Samuel Heistand
Encyclopedia
Samuel Hiestand was an American Bishop
of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ
, elected in 1833. He was the ninth Bishop of this Christian denomination
.
)), March 3d, 1781. He was the sixth son of Jacob Hiestand [a Mennonite from Lancaster County] , who was drowned in the Shenandoah River
while attempting to cross in a canoe, which upset. Samuel Hiestand's mother [Maria Elisabeth Brumbach] was a native of [ Müsen, Nassau-Siegen ] Germany. His grandfather [Heinrich] Hiestand was also a native of [ Ibersheim
] Germany, and emigrated to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
, in 1727. Samuel Hiestand emigrated to Fairfield County, Ohio
, in 1804, and was married September 24th, 1809, to Mary Margaret Raudabaugh, daughter of Nicholas Raudabaugh, and sister to Mrs. John Philip Powell. She was born in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
, June 1st, 1795. Two of Samuel Hiestand's brothers, [Abraham and John], three of his sons, [Tobias, Samuel, and Jonas all of Darke County, Ohio
], and four of his grandsons are, or were, ministers in the United Brethren Church." Also at least two nephews were ministers in the United Brethren Church: Henry Hiestand (itinerant minister in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia) and Issac Hiestand (Washington County, Indiana
).
Between adhering to the Mennonite faith and joining the United Brethren Church, Samuel Hiestand's family associated with the Primitive Baptist
. They had belonged to the Mennonite congregation at the White House Church, which became the Mill Creek Baptist Church under the mennonite Minister Martin Kauffman (Coffman) Sr. and the Baptisit preacher Elder John Koontz (Countz, Koonts,) who owned land next to the Hiestand's. Rev. John Koontz officiated the marriages of Samuel's siblings; Jacob (1784), Abraham (1787 to the widow of Mennonite Minister Jacob Strickler), Elizabeth (1784), Magdalena(1788) and John Hiestand (1794 to the daughter of Mennonite Minister Jacob Strickler). Martin Kauffman Sr. and other former Mennonite members withdrew from this Baptist church during the Revolutionary War when its leaders called for their armed participation. "In 1793 Martin Kauffman, in the name of the 'Separatist Independent Baptist Church,' petitioned the government of Virginia for military exemption for his people similar to that accorded the Mennonites and Quakers."
From Christian Newcomer
's Journal we know Samuel's family was already associated with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ
and one of its founders as early as 1796. "On the 20th [October 1796] I rode to Messinurte
; on the 21st preached here with
uncommon liberty, from Matthew 5 — v. 3. At candle light, I spoke at Br. Hiestand's, from Psalm 44-v. 15. The people here are rather hardened: may God have mercy on them." "5th [August 1799]—After considerable enquiry and difficult search, I this day arrived at Br. Hiestand's, where
I lodged for the night." "6th [December 1799]—Br. Hiestand preached this day at my house."
After Martin Kauffman Sr.'s death, a disagreement in the practice of slavery resulted in Martin Kauffman Jr., Lewis Seitz (Seits), and Samuel Comer separating from the Mill Creek Church with a group of followers moved to Fairfield County, Ohio, where they formed Pleasant Run Baptist Church, named after the nearby stream, in Pleasant Township. Samuel's mother and nephew Martin Hiestand are listed as members of this congregation in 1806-1809.
Samuel had made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ early in life. But his real conversion
occurred under the influence
of the Rev. George Benedum, a noted early itinerant
minister. Benedum had come from Pennsylvania to Ohio in 1806, two years after the Hiestand brothers. Benedum immediately began preaching, and he and Abraham Hiestand became the leaders of the U.B.
movement in Fairfield County and neighboring communities. And it was upon these two Christian leaders the Bishop Christian Newcomer
called when he first visited Ohio in 1810.
in 1820.
of the U.B. General Conference
of 1821. Indeed, the minutes of that conference show he was active in such important deliberations as the mode of Baptism
to be practiced by this denomination, the discontinuance of the ordination of Bishops, and the establishment of the office of Presiding Elder as a full-time position. Rev. Hiestand was named one of the incorporators of "The Benevolent Society of the United Brethren in Christ" in the charter granted it by the Ohio Legislature in 1826.
When the Scioto
Annual Conference was formed in Ohio in 1824, the Rev. Samuel Hiestand became a "charter member," since he lived within its bounds. His itinerancy within this conference included the Adelphos, Muskingum, Washington, and other circuits.
