Miller, Moses P. (1802-1877)
Moses P. Miller (Gross Mose): Amish bishop in Holmes County, Ohio, was born 28 January 1802 in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and died 18 January 1877 in Walnut Creek, Ohio. He was the son of Peter Miller (1756–1818) and Mary Stutzman (1756–1838). He was married to Catherine Miller (5 August 1795–31 January 1874), daughter of "Broad Run John" Miller and Catherine Yoder; they had eight children. He was ordained as a minister by lot in 1830 for the original Holmes-Tuscarawas congregation. When the congregation divided into two because of growth, he was ordained bishop of the new Walnut Creek congregation. In 1860 or 1861 he and his congregation separated from the other districts and developed into the Walnut Creek Mennonite Church. Later in life, until ca. 1871, he served as bishop for the Howard-Miami congregation at Kokomo, Indiana.
He was one of 14 bishops and ministers in the Holmes-Tuscarawas congregations to attend the first Amish ministers' meeting held in Wayne County, Ohio, in June 1862. Four Moses Millers from Ohio were present at that conference: Moses J. ( <em>Kleine Mose</em> ) Miller of Walnut Creek; Moses H. Miller of Winesburg; and Moses Miller of Shanesville. The subject of this sketch was known as "Gross (Big) Mose" and was so designated in the conference report. There was also another Moses B. Miller from Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
"Big Mose" took an active part in the conference discussions and took a broad-minded, conciliatory attitude in current issues. He strongly advocated leniency in enforcing the ban between man and wife, favored allowing non-members in the counsel meeting when Christian duties were under consideration, and urged tolerance on the mode of baptism, "in the house" or "in a running stream."
Moses P. Miller and Moses J. Miller were contemporaries, relatives, and both ordained ministers of the original 19th century Holmes County Amish Mennonite congregation located at Walnut Creek. Because of their names, they are easily confused but were quite distinct in their leadership and legacy among the Amish Mennonites. Bishop Moses P. Miller (Gross Mose) led the Walnut Creek Amish Mennonites and affiliated congregations into what became the 20th century (Old) Mennonite Church. His nephew Bishop Moses J. Miller (Kleine Mose) led the Walnut Creek Amish Mennonites and affiliated church districts into what became the 20th century Old Order Amish church. In 2009 the Holmes County area had over 200 church Amish districts and Mennonite congregations and 20,000 members; almost all could trace their beginnings to this congregation and these two leaders.
Bibliography
"Moses ("Grosse") P. Miller." SAGA (Swiss Anabaptist Genealogical Association) Genealogical Website. http://saga.ncweb.com/tng/getperson.php?personID=I37&tree=hostetlr (accessed 20 March 2009).
Yoder, Paton, and Steven R. Estes. Proceedings of the Amish Ministers' Meetings, 1862-1878 = Die Verhandlungen Der Diener Versammlungen, 1862-1878 : Translation, Interpretation, Related Documents, Participants. Goshen, IN: Mennonite Historical Society, 1999: 347.
| Author(s) | Levi Miller |
|---|---|
| Date Published | March 2009 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Miller, Levi. "Miller, Moses P. (1802-1877)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2009. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Miller,_Moses_P._(1802-1877)&oldid=83540.
APA style
Miller, Levi. (March 2009). Miller, Moses P. (1802-1877). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Miller,_Moses_P._(1802-1877)&oldid=83540.
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