OF LANCASTER COUNTY. 453 



GERMAN REFORMED. 1 



The German Reformed congregatit)n in Lancaster, organized in ITHf), had ah-cady 

 attained considerable strengtli at the time when Schhitter [arrived; for here, in 1747, 

 he administered the Holy Snpper to 225 persons, the majority of whom, it is fair to 

 suppose, were members of the Reformed Church. There was a small congi-cgation also 

 at Seltenreich's, two miles south of New Holland; another at ]\r<)dcncreek, ^1743), 

 another at Cocalico, (1730); and still another at Donegal. Besides tliese, it is probable 

 that there existed in other parts the nuclei of congregations not yet organized. Such 

 was the condition of the German Reformed Church in Lancaster County, in 174(;. when 

 Schlatter arrived in America. 



The Rev. Michael Schlatter, of St. Gall, Switzerland, was sent to Pennsylvania, 

 charged to visit the destitute Germans, of the Reformed faith, preach the Gosjiel and 

 administer the Sacraments, organize the people at suitable points into congregations, 

 settle ministers and consummate the work by the organization of the Coetus. Reach- 

 ing Philadelphia September 6, 1746, he immediately entered upon his work. Already, 

 on the 23d of the same month, we find him in Lancaster; and from that time he made 

 frequent and often laborious journeys through this county. Wherever he went, ho 

 preached with great acceptance to the people, baptized their children and administered 

 the Holy Communion. He formed neighboring congregations into pastoral charges, 

 and united them more closely with one another and with the mother Church in the 

 Fatherland, so that by mutual co-operation, the infant Church might be more tinnly 

 established and more readily supplied with such aid as it needed in its weak, scattered 

 and destitute condition. It is to Schlatter, that the German Refoimed Cluu-ch in Lan- 

 caster county owes, not indeed its existence, but its regular organization. 



The mother congregation in the city was organized in 1736, and its first stated pastor 

 was the Rev. John Jacob Hock. Prior to that time there was no church edifice, but on 

 Whitsuntide of this year a iiew log-church was consecrated, amid the rejoicings of the 

 people. Mr. Hock served the congregation sixteen months; but whether his ministry 

 terminated by death or removal, is unknown. The second pastor was the Rev. Cdsper 

 Lewis ScJuutrr, whose ministry extends from November, 1744 to ^farch, 1746. He 

 appears to have, been unworthy of his calling; for, having been charged with several 

 misdemeanors while at Lancaster, he was tried, found guilty and punished. His later 

 history is unknown. During the vacancy thus created, the Reo. John Reiycr, preached 

 as a supply. He was a native of the Palatinate; but, emigrating to America in 1731, 

 he settled in Lancaster. His field of labor lay rather in the country than in the town; 

 but, at the time of Schlatter's first visit, he was preaching for the congregation in Lan- 

 caster. Certain difficulties having sprung up between him and the Church, Sddatter 

 used his best endeavors to heal them. The people were unanimous in securing a stated 

 minister; and JSIr. Reiger, himself deeming this best, withdrew. He continufd to reside 

 in Lancaster, where he died March 11, 1769, and was buried near the south-wi-st corner 

 of the First German Reformed Church. The vacant congregation urged Schlatter to 

 obtain a minister for them from Holland. Li answer to this call, the Synod of Holland 

 sent two ministers i)i 1748, one of whom, the Rev. John Jacob Jlochrcutner, a native of 

 St. Gall, Switzerland, preached at Lancaster with great acceptance and was immedi- 

 ately called by the congregation to become its pastor. He accepted the call, and it was 

 approved and confirmed by the Synod; but, by a mysterious Providence, he never en- 

 tered upon his field of labor. When all the arrangements for his journey from Phila- 

 delphia to Lancaster were made, and his horse stood in readiness for him at the door, 

 he was suddenly prostrated in death by the explosion of a gun from which he was endea- 

 voring to extract the load. The whole Church, as well as the cc)ngregation at Lancas- 

 ter, was deeply affected by this sad event. 



1 c;ontributecl by Rev. F. A. Ua^t. 



