Greathouse of Philadelphia County, PA

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1738 - Founded: St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Germantown

1738, Apr 5 - Trustee: John Groethousen, Dutch [St. Michael's] Lutheran Church, Germantown

Excerpt from Charles Henry Glatfelter, Pastors And People, Volume 1, 1981. Page 408:

On April 25, 1738, Peter Shoemaker granted a lot "on the East Side of the Great Road leading towards Plymouth and lying in the adjacent Side Land of Germantown" to George Wensell, soap boiler; Jacob Bailert, ropemaker; George Rieger, smith; and John Groethousen, yeoman. Two days later, the grantees executed a declaration of trust in which they stated that, in receiving the lot, they were acting "by the Direction and Appointment of the Members or persons belonging to the Dutch Lutheran Church or Congregation in the German township." The lot was intended "for the Benefit Use and Behoof of the poor of the Dutch Lutheran Congregation . . . for a place to erect a House of Religious Worship for the Use and Service of the said Congregation and if Occasion shall so require for a place to bury their Dead." (Originals, LAC, Philadelphia)

1739, Jan 5 - Wardens: Herman and John Groethousen, Dutch [St. Michael's] Lutheran Church, Germantown

Excerpt from Charles Henry Glatfelter, Pastors And People, Volume 1, 1981. Page 408:

On January 5, 1739 (1738 by the Old Style calendar) Governor George Thomas issued a permit to collect funds to "Herman Groethousen, George Reiger, Michael Ecker, John Groethousen, Jacob Bellard and George Wantzikell, wardens of the Dutch Lutheran Church in the German Township." In the permit, the governor certified that "the Reverend John Dylander, minister of the Swedish Church," and the wardens had "signified unto me, that they have purchased a small piece of ground, situate in the said township upon the great road leading from North Wales to Philadelphia, in order to build a House of Worship and a Schoolhouse thereon, and have in part built a House of Religious Worship, but thro' the low Circumstances of most of them, find themselves unable to finish the same, without charitable Assistance and Contributions of well disposed persons." The wardens were authorized to solicit the funds necessary to complete their intended work and were bonded to use the money for the purposes specified. (Quoted in J. W. Richards, "A Historical Sketch of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of St. Michael's, Germantown, Pa.," (1845), pp. 9-10, manuscript in the LAC, Philadelphia) Nine days later, Phillip Boehm told the Holland fathers that the Lutherans were then using the Reformed church in Germantown for their worship services. (HB, p. 274)

Rev. John Dylander, First Pastor of St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church

Excerpt from Charles Henry Glatfelter, Pastors And People, Volume 1, 1981. Page 408:

The pastor of the congregation at this time was the Swedish Lutheran, John Dylander, who served Germantown, in addition to performing his duties at Wicacoa (Gloria Dei) during most or all of the time between his arrival in America in November 1737 and his death in November 1741. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg had this to say about the role of this pastor in the life of the congregation: "Five years previous to my arrival a small Evangelical church had been built in Germantown, the cornerstone had been laid by the late Mr. Dylander, the Swedish pastor, and the small congregation had been served by him." (MJ 1:642)

It is obvious that Muhlenberg acknowledged Dylander to be the founder of this congregation. In August 1762, when there were two rival factions in Germantown and he wished to state the case of those favoring the ministerium, he wrote to Chief Justice William Allen, as follows: "It is about 20 years, when I found a small Lutheran Church at Germantown founded by Revd. Minister of the Sweedish Church, and a small flock of old Settlers, that called me to attend divine Service." (MJ 1:544) A few days later, he repeated the same assertions in a document to be presented to the magistrates. Claims have been made that the Germantown congregation was begun in 1728. The clear, unmistakable, and repeated testimony of Muhlenberg, who was certainly in a good position to know the truth, refutes these claims.

Source:

Charles Henry Glatfelter, Pastors And People: German Lutheran and Reformed churches in the Pennsylvania Field, 1717-1793, Volume 1, Pennsylvania German Society, 1981. Page 408, 1738, Apr 5 - Trustee: John Groethousen, Dutch [St. Michael's] Lutheran Church, Germantown.

Ibid., Pastors And People, Volume 1, 1981. Page 408, 1739, Jan 5 - Wardens: Herman and John Groethousen, Dutch [St. Michael's] Lutheran Church , Germantown.

Ibid., Pastors And People, Volume 1, 1981. Page 408, Rev. John Dylander, First Pastor of St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church.