View source for Brackbill, Christian M. (1853-1936)

Christian M. Brackbill was born in Salisbury Township, [[Lancaster County (Pennsylvania, USA)|Lancaster County]], [[Pennsylvania (USA)|Pennsylvania]], 5 December 1853, in the home of Joseph and Elizabeth Metzler Brackbill. He taught school for two years, attended a term of normal school, and then returned to the farm of his father. He married Elizabeth K. Denlinger 20 November 1879, a daughter of Benjamin L. and Anna Kreider Denlinger, born 18 October 1855. They had seven children. They were members of the [[Hershey Mennonite Church (Kinzers, Pennsylvania, USA)|Hershey church]], probably before marriage, which was then rare. He was the first superintendent of the Hershey Sunday school and early a devotee of the mission cause. When it crystallized in the [[Mission Advocates (Lancaster Mennonite Conference)|Sunday School Advocates]] in the middle 1890s, he headed the organization for a short time.

On 17 September 1896 Brackbill was ordained by [[Eby, Isaac (1834-1910)|Isaac Eby]] as a preacher in the Hershey-Paradise district. Though ordained when missions were not generally accepted, he continued his interest in missions and the Sunday school. He was a commanding figure in the pulpit and was very influential with the young people, being more progressive in spirit than many.

Upon the death of Isaac Eby in 1910, he was ordained bishop in the large Pequea-Mellinger- Strasburg district, serving ably until his death on 8 March 1936, leaving his imprint on the [[Lancaster Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Lancaster Mennonite Conference]].
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