rev. Samuel E. Shull on behalf
Of the United Brethren, who desire to buy
the old Pierce school property. was the
initial step toward establishing a new de-
nomination in Minneapolis. Mr.. Shull
will repeat his proposition to- the board
next Monday. II the boards reply is
satisfactory, an old school building in Fill
more street. between Spring and Summer
streets. on the East Side. will be trans
formed into the first local church Of the
United Brethren in Christa
These Brethren in Christ are to be dis
tinguished from the Moravian church.
which is known simply as the United
Brethren. The United Brethren in Christ
are an offshoot5of the Reformed church of
Germany and resemble the Methodists in
many respects In government the
Brethren occupy middle ground between
the Methodists and the Congregational
lists. There are four bishops elected by
the Brethren; yet. strictly speaking, the.
denomination recognizes but one clerical
order. The doctrine Of the Brethren is
closely related to that of Wesley's follow
ers. ..1.E. u- go. r. .f..5@ -. p
Although no church of the United Breth-
rem now exists In either Minneapolis or
ST.. Paul. the organization is both large
and prosperous. 1t includes no less than
100000 members. Their chief strong
holds are In Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Maryland and Virginia, but
churches of the Brethren are found in
several states west Of the Rocky noun
tains and In all other sections of the .coun-
try. Even Minnesota had: two years ago,
forty three churches and fifty-one Sunday
schools belonging to the United Brethren
in Christ. tsa
The founder of this. denomination was
William Otterbein, a missionary of the
German Reformed church. who was sent
to Pennsylvania about 1850, under the
auspices of the Dutch Reformed church
Otterbein labored long among the Penn
SYLVIA Germans. He did not approve all
the tenets of the Reformed church, but he
sought, like many founders of new sects,
to alter an existing institution rather than
to build up a new one. It was after he
had taken charge Of g. church at Freder-
lex, Md, that his influence became most
effective. Yet when he died. in 1872. he
was still accounted a son of the Reformed
church. g..
AS early as 1900. however, his adherents
had begun to associate themselves in
separate body. formed largely of Pennsyl-
vania Germans. These United Brethren,
as they came to be known. We're not only
Germans with the conservative spirit of
their race but they used the German Ian
guage in their worship and deliberations
When, some years later, the English Ian
gua8e was adopted and other nationalities
We're received into the faith the new
church began to grow with marked rapid
ity. The first enrolment. in 1885, showed
total Of 10000 members The church
now has thirteen colleges and a theological
seminary.
Rev Samuel E. shull, who is now unit
Ing the local Brethren came last October
| from Dayton, Ohio, where he had been
graduated by the church seminary. He
| had also been active in pastoral work a t
Dayton. In 1895 he completed his studies
at Otterbein college, Columbus. Ohio. He
! and his family are now living at 1886
| Pleasant avenue.