Boehm and Otterbein were polar opposites in their upbringing, economic status, education, personality and even physical stature. But they agreed on the basics of faith. Their movement spread throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. A common belief unified them – that when you give your life to Christ, He radically transforms you into a new person. In the 1820s, the United Brethren took a strong stand against slavery. Beginning in 1825, slave owners could not become members. While other denominations made compromises to appease their churches in slave states, the Brethren did not bend on this issue and some of their churches were stops on the underground railroad. When the church started founding colleges in the 1880s, it admitted both women and African Americans.
The Milltown UBC Church has no running water, so the only relief station is a good ol’ fashion outhouse. While there’s no running water, the outhouse is wired for power and there is a light bulb on a chain pull switch.
GOD HAS A SENSE OF HUMOR The Wright Brothers, pioneers in aviation, were active in the United Brethren Church. Their father, Milton Wright, led the church as bishop after a denominational split in 1889. He visited Milltown a number of times – and the chair he sat in behind the pulpit still holds a place of honor at Milltown UBC. Theresa said Milton Wright stayed at the home of her great-great grandfather, Asa Brink, who was the minister at the time. Asa’s son and Theresa’s great grandfather, John Brink, also served as a minister of the church. Perhaps Orville and Wilbur Wright invented the airplane in response to their father’s long absences and difficult travel to outposts such as Milltown? The answer to that query is “probably not.” But Dennis said members in the Milltown UBC believe God has a sense of humor. One thing that is easy to joke about is the church has never had any running water. In fact, the only relief station is a single-seater outhouse which Dennis and Theresa’s grandson, Tyler, describes as “awesome.” In the evening, Darlene goes to the church to turn on the church’s outdoor lights, which includes a light illuminating the path to the outhouse and a single lightbulb in the outhouse … which might give new meaning to “this little light of mine.”
YOUR CAUTION OUR SHARED FUTURE Roads are busy with farm equipment during harvest season, so please help your local farmers and share the road. Slowing down could save someone’s future. Trust in Tomorrow.®
Theresa told a story from several years ago when Dennis along with Darlene’s brother, Dean Simmons, were reroofing the outhouse. Dean fell and dislocated his shoulder. Dennis took him to the emergency room where the doctor had to ask several times, “Now, how did you do that?” It’s not often a doctor encounters someone who falls off the roof of an outhouse in the woods behind a 140-year-old church building. Laughs aside, the small congregation has hope for the future because several young families regularly attend. Dennis said, “It’s by the grace of God that there are still children involved in the church. It’s hard to find that nowadays.”
“Trust in Tomorrow.” and “Grinnell Mutual” are registered trademarks of Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company. © Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, 2021.
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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | September 2021
Theresa said the Milltown church keeps going because the group is a family. “Like most families, we have our disagreements, but we always forgive.”