Circuit, he and the Junior Preacher with him received together only $155.80. Another year, when he received $93 for his services, it was the highest salary any preacher in the Conference received that year! Indeed, no one could ever suggest that the Circuit Riders
of the early days entered upon their duties with any idea of becoming wealthy!
was complete, Bishop Kumler was re-elected, and Samuel Hiestand and the Rev. William Brown were elected to serve with him!
"On the 11th of October, 1838, a large concourse of ministers, friends, and neighbors convened at the late residence of Bishop Hiestand. Rev. Jacob Winter preached in German, and Jacob Miller in English, after which the bishop was buried, according to his previous request, beside his pious mother, in the Hiestand burying-ground, in the north-east corner of his farm, in Liberty Township, Fairfield County, Ohio. His beloved wife, Mary Margaret Hiestand, died November 22d, 1858, in Darke County, Ohio, aged 67 years, 5 months, and 27 days."
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ
Church of the United Brethren in Christ
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Huntington, Indiana. It is a Protestant denomination of episcopal structure, Arminian theology, with roots in the Mennonite and German Reformed communities of 18th century Pennsylvania, as well as close...
, elected in 1833. He was the ninth Bishop of this Christian denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
.
Birth and family
"I wish to say no less to his honor than what follows, which is based upon authentic record, personal knowledge, and statements made to me by Joseph Hiestand, an older brother of Samuel. Bishop Samuel Hiestand was born in Shenandoah (now Page County, VirginiaPage County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,177 people, 9,305 households, and 6,634 families residing in the county. The population density was 74 people per square mile . There were 10,557 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
)), March 3d, 1781. He was the sixth son of Jacob Hiestand [a Mennonite from Lancaster County] , who was drowned in the Shenandoah River
Shenandoah River
The Shenandoah River is a tributary of the Potomac River, long with two forks approximately long each, in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia...
while attempting to cross in a canoe, which upset. Samuel Hiestand's mother [Maria Elisabeth Brumbach] was a native of [ Müsen, Nassau-Siegen ] Germany. His grandfather [Heinrich] Hiestand was also a native of [ Ibersheim
Worms-Ibersheim
Ibersheim, Ibersheim, Ibersheim, (pronunciation is the district of Worms (Rhineland-Palatinate) that is furthest from the city centre and the smallest in terms of population....
] Germany, and emigrated to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
, in 1727. Samuel Hiestand emigrated to Fairfield County, Ohio
Fairfield County, Ohio
Fairfield County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 146,156. Its county seat is Lancaster. Its name is a reference to the Fairfield area of the original Lancaster....
, in 1804, and was married September 24th, 1809, to Mary Margaret Raudabaugh, daughter of Nicholas Raudabaugh, and sister to Mrs. John Philip Powell. She was born in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
-Notable people:*Boxing heavyweight great Muhammad Ali had his training camp in Deer Lake.*Charles Justin Bailey, commanding general of the 81st Division in World War I, was born in Tamaqua on June 21, 1859....
, June 1st, 1795. Two of Samuel Hiestand's brothers, [Abraham and John], three of his sons, [Tobias, Samuel, and Jonas all of Darke County, Ohio
Darke County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 53,309 people, 20,419 households, and 14,905 families residing in the county. The population density was 89 people per square mile . There were 21,583 housing units at an average density of 36 per square mile...
], and four of his grandsons are, or were, ministers in the United Brethren Church." Also at least two nephews were ministers in the United Brethren Church: Henry Hiestand (itinerant minister in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia) and Issac Hiestand (Washington County, Indiana
Washington County, Indiana
Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 28,262. The county seat is Salem.Washington County is part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY–IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Early settlers:...
).
Early Life and Faith
Rev. Samuel Hiestand's parents, grandparents, and several generations before were all Mennonites and not Moravians as reported in some sources. His uncle Henry Brumbach was a Mennonite minister as was his brother Abraham Hiestand, of the Page area, who signed himself in 1794 as "minister of the Church of the Mennonite Society" before becoming a United Brethren minister.Between adhering to the Mennonite faith and joining the United Brethren Church, Samuel Hiestand's family associated with the Primitive Baptist
Primitive Baptist
Primitive Baptists, also known as Hard Shell Baptists or Anti-Mission Baptists, are conservative, Calvinist Baptists adhering to beliefs that formed out of the controversy among Baptists in the early 1800’s over the appropriateness of mission boards, bible tract societies, and temperance...
