| Scope and Content | State Historical Marker: Annual Meeting Historical Marker In recognition of the significance of Brethren Annual Meetings: 1878, 1888, 1900. 1. One CD with images from the historical marker presentation ceremony. 2. News Release. 3. Article from the Church of the Brethren Newsline. |
| Bio History Note | Story: August 11, 2006: The Indiana Historical Bureau presented a historical marker to the town of North Manchester, Ind., commemorating the social and economic impact of Brethren Annual Meetings that were held in the town in the years 1878, 1888, and 1900. The meetings were hosted by Manchester Church of the Brethren with assistance from other nearby Brethren churches and many community residents. The meetings drew thousands of visitors to each week-long gathering.
It is thought that the 1900 conference attracted the largest crowds ever assembled at a Brethren conference, with attendance estimated as high as 60,000 on Sunday, June 3. WIlliam Eberly, former Manchester College professor and Church of the Brethren historian, stated, “It might also have been the largest religious assembly ever held in Indiana up to that time,” “You can imagine the impact of this crowd on this little rural town of barely 4,000 inhabitants. The demands for services (food, lodging, local transportation, etc.) were a tremendous challenge to local residents, both in town and in the surrounding rural area.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For a picture of the Manchester Church of the Brethren Choir that participated in this celebration, contact the Archivist.
Some of the Brethren Choir participants included on DVD :
Center man on viewer's left in teal colored shirt - Darrell Snyder, MC Class of 1949.
Center man on viewer's right - Professor David Waas.
Man in background between Snyder and Waas - Art Hunn, MC Class of 1954.
|
