USA > New York > Rensselaer County > Brunswick > History of Gilead Evangelical Lutheran Church, Centre Brunswick, Rensselaer Co., N.Y. and the vicinity > Part 3
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
centre, and around the edge, in German, the words -- ,,Go .= Suth. Rirche Gilead.' The one now in our possession was made to order in 1814, but has seldom been affixed to anything. It is here given.
NICK RCH Besides the Elders, Dea- HERAN BRUNSWI cons and Trustees, in the days of Pastor Schwerdfeger and later, the Church annually elected two other offi- cers; a clerk, or precen- tor, and a collector. GILEAD. Both of these received a stipulated salary, for which they receipted to the Trustees. In the frame church the clerk had a seat or desk specially adapted to the requirements of his office. It was on the right side of the pulpit, and, in one of the bills ren- dered, it is stated that it was painted "'a mohag- ony colour." The duties of the office was to lead the singing, and to assist the Pastor by leading in the responses of the introductory service. The collector's duties are indicated by the name, and corresponded with those afterward required of the church Treasurer.
During the war of the Revolution such as ad-
48
HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
hered to the British crown removed to Canada. Few ever returned. These refugees were the founders of the Lutheran churches there, which were subsequently strengthened by immigration from this and other settlements, by Germans.
The following facts furnished by Mr. Jacob S. Marselis, gleaned from Croil's History of Dundas county, Canada, and obtained from Mr. C. De- Castle, who married a grand-daughter of Pastor Schwerdfeger, close the record of the life and labors of a man of marked ability, who spent more than forty years in this country, in the faithful service of God in the ministry of the Lutheran Church, and who, except the brief men- tion made of him in connection with the churches at Frederick, Md., and Albany, N. Y., has never been accorded the place he deserves among the Patriarchs of our Church in the United States.
The above named history, under the heading -- "The Lutheran Church," says :--
"In connection with this church, we shall first state what we believe to be a historical fact, one which cannot fail to be interesting to every Protestant in Canada, i. c., that the first Protestant church that was built in all the Canadas, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, was built at Williams- burgh. The Lutherans of Williamsburgh, in 1789, com- menced to build a frame church 60 by 40 feet. The winter setting in earlier than usual, the frame was not raised that
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
season, but in March, 1790, it was commenced anew, and at the same time they sent an invitation to the Rev. Samuel Schwerdfeger, who resided near Albany, to be their Pas- tor. This be accepted, and arrived in Williamsburgh in June, 1790, and by him the first Protestant church in Canada was that same year consecrated to the service of Almighty God. Its name was Zion's Church. In the church books it was called the German Protestant Church. The English called it the Dutch Church. A second church was built by the Lutherans in the township of Matilda, in 1792. Mr. Schwerdfeger officiated in both these churches, exclusively in the German language, and died at his residence in Williamsburgh in 1803, having officiated for nearly fourteen years, very acceptably to the people. Both he and his wife, Anna Dorothea, were interred in the Lutheran burying ground in Williams- burgh, with some of their children, of whom there were six sons and one daughter."
In one point, in the quotation above given, the historian is at fault, viz: the date of Rev. Mr. Schwerdfeger's removal to Canada. Nov. 21. 1790, he administered the Lord's Supper, in Al- bany, to 11 communicants, and his records in Gilead's church book are carried up to July 8. 1792, and there is nothing to show that he vacated this church prior to that date; then, however, his records cease.
CHAPTER III.
FROM THE REMOVAL OF PASTOR SOWERDFEGER TILL THE DEATH OF REV. A. T. BRAUN.
After the departure of Mr. Schwerdfeger and before the settlement of the next regular Pastor, receipts for salary, and the baptismal record show hat two men, -
George Siegmund Liebich
Frederick Meier and George Siegmund Liebich served the church pro tempore; the former from April, 1793, to April. 1794; the latter only on three Sundays.
In 1794 the Zion's Ev. Lutheran Church was organized in Greenbush by Rev. Anthon T. Braun, then Pastor of the Church in Albany, in connection with which two churches he supplied
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
Gilead for one year, during which time he admin- istered the Lord's Supper once, baptized thirty- five children, and confirmed twenty-eight persons, ranging in age from 12 to 25 years.
THE FOURTH PASTOR.
Aug. 31, 1795, the following call, which is in his own handwriting, was issued to Rev.
