Romans 12:9-21

A PORTRAIT OF ELDER JOHN KLINE

If ever there was a man who embodied the marks of a true Christian as outlined by the Apostle Paul in this text, it was Elder John Kline.  The Brethren have long focused on this scripture as a model of faithfulness, and they have long revered one of their earliest leaders as one who embraced these marks with integrity.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews urges us to Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith (13:7).   Because of his life and leadership during the tumultuous times of the American Civil War, Brethren historian Donald F. Durnbaugh called John Kline the most beloved of Brethren leaders.    There is no doubt he was dearly loved by those who knew him. The epitaph on his tombstone simply states:  When he was present, he was useful.  When absent, wanted much.  He lived desired.  When killed, lamented.

We have no photograph of John Kline, except for a highly suspect daguerreotype in Appendix B of Ray Neff’s Valley of the Shadow.  Brethren resisted photos of themselves, fearing they might lead to pride and a forsaking of the fourth commandment which prohibits making a graven image.  Besides, the photo in Ray Neff’s book seems different from the descriptions by family and friends.

We do have the testimonies of those who knew John Kline.  A great-grandniece and former librarian at Bridgewater College, Agnes Kline included several descriptions of Uncle Johnny in an article she wrote for Brethren Life & Thought, “A Memoir of John Kline”:

Henry Niswander, the son of a prominent Mennonite preacher, a fugitive from the Confederate army, was imprisoned with John Kline in the Rockingham County courthouse in Harrionsburg, VA.  He described Elder Kline as a man of “medium height, rather heavily built . . . short beard . . . homespun suit of jeans . . . forceful speaker and had his discourse well arranged . . . especially liked by young people.”

Benjamin Funk, who edited John Kline’s diary, wrote a fuller description of Elder Kline for the Gospel Messenger issue January 23, 1904:

“His height was nearly five feet, six and on-half inches.  His normal weight was, to the best of my recollection, about one hundred and seventy pounds.  He was what may be called a well-proportioned, symmetrical man, as to personal form.

“John Kline had a full square face, dark eyes, and dark hair in his earlier years.  His hair was usually long enough to cover the back of his neck, was slightly curled by nature, and wavy, and beautifully parted over the middle of the head from the forehead.  He carried a pleasant countenance, and his social habits were very agreeable. . . .He had a light beard . . . .

“His manner was mild everywhere, and his temper habitually calm.  I could here relate occurrences . . . in which he retained complete control of his temper under trials that would have broken . . . most men.

“At his home he was kind to visitors and hospitable in every way.  He displayed the same kind of nature in the treatment of every member of his household. . . .

“In the use of mechanical tools he was ingenious and skillful . . . he could turn his hand to almost anything in the line of tools. . . .

“His opportunities for good mental training were very limited. . . .  Whilst this lack of means of mental culture did not weaken the native force of his genius, it did lengthen the time required for its development.”  (He had about a 4th grade education, but he was a voracious reader.)

Orra Langhorne (daughter of Colonel Algernon Gray, legal adviser to the noncombatant Mennonites and Dunkers) described John Kline from his frequent visits to her father’s home:

“He always wore the blue homespun garments which are the uniform of the Tunker brethren,  made after the quaint fashion of their German forefathers, every piece from the flax-linen shirt to the cut-away coat, spun and woven by the thrifty women of their orderly community.  His shoes, tied with stout leather stings, were home-made, too -- probably he made them himself. . . .

“The old man was of somewhat thick-set frame, scarcely reaching medium height; his long white hair parted in the middle, fell over his shoulder . . . his blue eyes beamed with kindly intelligence, and there was altogether about him, an air of peace and serenity, seeming to lift him above the world of strife.”

Agnes Kline enlarged the portrait of her Uncle Johnny beyond physical features.  She included the services he gave to the community:

“He was generous in giving food, money, and wheat for the poor.  He paid a number of war exemption fines for those who could not.  His recorded will stands as a testimony of his liberality.  For example, he left two houses with their lots to the church to be used as free homes for poor members.  To the poor, he charged no interest for loans.  He provided well for his widow. . . . [leaving her on his many trips from home] in the hands of capable and kind people.

