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Archiver > BRETHREN > 2010-02 > 1265942937


From: "J.A. Florian" <>
Subject: Re: [BRE] Divideing wall in the church
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:48:57 -0500
References: <4B74608F.2060105@frontiernet.net>
In-Reply-To: <4B74608F.2060105@frontiernet.net>


Good Evening,

Others on the List are more experienced with Brethren history, but I'll
attempt an answer.

The Beaver Dam congregation met in Martin Garver's home in Frederick Co MD.
Martin Gaver built his home with the movable divider partition, as did other
early congregations. As people from Frederick Co MD moved into Washington
Co PA ca. 1800, they too, worshipped in people's homes with a blanket or
curtain as a "divider". I also questioned the reason for the "wall" and the
separate doors. I was told the "separateness" was so that men and women
could come as "individuals" without "ties" (not the best word but I can't
think of a better one tonight) to a husband, and with more attention on
worship. Grandma said at Ten Mile COB each group had different Bible
studies or meetings in their "separateness", but because the wall was only
about 4 feet high, the congregation was still "one". The pot belly stove
was in the center of the room at Ten Mile (Washington Co PA) for the entire
building. I believe they also had separate out houses (one still remains at
Ten Mile COB). When my grandma attended there, they
did have a "nursery" of some kind.

I'm sure Elder John Wise could have given us a better explanation :-) But,
unfortunately, we can only relate what family members told us about these
now-lost customs.

Before and after the services, families were "together" outside. Grandma
described how they still came in wagons and on horses to the 2 church
buildings in the Ten Mile, Washington PA congregation, where they alternated
having services and Love Feasts from the 1860s to about mid 1920s when the
one (frame) church was struck by lightning and partly burned. Grandma said
that even when she was a child, the singing (with no instruments except a
pitch pipe to get started) from a mile or so away. She described the kids
running around outside (mind you, in the cemetery which are both on 3 sides
of both churches), and after service they had picnics with blankets laid on
the ground between tombstones. People didn't disperse like in many churches
today (all congregations) but hung around to talk and share company. Single
men on horses would be some of the first to leave. Then later, families
would start to load their wagons, gather the kids, and go home. Her father
was a Deacon and lived in a "parsonage" (per church minutes) right near the
church so they walked back "home" but she'd watch as people went back to
Route 40. After Pigeon Creek burned (the "daughter" church), my family
moved to a different town and went to a Baptist church.

Judy Florian



On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 2:54 PM, Dove Sky <> wrote:

> I was rather taken back by the fact that a wood head high wall divided
> the church with women on one side and men on the other. What was the
> thinking that a wall have to be placed between the men and women. I
> have thought that it was perhaps because many of the women may have had
> infants that they would need to nurse during to church. Other than
> that I am stumped why a wall was placed done the middle of room.
> Were all Brethren churches built like this or was in just one group
> that choose such separation.
> Thanks, Dove
>
>
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