Georg Foleph Withtermanny. Pfarrer
"Be it known to everybody, and especially to those whom it may concern, that to-day, on the date below stated, the following agreement between the Most Rev- erend Mr. Georg Joseph Wichterman in the first part, and Petrus Hoener, Johannes Schmidt, William Conrad and Jacob Brust, jr., Elders and Deacons of the evangel- ical lutheran parish of the Church Gilead in Troytown in the second part and their successors in office, has been resolved and settled upon, viz :-
1. Rev. Georg Joseph Wichterman herewith and by virtue of this, to the second party and the parish to them entrusted, to serve as evangelical Intheran preacher, and to preach from the date stated below, every year on eighteen Sundays in the Church of Gilead; the holy days, which shall be divided equally with the other churches that Rev. Wichterman serves, shall be observed without cost, and in addition during summer, if not prevented by the weather or other inevitable circumstances, on said Sundays he shall catechise the children also.
2. When a sick or aged person or persons of this parish
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HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
cannot come to church, and should still wish to receive the Holy Communion, then shall it be the duty of Rev. Wichterman, if so requested to go to such person or per- sons and give them the said Communion.
3. He shall confirm, and when members of this parish wish to be instructed the same as those to be confirmed, then shall they appear before the aforenamed preacher, as often and as many times as he shall consider necessary.
4. He shall not refuse the Holy Sacrament of Baptism to such members of the parish as desire it; but should there arise any doubt or objection in regard to it, then shall the decision of it be left to the Church Council.
5. After the proclamation of betrothed persons has been made three times, he shall marry the same, providing no gainsaying or doubt arises. In such a case, the decision shall also be left to the Church Council.
6. Divine service on Sundays shall commence about 10 o'clock in the forenoon, inevitable prevention excepted.
7. Mr. Wichterman shall receive annually for his ser- vices, to be counted from their commencement, to be paid semi-annually Eighteen Pounds New York currency, i. e. Thirty-six Pounds [$90.00] every year as salary, for the three succeeding years ; if found competent, then shall a call for his lifetime be given him, besides 20 bushels of oats, and 13 hundred-weight of hay, as also 30 loads of firewood annually.
8. Mr. Wichterman shall have the use of the cleared land belonging to the church as long as this call lasts.
9. There shall be found suited to his rank, for the afore- named Mr. Wichterman, a suitable dwelling.
10. Every one who shall get married in the parish shall pay not less than one dollar, and every one who has any- one baptized, shall pay one shilling and six pence if it is done in the church, or in the house of the preacher : out-
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
side of the parish :- i. e. those who do not contribute to this call, shall pay for marriage twelve shillings, and for a baptism three shillings.
But should the preacher be called away from his house to marry or to baptize, then shall be paid besides this, one shilling for every mile he travels, except when a necessity in the parish requires this, then shall no charge for travel be made.
11. For every funeral sermon a dollar shall be paid by the employer.
12. Every one shall pay four shillings to be confirmed.
13. Everything else not herein named, but contained in our on June the 6th, 1791, revised ordinances of the Church, shall be added to this, shall also by the above- named Mr. Wichterman be signed, and shall be as binding as if literally herein incorporated.
14. This call shall commence on Oct. 1st, in the year 1795, and shall end on Sept. 30th, in the year of Christ, 1798.
In witness whereof both parties have hereunto set their hands and seals, in the Town of Troy, in Ranselaer County and State of New York, on the 31st. of August, 1795.
P. S. One half of the expenses, which Mr. Wichterman shall have for the purpose of going to Troy shall be paid extra.
GEORG JOSEPH WICHTERMAN, Evang. Lutheran Preacher.
Elders, S JJOHANNES SCHMITH 7 PETRUS HENER
Deacons, S JJACOB BRUST
7 WILLIAM COONROOD."
It might not be inappropriate to remark here that to this call may be traced some of the cus-
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HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
toms which yet obtain in the congregation, but a schedule of prices for ministerial acts is no longer regarded as important and never embodied now in a call.
