The author of a forthcoming book on the religious history of Gettysburg, Pa., will deliver this year’s John Kline Lecture at the John Kline Homestead in Broadway, Va., on April 28. The speaker, Steve Longenecker, will explain the impact of the famous battle on members of the Church of the Brethren (Dunkers) who lived on the battlefield.
Brethren lived on farms just outside Gettysburg, and in 1863 they witnessed the great collision of armies. One Brethren-owned farm became the famous Peach Orchard, a critical point in the battle. The experience the Gettysburg Brethren is particularly ironic because they belonged to an anti-slavery, pacifist denomination.
The lecture titled “Gettysburg Brethren on the Battlefield” is at the John Kline Homestead on, Sunday, April 28, beginning at 3 p.m. Nineteenth-century refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and reservations are required. Contact Paul Roth at proth@bridgewater.edu or Linville Creek Church of the Brethren at 540-896-5001 for reservations.
Longenecker’s book, “Gettysburg Religion,” will be released by Fordham University Press later this year as part of its series on the North’s Civil War. Longenecker has written five other books on American religious history. He earned a doctorate in history from Johns Hopkins University and is professor of History at Bridgewater (Va.) College.
The lecture series is named for Elder John Kline, an inspirational and legendary leader in Brethren history, and sponsored by the John Kline Homestead in Broadway, Va. This will be the third in a series of five annual John Kline Lectures that commemorates the Civil War Sesquicentennial.
For additional information, call Paul Roth at 540-896-5001.
— Paul Roth pastors Linville Creek Church of the Brethren in Broadway, Va.