Accordingly, on 2 October 1813, after a solemn period of worship and meditation, with the assistance of an elder of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Rev. William Ryland, Otterbein ordained by the laying on of hands these three men, the first to be ordained in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. This taking place just a few weeks before Otterbein's death.
On October 2, 1813, after a solemn period of worship and reflection, with the help of an elder from the Methodist Episcopal Church, Rev. William Ryland ordained these three men, marking the first ordination in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. This event occurred just weeks before Otterbein's passing.