We have no knowledge of Pastor Wichterman previous to 1795. In that year his name appears among the communicants in Albany ; but for the reason that his wife's name does not occur in the same connection, nor anywhere in the list, we think he did not reside there. That he had a wife we learn from the record he made of the birth and baptism of his daughter Anna Catha- rina who was born March 9, 1796 and was baptized the same day. His wife's name was "Anna. (eine geborne Prosiuss". ) By request of Pastor Braun, he came to Gilead with a view of taking charge, as the number of Churches under the care of the latter overtaxed his strength. In June. 1795, he began his labors here, but his services under his call did not begin till the 1st of Oct. following. The house occupied by Dr. John Godfrey Knauff, who about this time removed to Albany, and became the first organ- ist in the Lutheran Church there, seems to have been "suited to his rank," and it was secured for him. Whether, as guaranteed by the con- tract, Pastor Wichterman received, at the end of
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
three years, an unlimited call or not. does not appear ; at any rate he vacated the Church in July, 1801, after having served six years. From this it is inferred that in the issuance of a new call, it was decided that instead of unlimited calls, it would be wiser to make them for three years, a custom, which if departed from at any period in the history of the Church, was restored, and is now observed. During the six years he baptized 358 children, which is the only record he made in the Church book. Disregarding the example of his predecessors he discarded Latin and substituted German in said record, using English letters, invariably adding the syllable in to the names of females, which makes familiar names look odd enough to us, for instance Brust. Clum, &c. are written Brustin, Clummin, Conradin, Daeterin, Hoenerin. Springerin, Schmitin. &c.
In stature he was short and correspondingly slender. As those in the front seats could barely see his face over the top of the pulpit, when he stood up, it became necessary to have a properly proportioned box made for him to stand upon while preaching : consequently he occasionally disappeared altogether from the view of his audience as he happened to need more surface
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HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
than the box afforded, hence he often found it necessary to reprove the younger people for levity -(for they would laugh when the dominie fell off the box,) which he did with direct- ness and great force. His delivery was rapid and impassioned, his gestures energetic rather
than graceful, and his manner nervous. He was withal pompous and opinionated, and bore him- self with such a magisterial air as directly begat dissatisfaction among the people generally. He persisted in wearing a three-cornered hat years after they had gone out of date, but finally had to give it up, for, when in 1818, he preached once in the then new church, he and his peculiar hat had parted company. He was one of the twelve who in 1803 signed "The Ministerial Constitution of the Evangelical Lutheran Churches, in the State of New York, and in Adjacent States and Countries."
While pastor of Gilead, he also served the West Sandlake Church from June till September, 1800. Perhaps he also preached at Schagticoke, but we have failed to find any records there dating so far back.
By an act of the Legislature passed April 6, 1784, it was made obligatory upon Churches to render annually an account of all estates, real
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
and personal, in their possession. For some cause, most likely lack of information, no such account was rendered by this Church before 1794. As this had to be done in English, as he sup posed, it shows that Pastor Wichterman was somewhat of an English scholar, as witness the following from his hand : -
"Account of the Estate real and personal of Gilead church of the Lutheran congregation in Town of Troy, Ranselaer County & State of New York
a Church a Schoolhouse
Real Estates { Sixty four acres of Land more or less a House for the Minister, a Stable and fifty Acres Land
PERSONAL ESTATES
Five Books of Lectures, or Sermons
Two Table Cloths
On Table
One Book of Records of Baptism
This Book of Account &e.
on Stofe
Instruments fa pewter Chalice
for the a pewter Box.
Lord's Supper a Purificatory
Instruments § a Tankard
of Baptism ( a pewter baptismal Bason.
a pick Ax. - a Hoc.
Burial Instruments { a Spade
two Ropes a Bier
of Cash July 8 the 1796 £4-16-9} sech the Account 1796. a House Lot at the Village of Troy solt for sixty Pounds paid those that abov mingert Lot. of Stones of the Valve of €8-0-0
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HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
The great care with which the above account was made out is evidenced in that it was written in a hand about four times larger than his ordi- nary writing, and every letter stands discon- nected. It was no doubt copied from the paper forwarded to the authorities into the book, and punctuation points forgotten.
He wrote in a hand so diminutive that as many as seventy-seven baptisms are recorded on a page of ordinary size, one line being given to each name; and on six pages are 358-all he recorded, including numerous erasures and with space to spare. Wh What became of him after his resigna- tion cannot be told. March 2, 1813, he per- formed a baptism, and in May following five more. Then again in Sep. 1818, he baptized one child, (Magdalena, daughter of Geo. and Maria Haner,) on which occasion he also preached. It seems, therefore, if not residing in the bounds of the parish, he was vet in the vicinity. These last records of his were made with the nervous hand of age or disease, and he must soon have passed away to his reward, while his ashes rest in an unknown grave.
