Daniel Sommer

to Gene West

4-2-07
Greetings from The Bend of The River, Barbour County, WVa. R.D.Ice

It is interesting you invoke the name of Daniel Sommer. He was a man of influence, equal to David Lipscomb in many ways. He was "located" at Reynoldsburg, Ohio at one time (my home congregation). I wrote: "Some of this history comes from DANIEL SOMMER, A BIOGRAPHY compiled by WILLIAM E. WALLACE, c. 1969." I have put together the following history.

Daniel Sommer was a unique personality. Born of German immigrant parents, on January 11, 1850, he lived for ninety years, and formed a human bridge between the early restoration pioneers and the 1900s. He was contemporary with Alexander Campbell for sixteen years, and entered Bethany College four years after the death of its founder. A rather slow, but methodical student, he resolved to master the content of divine revelation and to proclaim it "without fear or favor." He viewed the spirit of departure from the original design of the scriptures [as he saw it] as a sad and doleful commentary on the influence of pride and ambition among the disciples of Christ and began to raise his voice against the innovations he felt would make impossible the "return to the primitive order of things."

Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was made famous among the "disciples" [those of the Stone - Campbell Movement, who were united as one at that time] by a debate between Elder Benjamin Franklin (of the Church of Christ) and an Elder Thompson (of the Regular Baptist Church). As I remember being told, this debate must have been sometime in the late 1860's. The Reynoldsburg Church of Christ grew out of this. The original frame building was erected on Walnut Street.

Daniel Sommer speaks of being called to Reynoldsburg in the autumn of 1879 to conduct a Gospel Meeting. The meeting lasted four weeks and twenty or more were baptized. He was invited to "locate" at Reynoldsburg. In 1880 Daniel, with his wife and four little boys, moved to Reynoldsburg, to "half of an old hotel with sunken foundations" that the brethren had rented for them. The town had some six hundred inhabitants in a rural setting. It was ten miles from the center of Columbus. They stayed with Elder William Sprague until their furniture arrived. It had been shipped by rail from Chester County, PA, to Columbus, Ohio, and then out to Brice Station (about four miles from Reynoldsburg). Sommer lived at Reynoldsburg from May 1880 to August 1884. He preached probably two Sundays each month there, and the other time was involved in evangelistic efforts in surrounding counties.

I remember being told of a Gospel Meeting which Sommer held at Mount Pleasant, near Lancaster, OH. As Sommer walked down the street, a shower of rain came up, and he was sprinkled by it. Some townspeople were watching. "Why Brother Sommer, I didn't think you believed in sprinkling!" Sommer turned. "I don't object to sprinkling when it is administered by the Lord." He walked on.

There were elders at times, and the church would grow, then be set back by problems. Bro. Sommer mentions internal conflicts while he was there. Probably personality conflicts and disagreements are the usual church problems."

Sommer maintained great control over many by means of his Papers (such as The Octographic Review, The American Christian Review). He raised "issues" expecting to weld the churches who agreed with him into a solid unit honoring the Lord. But things did not go as he expected. Look at: http://www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/people/dsommer.html There was sectarian conflict among the churches and even among his own family. Austen Sommer, his son, raised even more issues ("mutual edification") and began his own paper, "The Macedonian Call."

'"Can't We Agree On Anything" was an article in Sommer's Paper. He (or his editor) said: "To those of the churches of Christ who desire a plan for Unity, we submit the following for your consideration. We cry 'Unity,' and say that Unity can be obtained only on a New Testament basis; and yet the New Testament is the Book we disagree on. If we can search out the things we can agree on, and unite on them, and work together, we'll have Unity!" The "Rough Draft" grew out of this list of things agreed upon. But Many, whose opinions had been formed by Sommer, threw up their hands in horror! Sommer had written a creed! One of his own children, D. Austin Sommer, started an opposition paper, "The Macedonian Call." The net effect of this was to increase the problem of disunity. The Restoration Movement had once again shot itself in the foot.

In 1933 Daniel Sommer, then eighty-three years of age made a preaching tour of the South. He spoke at David Lipscomb College and at many churches in the Southland. The time was coming when Daniel Sommer was beginning to realize that he should not force his opinions on others. This is not to say that he changed his views on anything, only to say that he put them in their proper perspective.

In the '30's and '40's there were efforts made to unite the parties of the Restoration Movement. James DeForrest Murch and Claude Witty led theses. They held Unity Meetings in many cities. Daniel Sommer was among the speakers. In his old age he still had all his mental faculties, although he was blind. Allen R. Sommer, writing in the American Christian Review, dated January, February, March 1965, writes the following. "He had attended a Witty-Murch unity meeting of several days in this city (Indianapolis, Indiana, 1939). Spoke along with Morris, Murch, Boles, Witty, Errett and McMillian. Jorgenson led some singing. No instrumental music. It was in a Christian Church building, too. Some free-for-all discussions livened the occasion. When one such seemed getting out of control, Don Carlos Janes brought order when he pleaded, 'Brethren, let us pray.'"

As the apostle John wrote, we are simultaniously justified and sinner (1 John 1:7-10). We sometimes build with "gold, silver, precious stones," but at other times with "wood, hay, straw," and "the fire will test each one's work" 1 Cor. 3:10-17. We trust in the "righteousness which is by faith" Phil. 3:9-11. R.D.Ice