The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1947-09-25

with the story of the Stone Church
along the Western Pike" l told brief
ly of the highly successful ministry at
that place of the Rev. Philip William
Otterbein. Shortly after this story
was published, l received informa-
ton from Rev. ]. B. Reed, of Han
over, but formerly of Hagerstown,
calling my attention to the fact that
there is much more to be said about
the Reverend Otterbein. It seems
that Reverend Otterbein was the hui
name founder of the first American
born Church. Quoting from this cor
respondence: "Otterbein found Geet-
ing in Keedysville, and Geeting
with Otterbein and others) found
ed the first Church of the United
Brethren in Christ "
Reverend Reed referred me to
Rev. Paul E. Holdcraft, of HagerS-
town, to whom l am grateful for
much additional information on this
subject. Rev. Holdcraft served as
pastor from 1916 to 1920 in Keedys-
vile, where the United Brethren
Church erected its first building.
Rev. Holdcraft has written histories,
including Souvenir and History of
the Keedysville Church, in which he
said, TT is indeed difficult to gather
fragments of history together after
a century and half have passed.
The fathers were too busy making
history to write history"
In 1852, just a little before the
famed surveyors, Mason and Dixon
described in this column last week.
arrived in America, young man of
twenty-six was sent as a missionary
from Germany, by the Reformed
Church Thus Philip William Otter
bein appeared in America, where his
influence was to be felt for centur-
les. He was sent to help minister
to the 10000 German people then in
the New World, but he has min
istered to the whole world.
Otterbein was born in 1926, in
Dillenburg, Germany, the son of a
minister, John Daniel Otterbein.
Philip and his five brothers all had
the advantage of a college and sem
mary education, and all became
outstanding ministers. Recorded
history has this to say about the
character of Philip: "a young man
Of excellent furnishings, a good
scholar, a fine thinker and an able
preacher and a Jealous missionary"
After Otterbein arrived in Amer
lea he began his work as pastor of
the church in Lancaster. For the
next twenty-five years, he was heard
in nearly every church of the Ger
man Reformed faith throughout
Pennsylvania and Maryland, includ-
ing the time he spent at our own
St. PauPs along the Western Pike.
Otterbein'S ministry was very eff
fective; he soon acquired large and
widespread following. Desiring to
do away with formality that was
lacking in Spirit, Otterbein founded
the new United Brethren denomina-
ton in 1900. Associated with him in
this part of the work were Martin
Boehm, described as a Jealous Men
MONTE minister" and Christian
Newcomer, of Lancaster, and George
Adam Geeting, of Keedysville.
Since that time, the United Breth-
rem Church has had long and hon
orable record of growth and ser
vice. Today it covers America with
churches and mission stations; has
missionaries in Japan, China, Africa,
the Philippines and many other
places. It has founded six colleges,
besides several other types of
schools; a number of hospitals and
other institutions, such as our near
by Orphanage and Home at Quincy,
Pa. The Otterbein Press, huge
modern plant, doing a tremendous
business, is known far and wide.
Closely connected with Otterbein
and the beginning of the United
Brethren Church, was another his
torical character, who lived nearly
all of his life in our own community.
This was George Adam Geetlng.
Oddly enough, Geeting was born not
far from the birthplace of Otterbein,
in Nassau, Prussia. Geeting too re-
ceived a good education, though not
so extensive as Otterbein's. At an
early age, he decided to come to
America.
Geeting landed in America at Bal
timore, where he was befriended by
the Snively family. With them, he
iourneyed westward through Fred
erick, crossed South Mountain at
Turner's Gap, and settled on the
Little Antietam Creek"
Geeting was a man of great in
dustry. Besides keeping his own