F O R E W O R D

      The introduction and chapters printed here constitute the keynote address and seven papers presented 15 June 1985 at the fourteenth Rose Hill Seminar. From 1963 through 1982 those Seminars were held at Rose Hill, then the home of Dr. Homer Rosenberger. After his death they have continued as annual events at Wilson College, Chambersburg.

      Dr. Robert F. Curtis, of the Wilson faculty, chaired the committee of eight persons who planned and executed the 1985 version on the theme "Religious Leaders." The other seven represented various co-sponsors of the Seminar: Nancy Besch and Dr. Robert Crist, the college; Dr. John Frantz, Pennsylvania Historical Association; Francis Rosenberger, the Pennsylvania Junto; Dr. Louis Waddell, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission; Paul Blubaugh, the Waynesboro Historical Society; and Jean Rosenberger, her late husband.

      PHA and the Seminar Committee are aware that papers on other important Pennsylvania religious leaders should be written and the work be made available to readers. It is to be hoped that the topic will be the subject of future conferences and Association publications.

      If such papers are to be written and published, it will be because authors such as those whose papers are printed here continue to be content with psychic income and because organizations such as the Pennsylvania Historical Foundation which helped to pay the printer's bill, continue their support. -- RGC. [3]

JOHN WINEBRENNER. From an illustration in C. H. Forney's History of the Churches of God (Harrisburg: 1914.)

John Winebrenner: Founder,
Reformer, and Businessman

J. Harvey Gossard
Findlay, Ohio

      John Winebrenner was the type of person who is given only a few sentences in the average textbook on American church history. It is usually noted that he was a revivalist, a German Reformed preacher, the founder of the Church of God, and the holder of certain unique theological views.

      It is the purpose of this paper to explore in more detail three important aspects of John Winebrenner's life, with the hope that the reader will become better acquainted with the vibrant life and varied activities of this nineteenth century Pennsylvania religious leader. The paper begins with a review of his role in the founding of the Church of God movement, continues with a study of his reform activities in regard to anti-slavery movement, and concludes with the story of his enterprise as a business person.

D E N O M I N A T I O N A L     F O U N D E R

      Like most founders of religious movements, John Winebrenner did not consciously set out to form a new religious body. There was no sudden break, but a series of occurrences between 1823 and 1830 that resulted in Winebrenner's and five other's organizing the first "Eldership of the Church of God" in 1830. These occurrences included a local church dispute, his theological transformation, and the need to establish a system of cooperation among the churches that resulted from his revival activity.

A     L O C A L     C H U R C H     D I S P U T E

      In April, 1823, John Winebrenner arrived at the Salem German Reformed Church on Chestnut Street in Harrisburg to find the doors locked against him by the vestry and a large crowd gathered outside. Not being able to gain entrance, he took those who would follow him to the banks of the Susquehanna River a few blocks away and there held a service near the grave of John Harris. This event was the climax of a rift that had been growing between the pastor and some of the leading families of the congregation for several years. It was the event that Church of God historians would later note as the symbolic start of the Church of God movement. [87]

      Winebrenner had first arrived in Harrisburg to become the pastor of a four-point German Reformed charge. He was to preach in Harrisburg every two weeks, at Wenrick's (near present day Linglestown) every four weeks, at Shoop's (near the present day Colonial Park Exit of Interstate 83) every four weeks, and at the Salem Church in Cumberland County (now the Historic Peace Church) every two weeks.

      Winebrenner was only twenty-three at the time and single; he had recently completed his theological studies under Dr. Samuel Helffenstein in Philadelphia. He was fluent in both German and English and had studied Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. His early ministry seemed to go well. He established a Sunday School at the Harrisburg church and started raising money for a new church building. Completed in August, 1822, it is still standing at the southwest corner of Chestnut and Third Streets.

      When the Synod held its annual meeting in September, 1822, a formal list of ten complaints was brought against the pastor by the vestry. A committee was appointed to effect a reconciliation; but while both sides promised to compromise, the situation grew worse over the winter months until the vestry locked Winebrenner out in the spring of 1823.