The Fifth regular Pastor was Rev.
anton Theodor Braun, P.d.
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK,
who, if not one of the organizers, was one of the early members of the "Ministerium of New York."
Previous to the settlement of Rev. Mr. Wich- terman as Pastor, as before stated, he, (Braun,) came up from Albany and for about a year preached occasionally, instructed the young people in the Catechism, confirmed a class of twenty-eight, and administered the Sacrament of the Altar to eighty-nine communicants Sep. 28. 1794. Previous to this date he supplied the Church in Schoharie for two and a half years, then again from 1799 to 1801.
Having ministered to the Church in Albany about six years, he resigned in 1800. At the same time he suspended his labors in the Zion's Church, Greenbush, but resumed them at the time he removed to Gilead. From 1794 till 1802, he lived near West Sandlake, between which dates he was married to Maria Uhline, a member of the "Zion's Kirche."
Nov. 6. 1801, the following call was ten- dered him, which he accepted :-
" In the name of the Archshepherd Jesus Christ, Amen.
We the underwritten Trustees, Elders and Deacons of the Evangelic Lutheran Church Gilead, in Troytown, Rensselaer County, and New York State, convinced of the necessity among us for instruction in Religion, and
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HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
the observance of Public Worship, hereby solemnly ap- point, by virtue of our office, and in the name and with the consent of the members of the above named Church and Parish the Reverend Mr. Anthon T. Braun, as our regular Pastor, Preacher and Overseer of the Church and Parish in spiritual things, for the purpose the pure, sound, Evangelical Doctrine built on the ground of the Prophets and Apostles, whereof Jesus Christ is the corner-stone, publicly and faithfully to preach, to maintain, and to diffuse, in harmony with our unaltered Augsburg Con- fession : the Holy Sacraments to administer, according to the command of Jesus, on the regular Sundays, health permitting ; to conduct the public worship in the above named Church, and afternoons, when the weather permits to give Christian instruction to the young, and others who may be present, and the instructed to confirm ; to visit and to comfort the sick where and as often as required. and when requested the Holy Communion to give them ; the marriage ceremony to lawfully perform, as also every duty of the ministry, without regard to Person, to perform with fidelity and zeal, so long as his doctrine and deport- ment agree with the Word of God, and should there in these cases a contention arise between the Preacher and the Parish, which may God forbid, to bring the matter of dispute before the Reverend Ministerium of this State, and let the same render judgment :- and lastly to call a meeting of the Church Officers for consultation as often as it shall be necessary for the welfare of the Church and Parish.
And because it is the Command of the Gospel that those who preach it shall therefrom derive a support, and because justice demands it that Parishes provide their Pastors with a worldly support. therefore do we, the officers of the above named Church, the Trustees, Elders,
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
and Deacons hereby solemnly promise, bind ourselves, and make it our duty, as well as our successors in office, in connection with the members of the above-named Church, annually and every year, from the first of January in the year 1802, as long as Mr. Anthon T. Braun shall be our preacher, to pay him or his order, or order to be paid Fifty Pounds in New York money ($125.00) in semi- annual payments, to preach every third Sunday, or holy day as it may happen, in our Church Gilead, except when attending the Ministerium of this State ; in that case the united parishes shall on such Sunday divide the loss. The preacher has also the privilege only for himself, to take fre-wood from the Glebe land.
All this do we confirm with our seals and handwriting. Troytown, Novem. the Sixth, the year of Christ one thousand, eight hundred and one.
Delivered and signed
WILLIAM SMIT [sea] ] seal
in presence of
ISAAC FILE
MATTHEWS BRUST
seal
GEORG BRUST.
JOHANNES BRUST seal
GEORG SCHNEIDER [seal]
JOHANNES FINKLE
[seall
FREIDERICH HENER
[seal]
I certify that this writing is a true copy of my Appoint- ment. ANTHON T. BRAUN, P. La.
(One peculiarity of the above article of writing, which is the production of Mr. Braun, consists, it will be seen, in the length of the sentences, there being but three periods in the punctuation of the article proper. )
The new parsonage, to which reference has been made, was built in 1793. Into that he a. P. L. Lutheran Preacher.
