View source for Allgyer, Samuel Evans (1859-1953)

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[[File:Allgyer-Samuel-E-02-Portrait-with-Bible-HM4-62-1-1.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''Samuel E. Allgyer.<br />
Scan courtesy [http://www.mennoniteusa.org/executive-board/archives/ Mennonite Church USA Archives-Goshen] HM 4-62, Box 1/1'']]     
Samuel Evans Allgyer, son of Joseph and Barbara (Zook) Allgyer, was born near McVeytown, [[Mifflin County (Pennsylvania, USA)|Mifflin County]], [[Pennsylvania (USA)|Pennsylvania]], 8 March 1859, and died 15 November 1953. His parents moved to [[Wayne County (Ohio, USA)|Wayne County]], [[Ohio (USA)|Ohio]], and in 1878 settled near [[West Liberty (Ohio, USA)|West Liberty]], Ohio. They were members of the [[Amish Mennonites|Amish Mennonite]] Church, with which he also united. On 18 January 1883 he was united in marriage with Priscilla A. Umble, daughter of Jacob and Barbara (Kurtz) Umble, of Gap, [[Lancaster County (Pennsylvania, USA)|Lancaster County]], PA. They were the parents of eight children: Eva (1883), Barbara (1885), Maud (1887), Roy (1890), Anna Mary (1892), Ruth (1898), Samuel M. (1903), and John M. (1905). He attended public schools in Pennsylvania and Ohio from 1865 to 1877 and the Smithville (Ohio) Normal School in 1875. From his marriage in 1883 to 1912 he was a farmer, at first renting and later purchasing his father's farm.

As a young man he served as secretary of the Amish Mennonite (German) Sunday school in [[Champaign County (Ohio, USA)|Champaign County]], Ohio, and later served as superintendent until his ordination to the ministry in 1905. He became deeply interested in the [[Ohio Mennonite Christian Workers Conference|Ohio Sunday School Conference]] soon after its organization and took an active part in the annual meeting of the conference. He was one of the moving spirits in the organization of the Logan-Champaign Annual Sunday School Conference and Quarterly Mission Meeting. In the early 1890s during a revival at the Mt. Tabor Methodist Episcopal Church near his home he became convinced that his formal connection with the church was not sufficient. As a result of Bible study and prayer he and his wife were converted in their home during the time that the revival meetings were in progress at the church.

After his ordination to the ministry Allgyer devoted himself more and more to the work of the church and spent weeks and even months away from home conducting Bible conferences and evangelistic services (continued meetings). He was interested especially in building up the mission stations east and west and as a result of his countrywide services became one of the most widely-known evangelists in the church. As a result of these activities and connections, he was elected the first field worker of the [[Mennonite Board of Missions (Mennonite Church)|Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities]] in 1908, and continued in this position until 1940. In 1908 he was ordained bishop of the [[Oak Grove Mennonite Church (West Liberty, Champaign County, Ohio, USA)|Oak Grove Church]] in [[Champaign County (Ohio, USA)|Champaign County]], Ohio, and served as bishop of seven western Ohio churches. He served seven different terms as moderator of the [[Ohio and Eastern Mennonite Conference (MC)|Ohio Mennonite and Eastern Amish Mennonite Conference]] and was moderator of the [[Mennonite Church General Conference|Mennonite General Conference]] in 1931. In 1919 the [[Mennonite Church (MC)|Mennonite Church]] sent him to Europe as a special delegate to visit the young men engaged in relief work under the [[American Friends Service Committee|Friends Service Committee]].
= Bibliography =
Umble, John. "Samuel E. Allgyer, 1859-1953." ''Mennonite Yearbook'' (1954): 16-17.
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