      The complicated list of charges and counter charges is too long to discuss in detail here, but several general disagreements are evident. First, there was a difference of opinion about the functions of the pastor and vestry. Winebrenner had made a number of decisions traditionally reserved for the vestry in Harrisburg, particularly concerning the election of officers and dismissal of members. Secondly, a number of persons were upset with his preaching at other churches, especially at Methodist pulpits. They were also upset that he had asked ministers not ordained by the German Reformed Church to occupy their pulpit. Third, some members were offended by the more revivalistic trends in his worship services, particularly the noise and confusion. They were especially upset at his long prayer and experience meetings. Reportedly one had gone to four in the morning, at which time he had remarked "this is the way to fan the chaff from the wheat." Fourth, there was a long list of alleged intemperate outbursts, slights, and derelictions of duty.

      Additional attempts were made at reconciling the vestry and Winebrenner after the lock-out, but the result was only a lot of parliamentary maneuvering over who had the right to vote, with the proponents of either side walking out when it looked like the other [88] party would win. The vestry called a new pastor, Albert Helffenstein, who began his duties on March 24, 1824. Both sides had appealed to denominational judicatories, and in 1825 the Synod sided with the vestry. The other three churches on the circuit also dismissed him sometime before the end of 1826. In 1828, after Winebrenner refused to meet with the committee investigating the charges against him, the Synod dropped his name from its rolls.

T H E O L O G I C A L     T R A N S F O R M A T I O N

      In the mid-1820's Winebrenner began a theological transformation that made any hope of his staying in the denomination an impossibility. It would be 1830 before this transformation was complete.

      There were five key areas of belief that comprised the greater part of his new theological outlook. The basic foundation of all his theology was that he believed "The Bible . . . to be the word of God, a revelation from God to man, and the only authoritative rule of faith and practice." This was not a new belief, for the very phrases can be found in the doctrinal writings of many Christian leaders and groups. Yet in applying this principle he left little or no place for tradition. He would not allow the use of "human" inventions such as creeds, catechisms, rituals, or a book of discipline; believing the Bible to be the only authoritative work that God intended the church to have.

      The second key belief was that regeneration, or being born again, was always necessary for a person to be a Christian and a church member. Thus, the Christian faith was rooted in experience as well as in the Bible. This emphasis on experiential regeneration led naturally to the third key belief, the essential free moral agency of mankind to repent, believe, and be saved. Here Winebrenner was refusing to accept the Reformed doctrines of predestination, providence, and perseverance.

      The fourth theological transformation had to do with the sacraments, and this was the most complicated and personally the most difficult. It was through his association with other religious groups in camp meetings that his views on baptism and the Lord's supper were challenged, and be became acquainted with the practice of feetwashing. Exactly when Winebrenner substituted the term "ordinance" for "sacrament" is not known, but it is clear that he gave up the idea of grace being conferred in these acts and made them purely symbolic. [89]

      He baptized several persons by immersion in 1826, although he was not fully convinced of its rightness until several years later. Finally, in 1830 he himself was baptized by immersion in the Susquehanna by Jacob Erb, a United Brethren in Christ minister. On that occasion he preached a sermon on baptism that has become the denomination's definitive statement on the subject. In it he made clear that belief must precede baptism--thus rejecting infant baptism--and that immersion was the only Scriptural mode of baptism.

      It was probably the United Brethren in Christ, or perhaps the Dunkards or Mennonites, who first introduced Winebrenner to the practice of feetwashing at a camp meeting. On at least one occasion he refused to participate, saying: "Do not bind your brother's conscience. You believe that it is a positive command, and I do not." After further study he adopted it as a third ordinance to be observed at the same time as the Lord's Supper.

      The fifth key theological idea, concerning the nature of the church, was discussed fully in his 1829 work A Brief View of the Formation, Government and Discipline of the Church of God. It was here that he declared that the "Church of God" was the only true scriptural name he could find for a local congregation or for the invisible church made up of all true believers. He held that being born again was the only requirement for membership in a local church.

      These then are the five key areas where Winebrenner changed or redefined his theology. It is clear that he rejected a number of traditional German Reformed beliefs and practices, and that by 1830 his theological position was such that he could not have returned to the German Reformed Church. Yet, only in his insistence upon the use of the name "Church of God" as the proper name for the New Testament church, did he actually establish a doctrine that was different from any of those held by contemporary churches. While some of his beliefs may have been minority positions, none is particularly radical if one considers them in the context of the theological temperament of the times. There are elements that are similar to the emphasis of the Disciples of Christ or Christian Churches; German-American denominations like the United Brethren in Christ, the Evangelical Association, and the Dunkards; various kinds of Baptists; and other American religious groups with revivalist heritages.

