Draft:Daniel Shuck

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Daniel Shuck
Church	Church of the United Brethren in Christ
Appointed	1861
In office	1861–1869
Orders
Ordination	1861 by John Lopp
Personal details
Born	(1827-01-16)January 16, 1827 Corydon, Indiana, United States
Died	November 2, 1900(1900-11-02) (aged 73) Woodbridge, California, United States
Spouse	Harriet B. Cannady ​ (m. 1847)​
Education	Indiana State University

Daniel Shuck (January 16, 1827 – November 2, 1900) was an American minister who served as the twentieth bishop of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ from 1861 to 1869.

Born in Corydon, Indiana, he was converted to the United Brethren Church at an early age. By the age of seventeen, he spent the next fifteen years as a circuit rider and presiding elder within Indiana and Kentucky, and then as a missionary to Missouri. He was then elected bishop of the Pacific Coast district at age 34. After the death of their missionary leader, he went to California and helped reorganize the work within the state. After being reelected bishop in 1865, but would later retired from the role of bishop after the dissolution of the Pacific Coast district in 1869. After that, he spent his later years working as a presiding elder and being in charge of circuits until he died in 1900.

Early life and education

Shuck was born on January 16, 1827, in Corydon, Harrison County, Indiana, to John Shuck and Barbara Lopp. He was the fifth son out of fourteen siblings, with seven of them being stepsiblings. His father was a native of Kentucky and was a member of the Lutheran Church. His mother was born in Germany and was a convert to the United Brethren, who died when Daniel was very young. He was converted to the United Brethren Church in 1841, about fourteen years old, and took up leading of the family prayer in the family home. Growing up in a religious household, he was frequently visited by several of his mother's brothers, who were also clergymen.

Shuck's early years were spent working on the family farm. He was educated in a private school near his home. He was licensed to preach in the United Brethren Church by January 1844, at the age of seventeen. At the time, he was a junior preacher at the Liberty circuit of the Indiana Annual Conference, travelling 200 miles to cover 28 appointments and purchasing textbooks, although the clergy opposed this sentiment. On the advice of Bishop Henry Kumler Jr., he took an appointment with Rev. J. A. Ball, who suggested that Shuck attend higher education. Later on in his life, he was educated at Indiana State University from 1845 until 1846, spending most of his time studying English, Greek, and Latin.

Career

In 1844, Shuck joined the Indiana Conference, spending the next fifteen years as a circuit rider and Presiding Elder in Indiana and Kentucky. He travelled the Corydon, Washington, Laughery, and Newbern circuits and filled stations at Lawrenceville, New Albany, and Hartsville in Indiana. He also served as a presiding elder when the whole conference in southern Kentucky constituted the elder's district. Afterwards, he was elected as a delegate to the General Conference of the Church. As a result, he accepted a circuit of churches, where he would become a junior preacher.

In 1858, Shuck was sent by the Mission Board to serve as a missionary to southern Missouri, later serving as its presiding elder and being in charge of the St. Aubert mission. During his time in Missouri, he was closely watched and under vigilance because of his anti-slavery position. He later served as a presiding elder for one year in the Walla Walla, Washington Territory, and eastern Oregon districts. He also served in the Monument, Stanislaus, Woodbridge station, Feather River, Rohrerville, Sacramento, and Humboldt circuits in California.

In 1851, Shuck was elected a trustee of Hartsville University until 1877. During his time as a trustee, he worked as an education agent, a treasurer, and a teacher. While pastor at Hartsville, he delivered lectures on church history and, during his last two years in the pastorate, taught systematic theology. When talks about purchasing grounds and erecting a new building, he agreed to put one-fourth of his possessions to fund its construction. When the institution was in $8,000 in debt, and a trial was coming to them due to the resignation of President Scribner, Shuck contributed to securing most of the $8,000.

Shuck was elected as a bishop of the Pacific Coast district during the General Conference held in Westerville, Ohio, in May 1861. He was ordained by one of his uncles, John Lopp, who was chosen as Bishop pro tempore after Bishop John Russel failed to arrive at the session. At the time, he was the only bishop since the days of Philip William Otterbein to be ordained not by another bishop. Being 34 years old at the time, he wanted to decline the offer. He wrote a letter of resignation, but before he presented the letter, he consulted with Bishop Jacob John Glossbrenner, who advised Shuck to not resign, but rather to go to the district during the American Civil War. He returned to the New Albany Mission station and the New Albany district to push the work of the year.

At the end of the year, Shuck boxed his goods and shipped them to Sacramento. Wanting to leave for California, he was obliged to pay $5,000 in case he was drafted into the Civil War. Going to the Annual Conference, he found out that many preachers were drafted to the War, convincing him to not leave his position. He would then be elected presiding elder and remained in Indiana until December 1863, when he found out about the accidental death of Reverend Israel Sloane in California, an efficient minister who was the leader of the work, and he decided to resign from the district and travelled to California.

He and his wife travelled to California through New York and Panama and arrived in San Francisco after a 35-day voyage in 1864. From San Francisco, he went to Sacramento, and finally to the Sacramento River in Yolo County. He noticed a lone preacher by the name of J. W. Harrow giving his full time to preaching. Shuck used his time within the state to reorganize the work and bring new courage to various classes; many were without pastoral care. Bishop Shuck and Harrow would travel together all day and sleep in the ground. From March, he preached and held many meetings within central California. Shuck would visit every United Brethren Church in California. From July to August, he held various meetings at the Sacramento Valley, closing with a camp meeting in Butte County.

Shuck, alongside his wife and two other families, also visited the churches in Oregon. Afterwards, he intended to sell his horse and buggy and return to California by way of steamship, but after travelling the route and alongside acquaintances with whom he could spend the Sabbath in his preaching, he decided to return in his own conveyance. During his return, he was robbed; they took some of his money and possessions, but he and his wife were left unharmed.

He was reelected bishop of the Pacific Coast district in May 1865, at a General Conference session held in Western, Iowa. During his second term, he organized what was later called the Columbia River Conference. The same year, he founded Philomath College in 1865, which later opened in 1867. In 1867, the bishop agreed to serve as presiding elder of the Willamette Valley.

During the 1869 General Conference session held in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, the church wanted to end its involvements in Sierra Leone following the death of Oliver Hadley and to entrust the work to the American Missionary Association, spurring debate. Shuck held a speech to convince others to continue missionary work in Sierra Leone, leading to people like Joseph Gomer going to Sierra Leone to preach. During the same session, the Church dissolved the Pacific Coast district, deciding that the conferences there should be visited by the bishops of the general work alternately, making an end to Shuck's term as bishop. During the later years, Shuck worked as presiding elders and in charge of circuits in states like California.

Shuck played a large part in choosing the location and establishing San Joaquin Valley College in Woodbridge in 1879, where he served as its first president and a trustee for many years in the institution. To establish the college's endowment fund, he gave his note for $500 at 4%, ¼ of all he possessed.

After the dissolution of the Pacific Coast district, Shuck later returned to California, establishing a home in Woodbridge in 1892 and spending his remainder of his life among the people there. He died on November 2, 1900, in Woodbridge, California, due to old age.

Personal life

On March 11, 1847, Shuck married Harriet B. Cannady when he was 21 years old. They had no children together.