USA > South Carolina > History of the German settlements and of the Lutheran church in North and South Carolina : from the earliest period of the colonization of the Dutch, German, and Swiss settlers to the close of the first half of the present century > Part 21
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when the great revival of 1800 and 1801 swept over this entire country, and the subject was pre- sented to their minds for the first time.
Rev. Storch writes : "By the side of this pesti- lence (infidelity), there prevails now, for over a year, a something, I know not what to name it, and I should not like to say Fanaticism. Christians of every denomination assemble themselves in the forest, numbering four, six and sometimes ten thousand persons ; they erect tents, sing, pray and preach, day and night, for five, six and eight days. I have been an eye-witness to scenes in such large assemblies, which I cannot explain. I beheld young and old, feeble and strong, white and black, in short, people of every age, position and circum- stances, as though they were struck by lightning, speechless and motionless; and, when they had somewhat recovered, they could be heard shriek- ing bitterly, and supplicating God for mercy and grace.
"After they had thus spent three, and many even more, hours, they rose up, praised God, and commenced to pray in such a manner, as they never were wont to do, exhorting sinners to come to Jesus, &c. Many of those, who were thus exer- cised, were ungodly persons before, and we can now discover a remarkable change in them. Even deists have been brought to confess Christ in this way. Thus this thing continues even to this hour.
"Opinions are various in regard to it; many, even ministers, denominate it the work of the devil; others again would explain it in a natural
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way, or in accordance with some physical law ; whilst others look upon it as the work of God. Please give me your opinion and explanation. This thing has occasioned me no little uneasiness. In our German congregations nothing of this kind has yet been manifested. Besides that, it is not known to me that something like it has taken place in Germany; but in England and Ireland there are similar occurrences. The inclosed pub- lished accounts will, therefore, not be uninterest- ing to you ; the facts are like those which I have seen myself. The authors of these accounts are generally respectable men and worthy of belief."
This account of Rev. Storch, dated February 25th, 1803, was sent to Rev. Dr. Velthusen in Ger- many, who published it in his "Maurerey und Christenthum Gegeneinanderuebergestellt," vol. i, pp. 64-70.
In the German minutes of a Virginia Conference, held in 1806, in the new Roeder's Church, in Rock- ingham County, Rev. Paul Henkel writes on this subject as follows :
"Towards the close of the year 1801, there oc- curred a mighty waking up of religion among the English people in Guilford and Orange Counties, which caused our German people to understand the true worth of the gospel. Both the pastors and their people were surprised, for it appeared exceedingly strange to those, who were well ac- quainted with the order of salvation, that true con- version should consist in such a way as declared by these people; that true faith should originate
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in such sermons, which caused such corporeal con- vulsions, such representations of the devil, death and hell; the fearful and awful expressions of light- ning, thunder, hail, fire and brimstone against the sinner deprived many of their senses, and prostrated them in fainting fits.
" As the like proceedings were upheld and de- fended by so many English preachers, and as many had declared, that by means of such work- ings they had received the true and reliable wit- ness of the pardon of their sins and of the new birth, many of us hesitated to contradict such proceedings, although they were thought so con- trary to the doctrines of the gospel. Many pas- sages of Scripture were pointed out as opposed to these outward manifestations; but many good- meaning persons defended them as scriptural, whereupon the important question arose among them: 'Must we not also experience the same thing in order to be saved?' The people became anxious and concerned, were much affected and distressed, pressed upon their pastors to decide this matter for them, who were unwilling to do this without due consideration and the fullest as- surance.
"The German ministers were at first divided in their opinions on this subject; nevertheless, it drove them to more intimate communion with each other in their official acts, and they had thus the opportunity to investigate this matter more closely. The Lutheran pastors (of North Caro- lina) formed themselves into a Conference (Synod),
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in which they and the lay delegates transacted the usual business of the Church as in other States. Each pastor concluded that he would not bear the name of an evangelical minister in vain; conse- quently the Gospel was preached industriously and earnestly.