      An enlightening experience results when one compares Winebrenner's theological writings with The Doctrine of Divine [90] Revelation, a systematic theology published by his theological tutor Samuel Helffenstein. It quickly becomes evident that much of Winebrenner's theological language and many of his theological arguments were borrowed directly from his German Reformed mentor. While Winebrenner's beliefs were in direct opposition to the six chapters on the sacraments and election, he would have little quarrel with what was written in the other fifty chapters. One begins to realize that except for beliefs in the five special areas discussed above, the greater part of his theology was in line with the theological heritage that came from the Reformation. Winebrenner's theological system was distinctive, but it was by no means heretical.

C H U R C H     G R O W T H     A N D     C O O P E R A T I O N

      With fewer pastoral duties to perform, Winebrenner began to devote more time to preaching in nearby central Pennsylvania towns. According to his own account, "glorious revivals of religion" began in Shiremanstown, Lisburn, Mechanicsburg, Churchtown, New Cumberland, Linglestown, Middletown, Millerstown, Lebanon, Lancaster, Shippensburg, Elizabethtown, Mount Joy and Marietta."

      A number of the members of the Salem Church in Harrisburg remained loyal to him and continued to meet with him in such places as the court house, the market house, private homes, and even a lumber yard. In May, 1826, they decided to build a house of worship, which was completed the following year. Called the Union Bethel, it was located on Mulberry Street, a site now occupied by the Harrisburg Hospital. Former parishioners at Wenrick's formed a Church in Linglestown at about the same time.

      New churches were also formed in many of those central Pennsylvania towns where Winebrenner held revivals. A number of these young churches selected "Teaching Elders" from among their numbers. The Teaching Elders were those who assumed a pastoral function, while the "Ruling Elders" fulfilled the functions normally associated with an elder in the local church. A John Elliot from Lancaster also began to cooperate closely with Winebrenner. Elliot, an Englishman, had founded an independent church there in 1816, which he called a "Church of God." Elliot was a frequent preacher at central Pennsylvania camp meetings and gave the main sermon at the dedication of the Union Bethel in 1821.

      Yet there seems to have been no serious consideration of forming a new religious body during the late 1820's. In 1826 Winebrenner even considered becoming a candidate for the vacant pulpit at the Zion German Reformed Church in Hagerstown, Maryland. [90] Winebrenner's A Brief View . . . of the Church of God, a statement on the nature of the church and polity written in 1829, provided only for independent local Churches of God.

      However, sometime in the next year, there developed a willingness to have cooperation beyond the local level. As a result Winebrenner, Elliott, and four other Teaching Elders met in Harrisburg in October, 1830, to establish a "system of cooperation." After agreeing to the theological principles of the new organization, hearing a sermon by Winebrenner, and agreeing to cooperate, they adjourned without taking any official action or appointing any committees. The new "Eldership" held its second meeting in January, 1831, when a list of nine rules of operation was formed but not enacted. In October of that year the group met in Linglestown and held its first "annual reckoning" of its ministers and granted its first licenses to preach.

      Thus was born the Church of God and what was to be called the East Pennsylvania Eldership. Within a short time the movement spread into Maryland and moved west with the central Pennsylvanians who were seeking new farms and fortunes in 1844. A new Eldership was formed in Ohio in 1836 and one in western Pennsylvania in 1844. In 1845 these three Elderships met in Pittsburgh to form a General Eldership to co-ordinate the work nationally. The General Eldership only met every three or four years, while the local Elderships met on a yearly basis. By the time of Winebrenner's death, new churches and Elderships had been established in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Texas. In 1896 the name of the denomination would be changed to Churches of God in North America and in 1973 to Churches of God, General Conference.

