The standing committee of the West Ohio Eldership met at Findlay, Ohio, January 30, 1878, and the following business was transacted:

      1. Charges having been preferred against Elder J. V. Updike, Brother S. Bolton was chosen to fill the vacancy on the committee.

      2. Elder T. Metzler tendered his resignation of the Moreland church. Not accepted, but he is given the privilege to get the assistance of any man holding a license from this body to assist him at any time, providing that it does not interfere with the interest of any other circuit.

      3.Charges were preferred against Elder D. S. Warner, and the following action was taken:

      WHEREAS, Elder D. S. Warner has been charged with having violated the agreement made by him at the last Eldership, and also violating the 10th and 15th articles of the system of co-operation; and

      WHEREAS, The charges have been sustained; and,

      WHEREAS, Said Warner expresses a determination rather to labor in the interests of and be governed by that which we deem to be a sectarian alliance, than to be governed by the Eldership of the Church of God; therefore,

      Resolved, That his license be and is hereby suspended until such time as he shall return to his allegiance to the Eldership and Church.

      WHEREAS, We, as a body, believe in and preach Bible holiness, without which no man can see God, we, therefore, cannot approve of the theory and practice of the so-called "Holiness Alliance," which we consider unscriptural; and,

      WHEREAS, The introduction of peculiar notions of second work sanctification into the Church of God results in confusion, dissatisfaction, and division; therefore,

      Resolved, 1. We cannot approve of the Churches of God, in Ohio, permitting the Alliance to spring any of their meeting upon them. 2. We charge our brethren in the ministry to adhere to the Eldership and the churches under their charge, and to keep themselves free from every foreign and sectarian yoke. 3. We urge preachers and churches to labor earnestly for the promotion of the holiness of heart and life which the New Testament teaches and sanctions.

      5. The charges against Elder J. V. Updike were satisfactorily adjusted, and Elder U. made proper acknowledgments, and the following action was taken by the committee:

      WHEREAS, Elder J. V. Updike stated that he holds the doctrine of instantaneous sanctification as a subsequent work to regeneration; and,

      WHEREAS, He agrees to hold it as a private doctrine, and not spring it upon the churches in any way; therefore,

      Resolved, That we urge him in the future to co-operate with the churches and Eldership in the advancement of the doctrine of the Church of God.

      6. Elder Buchard was released from the McComb circuit and appointed to Findlay.

      7. Elder Updike was appointed to the McComb circuit.

      J. W. Aukerman, T. Koogle, G. W. Wilson, S. Bolton, J. M. Cassel, committee.

[The Church Advocate 42 (February 20, 1878): 2.]

      This report of the West Ohio Standing Committee was first published in The Church Advocate, Vol. 42, No. 34 (February 20, 1878), p. 2. The electronic version has been transcribed from a copy of the article provided by Jean Leathers, Archivist of the Churches of God Historical Society.

      I have let stand variations and inconsistencies in the author's (or editor's) use of italics, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 10 February 1998.
Updated 15 July 2003.