SIXTH SEMI-ANNUAL CONFERENCE

June, 1862

The members all assembled on Tuesday, June 3, 1862 in the Upper Milford Meeting House, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, namely:

Preachers: David Henning, J. Musselman, Wm. N. Shelly, A.W. Stauffer, Wm. Gehman, A. Kauffman, E. Hershey, A. Strawn, H. Diehl, J. Gottshalk.

Deacons: David Gehman, Joseph Schneider.

The morning began with a public worship service. Brother E. Hershey spoke about, “… Woe is me, if I preach not the the [sic] Gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16) and Brother D. Henning closed with an afterword and prayer.

Brother D. Henning, chairman of the last conference, opened the afternoon of the conference at the appointed time with singing, prayer and a short message to the conference.

W m. N. Shelly was elected as chairman and A. W. Stauffer as Secretary of the present conference.

The following preachers, Jonas Y. Schultz of Bucks County, Pennsylvania and Christian Peffly of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania (brother preachers of the United Brethren in Christ Society) were accepted as advisory members of the conference.

At the request of the Conference, W m. Gehman read the eighteen articles of the Doctrinal Confession of the Mennonites in Dortrecht, Holland, and they were closely examined in order to accept them if they appeared good. But, two articles, the 12th, “of Holy Matrimony,” and the 17th, “How the shunned and separated of our denomination are to be avoided,” were found to be somewhat too stern for our times. Finally the whole confession was laid aside and the New Testament accepted as rule and order enough for our Society.

RESOLVED: That the next conference shall be held in Haycock Meeting House in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, November 4, 1862.

Wm. N. Shelly Chairman

A. W. Stauffer Secretary