“He went into the homes as a very special person, to comfort the dying and the bereaved, to aid in business matters, to advise, to admonish, and to speak concerning salvation.  In so doing, he found that there was a great need unmet.  This led him to the study of botanical medicine.  After this, he was greatly in demand, for there was much sickness.  Epidemics which wiped out nearly entire families brought sorrow to him.  He did not charge the poor.  He helped in surveying and wrote wills and deeds.

“As a traveler he well knew the need for better transportation; so he aided in the opening of the new road through Brock’s Gap.  He was a stockholder in the new railroad coming up through the Valley.  He contrived and built a long wire swinging bridge over Linville Creek, and with his brother Samuel built and operated a gristmill and a sawmill.

“A pioneer leader in his community, he gave land from his large farm for the Linville Creek church and cemetery, and also land for the Cedar Grove Academy.  Besides himself, these were his most valuable gifts.

“The message handed down to us is that he was a man innately kind, who deeply loved his fellowman and his church, who, knowing neither hate nor fear, stood by his convictions against all warnings and against extreme danger, until the end.”

Maybe it’s not the outward appearance that is important to be remembered about John Kline; rather, the portrait we remember most of one who served among us in the growth and expansion of the Brethren is the legacy of his life and faith, the marks of a devout Christian life shaped by the example of Jesus.

Elder Daniel Hays lived on the original farmland of John Kline’s grandfather across the Linville Creek from Elder Kline’s home.  He wrote an article for the June 8,1912, issue of Gospel Messenger, titled “Elder John Kline’s Photograph”:

“Other men had their bright parts, but he shone with a uniform and increasing luster.  There was nothing attractive about him, except it be his unwavering to duty and the solidity of his character.  Other men drew large audiences and excited much admiration, but it was left for Brother Kline, by his presence and simple personality, to dispense a home feeling, a restfulness, a satisfaction that speaks most eloquently.  This gives the key to his influence in Annual Meeting.  It was due to the confidence reposed in the man because of the consistency of his life and work.  Here is a picture of a well-spent life, and this way is open to all.”

On the centennial of the death of Elder John Kline, Bridgewater College professor Roger E. Sappington wrote a biography of this beloved Brethren leader,  Courageous Prophet.  Sappington summarizes John Kline’s contributions to the church:

• He was a good steward, one who used his property well.  Throughout his life he set aside a portion of each harvest for the church and for the needy.  His body was cared for judiciously. . . .
• He was a pastor, . . . ministering to the spiritual needs of others with a particular concern for special groups such as the young and the aged.
• He was a missionary with a passion for those who were unchurched.  He traveled more than one hundred thousand miles, most of it on horseback, in his missionary tours in the states of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Tennessee.
• He was a physician and scientist.  Eager to discover the most effective approach to medical treatment, he followed the Thompsonian system, which proposed to heal by removing the cause of the illness.  His progressive attitude is demonstrated in his interest in the building of better roads and railroads.
• He was an ardent defender of the Brethren faith.  Much of his preaching centered around the doctrines of the church and his understanding of the Christian faith.
• He was a social actionist in his desire to eliminate the evil of slavery and in his opposition to war as a means of settling disputes.  He vigorously opposed the presence of slaveholders in the church.  He also sought to make it possible for Brethren to be exempt from serving in the Confederacy military forces, writing often to state, local, and Confederate officials, as well as military leaders.
• He was a courageous prophet with the ability to speak wisely on the social and religious concerns of his time, giving direction to the church as Annual Meeting moderator during the Civil War.
• He was a dedicated Christian who used all of the personal strength and the physical prosperity which God had given him for the glory of God and his neighbor’s good.

In this 300th anniversary year of a people called Brethren, we give thanks for a most beloved Brethren leader, Elder John Kline.  His motto was: To do all the good I can this year.  It echoes the Apostle Paul’s counsel to bear the marks of the true Christian: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).  Thanks be to God for this faithful Brethren leader. May we imitate his life and faith in the 21st century as a people called Brethren.

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The Homestead./ Board of Directors /Progress of Project/ How you can help/ John Kline Memento Sales

Church of the Brethren Shenendoah District/ Brethren Encyclopedia / CrossRoads Valley Heritage Center