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Archiver > BRETHREN > 2005-08 > 1124650324


From: "Emmert F. Bittinger" <>
Subject: Re: [BRE] Leatherman, Daniel
Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 14:52:04 -0400
References: <5.0.0.25.2.20050820203742.00a157c0@mail.hubwest.com>


Regarding Daniel Leatherman's churches and the so called "circuit ministers"
The Brethren plan for caring for scattered churches differed somewhat
from the Methodist and Ger. Ref. Plans. Brethren congregations were
organized around what might be called 'mother' churches or "home churches."
The mother church elected ministers to serve its needs, including a "Bishop"
or head Elder who had senior authority. The Head Elder served at the Mother
congregation's pleasure, and they could elect another if they were
dissatisfied. In reality, they developed great influence and power.
The mother church would establish "preaching points" or "arms" which
they became branches of the main church, and were UNDER THE CARE of the
mother church and head elder. Until the branch church developed it was
controled by the mother church, who would approve any ministers that it
might choose. But they served under the Head minister or Bishop of the
mother church.
The mother church would sometimes elect as many as six or more ministers
if it had many "arms" 'Complex tables or schedules would be developed in
which each preaching point would be assigned a home minister to preach on
given Sundays.
Thus, and this is the important difference, there was no one minister
who cared for these scattered churches or carried the preaching ministry
alone. My home church, Maple Spring, at Eglon, W. Va. had at one time 11
arms all served by ministers elected by the mother church, though some of
them lived in the branch community. They served under the Bishop.
The Broad Run church (today known as Pleasant View Church at
Burkettsville, Md.) was part of the Middle Creek Congregation, and its
mother church at the early time was "Grossnickle', the community where Elder
Daniel Leatherman lived in the northern part of Middle Creek (Today
Middletown Valley, and Catoctin Creek), and Broad Run was part of his
oversight.
Later when the Brownsville Church became strong, it achieved
independence from the Mother church at Grossnickle, and then Broad Run was
an arm of Brownsville Church, just 3 miles away as the crow flies. Later,
Pleasant View itself became independent and on its own.
Broad Run (Pleasant View) was the was the church to which the Arnold
Family, the Schleifer Family,, etc., etc. came to settle before 1800. Elder
John Schlelifer became a prominant ministser in the southern Middletown
Valley or Catoctin Creek Valley. The Schleifer Cemetery lies a quarter mile
south of Burkittsville, and the old Brethren settlers are buried there, but
later generations in the Pleasant View Cemetery.
Sorry for the length of lthis, but history is long land complicated,
isn't it!!
Emmert F. Bittinger, Bridgewater, VA
----- Original Message -----
From: "John McLeod" <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, August 20, 2005 11:04 PM
Subject: Re: [BRE] Leatherman, Daniel


>I too am a descendent of German Baptist ancestors. Mine came from a church
>in Maryland that does not appear in Morgan Edwards list. Morgan tells us
>that there were 7 Tunker churches in Maryland in 1770, but he lists only 5.
>So was mine at Broad Run one of Daniel Leatherman's 7, or not ?? Is a
>puzzlement. Although I am not aware of any genealogical connection the
>Leatherman family, I may very well have a close social connection since it
>was only 10 miles from Sand Hill, where Daniel lived for many years, to
>Broad Run.
>
> See further comments imbedded in your text.
>
> At 09:31 AM 8/20/05 -0400, wrote:
>>I am a descendent of German Baptist ancestors including Mosers, Custers,
>>Longeneckers, Macks, and Leathermans. I am a descendent of Daniel
>>Leatherman, a
>>minister in Maryland who died in 1798 married to Catherine.
>>
>>I am new so I was searching the archives for him and found some good
>>information, but I had some questions.
>>
>>What does it mean that he was the Bishop of Seven Churches? Was he a
>>circuit
>>riding preacher going from church to church or did he oversee the pastors
>>of
>>those seven churches?
>
> Did the Tunkers actually use such an hierarchical title as Bishop?? The
> only place that I have ever seen it in old text is in Morgan Edwards
> report. He was English and may have been extending English usage where it
> did not belong.
>
>> How many of those churches in Maryland did he have a
>>part in their starting or founding?
>
> Even if he was not there, did he ordain the Ministers who were??
>
>
>>One email in the archives stated that he came over with his father Hans
>>Devalt Leatherman on the ship "James Goodwill" on Sept. 27, 1727. Where
>>was this
>>ship coming from?
>
> Where the ship was coming from is not relevant. They almost all came from
> Rotterdam. The passengers had to get to the seaport first. One has to
> infer where they cam from by looking at the pattern of surnames. I am not
> familiar with this shipload.
>
>> Was he part of the community of Brethren with Alexander Mack
>>in Holland? Was the ship carrying a group of Brethren from Europe fleeing
>>religious persecution and looking for a better life in America? Was his
>>father
>>also a German Baptist?
>>
>>And some emails in the archives refer to an Elder Daniel Leatherman. Am I
>>correct to assume that this is the same Leatherman or was there another
>>clergyman with the same name?
>
> I am running on the theory that "Bishop" was Morgan Edwards understanding
> of "District Presiding Elder."
>
>
>>Thanks,
>>Bill Johnson
>>
>>
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