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East Wenatchee Church History
By C. W. Guthrie Pastor The East Wenatchee Church of the Brethren was organized May 16th, 1908. The organization, effected from the Wenatchee Church, was composed of 52 charter members living east of the Columbia River and adjacent to the Wenatchee Territory, most of which lived in the territory known as East Wenatchee. The members consisted largely of brethren and sisters who had moved in from the east to settle on the irrigated lands which had been developed by the High Line Canal Company. Elder A. B. Peters acting as agent of the East Wenatchee Land Company was largely influential in the immigration and settlement of our people. During the history of the church the following elders have been in charge. 1908-1911, A. B. Peters; 1912, J. J. Filbrun; 1913, C. E. Holmes; 1914, A. B. Peters; 1915, Warren Slabaugh; 1916, J. J. Filbrun; 1917, A. B. Peters; 1918 M. F. Woods; 1919, Warren Slabaugh; 1920, R. F. Hiner; and 1921-1922, W. A. Deardorff, at which date the East Wenatchee Church and the Wenatchee City church united and formed the Wenatchee Valley Church. The following were elected to office. Ministers elected in 1918, were Paul Graybill and Owen Kintner; and in 1922, Paul Miller. Deacons elected in 1908, were A. E. Bolen, C. E. Inks and J. C. Buntain; and in 1910, B. W. Ikenberry and William Callison, Ordinations in 1911, J. J. Filbrun and C. E. Homes to the eldership; 1912, E. R. Eikenberry to the second degree; and in 1914, Warren Slabaugh to the eldership. District Meeting was held in this Church in 1917. The Sunday School has had a large part in the success of the East Wenatchee Church. Our start was very meager, but at the time of the consolidation there was an average attendance of 168, with a well graded school. Until 1921, we used a self supporting ministry. But at that time brother C. V. Stern, was elected as pastor on half time and half support. In 1922 Eld. C. W. Guthrie, of Los Angeles, California took up the pastorate on full time and support. Many of our younger people have been brought to a desire for larger service and a larger preparation, and have attended our educational institutions; mostly going to Bethany Bible School, of Chicago. One of our sisters - Ada Dunning, with the financial assistance of the Wenatchee Valley Missionary Society, prepared herself for service in the Foreign Field, and is now located in China under support of the above named Society. On June 16th, 1922 the history of the East Wenatchee Church closed. On that date the East Wenatchee Church and the Wenatchee City Church Consolidated, the two forming a new organization, know as the Wenatchee Valley Church. Thus the life of the East Wenatchee Church, as such, was 14 years, during which she had her trials an successes, but large and lasting results have been achieved for Christ and the Church. The church house was built in 1909. At the time of the consolidation the membership numbered _________. While a number of these additions were from people moving in, the records show that _____ have been received by baptism.
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