R E F O R M E R

      Like many other religious leaders during the Second Great Awakening in America, Winebrenner saw moral and social reform as a natural concern of a revived church. Like most of the others, he saw this being implemented by moral suasion of individuals, not by political action. He associated himself with a number of the reform crusades of that era, including the peace, temperance, and education movements. While his main occupation was that of minister, one of his chief avocations was that of reformer. The aspect of his reform activity dealt with in this paper is that of anti-slavery. [92]

W I N E B R E N N E R     A N D     S L A V E R Y

      Winebrenner was born in the slave state of Maryland. It is uncertain whether his father owned slaves, but other relatives had. His daughter reported that when he visited the family homestead, "he always insisted that the colored people be allowed to be present during the family prayers." It is impossible to tell whether these were slaves or free Negroes, since the census figures show that there was a rather high percentage of free blacks in Frederick County.

      Pennsylvania had passed a law of gradual emancipation in 1780, but there were still slaves listed in the 1840 census. There were a number of free slaves in Harrisburg. During his first year in the capital he became secretary of the Bible Associates of Harrisburg, which distributed scriptures to the poor and operated an adult Negro Sunday School. His revivals and preaching services were evidently open to blacks. Bishop Sybert of the Evangelical Association reported:

. . . This man manifests great zeal, and is no respecter of persons or station. He preaches the wicked and the good, among the high and the low, the rich and the poor, Methodists, white or black.

      Like many other northern evangelicals, he initially viewed the colonization movement with favor. This was an effort of both southerners and northerners to resettle free blacks in colonies in Africa. In the custom of editors of that time, he clipped articles from other newspapers and reprinted them. To an article on colonization in Liberia he added: "We are glad to see this work advancing."

A N T I - S L A V E R Y     A C T I V I T Y

      In 1836 Winebrenner suddenly became actively involved in the anti-slavery movement. When the Harrisburg Anti-Slavery Society was formed in January, he was listed as one of its managers. A local division of the American Anti-Slavery Society, it was one of the larger ones formed in Pennsylvania.

      For more than two years, nearly every issue of The Gospel Publisher contained an article on the abolition of slavery. Readers were asked to speak out against the senseless murder of Elijah Lovejoy and other cases of mob violence against abolitionists. A letter was printed from Jonathan Blanchard inviting central Pennsylvania to support the [93] anti-slavery movement. A southern newspaper even reported that The Gospel Publisher was among the abolition papers and pamphlets burned by angry citizens of Richmond. It was quite a tribute to be burned along with such famous religious newspapers as Finney's New York Evangelist, Garrison's Liberator, and Birney's Philanthropist.

      In 1837 and 1838 Winebrenner was elected delegate to the state anti-slavery convention, and in 1838 he was elected corresponding secretary of the Harrisburg society. In April of 1838 he wrote an editorial castigating those who attacked abolitionism.

      But then a strange thing happened. For over a year, after August, 1838. no articles on the slavery question appeared in the church paper. When they did reappear in late 1839, they were less emotional in their appeal. Winebrenner's loss of concern for anti-slavery is hard to understand. Perhaps it was because the poor economic conditions brought on by the panic of 1837 caused him to place his energies elsewhere. Anti-slavery was not overly popular among many of his subscribers, so perhaps he was afraid of losing readers. Perhaps he even temporarily bought the argument of some of his followers that anti-slavery took away attention from the more important task of revivals. A contributing factor may have been that the anti-slavery movement itself was being torn apart by internal dissension. By 1840 two rival groups had come into being. Many church people were not only taken aback by the "ultraism" of Garrison and his followers but were suspicious of his religious views, which they characterized as Unitarian.

      Despite Winebrenner's lack of activity in the anti-slavery movement, he still held strong anti-slavery views. In a written statement on the faith and practice of the Church of God in 1844, he said: "she believes the system or institution of slavery to be impolitic and unchristian." When the first General Eldership met in 1845 he offered this resolution:

      Whereas, it is the duty of the ministers of God to testify against sin in every form and place, Therefore,

      1. Resolved, That it is the unequivocal and decided opinion of the General Eldership of the Church of God, that the system of involuntary slavery, as it exists in the United States of North America is a flagrant violation of the natural, unalienable and most precious rights of man, and utterly inconsistent with the spirit, laws and profession of the Christian religion. [94]

      2. Resolved, That we feel ourselves authorized by the highest authority, and called upon by the strongest ties and obligations, to caution our brethren in the Church of God, against supporting and countenancing, either directly or indirectly, the said iniquitous institution of involuntary slavery; and should any of our ministers or members ever become guilty of this great and crying sin, we do most earnestly and religiously recommend and advise, that all such be excommunicate, or cast out of the church, and denied the right of Christian fellowship among us.

