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Herman Groethausen 1670 / Rapp Suite 1762
« on: February 21, 2007, 03:12:25 PM »
In reference to... Glossary of Names entry in journal of Johannes Herbergs on Jan Grothaus. http://www.greathouse.us/library/articles/bielefeld-herman.htm
More info regarding the intra-church conflict that was taken to court (1762 ff.) can be found in the:
Page 1422
Difficulties of a curious nature meanwhile arose in Germantown, beginning in 1753, in opposition to Pastor Handschuch. The malcontents got possession of the parsonage house and church, and elected for their minister Conrad Andrae, who was a disowned minister of Deuxponts. He died shortly after and they elected Rev. Mr. Rapp.
Pastor Handschuch and his friends numbered about twenty families, and, being, deprived of their church, they rented a house for twelve pounds per annum, in March, 1753, where they held divine service, and where Mr. Handschuch kept school for four days in the week. He, however, withdrew from Germantown in a short time and went to Philadelphia.
The old members of the congregation met in the Reformed Church, and had only occasional services, but they kept together and purchased a lot for one hundred pounds on which to build a school-house.
In 1762, one hundred heads of families belonging to the Germantown congregation petitioned the Synod for the appointment of a minister. The Synod replied that, "this could not be well done, as the church was then in the hands of those who had contributed nothing to its erection." To this the petitioners answered that they would have the church restored to them amicably or they would obtain possession of it by a judicial decision, and that in the mean time they had made arrangements for a place of meeting, and Peter Kurtz, of Tulpehocken, was therefore appointed.
Suit was then brought against the Rapp party, and in April, 1763, the judgement was that the party opposed to Rapp should one Sunday hold religious service in the morning and on the next Sunday in the afternoon. The Rappites had the church at all other times. Pastor Kurtz preached in 1763 and 1764 and was succeeded by John Ludwick Voigt, who preached his first sermon in 1764. The troubles with Rapp still continued, but it was finally agreed to unite on a certain day and determine who should be minister, Pastor Voigt or Rapp, and the decision was unanimously in favor of Voigt, therefore the old congregation obtained possession of the church and parsonage. Pastor Voigt, in March, 1765 accepted a call to New Hanover and Providence, and Pastor James Van Buskirk was appointed minister. He served four years, when he was appointed minister of the congregations of Macungie, Saccum and Upper Dublin. John Frederick Schmidt succeeded him in June, 1769, and completed the restoration of peace and harmony to Germantown.
Quote
Grothaus, Jan 95
Brother-in-law of Wighard Miller. Naturalized in Philadelphia Co. late in 1740. Member of the Church Council (elder) of the Lutheran congregation in Germantown 1762-1765. One of the spokesman of the faction supported by H. M. Muhlenberg and the Lutheran ministry of Pennsylvania in the intra-church conflict that was taken to court (1762 ff.)
More info regarding the intra-church conflict that was taken to court (1762 ff.) can be found in the:
Quote
"History Of Philadelphia 1609-1884", Chapter 37, Religious Denominations, Page 1420 - 1422.
Source Information:
Ancestry.com. Philadelphia History, 1609-1884 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2003. Original data: Scharf, J. Thomas. History of Philadelphia 1609-1884. Vol. I. Philadelphia, PA, USA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1884.
Page 1422
Difficulties of a curious nature meanwhile arose in Germantown, beginning in 1753, in opposition to Pastor Handschuch. The malcontents got possession of the parsonage house and church, and elected for their minister Conrad Andrae, who was a disowned minister of Deuxponts. He died shortly after and they elected Rev. Mr. Rapp.
Pastor Handschuch and his friends numbered about twenty families, and, being, deprived of their church, they rented a house for twelve pounds per annum, in March, 1753, where they held divine service, and where Mr. Handschuch kept school for four days in the week. He, however, withdrew from Germantown in a short time and went to Philadelphia.
The old members of the congregation met in the Reformed Church, and had only occasional services, but they kept together and purchased a lot for one hundred pounds on which to build a school-house.
In 1762, one hundred heads of families belonging to the Germantown congregation petitioned the Synod for the appointment of a minister. The Synod replied that, "this could not be well done, as the church was then in the hands of those who had contributed nothing to its erection." To this the petitioners answered that they would have the church restored to them amicably or they would obtain possession of it by a judicial decision, and that in the mean time they had made arrangements for a place of meeting, and Peter Kurtz, of Tulpehocken, was therefore appointed.
Suit was then brought against the Rapp party, and in April, 1763, the judgement was that the party opposed to Rapp should one Sunday hold religious service in the morning and on the next Sunday in the afternoon. The Rappites had the church at all other times. Pastor Kurtz preached in 1763 and 1764 and was succeeded by John Ludwick Voigt, who preached his first sermon in 1764. The troubles with Rapp still continued, but it was finally agreed to unite on a certain day and determine who should be minister, Pastor Voigt or Rapp, and the decision was unanimously in favor of Voigt, therefore the old congregation obtained possession of the church and parsonage. Pastor Voigt, in March, 1765 accepted a call to New Hanover and Providence, and Pastor James Van Buskirk was appointed minister. He served four years, when he was appointed minister of the congregations of Macungie, Saccum and Upper Dublin. John Frederick Schmidt succeeded him in June, 1769, and completed the restoration of peace and harmony to Germantown.