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Record Creator: | Burtner, Luther Olin |
Title: | Luther and Jennie Burtner Papers |
Date Span: | 1901-1904 |
Abstract: | Luther Olin Burtner (1858-1910) was a United Brethren Church missionary. In 1893 he went to Sierra Leone, where he was the superintendent in charge of the work of the Foreign Missionary Board of the United Brethren Church. A second missionary tour of duty began in 1901, when he arrived in the Philippines to oversee the work of the Women's Missionary Association. |
Quantity: | 0.23 cu. feet |
Resource ID: | gcah.ms.2189 |
Luther Olin Burtner (1858-1910) was a United Brethren Church missionary. He attended Shenandoah Institute in Virginia, and graduated from Bonebrake Theological Seminary in 1888. In 1885 he was licensed to preach by the Virginia Conference, and in 1888 he was ordained. Burtner then transferred to the Maryland Conference and began his first pastorate at Keedysville, a position he held for four years. From 1892 to 1893 he served at Walkersville.
Later in 1893, he sailed for Sierra Leone, where he was the superintendent in charge of the work of the Foreign Missionary Board of the United Brethren Church. His first furlough was taken in 1896, and while in the United States, he attended the General Conference. Burtner returned to Sierre Leone in 1897, and was one of the few missionaries to escape the massacre of 1898.
Upon his return to the United States, Burtner was appointed to the Hagerstown (Maryland) circuit. In 1898 he was named the presiding elder of the Maryland Conference.
A second missionary tour of duty began in 1901 when he arrived in the Philippines to oversee the work of the Women's Missionary Association. After three years of work, he took a furlough. Between the period of 1904 and 1909 he suffered from failing health and was only able to serve periodically in the home and foreign mission fields.
He married Jennie Light Burtner who served with him on the mission field.
This accession contains items from a scrapbook that has been disassembled. Photographs from Sierre Leone and the Philippines are included. None of the photographs are dated, and few are identified. There is also a photo of Luther Burtner as well as his application to become a missionary. The collection also includes a Passport issued for Burtner to leave the Philippines.There are several news clippings that make reference to the death of Joseph Caulker, an African student brought to the United States by Burtner. All are undated. His wife, Jennie Light Burtner, wrote an extensive Diary (1904) describing in detail their trip to Shanghai ,Philippines, Egypt, Jerusalem, and England. There are also several notes which are inserted in the diary.
Materials have been arranged in the following manner.
The collection is arranged by record type. The folder labeled "Supporting Documents" comprises materials that was found loose in the diary.
When citing material from this collection please use the following format: Direct reference to the item or its file folder, Luther and Jennie Burtner Collection, United Methodist Church Archives - GCAH, Madison, New Jersey. Do not make use of the item's call number as that is not a stable descriptor.
There are no restrictions regarding this collection.
Detailed use restrictions relating to our collections can be requested from the office of the archivist at the General Commission on Archives and History. Photocopying is handled by the staff and may be limited in certain instances. Before using any material for publication from this collection a formal request for permission to publish is expected and required.
Call Number | Folder Title | Date(s) |
1553-1-7: 1 | Diary - Jennie Burtner | 1904 |
1553-1-7: 2 | Joseph Caulker Clippings | Undated |
1553-1-7: 3 | Supporting Documents | 1901-1902 |
1553-1-7: 4 | Scrapbook Photographs: Africa | Undated |
1553-1-7: 5 | Scrapbook Photographs: Philippines | Undated |