. They had belonged to the Mennonite congregation at the White House Church, which became the Mill Creek Baptist Church under the mennonite Minister Martin Kauffman (Coffman) Sr. and the Baptisit preacher Elder John Koontz (Countz, Koonts,) who owned land next to the Hiestand's. Rev. John Koontz officiated the marriages of Samuel's siblings; Jacob (1784), Abraham (1787 to the widow of Mennonite Minister Jacob Strickler), Elizabeth (1784), Magdalena(1788) and John Hiestand (1794 to the daughter of Mennonite Minister Jacob Strickler). Martin Kauffman Sr. and other former Mennonite members withdrew from this Baptist church during the Revolutionary War when its leaders called for their armed participation. "In 1793 Martin Kauffman, in the name of the 'Separatist Independent Baptist Church,' petitioned the government of Virginia for military exemption for his people similar to that accorded the Mennonites and Quakers."
From Christian Newcomer
Christian Newcomer
Christian Newcomer was an American farmer and preacher, who was elected on 5 May 1813 as the third Bishop of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ.-Ordination:...
's Journal we know Samuel's family was already associated with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ
Church of the United Brethren in Christ
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Huntington, Indiana. It is a Protestant denomination of episcopal structure, Arminian theology, with roots in the Mennonite and German Reformed communities of 18th century Pennsylvania, as well as close...
and one of its founders as early as 1796. "On the 20th [October 1796] I rode to Messinurte
Massanutten Mountain
Massanutten Mountain is a synclinal ridge in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, located in the U.S. state of Virginia.-Geography:The mountain bisects the Shenandoah Valley just east of Strasburg in Shenandoah County in the north, to its highest peak east of Harrisonburg in Rockingham County in the...
; on the 21st preached here with
uncommon liberty, from Matthew 5 — v. 3. At candle light, I spoke at Br. Hiestand's, from Psalm 44-v. 15. The people here are rather hardened: may God have mercy on them." "5th [August 1799]—After considerable enquiry and difficult search, I this day arrived at Br. Hiestand's, where
I lodged for the night." "6th [December 1799]—Br. Hiestand preached this day at my house."
After Martin Kauffman Sr.'s death, a disagreement in the practice of slavery resulted in Martin Kauffman Jr., Lewis Seitz (Seits), and Samuel Comer separating from the Mill Creek Church with a group of followers moved to Fairfield County, Ohio, where they formed Pleasant Run Baptist Church, named after the nearby stream, in Pleasant Township. Samuel's mother and nephew Martin Hiestand are listed as members of this congregation in 1806-1809.
Samuel had made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ early in life. But his real conversion
Conversion to Christianity
Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to some form of Christianity. It has been called the foundational experience of Christian life...
occurred under the influence
Social influence
Social influence occurs when an individual's thoughts, feelings or actions are affected by other people. Social influence takes many forms and can be seen in conformity, socialization, peer pressure, obedience, leadership, persuasion, sales, and marketing...
of the Rev. George Benedum, a noted early itinerant
Itinerant
An itinerant is a person who travels from place to place with no fixed home. The term comes from the late 16th century: from late Latin itinerant , from the verb itinerari, from Latin iter, itiner ....
minister. Benedum had come from Pennsylvania to Ohio in 1806, two years after the Hiestand brothers. Benedum immediately began preaching, and he and Abraham Hiestand became the leaders of the U.B.
Church of the United Brethren in Christ
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Huntington, Indiana. It is a Protestant denomination of episcopal structure, Arminian theology, with roots in the Mennonite and German Reformed communities of 18th century Pennsylvania, as well as close...
movement in Fairfield County and neighboring communities. And it was upon these two Christian leaders the Bishop Christian Newcomer
Christian Newcomer
Christian Newcomer was an American farmer and preacher, who was elected on 5 May 1813 as the third Bishop of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ.-Ordination:...
called when he first visited Ohio in 1810.
Call to Ministry
Soon after Benedum's arrival Samuel Hiestand was awakened to a new sense of Christian obligation. Almost immediately he began traveling with Benedum through Fairfield County and the surrounding area. Indeed, Samuel came to be regarded Benedum's "apprentice." Samuel's entrance into the ministry was a natural consequence of this association. He was Licensed to Exhort by the Miami Annual Conference of the U.B. Church in 1819. He was Licensed to PreachLicense to Preach (Methodist)
A License to Preach in Methodist and related churches was the official authorization of a person to preach the Gospel and to do other tasks of ministry so authorized...
in 1820.
