TWENTY-SECOND SEMI-ANNUAL CONFERENCE
June, 1870
Proceedings of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference
22nd Session
On Tuesday, June 7, 1870, the members of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference met in the new meeting house in Coopersburg, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, to take care of their semi-annual business. On the previous Monday night, a missionary meeting was held at which Brother Hershey preached with blessing about II Timothy 4:5, ” … make full proof of thy ministry.”
First Meeting
Tuesday, June 7, 1870 – Morning
In the morning, after reading the third chapter of Ezekiel, verses 17-18, “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel.,” etc. Brother William Gehman admonished and closed with prayer. Second Meeting Tuesday, June 7, 1870 – Afternoon The afternoon meeting was opened by the Chairman, William N. Shelly, by reading a portion of Scripture, singing and prayer, and a short address. All preachers and deacons were present. William Gehman was elected Chairman and David Gehman, Secretary.
1. The examination of the servants in regard to their administrative duties and moral conduct was carried out and concluded in brotherly love.
2. Brother Francis Miller, elected deacon of the Ironville22 congregation was accepted as an advisory member.
3. Brother Hershey gave an oral report of his three years of work and travel on his field in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, and surroundings. He reported that God had abundantly blessed His Word and spoken through his humble servant to the hearts of the listeners. When he arrived, there was no preacher, no worship service of any kind, and no Sunday School in the surrounding area. There was gambling, dancing and drinking in great amounts. Sunday was desecrated by more of the same. Now, Sunday Schools and prayer meetings, as well as open public worship services, are being held in schools and private homes. To God be the glory.
4. Because all of us have been deeply convinced for sometime about the necessity of doing more for the benefit and salvation of souls through our denomination and because many calls to preach at new places cannot be served under the present set-up, we gathered as one in the fear of God, talked over and discussed a travel plan. We felt it necessary to appoint to the field of evangelism two traveling preachers who should travel constantly. However, the question was: who gives himself of his own free will to do this? After every member had sincerely explained his spiritual, physical and earthly state of things, the following brethren volunteered: E. Hershey, William N. Shelly, Abel Strawn, and S. M. Musselman.
5. At the suggestion of Brother Hershey, a lot was cast, which after ardent prayer, fell to Abel Strawn and S. M. Musselman to be traveling preachers until the next Conference or even longer, as the conditions may be.
6. The Treasurer of the Mission Society reported a balance of $165.00
7. The old Mission Board with Brother Abraham Musselman as President, David Gehman as Secretary and Levi N. Shelly as Treasurer was re-elected.
8. RESOLVED: That the next Conference shall be held in the Upper Milford Meeting House of the Evangelical Mennonites on the first Tuesday of November which will be on the first day of the month and that on Monday evening a missionary meeting shall be held. 9. RESOLVED: That the above proceedings shall be made known in the Mennonitischen Friedens Bote.
William Gehman, Chairman
David Gehman, Secretary
22 Ironville, probably the same community as the previously mentioned Iron Hill. See page 62, paragraph 5.