T H E     T E X A S     C O N T R O V E R S Y

      From 1856 until his death, Winebrenner was embroiled in a particularly revealing controversy concerning slavery. Two Church of God ministers, Benjamin Ober and Enoch Marple, had been sent as missionaries to Texas. There they met much opposition from southern slave holders, who saw them as northern abolitionists. When the Texans read the anti-slavery sentiment expressed in The Church Advocate they were convinced of the correctness of this assessment.

      Ober and Marple wrote the editor of The Church Advocate, now Winebrenner's son-in-law James Colder, requesting that no more anti-slavery statements appear in the church paper "which our enemies can take advantage of." Colder replied that such a thing was impossible. The majority of the Church of God now seemed to have been won to the anti-slavery side, and a storm of protest arose against Ober and Marple. The East Pennsylvania Eldership, which had financed their work in Texas, stopped giving aid. The West Pennsylvania Eldership, which had ordained them, removed their credentials. They hastily formed a Texas Eldership and gained ministerial standing in it. (Because of its anti-slavery stand the Texas Eldership was not admitted to the General Eldership of the Church of God until 1875.)

      One of the few people that came to the defense of Ober and Marple was the church patriarch John Winebrenner. He argued that the brethren in the southern states, the new converts to the Church of God, had the right to form their own opinions. He wrote to Colder protesting an editorial on the Texas missionaries. Colder refused to print the letter and Winebrenner issued a pamphlet called a Letter on Slavery. Reaffirming that he personally was totally opposed to slavery, he stated that "I have charity enough to believe that there are many [95] Christian slaveholders, as well as Christian soldiers, Christian Masons, Christian Odd Fellows, Christian Pedo-Baptist, and Christian Catholics."

      Winebrenner seemed to be saying that while slavery was wrong, it was also wrong to not let slave holders become members of the church. Again one of the basic points of his theology was at work. The chief test for membership in the church should be the born-again experience, nothing more and nothing less. The practical side of him said that there was more chance of changing the slave holder's mind if he was an active member of the church, than if he were estranged from it. He was also aware that civil war was a real possibility. The church's stand against slavery might have to take into consideration the Church of God statement of faith and practice: "She believes that all civil wars are unholy and sinful, and in which the saints of the Most High ought never participate."

      The controversy over the Texas missionaries and the admission to church membership of slave holders was to bring much grief to the last years of Winebrenner's life. He and his son-in-law became estranged and embroiled in a law suit, which included the question of who was the rightful pastor of the Harrisburg church. Winebrenner's funeral had to be held from another church, because the suit had not been settled at the time of his death. On his last major trip west he had to spend a lot of time explaining and defending the views in his Letter on Slavery. Many were outraged, others just shook their heads and were silent out of respect for the aging leader. In a time of outrage against the Fugitive Slave Law and the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, few were willing to listen seriously to the voice of conciliation.

      Thus Winebrenner moved from a strong anti-slavery stand in the 1830's to a more conciliatory attitude toward the slaveholder in the 1850's. Yet he never altered his stand that slavery was an offense in the eyes of God.

B U S I N E S S     P E R S O N

      The aspect of Winebrenner's career which reveals best his humanity was his activities as a business person. In the thirty years between the organizing of the Church of God in 1830 and his death in 1860, he served only four years as a pastor of a local church. He usually was appointed as "preacher at large" or "general missionary" of the church. He spent most of his time preaching, promoting the Church of God or publishing the church papers, The Gospel [96] Publisher and The Church Advocate. However, he was also forced to engage in a number of business enterprises to meet the debts incurred by the church papers and to provide for his family.

P U B L I S H I N G

      A good portion of Winebrenner's life was devoted to publishing. His most widely sold book was A Prayer Meeting and Revival Hymnbook which he published first in 1825 and in at least 23 other editions. The most profitable book was the History of All the Religious Denominations in the United States, a collection of articles on fifty-three American religious groups, all written by prominent leaders in those bodies. He had purchased the right to publish this work from the Pennsylvania historian I. D. Rupp, who had first published the work in 1844. Winebrenner added twelve new articles and twenty-four engravings of "distinguished men of different denominations," when he printed the "2nd Improved and Portrait Edition" in 1848.

