Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-10-10
DR.. DUBS, AGAIN A
BISHOP, SERVES IN
MINISTRY SO YEARS
Evangelical Churchman One of
the Most Picturesque Charae-
ters in the Country

most nicturesuue ministers in this
city and State, If not in the United
States.
on April 81. of this year, the Bishop
had been in the ministry Just nlty
eight years And throughout those
ffty-eight years he has built up a
reputation as a stirring orator, man
of rare abilities and noted theo-
Logan such as might be the envy OF
any man.
Picturesque Career
Rudolph Dubs was born near
Wornes in the Palahuate, Germany
NAV 81. 1897. The family has the
history of the Dubs' family as far
back as the fourteenth century. Az
that time their ancestors were among
the followers of Huss.
The young Rudolph came TO inns
country with his father in the ran OF
1852. His mother died the hrst night
they were on the vessel sailing from
Havre. France, to New YORK.
Father and son went to Stephenson
county, Illinois, about thirteen nhles
north of Freeport, where some olo
acmaintances from Germany had set
tied.
In the old home the system of pub
lie training and instruction was al
vided into three schools. the highest
one answering to our high school. me
subject of this sketch absolVed al
three. A few weeks after the family S
arrival here, Rudolph started In school
and as he had studied English In the
old country, got along well.
Religiously he was raised in the
United Protestant Church and taught
the Heidelberg Catechism and con-
frmed in that faith After his con-
: version he united with the Evangeli-
cal, to which he belongs now.
Into Wild Country
In the Fall of 1855 he became a
licentiate of the ministry and April
90 1876. he was received by the ILL
no,s Conferences into the active minis
trv and assigned to a large charge
near Freeport. In the Spring of 1857
he was sent across the MISSISSIPPI as
n missionary to labor among the Ger
mans of Iowa. His mission was cailed
Dubuuue Mission, but it extended to
much territory In 1858 he preached
regularly at Cedar Rapids, Lisbon,
otter Creek, Brandon, lndependence'
Under his supervision the ENangell-
cal Church at Independence was erect
cd which was the second of the de-
nomination in Iowa. Next year ne
was sent to Grandview, the Oldest ana
best charge in Iowa. The spring OF
1860 was an important epoch IN ms
life. All the missions west OF the
Mississippi in Iowa, Minnesota, Ne
braska, Missouri and Kansas were
originated into n separate annual con-
ference. He was sent to Kansas to
look up the Germans. With horse ana
buggy he made his way through Iowa
and Missouri to Humboldt, Kansas.
No missionary had been sent hither
Inv the church The border war was
raging. The fight was to make Kansas
a free State. Here he helped with
General. afterwards senator, Lane,
Colonel Montgomery, the famous John
Brown and others. This was the year
of great drought A large sum of
money and much provision were sent
which he distributed among the needy
settlers regardless of name or church
fellowship.
Stayed Out of Politics
He could have had the nomination
to the Legislature. was urged by Gen
eral Lane and others to enter the po-
litical field, but remained a simple
minister of the Gospel. He built the
church in Humboldt, the first church
of his denomination in Kansas. The
following year he was stationed IN
Leavenworth, Kas Here he erected
the second church of his denomination
in Kansas.
In the Spring of 1862 he was elect
ed as travelling agent by the trustees
of the proposed college at Plaintield.
Ill The second year he was made
general agent. He labored very sue
cussfully so that the college was given
a fine start.
In 1864 he resigned after having
been
agent. He was next chosen presiding
elder and stationed on Des Moines dis
trict This comprised a large terri
tory, over which he travelled by horse
and buggy. His self-denial was very
great He had a number of remark
able escapes from death during this
period of his career.
BY his literary productions he at
tracted the attention of the leading
men OF the church, so that at the Cen
IL.
in 1857 he was elected sole editor of
the Christliche Botschafter, the Ger
man organ of the church the oldest,
largest and at that time the most
widely circulated Protestant religious
paper in the country. He was re-
elected in 1871. Under his editorship
the Bots rfter increased about 5000
in its circulation.
Bishop at 80
After eight years literary service in
his position as editor, the General
Conference in Philadelphia in 1875
elected him bishop at the age of 3S.
In this capacity he served the church
twenty-seven years. A law of the
church prevented his further re-elec-
ton in 1902. He is now editor of the
Zeitschrift and breaches as often as
his other duties permit. He was
member of General Conference since
1863 and identified with missionary
and educational interests. In connec-
ton with Mr.. Morris Seminary, in Illi-
nois and the Seminary of the Cove
nanter Presbyterian at Grandview,
Iowa, he enjoyed further educational
advantages. BY private Arrangement
he took the theological course of Lane
Seminary. His intimate relations with
the famous Christlieb of the Univer-
sitv of Bonn and other theological
professors of the schools of Germany
led him into the realm of theology
and sognate studies. There is no Ger
man theology of note with which he is
not acquainted. OF the older German
divines, DIR. Lauge, the famous author
of great work of Christian dog
matics, whom he knew personally, ex-
ertcd the greatest influence upon him
Among the English American divines
he holds that the sainted DIR. Charles
Hodge has produced the profoundest
work on systematic theology. OF
course, he is devoted to Arminian the
ology. as that in its principle teach
ing. is the doctrine of his Church.
Small wonder it is. in view of these
things, that the opinion of Bishop
Dubs is eagerly sought in all matters