"The two young pastors, Revs. Dieffenbach and Henkel, were surrounded by the fire. Many as- saults were made upon them and their congrega- tions. But they always stood in good understand- ing with each other, and unitedly taught the same doctrine, consequently their congregations were edified on both sides. Better order was obtained among the youth; however, the churches greatly lamented that Rev. Philip Henkel felt constrained to leave them. Rev. R. J. Miller, an English Lu- theran minister, preaches the gospel orderly, with effect, earnestness and due consideration. He was also much assailed in his teachings by those who sought to excite the people to these extraor- dinary manifestations of body. Having been or- dained by our German brethren, he stands in regular connection with them, and always defends the doctrines of the Lutheran Church in a rational and acceptable manner."
The Rev. Dieffenbach, alluded to in the above report, was a minister of the German Reformed Church.
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Section 12. Organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of North Carolina, A.D. 1803.
It is not known precisely at what time the Helm- staedt Mission Society either became disbanded, or ceased to labor for the welfare of the mission field in North Carolina. In the year 1788, Professor Klügel was called from the University of Helm- staedt to a professorship in the University of Halle. In 1790 we find Rev. Dr. Velthusen a resident of Rostock, as Oberkirchenrath in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg, an office similar to that of superintendent or bishop; and also Professor of Theology in the same place. Dr. Velthusen, nevertheless, continued to labor in the interest of the Lutheran Church in North Caro- lina, after his removal to Rostock; but the impres- sion is, that owing to these, and perhaps other changes, the Helmstaedt Mission Society ceased to exist, and the Lutheran churches in the State were necessitated to struggle on unaided by the parent Church in Europe. Correspondence was continued for some time between Rev. Storch and Dr. Velthusen as late as 1803, which is proved by a published letter of Rev. Storch, and inserted in the preceding section; but the fact, that it was published in one of Dr. Velthusen's individual works, and not in a Helmstaedt Report, indicates that the Society was then no more.
Rev. Dr. Velthusen was a most learned man and a voluminous writer. He was raised to high positions in the Lutheran Church in Germany.
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We find, that even in Horne's Introduction, a work placed in the hands of every English theo- logical student, Dr. Velthusen's name occurs as one of the authorities referred to and consulted by Dr. Horne.
The North Carolina Lutheran ministry, having now no dependence upon which they could rely other than their own efforts, and having been re- inforced by a number of ministers in that field, but chiefly, on account of the anxiety of inquir- ing souls and the distracted state of the Church, caused by the breaking out of the revival of 1801, resolved to labor more unitedly and in an organ- ized capacity, and hence originated the North Carolina Synod or Conference, for so were Synods then sometimes denominated by our German min- isters. This Conference or Synod stood under no jurisdiction of any other or higher ecclesiastical body, but had the power to exercise sole juris- diction for itself from its commencement; "in which," says Rev. Paul Henkel in 1806, "they and the lay delegates transacted the usual business of the Church as in other States."
The Lutheran Church in North Carolina felt the necessity of organizing a Synod, in order to labor for its continuance and future prosperity, for there was no Lutheran Synod in all the South- ern States. The Pennsylvania Synod, which is the oldest Lutheran Synod in America, never ex- tended its jurisdiction farther south than Virginia. All the Lutheran churches south of that State, had been either under the care of a mission society in
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Germany, or stood in an independent position. The organization of the Corpus Ecclesiasticum in South Carolina was the only previous attempt to bring the German congregations under the care of an organized ecclesiastical union, but had ceased to exist several years before the North Carolina Synod was formed. Hence the Lutheran ministry in North Carolina were impressed with the neces- sity and advantage of concentrated and organized labor for the welfare of the Church in a synodical body.
In the address to the congregations, published in the first minutes of the North Carolina Synod, the following excellent thoughts occur: "That which you herewith receive for your perusal and contemplation is to show you what we, your teachers and delegates in Conference assembled, have considered, resolved, and shall endeavor to introduce as rules of order for the welfare of our Church and the furtherance of true godliness. In this we have acted according to our best under- standing. Ye yourselves will know, that it is necessary, if the Christian Church is to be per- petuated, that order must be preserved both among the ministers and in the congregations. Dear brethren, we look to you to assist us in this noble undertaking. God's work calls for help; the condition of our Church and people calls for help; the condition of thousands, both of old and young, calls for help; and shall this call of God and the cry of so many immortal souls not be heard at all, or heard in vain? We have no fear
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of it, but are assured that your heart and mind will be united with us in so praiseworthy an un- dertaking, so that the instructions and quickening influence of the Gospel may be brought to many thousands of souls, who have hitherto been neces- sarily deprived of the same." Signed by Robert J. Miller, Carl Storch, Paulus Henkel, Christo- pher Bernhardt, Philip Henkel, Ludwig Markert.
