Morning My Fellow List Members, Please be forewarned that this email is a lengthy one and therefore has been split into three portions. The "story" is based upon observations made by myself over a period of time and pertains to Elder Miller of the Miami Valley of Ohio. It will discuss in a purely historical context the possible roots of his theological training and from where they may have originated. I wish to point out one interesting entry that most people may or may not be aware of. And this is of interest to me, and some who wish to remain silent, because of my interest in early history of Bedford county, Pennsylvania and Montgomery county, Ohio. This also in a small part impacts the history of the early church in both the Carolinas, Virginia and western Pennsylvania. I am not the person to tell it, not coming from a purely academic strata of society, but nonetheless it should be told. Many of us of the Miami Valley of Ohio are aware, as related in the 1920 Southern District of Ohio book, that there was some problem relating to the Brethren of that region. It is specific in the region covered, at that time Montgomery county, but not as to the why. Those Brethren just loved to say nothing! We are left enough of their words to discern that the "unrest and dissent" was specifically between "namely Jacob Miller and David Ulrich and Johannes Greib". It was agreed by all parties involved that a committee of Elders from Virginia should be called for, likely thru a letter to Annual Meeting, to assist in settling the matter. What was the problem? We cannot say with any certainty what the problems are so we are therefore left to speculate. It is my belief that Elder Jacob Miller was a Pietist of the style most reminiscent of the earliest Brethren. This would in some camps be referred to as Frontier Brethren but even later are more aptly named the Far Western Brethren and can be termed as descendants in thought of the Pietists. As has been pointed out, the Frontier and Far Western Brethren primarily come from the Southern states and more on this later in my diatribe. Meanwhile Elders Grieb and Ulrich were what we can term as Annual Meeting Brethren and came from Bedford county, Pennsylvania. Where did Elder Miller possibly obtain his differing views on church polity? If our summations are correct about Elder Miller he was raised not in Franklin county, Pennsylvania but instead comes from that area of Pennsylvania influenced by the activities of Elder George Adam Martin. This assumption is based on Miller's brother, Tobias, being represented in the lists of the Coventry church as well as being married to one of the daughters of Christian Brower of the same church. Logically then Elder Jacob Miller did, at some time in his life, live in that region of Pennsylvania covered by the Coventry and Conestoga churches. And we cannot forget either the impact of Ephrata into this equation. Let us assume that Cooper was correct when he related to Merle that he had seen, written into an old church volume, that Elder Miller was raised to the Eldership by Martin while at the Stony Creek church of Brothers Valley. There is no proof as to the accuracy of this statement but in light of the activities that can be documented about Elder Miller there is the distinct possibility of this occurring. Remember, Elder Martin with many other Brethren from the Coventry and Conestoga churches, moved into the Conococheague and Antietam congregations in the mid-1740s. He, Elder Martin, then moved on into Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, before eventually moving into what became Bedford county and even later Somerset county. And those interested in Pennsylvania history really should read and study the list of attendees at the Redstone Meeting of 1768. This list of attendees impacts German Baptist history. Wayne Webb

I"interested in theBrower family- .They woulf have been from Virginia to the Carolinas one brother( his naneISSUM BROWERor ISHUM BROWER)he married a Cherokee indian by the name if ELVIRIA. Wll be interested in hearing from some oneTherewere 3 brothers who came from Germany with their dad....they were German Baptist Thanks Martha Brower Fenner 1 of 3) > Morning My Fellow List Members, > > Please be forewarned that this email is a lengthy one and therefore has > been split into three portions. The "story" is based upon observations > made by myself over a period of time and pertains to Elder Miller of the > Miami Valley of Ohio. It will discuss in a purely historical context the > possible roots of his theological training and from where they may have > originated. > > I wish to point out one interesting entry that most people may or may > not be aware of. And this is of interest to me, and some who wish to > remain silent, because of my interest in early history of Bedford county, > Pennsylvania and Montgomery county, Ohio. This also in a small part > impacts the history of the early church in both the Carolinas, Virginia > and western Pennsylvania. I am not the person to tell it, not coming from > a purely academic strata of society, but nonetheless it should be told. > > > > Many of us of the Miami Valley of Ohio are aware, as related in the > 1920 Southern District of Ohio book, that there was some problem relating > to the Brethren of that region. It is specific in the region covered, at > that time Montgomery county, but not as to the why. Those Brethren just > loved to say nothing! > > > > We are left enough of their words to discern that the "unrest and > dissent" was specifically between "namely Jacob Miller and David Ulrich > and Johannes Greib". It was agreed by all parties involved that a > committee of Elders from Virginia should be called for, likely thru a > letter to Annual Meeting, to assist in settling the matter. What was the > problem? We cannot say with any certainty what the problems are so we are > therefore left to speculate. > > > > It is my belief that Elder Jacob Miller was a Pietist of the style > most reminiscent of the earliest Brethren. This would in some camps be > referred to as Frontier Brethren but even later are more aptly named the > Far Western Brethren and can be termed as descendants in thought of the > Pietists. As has been pointed out, the Frontier and Far Western Brethren > primarily come from the Southern states and more on this later in my > diatribe. Meanwhile Elders Grieb and Ulrich were what we can term as > Annual Meeting Brethren and came from Bedford county, Pennsylvania. > > > > Where did Elder Miller possibly obtain his differing views on church > polity? If our summations are correct about Elder Miller he was raised > not in Franklin county, Pennsylvania but instead comes from that area of > Pennsylvania influenced by the activities of Elder George Adam Martin. > This assumption is based on Miller's brother, Tobias, being represented in > the lists of the Coventry church as well as being married to one of the > daughters of Christian Brower of the same church. Logically then Elder > Jacob Miller did, at some time in his life, live in that region of > Pennsylvania covered by the Coventry and Conestoga churches. And we > cannot forget either the impact of Ephrata into this equation. > > > > Let us assume that Cooper was correct when he related to Merle that he > had seen, written into an old church volume, that Elder Miller was raised > to the Eldership by Martin while at the Stony Creek church of Brothers > Valley. There is no proof as to the accuracy of this statement but in > light of the activities that can be documented about Elder Miller there is > the distinct possibility of this occurring. > > > > Remember, Elder Martin with many other Brethren from the Coventry and > Conestoga churches, moved into the Conococheague and Antietam > congregations in the mid-1740s. He, Elder Martin, then moved on into > Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, before eventually moving into what became > Bedford county and even later Somerset county. And those interested in > Pennsylvania history really should read and study the list of attendees at > the Redstone Meeting of 1768. This list of attendees impacts German > Baptist history. > > > > Wayne Webb > > ------------------------ > Search the Archives at http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/BRETHREN > ------------------------ > Support Our Sponsoring Agency > The Fellowship Of Brethren Genealogists (FOBG) > For further information contact Ron McAdams mailto:McAdamsr@hotmail.com > ------------------------ > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > BRETHREN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >