We’ve all heard the names John and Charles Wesley, but there are a lot of other important names in the history of Methodism you may not know. The Unsung Heroes of Methodism series tells the stories of lesser-known figures whose lives and witness still impact The United Methodist Church today, even if their names aren’t familiar to us.
This article is part of a miniseries on the founding figures in The Evangelical United Brethren Church (EUB). The EUB is one of the predecessor denominations to The United Methodist Church. You can learn more about The EUB and its unique history here.
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It all began inside a barn. German-American pastor Philip William Otterbein was attending a church service at Long’s Barn outside Lancaster, PA, when he heard the preacher give the sermon and was so moved, that he walked up to him, embraced him, and said in German “We are brothers.” That preacher was Martin Boehm, a local Mennonite bishop of Swiss-German descent. Together with Otterbein he would go on to found The United Brethren of Christ (a predecessor denomination to The United Methodist Church).[1]
Born in Lancaster in 1725 to German immigrants, Boehm was part of an Anabaptist community following the teachings of the 16th Century reformer Menno Simons.[2] The Mennonites held a number of beliefs considered radical at the time. They were strict pacifists, refused to take oaths, practiced only adult baptism and engaged in many ancient Christian practices such as the washing each other’s feet like Christ did for the disciples.[3] Boehm did not attend a seminary or receive any formal training to become a pastor, instead learning everything locally within his own community.[4]
Boehm married a Mennonite woman named Eve in 1753 with whom he had eight children. Boehm struggled at first in accepting his calling to preach and much like a young John Wesley felt a lack of assurance in his own faith. He had what some might call his own Aldersgate Experience one day while he was farming. He would later claim that “a stream of joy was poured over me.”[5]
Though Mennonite pastors did not normally tend to itinerate, Boehm’s story of assurance and his preaching were so compelling that he was frequently invited to other Mennonite communities in the region to preach. In 1761 he was made a bishop. A few years later he and Otterbein had their fateful first meeting that began a lifelong friendship and led directly to the founding The United Brethren of Christ in 1800.[6]
Boehm also became friendly with a new emerging Christian movement taking off in American Colonies at the time: The Methodists. Like Otterbein, Boehm found they were kindred spirits and was impressed by the way they organized themselves into local societies. In 1775 Boehm took the bold step of allowing a Methodist class to meet inside his own home. The class grew and prospered, eventually building the first Methodist church in Lancaster, Boehm’s Chapel on land donated by Boehm’s family. The church still stands today.[7]
Unfortunately, Boehm’s willingness to work collaboratively with non-Mennonites such as Otterbein and the Methodists attracted opposition within his own community. He was excommunicated from the community in 1777, but continued his ministry in spite of this setback. In 2016 the Lancaster Mennonite Conference voted to restore Boehm posthumously as a bishop.[8]
Following his removal, Boehm joined Otterbein in forming The United Brethren of Christ in 1800 as an independent movement among the German-speaking community in America. The two men would both serve as the first bishops of the new denomination.[9]
Martin’s son Henry Boehm would follow his father into ministry. Having attended Methodist meetings inside the Boehm home as a boy, he became an itinerate preacher for The Methodist Episcopal Church. Henry became close friends with Bishop Francis Asbury. The two often traveled together with Henry serving as a translator to German-speaking Methodists for the bishop.[10]
Martin Boehm died on March 23, 1812 at the age of 87. Asbury would give the eulogy at his memorial service.[11] The United Brethren of Christ Church he and Otterbein founded would continue to flourish long after they were gone. Today Boehm, along with Otterbein, is counted as one of the founding fathers of The United Methodist Church.
This content was produced by UMC.org on May 23, 2024. Philip J. Brooks is a writer and content developer at United Methodist Communications. Contact him by email.
[1] Rowe, Kenneth E.; Richey, Russell E.; Schmidt, Jean Miller. The Methodist Experience in America Volume I: A History. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2010.
[2] Iovino, Joe. “Martin and Henry Boehm: Founding Brethren of the UMC.” United Methodist Communications. June 1, 2018.
[3] “Confession Of Faith In A Mennonite Perspective.” Mennonite Church USA.
[4] Rowe, Kenneth E.; Richey, Russell E.; Schmidt, Jean Miller. The Methodist Experience in America Volume I: A History. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2010.
[5] Iovino, Joe. “Martin and Henry Boehm: Founding Brethren of the UMC.” United Methodist Communications. June 1, 2018.
[6] Idem.
[7] Idem.
[8] Bloom, Linda. “Mennonites reconnect with UMC founder.” United Methodist News. June 27, 2016.
[9] Rowe, Kenneth E.; Richey, Russell E.; Schmidt, Jean Miller. The Methodist Experience in America Volume I: A History. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2010.
[10] Iovino, Joe. “Martin and Henry Boehm: Founding Brethren of the UMC.” United Methodist Communications. June 1, 2018.
[11] Idem.