      A surprisingly small portion of the works he published were aimed at spreading his own views. A Brief View of the Formation, Government and Discipline of the Church of God appeared in 1829 and On Regeneration in 1844. A volume of Doctrinal and Practical Sermons went into print the year of his death. These sermons had been published a year earlier in the periodical The Monthly Preacher. The rest of the works he authored were pamphlets dealing with such subjects as tithing and slavery.

      Most of the items published or sold by him were of a general nature. Advertisements for his books in the church newspaper promoted such books as The English Reference and Pronouncing Testament, The German Reference Testament, The Lyceum Spelling Book, Baxter on Conversion, The Wandering Soul, The Travelers Guide to the West, and The Seraphina, a music book he compiled in 1853.

      In the years 1835-1840 and 1846-1857 much of his time and a good bit of his money were consumed in publishing a church newspaper. In 1833 the leaders of the Church of God resolved "that we deem it highly important for the good of the cause of God to establish a religious newspaper." Winebrenner was asked to be editor and publisher of The Gospel Publisher and Journal of Useful Knowledge, which appeared first on June 5, 1835. When Winebrenner turned over the editorial duties to others in 1840, he complained "preaching is my proper calling, and not editing." The Gospel Publisher went bankrupt in 1845. Winebrenner returned to [97] found and edit a new paper called The Church Advocate in June, 1846. That paper is still being published today.

      The subscription price to the church paper was originally $1.50 per year if paid in advance, $1.75 if paid within the first six months, $2.00 if not paid within the first year. The problem was that too many accounts were delinquent. In the 1800's the publisher was not only responsible for printing and distributing a paper but also for any debts that were incurred. In principle the papers belonged to the Church of God, but in reality Winebrenner had to assume all of the losses the papers accumulated. He was promised aid by the denomination, but all of the fund-raising efforts fell short of their goals. He was forced to pursue other money-making endeavors to pay his creditors and to support his family. In April, 1857, Winebrenner suddenly sold the printing establishment and paper to his son-in-law James Colder, probably out of exasperation and frustration.

D R U G S,     W O R M S,     A N D     M A C H I N E R Y

      As part of the settlement of the estate of his first wife Charlotte, who died on May 20, 1834, Winebrenner found himself part-owner of an apothecary business. For a number of years he operated a drug and book store, located at the rear of the Union Bethel, which also served as editorial office for his church newspaper. In addition to Bibles, school books, religious pamphlets, and stationery, he advertised for sale: "drugs, chemicals, patent medicines, horse medicines, perfumery, spices, oils, varnishes, paints, dye stuffs, confections."

      One of his most popular patent medicines was Lorenzo Dow's Medicinal Syrup, blended originally by an eccentric preacher. It promised to "cure bilious fever, dispepsia, ague, costiveness, loss of appetite, headaches" and many other disorders. He also offered John Oak's Hysterical Medicine, Dr. John Becker's Eye Balsam, Vegetable Pulmonary Balsam, and Indian Hair Oil.

      Winebrenner's letters show that when he traveled he not only spent time preaching the gospel, but also time promoting his various products. His letters to his second wife Mary are filled with orders to forward copies of his books and to take care of various business matters. One of Winebrenner's most interesting letters was one sent June 1, 1841, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. [98]

Dear Wife:

      I drop you this note to say that we arrived here on Satturday [sic] evening in health and safety, and found the brethren in good spirits and prosperity.

      I preached on Satterday [sic] evening, and sabbath three times, in the morning, afternoon and at night. Last night, I preached in the country. This afternoon we have a Baptizeing [sic]--Some 5 or 6 are to be baptized.

      As the wether [sic] has got cooler, you will please to tell Ellen to make some fire in the Cocoonery, night and morning, so as to keep up the temperature to 70 and upwards.

      Tell the boys to clean the peach trees and to hoe the corn, likewise the Garden and early potatoes, and to go on with the cleaning of the Trees as fast as possible. If the Trees were not ploughed, nor the Sugar beet patch, tell Lorenzo to see to have it done immediately. Tell him also to keep up the fences, so that the cows don't get into the Lots.

