Super Rare vintage book: Souvenir of the West German Conference on the Episcopal Methodist Church. German edition, 1906

Printed at Jennings and Graham, Cincinnati, Ohio 1906.

406 pages illustrated with black-and-white photographs of churches and preachers. 

Boards show heavy shelf wear. Binding is loose in the front, with the front board nearly separated from the spine. Pages are tanning  but supple and clean, free from any writing, markings or stains.

This volume is a survey and history in German of the various German Episcopal Methodist churches in the districts of Kansas City, Nebraska, Northern Nebraska, Colorado and Wichita, Kansas. Biographies of preachers are also included.

Some history:

Methodism spread across America in the early 1800s as settlers moved westward. Itinerant missionary Methodist preachers realized they needed German-speaking preachers to reach the many German settlers. Thus, a German-speaking branch of Methodism was founded in the 1830s, the Deutsche Methodiste Bischöfliches Kirche, or German Methodist Episcopal Church, headquartered in Cincinnati with a conference in St. Louis.

A major appeal of Methodism to frontier settlers was its praise and joy in worship that uplifted them despite pioneer hardships. This message contrasted with the emphasis on human sinfulness that characterized German churches.

Membership began to decline after 1900 because members and their children had become English speakers, and German immigration had dropped, rendering a separate German-speaking Methodist congregation unnecessary.

Translated text from the first few pages:

Preface.

The present work owes its existence to various resolutions of the West German Conference, which, summed up, are as follows:

On September 8, 1905, the Committee on the Historical Society of the Stonferenz issued a report and recommended, among other things, the publication of a conference souvenir containing an illustrated fizze of each congregation and each Bredi ger". It was determined that the net profit should flow into the fund of the preacher support association. Upon application, Otto E. Kriege was asked to publish such a conference souvenir, and Gustav Becker, Matthaus Herrmann and E. 2. Körner were assigned as assistants. Br. Chase Ott kindly offered to make available to this committee the historical material he had collected over the years.

The committee immediately held a few blessings, drew up the plan for the work and divided up the work, which was then also tackled by letter over the next few weeks. Thanks to the important preparatory work of Br. Chas. Ott and the friendly help of the preachers, the material was collected and organized over the winter months.

It has been a labor of love on the part of the committee, and the book is now given to the members and friends of the West German Conference in the hope that its content and form will be of general satisfaction...

Needless to say, the Committee has made every effort to provide the names and dates, and indeed all historical information, as accurately as possible. My manuscript was considered ready for the press without having been repeatedly compared with the old volumes of the Apologet, and with the bread rolls of the Southwestern and West German Conferences. The discerning reader will be able to excuse or correct any mistakes that may nevertheless easily occur in view of the large quantity of dates and names....

Table of contents.

I. History of the spread of German Methodism in the Boundaries of the West German Conference.

1. The pioneering work, from 1843-1850. 

2. Bon 1850 to the organization of German conferences in 1864.

3. Bon of the organization of the Southwestern German Conference in 1864 to the division of the conference in 1878.

4. The West German Conference of 1878-1906

5. Miscellaneous Conference Notes

6. History of Districts

7. Statistical survey of the West German Conference.

II. Historical sketches of the individual communities.

1. Kansas City-District 

2. Nebraska District

3. Northern Nebraska and Colorado District

4. Wichita District.

III. Biographical sketches of Brediger. 

1. Deceased Brediger.

2. Superannual preachers

3. Active preachers.

4. Auxiliary Ministers (Supplies)

5. List of names of all preachers.

IV. Institutions of the Conference

1. General Wesleyan Orphanage

2. Central Wesleyan College and Theological Seminary.

3. German College of Mt. Pleasant 4. Enterprise Normal Academy..

5. Deaconesses Home