July 29, 2017
Devotions: Lutherans in North America: Rev. Muhlenberg, Pretenders and Ordinations

Not only did congregations face problems of language, they also had to deal with the problem of a lack of Ordained ministers to serve their congregations. The first issue we will talk about is the problem of Pretenders. Obviously there were not enough ordained clergy to meet the needs among the residents of colonial America. Often there were long vacancies between pastors. There was cooperation between the Lutheran consistory in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and the Ministerium of Hamburg, Germany – but there were simply too many people scattered among the Hudson, the Delaware, and Pennsylvania territories. For example, sometime around 1733, German Lutherans in Southeastern Pennsylvania sent a correspondence to Rev. Frederick M. Ziegenhagen reporting that several thousand Lutherans were “poor and destitute of all means, arriving there and settled down in the wilderness scattering here and there. As a consequence they continued to live without a church, without the services of a regularly ordained preacher, and without the administration of the Holy Sacraments, even as lost sheep.”

Of course the consistories and ministeriums attempted to supply pastors to meet these needs, but from 1742 to 1772 only 24 ministers were sent to these regions. And, there also were those who came of their own accord without ecclesiastical endorsement. Some came as chaplains attached to German mercenaries who decided to remain – others came as indentured servants whose passage was paid by “disorderly Lutherans” and in return were forced to preach and administer the Sacraments to the people for a specified amount of time. This presented a situation where congregations were being served by men who did not have the training or the skills to be pastors. This situation gave the Lutheran pastors the reputation of being “Squabblers and wranglers” called “Pretenders” and “Vagabond Preachers”.

Soon after coming to Pennsylvania, Rev. Muhlenberg would encounter conflicts with “Pretenders”. He would try various methods to reduce their numbers, like taking away their income (they would charge people money to receive Holy Communion or have their children baptized) – so he encouraged congregations NOT to pay for such services. This did not stop them. He would seek help from civil authorities, but they were powerless to do much. Eventually, even he would relent to the need for such men to at least “…give them our hands and extend poles to them so that they have something to take hold of.” – in other words, at least congregants had someone interested in bringing them the word of G-d. Rev. Muhlenberg would soon advocate for the ability to ordain men in America if they were to meet the spiritual needs in colonial America. (Adapted and adopted from The Lutherans in North America, revised edition, E. Clifford Nelson)

It is easy for anyone to become ordained over the “Internet” these days – you need thirty-five dollars and WiFi access to “The Universal Life Church” and soon you too can call yourself an “Ordained” pastor. But having a piece of paper and business cards that give you the title of Pastor does not mean you necessarily have the skills to preach, teach and counsel according to the biblical witness. Just as it did 275 years ago, “Pretenders” continue to diminish the integrity of the title and the importance of the role of the Pastor in our communities.

Pastor Dave

Please collect bottles of laundry soap and packages of diapers (sizes 2 and 3) for Trinity’s Table.

July 28, 2017
Devotions: Lutherans in North America: Muhlenberg and the Problems, Conflicts, and Pretenders

Immediately upon reaching Philadelphia Muhlenberg would meet with whomever he could to determine the state of the church. He would travel to places like “New Hanover” (Hanover) and Providence to establish his credentials with congregations who had hired schoolmasters and “Pretenders” to serve their congregations because of a lack of ordained pastors sent across the ocean from Amsterdam and Germany. Muhlenberg carried letters from Rev. Court Preacher Frederick Michael Ziegenhagen establishing his true status as an ordained pastor. What Muhlenberg would soon discover was a church with its many growing pains. Lutherans in North America would, over time, face three specific challenges: use of language in worship, “Pretender” pastors, and how to ordain pastors in North America.

The first to talk about is the use of language in worship. The Dutch had first come to settle this area, as we have learned, but the emigration of people from Amsterdam would slow to a trickle by the mid 1700’s. However, German immigrants were arriving and increasing in the New York area. Services in these churches were conducted in the Dutch language, and the Germans tolerated this fact for a time. But by 1742 there were enough German Lutherans in Manhattan to request to occasionally conduct a service in their own language. By 1745 they were requesting half of the services in the German language.

The Dutch language was the first language used for all transactions in the Dutch colony on The Hudson. All people of different nationalities would accommodate the Dutch language. After the English conquest, the situation slowly changed where by the middle of the 18th century most young people spoke English, while the older folks spoke Dutch. The Swedes settled on the Delaware, and many understood the Dutch language as well as Swedish. But by the mid 1700’s the Swedish language gave way to English as well. One Swedish minister wrote: “Many understand Swedish as well as English, but when I try to speak to them in Swedish they do not answer me and act as if they do not understand.” Now, we experience a similar dilemma with our Hispanic friends who come to Trinity’s Table. They appear to not understand English, but we have our suspicions that they actually do, they just choose to converse in their native language. The third major language group to settle in North America were the Germans, who came in large numbers after the Dutch and the Swedes. But the Germans, unlike the Dutch and Swedes were more stubborn in holding onto their native language. But the change over from German to English would happen over time – and it too would happen with the youth.

Rev. Muhlenberg would be an advocate for children to learn English stating: “…for this is the predominant language and is employed in trade, social intercourse, and the courts. Accordingly we preach in our churches, wherever it is necessary in English as well as German…we should look at language as we look at a bridge over a river. Whether it is made of oak or birch is not important, so long as it holds and enables us to get across and toward our goal.” (Adapted and adopted from The Lutherans in North America, revised edition, E. Clifford Nelson)

When I was assigned a congregation for my internship year in my seminary education, I was assigned St. John’s Lutheran Church in Colombia, Lancaster County. About a year before my arrival, St. John’s had merged with another congregation in Colombia – First English Lutheran Church. Just from the name of the congregation you can guess it origins. If you pay attention to the names of various Lutheran congregations in America, you will notice names like Augustana Swedish Lutheran Church (South Dakota), and Bethany Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church (Iowa), as well as St. John’s (Barners) Lutheran Church (Liverpool, PA). These congregations tell their origins and their original languages simply by their names – except St. John Barners, which became known by the name of the founding family, I assume. You can make a good guess without doing much research that First English parish was established in response to the language question many German immigrants would eventually need to address – should they worship in the German language of their ancestry, or in the English language of their new home? We see these same questions being asked by congregations in cities and towns across America who find their communities changing by demographics, which often includes language. The Lutheran church has always found a way to accommodate change – they just have not found a way to adjust quickly, and seamlessly – but as we all know, change is difficult. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, the church will continue and the word of G-d will continue to be preached, in whatever language is necessary.

Pastor Dave

Please collect bottles of laundry soap and packages of diapers (sizes 2 and 3) for Trinity’s Table.