Justus Falckner

Justus Falckner ( born November 22, 1672 Langenreinsdorf, a suburb of Crimmitschau in Saxony, † in September 1723 in Newburgh, New York) was a Lutheran clergyman and the first Lutheran pastor who was ordained in the area of ​​present-day United States of America. The calendar of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America remembers on 24 November at Falckner, together with Jehu Jones and William Alfred Passavant.

Background

Falckner was the fourth son Daniel Falck drier, a Lutheran pastor in Langenreinsdorf. In 1693 he enrolled at the University of Halle, where he studied theology under August Hermann Francke. He completed his studies, but decided that he was not really prepared for a spiritual career. He went to Rotterdam, where he and his brother Daniel accepted the power of attorney, the land of William Penn in Pennsylvania for sale.

Career

In the year 1701 10.000 acres were sold (40 km ²) of land on the Manatawny Creek to the Swedish Lutheran Pastor Andreas Rudman and other Swedish settlers. After he had collaborated with Pastor Rudman, Falckner thought again about it, to start a religious career. He was ordained on November 24, 1703 at the Gloria Dei Church, the Swedish Lutheran Church in Wicaco, today South Philadelphia. His first pastoral duties he performed for the settlers on the Manatawny Creek in New Hanover Township in Pennsylvania. On February 23, 1704, King Charles XII. of Sweden, a command, which confirmed Andreas Rudman formally as superintendent of the Swedish Lutheran Church in America. Shortly thereafter Falckner of Rudman was reallocated to serve as pastor of Lutheran congregations in New York and Albany in New York. Falckner followed Joshua Kocher valley as a clergyman of German Lutheran immigrants. In 1714 Falckner led the founding of the Evangelical Lutheran Zionskirchengemeinde in Oldwick, the oldest Lutheran congregation in New Jersey.

Falckner apparently believed that music was a very important part of missionary work. He wrote to Germany, where he asked for an organ, from which he hoped, they would convert more Native Americans. Falckner wrote hymns like to! you Christians, members of Christ; this song he composed during his studies at the University of Halle in 1697 Falck former publications include Grondlycke Onderricht. ; this work first appeared in New York in 1708.