The Fiftieth Anniversary of the First Evangelical United Brethren Church, 1906-1956 by Fred B. Hamilton The Church Extension Board of the Miami Conference, meeting at Dayton in January, 1905, decided to start an English speaking mission at Hamilton, Ohio, because several of the churches in Hamilton, including the only United Brethren Church, held most services in German, and because 57 United Brethren from Millville, Georgetown, and New Haven churches resided in Hamilton.

United Brethren, Dick & Park Avenues, Visitor's Day, circa 1925

Thus in the summer of 1905 a group of Christian laymen gathered in the old Grace Methodist Episcopal building on North "C" Street. Under the guidance of the Rev. A. K. Weir, pastor of the Millville United Brethren Church, a Sunday School was organized. As the movement grew, the Rev. Harvey Witters set to work among this group and served as the first Sunday School Superintendent.

Apparently this was a fertile field for Christian endeavor, because in the same year the Miami Annual Conference took note of this work. They commissioned the Rev. E. E. Saul to establish a church in the community, to better satisfy the expressed need for additional religious services. In order to implement the commission given Rev. Saul by the annual conference, a double lot was purchased at the corner of Park and Dick Avenues. The Miami Conference Church Extension Society provided the necessary $1,500.

The church was partially supported as a mission enterprise by the Conference Church Extension Society, the Conference Endeavor Union, and the Annual Conference. This was to continue for a little over 20 years. In recent years church dignitaries have expressed their opinion that this location is unsurpassed by any church in the Miami Conference.

By November, 1905, a few months after the purchase of this property, a wooden tabernacle had been erected. It was occupied November 19, 1905, but before Rev. Saul could accomplish his mission in Hamilton, he was called to another charge.

Dr. G. P. Macklin was the Presiding Elder of the conference. To him we owe much of the credit for providing the forceful leadership needed.  The church had its first formal organization on July 23, 1906 during the pastorate of the Rev. Charles A. Guimere. The church was named the First English United Brethren Church to distinguish it from other United Brethren Churches in which German was spoken. Later the word English was dropped from the name.

The official documents listed 22 charter members. Fortunately two of them are still active: George Remp and Charles Molter. Both were members of the Board of Trustees in 1907 and have continued to hold important posts in our church government. Mr. Molter has served on the Board of Trustees continuously since 1907.

The congregation soon felt the need of a more permanent structure. Under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Guimere, plans were made for a new church edifice. It was considered expedient at that time to build only the educational plant. The auditorium was to be built later. Building of the educational plant was begun by Sims and Benzing early in 1908. The failing health of the pastor forced his replacement by the Rev. M. I. Comfort.

The cornerstone of this building was layed on May 31, 1908 by Dr. H. H. Fout, then editor of Sunday School Literature and later a bishop. This new Sunday School Building was dedicated December 20, 1908 bv Dr. W. R. Funk, the United Brethren Publishing Agent. Various estimates of the cost range from $13,500 to $16,000.

In August, 1919 the congregation felt the need of a suitable parsonage. The church purchased the house on the southwest corner of Rhea and Progress Avenues at a cost of $4,600. Interest was paid by F. B. Yingling until the mortgage was paid ten years later. The Rev. 0. 0. Arnold was the first pastor to live in the new parsonage.

On January 18, 1926, during the pastorate of the Rev. E. S. Comrey, the mortgage on the Sunday School Building was paid.

Several minor changes and additions were made from time to time. The most important of these occurred during the pastorate of the Rev. E. C. Petry when the building was partially modernized by the installation of doors dividing the classrooms. The mortgage on the parsonage was burned April 11, 1929.

The Rev. E. H. Nichols' pastorate occurred at a time when the church was recovering from the depression. There was little opportunity for financial advancement although spiritual gains were made.

The 25th Anniversary of the church was held December 10, 1933. At that time 12 of the original 22 charter members remained.

It was the church's good fortune to be assigned a young, energetic pastor in 1934 in the person of the Rev. E. D. Bragg. His initiative and ingenuity resulted in many advances of the church and culminated in the erection of the new sanctuary.

Previous to 1935 all efforts to raise a fund for a new building had resulted in use of this money for necessary repairs. It was then decided to limit the use of this new effort toward a new building only. By March, 1941, the amount in the fund was over $4,200.

In the same month a new financial system allocated $1,000 of a budget of $5,300 to the new building fund and established a single financial appeal. Pledges for the New Building Fund were the only exception.

Another significant milestone occurred June 27, 1943, when the Congregational Church of Hamilton merged with ours.

As the fund grew various building designs were considered. In January, 1944, Ralph R. Orr was asked to draw plans for a suitable addition. When this was accomplished a financial campaign was launched in February, 1946, with a goal of $70,000.

On June 21, 1946, the fortieth anniversary was held. The membership then stood at about 500 and the fund at $27,000.

As early as 1933 negotiations had been begun between the United Brethren and the Evangelical Denomination which resulted in the merger 13 years later, November 16, 1946. The new denomination had at that time a membership of nearly 700,000 in the United States and Canada with 125,000 in the mission fields abroad. There were about 4,700 churches and 3,500 ministers.

After launching the financial campaign for $70,000 in 1946, the building could not be begun immediately because of increasing prices. Another campaign was needed.  In November, 1948, another campaign was undertaken but pledges were insufficient. Bids were taken and rejected. Feeling it would be years before building would be possible, a new Moeller "Artiste" organ was bought and dedicated October 9, 1949. Feeling more confident, the congregation voted to let a $115,000 contract and ground-breaking was held a week later.

January 1, 1950, we began a new year by laying the cornerstone of our semi-gothic structure. It was designed to provide room for recreation, a suitable stage, a play room and nursery, pastor's study, church office, and modernized sanitary facilities. However, the most needed and important feature was, of course, the sanctuary.
Dedicatory services were held by Bishop A. A. Clippinger, December 17, 1950. Total indebtedness at the time construction began was $50,000. As of May 1, 1956, indebtedness was $16,500.

In the spring of 1953 Rev. Bragg was assigned to the Euclid Avenue Church in Dayton and Dr. John A. Clippinger was transferred from a Lynn, Mass. church to the First E. U. B. Since the church years did not coincide, the Rev. Robert Copeland supplied our pulpit for the summer.

In 1954 it became necessary to hold two  worship services each Sunday morning . The church membership at last report was 760. The budget has been increased from $14,000 in 1950-51 to over $30,000 today.

 © 2000 by the Butler County Historical Society