IN SEPTEMBER of 1824, the German Reformed Synod met at Bedford, Pennsylvania. During the course of the meeting, the relationship between Winebrenner and the Harrisburg charge was discussed. The following is from the minutes of that synod (quoted from Ross, Biography of Elder John Winebrenner . . ., p. 12):

      The congregation at Harrisburg complains in reference to the conduct of the Rev. J. Winebrenner; hopes the Shoop's and Wenrich's congregations will soon connect themselves with the Harrisburg congregation, and refers to Judge Bucher for an explanation of the matter.

      On motion the subject was deferred until tomorrow.

* * *

      As the matters relating to the Harrisburg congregation came now under consideration, it was, on the motion of the Rev. Mr. Reily

      Resolved, That the Harrisburg, Shoop's, Wenrich's, and Peace (Salem) Congregations hold an election whether Mr. Winebrenner shall be their pastor or not.

      The action of the synod that an election be held in Winebrenner's charge is tantamount to synodical support for Winebrenner, inasmuch as it probably was fairly well known that a majority of his parishioners supported Winebrenner. It is interesting to note that it was Mr. Reily, a long time friend of Winebrenner's, who moved that a vote be taken. (I rather doubt that Reily would have moved an election if the results were in question.)

      As the minutes quoted above indicate, at the time of the 1824 Synod, the Harrisburg and Peace (Salem) churches are no longer being served by Winebrenner (Harrisburg has already secured another pastor), while the Wenrich and Shoop churches still regard him as minister. At some time after the Bedford Synod, the Peace (Salem) church was once again being served by Winebrenner. He continued preaching there until 1827 when he "left it of his own free will, whilst a large majority of the members of that church followed him as he preached in private houses and other meeting-houses as an independent preacher." (Quoted in Forney, History of the Churches of God, p. 18.) Winebrenner was voted out of the Shoop (or, "Shoope") church in 1826. He left the Wenrich (or, "Wenrick") church in 1827.

      In keeping with the above resolution of the 1824 Synod, elections were held by at least two of the congregations Winebrenner served, Harrisburg and Wenrich. At Harrisburg, an election was held on November 3. According to Forney (History . . ., p. 16), a majority of nearly 200 male members voted for him. However, Winebrenner's opponents (who, we must remember, had secured another pastor the previous March) did not attend the election and ignored the results. We do not have original manuscript evidence of the Harrisburg church vote, unless the manuscript discussed in study ten of this series is a recapitulation of it.

      However, we do have record of the church election ordered by the synod at the Wenrich church. There is no date on the document, but we presume it would have been written sometime between October and December of 1824. It is written in German with an accompanying translation into English. Mrs. Christman, Winebrenner's daughter, sent the original to the Board of Christian Education of the Reformed Church for the translation. On the back of the manuscript, Mrs. Christman has written the following: "I know for a certainty that the German document referred to is 'Wenricks Church' below Linglestown. When Rev. Jno. [12] Winebrenner was the pastor in 1820--to 24--when quite young. I visited with my parents, in the family of Benjamin Reeme who with a number of Reformed people followed him when he withdrew from the Church. Emma W. Christman"

      The document reads as follows:

      Inasmuch as the Synod of Our Church has resolved that an election shall be held in the Harrisburg charge, or rather that it shall be voted whether J. Winebrenner shall remain the minister of the charge, or not? Therefore herewith the voting (vote-entitled) members of our congregation are requested to cast their votes either for or against--then in case a majority of votes should be against him, he shall give up the congregation, but if a majority is for him he shall keep the charge.

      Ordered by the Consistory etc.

The names of the members who desire that Mr. J. Winebrenner shall remain the minister of the charge.	The names of those who are willing that he shall step out.
John Rouch Daniel Greene Casper Hearst Leonard [ ? ] [ ? ] Zimmler David Miller John Umbarger John Fulk Conrad Hix Samuel Reem David Unger John [ ? ] John Early Michael Umbarger Thomas Harper John Bucher F. W. Fritchey Abraham Shope John Crum
Those who are for him.	And those who are against him.
Jacob Brownsberger [ ? ] Lonnwitz Joseph Heckart Michael [ ? ] John G. Fritchey Henry Stoudt Tom Heckart John Umbarger [?] Benjamin Reeme John Hix Levi Heckart Joseph Fritchey Andrew Messert Andrew Hoover Tory Fitting John Perkey Michael Decker William [ ? ] Jacob Seltzer [?] [?] Jacob Lingle John Seiler Peter Heckart Philip Heckart

      From the above record it would seem that Winebrenner had very little opposition at the Wenrich church in 1824.

Pastor Robert Shroyer of the Sugar Grove Church, Indiana Eldership, helped to prepare the above for publication. [26]

[The Church Advocate (July 31, 1965), pp. 12, 26.]