in his first presentation for the 2012 SEPA synod assembly, on Celebrating Your Heritage, Embracing Ministry, Welcoming the Future, the Rev. Dr. Karl Krueger, Director of the Krauth Memorial Library and Professor of History of Christianity at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, looked at how Henry Melchior Muhlenberg’s ministry and experience in planting the church in colonial America leaves lessons for ministry today.

Shortly after his arrival in Philadelphia, after being sent from Halle, Germany, Muhlenberg set out to visit the three congregations to which he was called. Arriving at the most distant from Philadelphia, New Hanover, he found but one candlestick while he needed three or four. There was no shopping center in those days. His solution: take out his knife and fashion ones from turnips. Perhaps Muhlenberg was showing his practical side, maybe as the first Martha Stewart?

On somewhat more serious notes, Dr. Krueger looked at a number of instances, actions and choices that those in ministry today can understand and, perhaps, learn from. Even before coming to America, Muhlenberg was faced with multiple roles in his ministry, as pastor, teacher and orphanage administrator. During that ministry, he faced a downsizing in his salary, but not in his job description. This did not dissuade him.

Given the opportunity to serve outside of Germany, in India or the American colonies, Dr. Krueger explained that he chose “the Garden of Eden – Pennsylvania” and was called to the three congregations in Philadelphia (St. MIchael’s), Trappe and New Hanover. Dr. Krueger noted this was a “thirty three mile circuit with no SEPTA, no Turnpike, just horseback for travel from place to place.” He also had to learn English – Pennsylvania was an English colony and Muhlenberg felt it important to speak the language of the colony even though he was called to serve a growing German population.

With three years on the circuit, the German population was skyrocketing, and he sent word to Germany: “I need help.” Help did come. Peter Brunnholtz was a pastor who he assigned to St. Michael’s, and two seminarians came for Muhlenberg to train. Muhlenberg set out on circuits further into the countryside, establishing congregations and bringing pastoral care. He crossed the Schuylkill River (the creek) near what is now Spring City, and planted a new congregation, finding that some didn’t want to have to cross the river to get to the one he had established earlier. “Let the pastor cross the creek and come to them” was the idea.

At the church he planted across the river, called Zion, he left a five page document, based on his 30 years of experience planting churches, that could be a guide to ministry today. Some points:

Scope of ministry: “Especially, do ministry for our children and descendants.”Have a larger vision of mission.

Self governance: He earlier had St. Michael’s draw up a constitution to guide it in self-governance as he traveled the circuit to plant the church, and did the same in other congregations he planted.

Shared ministry: Serving a circuit of congregations, Muhlenberg and other colonial pastors could not be at every church every Sunday. The lay leaders in the congregations would lead worship and handle the affairs of the church when the pastor was elsewhere on the circuit. The pastor could not do everything.

Local partnerships, with other pastors and the people in the communities he served, were important to growing the church and planting new congregations where the Gospel needed to be proclaimed.

Muhlenberg gave regular accounts to Halle, which supported his ministry in the colonies, “so the reverend fathers would know and send offerings to support the mission.” While his reports were typically found in both the colonies and in Halle, one was found only in Halle. It was November 1772, and he had to get it onto the ship to Europe before the Delaware froze for the winter. The main thrust of the message: “there’s a congregation ready for you to send a pastor.” He believed this had to get to Halle before winter so a new pastor would sent soon.

Did it work? Yes, no, and yes.

Yes, the message was published in Halle.

No, “it is sad, no new preachers because congregations are always assembling.”

And, yes. St. Peter’s Church in Chester Springs, the church that has planted on the other side of the creek, is celebrating the 240th anniversary of the dedication of the original church.

Muhlenberg was clearly globally connected, as we need to be today. He maintained the connections with Halle and with India, where others had been sent. He also connected with others where he served, pastors and congregation leaders, and recognized they all needed assistance.

Dr. Krueger pointed out the dynamic spirituality that was a part of Muhlenberg’s life. His box of daily prayer cards was a regular reaffirmation of the Word, and a guide as he followed Luther’s formula to “pray, meditate and practice.” He sometimes relied on what Dr. Krueger called “Biblical lottery,” where when he was perplexed he might randomly draw a card and use its readings for guidance. And he followed a philosophy to “do nothing without deliberation, and, once acted, do not regret.”

His dynamic spirituality also guided Muhlenberg’s wife Mary. They were on a particularly rough passage to Savannah, Georgia, and giving up hope of a safe arrival. Mary reached into the box and pulled a prayer card from the box. “This was her anchor, now his anchor,” Dr. Krueger reflected. Thinking to Bishop Burkat’s morning sermon, he observed that sometimes we need the 30,000 foot view, while our lives are sometimes lived in the weeds. Dandelions are not always a blessing. “Sometimes we need the perspective of the word of God, and of the future.”

Last, Muhlenberg rethought theological education. He and his contemporaries were trained in Halle and elsewhere in Europe, but he saw the need to train pastors in the colonies, in context. He also saw the need to be multilingual from the beginning, and “frowned on those who had to live and die faithful to the mother tongue. Some Germans acted as if German was the language of Adam and Eve.”

Muhlenberg’s experience brings many insights we can gain by studying his ministry. Dr. Krueger’s second presentation will explore the theme further.

Muhlenberg to the future

May 04, 2012

– John Kahler