The first session of the North Carolina Synod was held in the town of Salisbury, on Monday, May 2d, 1803. On the preceding Saturday and Sunday, the ministers held Divine service and ad- ministered the holy communion to a large assem- bly in Pine (Union) Church, four miles from Sal- isbury.
The names of the ministers present at that first Synod were: Rev. Gottfried Arndt, of Lincoln County ; Rev. Robert J. Miller, of the same county ; Rev. Carl A. G. Storch, near Salisbury; Rev. Paul Henkel, from Abbot's Creek, Rowan (David- son) County. These ministers, with a number of elders and deacons from most of the congrega- tions as lay representatives, formed the North Carolina Synod, which is the oldest Lutheran Synod in the Southern States, and the third Synod in America in point of time, the Pennsylvania and New York Synods having preceded it in their or- ganization.
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CHAPTER IV.
HISTORY OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN THE CARO- LINAS CONTINUED, FROM THE ORGANIZATION OF THE NORTH CAROLINA SYNOD, A.D. 1803, TO THE FORMATION OF THE FIRST LUTHERAN GEN- ERAL SYNOD IN AMERICA, A.D. 1820, EMBRAC- ING A PERIOD OF SEVENTEEN YEARS.
Section 1. Condition of the Lutheran Church in South Carolina in the year 1803.
WE now come to the dark period of the Luth- eran Church in South Carolina, a period frequently spoken of and greatly lamented by the aged min- isters and laymen of our Church in the presence of the writer some twenty or more years ago, when such men as Revs. Michael Rauch and George Haltiwanger, Sr., were still living, whose memory is yet fondly cherished in the Church.
All the early pastors, who came from the Father- land, were dead. Revs. Martin, Daser, Theus, Hochheimer, Froelich, Bamberg, Friederichs, Wallberg, and others were gathered to their fathers, and, with the single exception of the send- ing of pastors to the Lutheran Church in Charles- ton, no reinforcement of ministers came any longer
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from Germany to South Carolina, and the German congregations were generally fast going to destruc- tion. Proselyting sects were only too industriously engaged in gathering the scattered members of our churches into their fold, and some once flour- ishing German congregations became irretrievably lost to the Church of their fathers. The only sur- vivor of the Corpus Evangelicum was the Rev. Frederick Joseph Wallern in Newberry District. Here and there exhorters arose in the various vacant congregations, but they were men of very limited education, though zealous and active, and, with their restricted influence, they could do but little more than preserve a spark of vitality in a few scattering churches, which were glad enough to be served with such ministrations as these ex- horters could bestow upon them.
A brief review of the condition of the several · pastoral charges in South Carolina will manifest the truth of the above statement, and will indicate how sad and mournful was the state of the Lu- theran Church at that time, and as far as the Ger- man Reformed Church is concerned, it had then almost ceased to exist.
St. John's Church in Charleston was vacant at this time; the Rev. J. C. Faber was still living, but his health had declined, and was therefore necessitated to resign his charge, merely serving it as a temporary supply, and as far as his strength would allow, until some other pastor could be obtained. The congregation extended a pressing call to Rev. Storch of North Carolina, which he,
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however, was obliged to decline, on account of his own feeble health and the wants of the Church in that State. "In February, 1805, the Rev. M. T. Charles Faber, a younger brother of the former pastor, arrived from Bremen, and became the pas- tor of this church. He resigned in 1811, and soon afterwards died of the yellow fever. Ministers from other denominations were now engaged for a term of six months only, according to a rule of the church, and the Rev. Mr. Spieren, the Rev. Mr. Darnielle, the Rev. Mr. Best, the Rev. Mr. Hanckel, and the Rev. Mr. Mills, all ministers of the Episcopal Church, at different periods supplied the congregation. They received the same remu- neration as if they had been stated ministers."
