Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-05-06
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH
IN THE c. Y. VALLEY
Iutherans Were Among the Earliest
Settlers in America and The
Cumberland Valley.

GhfIibSfldHu
Upon the eve OF the departure for
another field of labor the Rev. DR.. G.
L. Heathcote, the retiring pastor OF
the Second Lutheran church, Cham
bersburg, read an excellent paper be
for the Kittochtinny Historical So
ciety on "The Lutheran Church of the
Cumberland Valley"
The large number OF churches the
Luther communion established in the
Cumberland Valley, with the school
house adjoining, after Muhlenberg,
the patriot and great organizer, in
stituted the first Synod in 174S, show
cd that the fathers who blazed the
way builded better than they knew,
and their descendants we're among
the foremost to make land blossom as
the rose.
The history OF the Lutheran church
in America begins very early. The
severe prosecutions in Europe led to
our forefathers coming here where
they could worship God in freedom, in
spirit and in truth. Some came to
america in 1923 from Holland and
settled on Manhattan Island at the
mouth OF the Hudson river. In 1858
we have traces of German immigrants
who came to America and settled
near Philadelphia. Probably the first
German Lutheran congregation to be
organized (1700) was known as Falk-
ner's Swamp, in Montgomery county.
Their pastor was the Rev. Justus
Falkler, who was the first Lutheran
minister to be ordained in this coun-
try, which took place in the Swedish
church at Wicacoa, November "a,
1893. From 1902 to 1927 large num-
bers of Germans settled in York, Lam
caster and Berks counties.
In 1717 a congregation had also
been organized at Spottsylvania, Vir-
ginia. These struggling churches were
scattered over a wide expanse OF ter
ritory. They we're without aray form
OF organization. The descendants OF
these early people were instrumental
in organizing the General Synod
many years later. The first synod to
be organized C174S) was the Penn
sylvania ministerium. This great task
was accomplished by Henry Melchor
Muhlenberg.
The German immigrants began to
scatter. After 1886 when the land
office announced that land was for
sale along the Conococheague, Scotch
Irish and German settlers came to
the Valley in large numbers.
For the next fifty years the influx
q: German settlers was great
Following is the resume of the or
ganiZation OF local hurches:
Funkstown, St Paul's, organized
1872.
Hagerstown, St. Johns, organized
1850.
lIagerstown, St Matthew's, organ
lied 1871
Hagerstown, Trinity, organized in
1869.
Hagerstown, St. Marks, organized
1889.
Smithsburg. Trinity. organized 1920.
Greensburg, st. Paul's organized
1890.
Foxville, Mt. Meriah, organized
1879.
Martinsburg, st. JONAS, organized
1776.
The spirit of organization contiuu-
ed to manifest itself among the Ger
man leaders throughout the land.
"he effect cf organization has already
been shown. They found it 1eces-
ssry if true progressive work was
&c be carried on
In 1920 the Synod OF Maryland and
Virginia was organized. The G neral
Synod was organized at Hagerstown.
October %, 1920. Pennsylvania. NV
York, North Carolina, and Maryland
were the four synods represented in
its organization. The first regular
gynodical convention met in Freder-
lex October 21-23 1921. Delegates
from the Synods of Pennsylvania.
North Carolina, Maryland and Vir-
ginia were present.