Ordained ministry
The Rev. Samuel Hiestand became of great service to the U.B. Church nearly from the start of his ministry. For example, though he was licensed to preach only in 1820, he served as the SecretarySecretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
of the U.B. General Conference
General Conference
In the United Nations system of specialized agencies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency or UNESCO, General Conferences are the recurring meetings of Member States. General Conference sessions are usually held yearly or biennially at the headquarters of the Agency...
of 1821. Indeed, the minutes of that conference show he was active in such important deliberations as the mode of Baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
to be practiced by this denomination, the discontinuance of the ordination of Bishops, and the establishment of the office of Presiding Elder as a full-time position. Rev. Hiestand was named one of the incorporators of "The Benevolent Society of the United Brethren in Christ" in the charter granted it by the Ohio Legislature in 1826.
When the Scioto
Scioto River
The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles in length. It rises in Auglaize County in west central Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets the Ohio River at Portsmouth...
Annual Conference was formed in Ohio in 1824, the Rev. Samuel Hiestand became a "charter member," since he lived within its bounds. His itinerancy within this conference included the Adelphos, Muskingum, Washington, and other circuits.
Ministerial Remuneration
Samuel Hiestand ministered in a period when salaries were pitifully small. In 1832, for example, while appointed to the MuskingumMuskingum River
The Muskingum River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 111 miles long, in southeastern Ohio in the United States. An important commercial route in the 19th century, it flows generally southward through the eastern hill country of Ohio...
Circuit, he and the Junior Preacher with him received together only $155.80. Another year, when he received $93 for his services, it was the highest salary any preacher in the Conference received that year! Indeed, no one could ever suggest that the Circuit Riders
Circuit rider (Religious)
Circuit rider is a popular term referring to clergy in the earliest years of the United States who were assigned to travel around specific geographic territories to minister to settlers and organize congregations...
of the early days entered upon their duties with any idea of becoming wealthy!
Effectiveness in Ministry
Samuel Hiestand was a thoroughly effective Pastor. The quiet, thoughtful influence of his Moravian background reflected in his preaching. One who knew him well said this of him:- He was a man of deep pietyPietyIn spiritual terminology, piety is a virtue that can mean religious devotion, spirituality, or a combination of both. A common element in most conceptions of piety is humility.- Etymology :...
, a faithful and efficient expounder of the Holy Scriptures, by no means an orator, but a close practical reasoner. No many could be in his company without feeling that in him were sweetly blended the true characteristics of a friend, a ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and a divineDivinity (academic discipline)Divinity is the study of Christian and other theology and ministry at a school, divinity school, university, or seminary. The term is sometimes a synonym for theology as an academic, speculative pursuit, and sometimes is used for the study of applied theology and ministry to make a distinction...
.
Episcopal ministry
The Rev. Hiestand was a member of the 1833 General Conference, too. This Conference authorized the printing establishment of the denomination, and the beginning of a denominational paper. Another action by this Conference also had a large impact on his ministry. Because of the death of Bishop Newcomer three years earlier, Henry Kumler Sr served to the end of the quadrennium as the only Bishop of the Church. The General Conference decided that because of the expanding Church and the increasing demands of time, travel, and the strength of its leaders, three Bishops should be elected. When the votingVoting
Voting is a method for a group such as a meeting or an electorate to make a decision or express an opinion—often following discussions, debates, or election campaigns. It is often found in democracies and republics.- Reasons for voting :...
was complete, Bishop Kumler was re-elected, and Samuel Hiestand and the Rev. William Brown were elected to serve with him!
Death and Funeral
"His sickness commenced last spring, with indigestion or dyspepsia, and continued till some days before his death; when he was taken with a nervous fever and head pleurisy. His mind was strong and active, until about three or four days before his exit from this world,—when it became somewhat impaired and flighty. His brother (Joseph) had some conversation with him, on the day before his mind began to fail, and he told him that he had, during that day, felt the sweet drawings of heaven more powerfully, than he ever did before; and when his speech had failed, and he heard any one talk of heaven, he would immediately smile, as if anxious to depart, and to possess it for ever.""On the 11th of October, 1838, a large concourse of ministers, friends, and neighbors convened at the late residence of Bishop Hiestand. Rev. Jacob Winter preached in German, and Jacob Miller in English, after which the bishop was buried, according to his previous request, beside his pious mother, in the Hiestand burying-ground, in the north-east corner of his farm, in Liberty Township, Fairfield County, Ohio. His beloved wife, Mary Margaret Hiestand, died November 22d, 1858, in Darke County, Ohio, aged 67 years, 5 months, and 27 days."