The Lutheran churches in Barnwell District were likewise in a sad condition, as about this time, A.D. 1803 or 4, their beloved and efficient pastor, the Rev. J. G. Bamberg, departed this life, and they engaged the services of a certain John Henry Graff, a native of Saxony, who had been ordained to the gospel ministry in 1800, by the Rev. Mr. Wallern of Newberry District. Graff continued to "work at his trade, being a shoe- maker, to support his family," and, as might be expected, accomplished very little good, except that the churches did not become entirely extinct.
St. Matthew's Church or pastorate, in Orange- burg District, fared very little better ; the Rev. J. P. Franklow, who said, that he had obtained license to preach and baptize from the bishop of the Epis- copal Church residing in Charleston, in the year
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1798, but who was afterwards licensed by the North Carolina Synod in 1812, and subsequently ordained by the same body at its next session, served this charge from 1799 to 1814, but whether he administered the Lord's Supper, previous to his licensure and ordination by the North Carolina Synod, is not known.
The Sandy Run Church had no pastor at all at this time, but was visited by Revs. Franklow and Bernhardt; the latter officiated there only every recurring fifth Sunday in the month, consequently this congregation enjoyed the services of a regu- larly ordained ministry only four times a year, for a long period of time, and had gone down to such an extent, that it was necessary to reorganize the congregation on the 29th of December, 1811.
The Lutheran congregations, located on both sides of the Saluda River in Lexington District, were more fortunate in securing the services of a succession of pastors. A year or so after the res- ignation of the Rev. J. G. Bamberg, who removed to Barnwell District in 1798, the Rev. John Nicho- las Marcard, who came from St. John's Church in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, became the pastor of the Saluda charge, but he did not labor long in that portion of the Lord's vineyard; whether he died or moved away is not known. At the close of the year 1800, the Rev. C. E. Bernhardt, from Guilford County, North Carolina, became the pastor of the Saluda churches, and labored there to the close of his life. He died August 27th, 1809. He had charge of four con-
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gregations : Zion's, Bethel, St. Peter's, and Salem Church on Hollow Creek. He was buried near his residence, about one mile distant from the present St. Michael's Church; no tombstone, but some dogwood trees mark the spot, where repose the remains of this faithful servant of God. These churches have always continued in a prosperous state to the present time, one of which, Zion's, had an organ to assist in the musical part of divine worship, as the records indicate, which is, perhaps, still remaining in the church, but not now in use. In 1805, the organ was put in repair by a gentle- man from Ninety-six District, who was paid for his services by an amount raised by subscription. In 1797, the congregation petitioned the State leg- islature to grant them the privilege of establishing a public ferry on the Saluda River, "for the con- venience and use of the church members on the Sabbath-day, when they attend divine service; and for passengers, in order to receive funds for the support of the church in paying the minister's salary, &c., as the funds were not adequate to the wants of the church, for the property consisted only in land, and the members were too poor to defray the ordinary church expenses." "In April 25th, 1802, a subscription was taken to complete the church, that is, to lath and plaster it, to wains- cot the pews and window shutters, and to paint the outside of the church." The above is an ex- tract from the church-book.
Rev. R. J. Miller, in his missionary report, under date of November 19th, 1811, speaks very highly
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of the Saluda congregations, as follows: "From Hollow Creek Church, called Salem, I preached through all the German congregations in the neigh- borhood until the 28th. It is a pleasure to labor here; the people love the Gospel of Jesus and his servants."
Rev. Wallern labored as pastor in Newberry District, and a Rev. Mr. Winckhouse, who after- wards preached occasionally in the Saluda charge, made vacant by the death of Rev. C. E. Bernhardt, was also a resident of the same District ; but when he commenced and ended his labors in Newberry is not known to the writer. By means of the labors of Revs. Wallern and Winckhouse the New- berry churches were preserved from annihilation, although Rev. Wallern was a worldly-minded man, and attended industriously to his planting and other worldly interests, as is still reported of him, and at which the Rev. R. J. Miller hints, when he said in his missionary report: "I went to the Lu- theran minister, Wallern; found him about his farming business; conversed that evening and the following day much with him on the state of the Church, of religion, and on other subjects, and found him a man acquainted with the world."