JACOB BRUST,
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HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
removed from Sandlake at once, and entered upon his work zealously. Within a few days he administered the Lord's Supper to a large num- ber of communicants.
Thinking it would be pleasant, and advanta- geous pecuniarily to have a home of his own, in less than two months after his removal to the parish, he purchased the Parsonage and land connected with it, (50 acres, ) for which he was to pay fifteen dollars per acre. He had little money, but expected to save enough annually from the salary and products of the farm to make his payments, so that being granted all the time he desired, he became owner of an excellent home. The Trustees made him a deed dated Jan. 2. 1802. This proved defective on account of the estate being Glebe-land, hence, at a con- gregational meeting held Dec. 6. 1810 it was decided to "surrender the title and conveyances back to Stephen Van Rensselaer," and a petition was drawn up and signed by most of the electors present, asking the Patroon to convey said prem- ises to Pastor Braun, which he did soon after- wards. The Dominie having given his obligation for the whole of the purchase price, $750.00, failed to discharge the interest, the Trustees. therefore, moved by charitable feeling perhaps.
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CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
or, it may have been, the knowledge of the invalidity of the deed given, resolved to release him from the payment of interest up to Jan. 1, 1810. He continued in possession of the prop- erty till his death, which occurred in 1813. Three months subsequent to the death of her husband, the widow. Maria Braun, with the other executors, viz : Daniel Simmons and Lau- rence Wetherwax, surrendered the property to the Church, the Trustees being authorized to pay her the sum of three hundred dollars, and in addition they pledged themselves to pay, not only the three month's salary due her husband at the time of his death, but an additional quar- ter's salary as a gratuity. They also gave her an article of writing securing to her the posses- sion and use of the property for one year from the date of Mr. Braun's death, without pay or compensation of any kind, except to restrain her as follows :-
"She, the said Maria shall and may plow and sow the lot on the east side of the road, which is now planted with indian corn, with winter grane, and nomore of said farm is to bee plowed this year, and who, she, the said Maria is to commit no wast on said farm, nor suffer the same to be dun, nor Cut no green timber, only for the use of said farm, it is further agreed by and between the parties to these presents, that she, the said Maria Braun is to im- prove the above discribed farm untill the first day of April next."
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HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
When the widow removed in 1814, the prop- erty was sold, as before stated, to Martinus Hayner, since which time the Church has had no claim on it
The parsonage stood several rods east of the spot where the farm buildings now stand, and on the Hoosic road as it then ran.
From the time of the establishment of the Church till near the close of this century, the Germans in all the territory east of the Hudson river, from opposite Albany and north and east as far as they had settled, and many from west of the river toward Schenectady, had a nominal connection with Gilead, it was their Church- home : they attended services here, had their children baptized and were recorded as commun- icants here, which accounts for the very large communicant list. Evidently but a small pro- portion were regular in their attendance, for the church building was far too small to have held the half of them had all assembled at one time. When organizations were effected at West Sandlake and Schaghticoke, the membership became nearly equally divided among the three points, hence about two-thirds were withdrawn from Gilead.
The congregation, although the services were
65
CENTRE BRUNSWICK, NEW YORK.
conducted in the German language, had besides Germans a considerable number of other nation- alities, including negroes. There is one record where a white husband and a negro wife had a child baptized. Slavery was not abolished in the State of New York until years after the death of Pastor Braun. Many of the families in the Church owned slaves, among them John Haner, jr., one of the foremost members of the Church, who had succeeded his father in the hotel busi- ness, dealt also in that kind of property, which is mentioned to afford an excuse for introducing the "Notis" here copied, and which was pre- served among the papers of the Church which he had in his keeping.
"in the Down of Droy May the 16 : 1803 Notis is here by given that I Master John hayner has Anigrowinch for Sale about Dwentytooyarse old he
Lives gust this site the Dutch Mithen house on the hosick Rote "
When Pastor Braun resigned the Albany Church, he retained Zion's Church, West Sand- lake, where he then resided, although he sus- pended preaching there for some time. After his removal to Gilead he took charge also of St. John's, Schagticoke, which it is supposed he organized. These three churches then became a
66
HISTORY GILEAD CHURCH,
pastorate and so continued till the time of Rev. Mr. Senderling.
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