| 15 South Mulberry Street Hagerstown, Maryland 21740 301-733-3565 |
| MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Hagerstown Church of the Brethren is to celebrate the love of Jesus Christ and glorify the Lord by striving to live as Christ lived, experiencing the power of God's healing in our lives. We seek to nurture our faith community through prayer, music and the proclaimed Word, while enthusiastically reaching out to others with compassion, respect and love for everyone so that we may grow in faith and commitment together. VISION STATEMENT Journeying with Christ - Serving Our Neighbors - Uniting at the Master’s Table |
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| Unsung Brethren |
| All rights reserved. Used by permission. Permission to copy must be obtained from the author. |
| John Kline was born – June 17th 1797 – in Pennsylvania and as a teenager moved with his family to the Linville Creek area of Rockingham County, Virginia. In 1818 he married Anna Wampler who lived down the road from the Kline homestead. The Klines only child died at an early age. As a working farmer John prospered while sharing his abundance with neighbors and supported the Linville Creek German Baptist Church, known today as the Church of the Brethren. In fact, Brother Kline gave the land on which the Linville Church was built. In 1827 John Kline was chosen as a deacon by the Linville congregation and after faithfully serving in that position for several years, he was given full rights as an Elder. According to records Kline traveled on horseback over 100,000 miles mostly in the mountainous area of western Virginia – preaching the gospel he held so dear. In spring of 1861 the bloody conflict of civil war came to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Elder Kline wrote numerous letters to his friend, Gov. John Letcher of Virginia, explaining the Brethren’s stand against any form of war or participating in military service. Refusing to shoulder a musket against his fellowman, John Kline had a different view of “patriotism” and wrote in his diary, “My highest conception of patriotism is found in the man who loves the Lord his God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself.” Amen! In the early stages of the War Between the States, Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson claimed many brilliant victories in the Shenandoah Valley – the same time John Kline was preaching in this same beautiful section of Virginia. It has never been recorded if Jackson ever met Kline. If this encounter would have occurred, one can only speculate what the conversation would have been between these two deeply, devoted Christians – both serving the same God on different ground. Crossing military lines to preach, Kline was considered a Union spy by Rebel forces and in spring 1862, was put in prison at Harrisonburg. Once released he continued giving medical aid to the wounded of both sides. As the Civil War continued, distrust of the Brethren increased and on June 15th 1864, John Kline was killed close to his home by Confederate bushwhackers. The body was laid to rest in the Linville Church Cemetery. A Harrisonburg newspaper reported, “John was highly esteemed in his church whose membership will mourn his death as the removal of one of the pillars of the church.” When the Book of Life is opened beyond the river, Elder John Kline will be recognized as the man who truly loved his God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself. |
| Elder John Kline |
