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From: <>
Subject: [KIMMEL] Brotherton PA church (Brethren)
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 16:36:02 EDT


I checked Brethren Encyclopedia for the earlier name for the congregation
near Stonycreek. Here's what it says:

"Brotherton, PA< Brothersvalley Church of the Brethren. The first Brethren
reached the Glades, or Brudersthal, area in what became Somerset Co. ca.
1770. Seventeen members under the leadershipi of Elder George Adam Martin
were organized as the Stony Creek congregation in 1770. Martin and several
others in the group had close ties with the Ephrata Community. Members met
in barns and homes, some of which, such as the Heinrich Roth (Rhoades) house,
were constructed to accommodate meetings for worship. Some of the Stony
Creek members maintain German Seventh Day Baptist sympathies for a time.
Elders succeeding Martin included Michael Meyers, Peter Cober (1776-1854) and
John Forney Sr. (1777-1846).

"The STony Creek congregation built a number of meetinghouses and also used
schoolhouses for places for meeting. The Pleasant Grove house, built in
1845, was a love feast house. The 1849 Annual Meeting held there divided
Stony Creek into the Queamoahoning (Maple Spring)< Middle Creek, Elk Lick
(Salisbury) and Berlin congregations. In turn, the Berlin congregation was
divided om 199- omtp tje Ner;om. Sp,ersey Cpimtu. Nrptjersva;;eu amd Sypmu
Creel cpmhrehatopms/ Yje Sp,ersey Cpimtu cpmhrehtopm ,erhed wotj
Nrptjersva;;eu om 1993. amd tje Sypmu Creel cpmhrehatopm dod tje sa,e om
1990/ Heprhe Scjrpcl )1816-94) and William Sevits )1812-89) were elders at
brothersvalley....."

Citations include Cooper's Brothersvalley book; also W Pennsylvania (1916)
57-65 , (1953) 166-92; H. Miller, Record, (1882) 13; Gospel Messenger Nov
24 1962. p21'; Colonial America 1967. 185; ... Old Home Week, Berlin PA
(1908); W H Welfley, "Berlin & brothersvalley" PG 10 (Oct 1909) 506-09, and
History of Somerset Co. PA (1906) 2:48, 49, 118, 496-99.

Interestingly enough, when I checked the ministerial lists volume in Brethren
Encyclopedia, while there are a fair number of Kimmels listed, including John
M. Kimmel and David Kimmel, Philip Kimmel's name does not appear. Often
the names were simply gleaned from existing records, so some were bound to be
missed, but the only source I'm aware of for Philip's being a minister is
Cooper.
Hmmm. Apparently something happened as a result of his part in the
Whiskey Rebellion, but Cooper doesn't make it clear. I think the "training"
he took was supposed to have been simply a Bible study class or something
similar but don't recall where Cooper says it was. I could look that up.

Sorry not to have found anything more helpful. I have to leave in a few
minutes to go give keys to a new tenant who has transferred here from Kansas
City. We finished installing blinds there after church so the family can
move in.

Happy Sunday.

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