Flickinger, Daniel Kumler

Daniel Kumler Flickinger (1824-1911) was an American United Brethren preacher and missionary bishop. He was largely self-educated. Beginning in 1846, he taught several terms in a rural school in Ohio. He married Mary Litner on February 25, 1847. His pastor recommended him for a quarterly conference license to preach, which was granted in April, 1849. He was then licensed by the Miami (Ohio) Conference, United Brethren in Christ, in 1850.

After serving as a junior preacher for a year, he resigned to enter Miami (Ohio) University. After the death, in 1851, of his wife he never returned to the university.

Flickinger accepted an appointment in 1851, but his poor health kept him from taking an assignment in 1852. Instead, he accompanied Bishop J. J. Glossenbrenner to Virginia and married the bishop's daughter Catherine on January 9, 1853.

Flickinger was ordained at the 1853 session of the Miami Conference and assigned to the Dayton Circuit. His second wife died in August 1854. He then offered himself to go to Africa to establish a mission, and departed on January 4, 1855. While in Sierra Leone, he married Susan Woosley, a missionary for the Congregationalists, on October 30, 1855. He and his wife returned to America in 1856, but Flickenger made a return trip to Africa in 1857 to help in the settlement of two missionaries.

Upon his return he was elected secretary of the missionary work for his denomination, but resigned a few months later due to poor health. In 1858 he as reelected to the post and continued in this office until 1885 when he was elected the first missionary bishop for the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. His tenure as bishop lasted four years. He died on August 29, 1911 at Columbus, Ohio, and was buried at Oxford, Ohio.