      On Monday next, God willing, I expect to return home. I requested Bro. Ford to get and send me 2 qt. bottles of Lorenzo Dow's Medicine . . . Take the medicine from the Demijon [sic] as it is freshest . . . Tell Emma to be good and I will bring her a knife and fork. Tell Ellen if she can sell any books and collect 1.53 from Frankans, the plasterer, she may buy her dress. Tell Mary Jane to be good and feed the worms, and I will bring her something.

      The missive reveals some of the many duties Mrs. Winebrenner assumed when John was away and shows the important role children played when even a city family still grew most of their own food. It also shows an indulgent father promising gifts to his three daughters.

      The references to "make fire in the Cocoonery" and "feeding the worms," remind us of one of Winebrenner's most amusing endeavors. He became convinced, like others, that silk culture had a promising future in the United States. In the late 1830's he set up the Harrisburg Silk Agency, where one could purchase Morus Multicaulis (trees) and silk worm eggs, as well as obtain information on how to enter "this valuable branch of home industry." Some idea of the hopes of those promoting silk culture may be seen in a resolution adopted by the Harrisburg group of enthusiasts of which Winebrenner was secretary. [99]

      Resolved, that the Silk Culture promises to exert a highly beneficial influence, by affording employment to women and children; and that plantations of mulberry trees in the neighborhood of our Towns, where leaves can be afforded at low rates or gratitiously to the industrious poor, will tend greatly to amelorate the condition, of that class of our Population.

      This fascination with silk culture caused one reviewer of his life to comment:

      He also sold thousands of Chinese mulberry trees to his followers on the theory that they would then grow rich by raising silk worms, but the scheme failed, and the resulting scandal died hard. Throughout his sphere of influence Morus Multicaulis became a fighting word.

Mention was also made in the letter of the sugar beet patch. A number of articles appeared in the 1839 Gospel Publisher promoting both silk culture and sugar beets. Other agricultural enterprises including the growing and selling of fruit trees, seed wheat, and new varieties of corn.

      In the mid-1850's he sold farm machinery, first as sole proprietor and then in partnership with Job Phillips. For sale along with the patented machinery were Wilt's Corn Planter, Manny's combined adjustable Reaper and Mower, and a Harrow and Clod Cutter. It was the latter for which Winebrenner won a third-place medal at the 1856 Pennsylvania State Agricultural Society Exhibition.

      Winebrenner's career as a business person was certainly a varied and interesting one. It is an area of his life that deserves additional research.

S U M M A R Y

      It is evident from our cursory examination that John Winebrenner led a complicated but exciting life. While the founding of the Church of God was his chief claim to fame, and its promotion his chief preoccupation, he also took time to be aware of the other forces that were shaping life in his state and nation. He attacked that which he considered to be sin but never forgot to have compassion for the sinner. Not content to merely eliminate evil, he championed those causes which he thought would provide better lives for his neighbors and fellow citizens. [100]

For Additional Reading

Forney, C. H. History of the Churches of God in the United States of North America.
      Harrisburg, 1914.
Kern, Richard. John Winebrenner, Nineteenth Century Reformer. Harrisburg, 1974.
Ross, George Biography of Elder John Winebrenner--Semi-Centennial Sketch Harrisburg,
      1880.
Rupp, I. D. Rupp and Winebrenner, John. History of All the Religious Denominations in
      the United States. Harrisburg, 1848.

      J. Harvey Gossard's "John Winebrenner," in Pennsylvania Religious Leaders, ed. John M. Coleman, et al., (University Park, PA: Pennsylvania Historical Association, 1986), pp. 86-101, has been reprinted in electronic form by permission of the Pennsylvania Historical Association. This booklet is available from the Pennsylvania Historical Association, Penn State--Harrisburg, Middletown, Pa. 17057, for $5.95. Thanks to Dr. Susan Kleep, President of PHA, for arranging for permission to reprint.

      Pagination has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. Emendations are as follows:

 Page    Printed Text [ Electronic Text
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 87:     "Eldership" of the Church of God" [ "Eldership of the 
               Church of God"
 p. 88:     A commitee [ A committee
 p. 91:     pastroal function, [ pastoral function,
 p. 93:     respector [ respecter
 p. 100:    amelorate [ ameliorate
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 23 August 1997.
Updated 14 July 2003.