The German congregations in Abbeville Dis- trict had a sad history at this time. St. George's Lutheran Church on Hard Labor Creek was also visited by Rev. R. J. Miller in his missionary tour in 1811, and the following is his report concerning this church:
"Sunday, November 10th. I preached in a Ger-
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man meeting-house on Hard Labor Creek, where my appointments were to commence; here was formerly a Lutheran congregation, but no remains of it are now to be found; here the Methodists and Baptists have pulled each other out of the pulpit. Every person seemed very attentive; here is full proof of the necessity of missionary preaching. The former Lutheran minister became a Method- ist."
The other German congregation in this District, incorporated under the title of "The Charlotte Church, on Slippery Creek, Ninety-six District," has no other now known history, except that of its incorporation by the State legislature.
When we consider all these facts, relating to the condition of the Lutheran Church in South Carolina at that time, and gathered from the re- ports of the then living witnesses, we need not be astonished that a number of the German congre- gations in that State became entirely extinct; but the greater wonder is, that so many of those con- gregations struggled on and continued to live through that dark and trying period. The few charges that were blessed with the continued and faithful services of the Gospel ministry were pre- served in a flourishing condition, proving fully, that nothing but the faithful and proper adminis- tration of the word and the sacraments can pre- serve the Church, and promote its welfare.
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Section 2. Henkel's Report on the Condition of the Lutheran Church in North Carolina in the year 1806.
From the German minutes of a Virginia Confer- ence, held in the New Roeder's Church, in Rock- ingham County, A.D. 1806, and published by the Rev. Paul Henkel, we gather the following inter- esting account of the condition of all the Lutheran congregations in the State of North Carolina at that time. Rev. Henkel writes:
"As soon as the Germans had located them- selves in different parts of North Carolina, they became concerned about the regular administra- tion of Church worship and ordinances in their midst. They soon erected houses of worship ac- cording to their ability, which were generally the joint property of both the Lutheran and German Reformed Christians.
"In that region, which lies partly in Orange and partly in Guilford Counties, there are three Lu- theran and three Reformed churches, besides one other joint-church, named Frieden's, which is served in connection with the others. Since the year 1801, Rev. Henry Dieffenbach has served the Reformed churches, and in the same year Rev. Philip Henkel was called to serve as Lutheran pastor, who remained there until 1806, when he accepted a call to an enlarged field of labor in Lincoln County.
"In Rowan County (now Davidson) on Abbot's
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Creek, we find three joint and one Lutheran church on the Sandhills. These were served by the Rev. Paul Henkel from the year 1800 to 1805, when he was necessitated to resign this charge, on account of the failure of his own and his family's health; he therefore introduced the Rev. Ludwig Markert as candidate preacher into these congre- gations, which he was himself compelled to leave.
"In the vicinity of Salisbury, Rowan County, there are three strong Lutheran congregations, which have been served by the Rev. Charles Storch for nearly twenty years; but under many disad- vantages on account of the frequent and severe attacks of fever, which prostrated his energies for the last ten years, and which apparently had sev- eral times brought him near to the grave. His numerous official duties lay often heavy upon him on account of his ill-health, especially the admin- istration of the Lord's Supper to two hundred and fifty communicants at one time, so that his feeble powers of body were always exhausted after hav- ing served all these people. Some twenty years past, there was a tolerably strong German congre- gation in Salisbury; they had erected a com- fortable church for themselves, but as the Ger- man people and their language were changed into English, the German worship soon became ex- tinct.
"Near Buffalo Creek, Cabarrus County, we find one of the strongest German Lutheran churches in the whole State; however, since the death of their former pastor, Rev. Adolph Nussmann,
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which occurred some twelve years ago, the con- gregation has suffered much, as it is now served by Rev. Storch, who moved a little nearer to this congregation. In the year 1803, the Rev. John Henkel had been unanimously chosen as the pastor of this church, and consented to serve them; he made the necessary arrangements to move his family from Virginia, but whilst the people were waiting for the intelligence when they should send for him, they received the message that the Lord had called him to his home. This was sad news, not only to the congregation, but likewise to the re- maining ministers in the State, who lamented the want of so many faithful laborers in the Lord's vineyard. The few sermons Rev. H. preached, whilst on a visit to that church, will long be re- membered. It is rejoicing to know, that this peo- ple are now blessed with the labors of so faithful a pastor.
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