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 THE BEGINNINGS 
 
 Of the 
 
 Lutheran Church 
 
 IN NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 
 Delivered at the 
 
 120th ANNUAL CONVENTION 
 
 Of the 
 
 UNITED EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD 
 
 OF NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 By REV. GEO. H. COX, D. D,. 
 AND PUBLISHED BY THE SYNOD. 
 
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 REV. GEO. H. COX, D. D, 
 
THE BEGINNERS OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH 
 IN NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 REV. GEO. H. COX, D. D. 
 
 The early history of the Lutheran Church in North 
 Carolina is woven into the very warp and filling of 
 the history of the old North State. 
 
 Entering upon its own history at a time when 
 the grand old state of North Carolina was but a 
 province of Great Britain, and, asi yet untried and 
 undeveloped, the Lutheran Church came, lived, la- 
 bored and participated in those grand old construc- 
 tive times when the very foundations of the Com- 
 monwealth were being laid; and has thus been 
 closely identified with the history of the state from 
 the very beginning, impressing its unbounded faith 
 in God and His Word and its genuine piety as that 
 which alone could give stability, character and power. 
 
 The history of the Lutheran Church in North Car- 
 olina, therefore, though sadly neglected and little 
 known, is worthy of the most careful study. 
 
 It was away back in the dim, far distant past, 
 nearly two hundred years ago, a generation before 
 the Revolutionary War, about the time of, in fact 
 two or three years before Muhlenberg came to 
 America in 1742, when this section of country was 
 but an immense wilderness, when there were no 
 railroads, no steamboats, no roads, only Indian 
 trails, when the country was inhabited by wild 
 Indians and the native denizens of its primeval 
 forests, that our forefathers, in Penn., finding it 
 
difficult to secure farm-lands and homes at such 
 prices as to them seemed possible to pay, gathered 
 together their holdings, packed them into their old 
 scoop-bed wagons, and driving their herds of live- 
 stock, started out to find homes and farm-lands in 
 the naturally rich mountains and valleys of the 
 provinces of Virginia and North Carolina of which 
 glowing reports had reached them. 
 
 Leaving Pennsylvania, they traveled down through 
 Maryland, across the James River, up the beautiful 
 Shenandoah valley of Virginia, and over the moun- 
 tains into what is now known as the Piedmorit Sec- 
 tion of North Carolina. 
 
 Today, one hundred and eighty- three years later, 
 the route that they travelled can easily be traced by 
 the many Lutheran settlements along on either side 
 of the way. 
 
 At that time there were no well-kept public highways, 
 with signboards directing the traveller on his way, 
 but only the Indian trails winding in and out, over 
 hill and dale and through dense and dark forests, 
 and often difficult to follow. Then, there were no 
 bridges spanning the rivers and creeks, but each 
 stream must be forded, and that, often where the 
 ford was rough and rocky, and through deep and 
 rushing waters, with high, precipitous banks on 
 either side. » 
 
 And not only were these natural difficulties to be 
 overcome, but they were compelled to be constantly 
 on the watch to guard against and repel the sudden 
 attacks of the unfriendly Indians through whose 
 territory they must pass. 
 
 Thus it was that our forefathers, through toils 
 and labors, exposures and trials, difficulties and dan- 
 gers, came to this: section of North Carolina. To 
 
us of the present day, in the enjoyment of comforts, 
 conveniences and luxuries, as we are, it is very diffi- 
 cult for us to have any real conception of the her- 
 oism, courage, strength and endurance of those 
 hardy pioneers of our Lutheran church in North 
 Carolina. But, in the providence of God, here they 
 came, a devout Spartan band; and here they settled 
 when the foundations of this grand old state of 
 North Carolina were being' laid; and here they or- 
 ganized their congregations and, side by side with 
 their homes, erected their churches, trusting in God 
 for pastors, though they knew not whence nor how 
 they were to come. 
 
 Thus, somewhere between the years of 1740 and 
 1745, the first three Lutheran churches were estab- 
 lished; viz. St. John Church in Salisbury, Zion, 
 commonly known as Organ Church in Rowan County, 
 and St. John Church in Cabarrus then Mecklenburg 
 County. So far as can\ be ascertained, these three 
 congregations were all organized about the same 
 time, that is somewhere about the year 1745, and 
 Very scon thereafter they erected their churches and 
 held regular services, conducted by their church 
 officers. But they had no pastor for more than 
 twenty-five years. Without the regular means of 
 grace, that is, with no one to preach the gospel or 
 administer the holy sacraments to them, except at 
 long intervals when some travelling preacher would 
 pass through the country, and they not Lutherans 
 and often unreliable and irresponsible, it naturally 
 followed that their young people were growing up 
 in comparative ignorance of the things most essen- 
 tial, resulting in a low state of Spirituality and in 
 great laxity of morals. Under such circumstances 
 we can easily understand how anxious they must 
 have been to have their own pastor to minister to 
 them in holy things. Accordingly, during those 
 
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twenty-five years, they had repeatedly appealed to 
 their brethren in .Pennsylvania; but they also were 
 sorely in need of pastors for themselves, and there- 
 fore, were unable to assist them. 
 
 We must remember that, at that time, there was 
 no organized synod in America except the Minis- 
 terium of Pennsylvania which had recently been or- 
 ganized and no schools or seminaries where men 
 could be prepared for the Lutheran ministry; and 
 that the only possible source from which to secure 
 a pastor was from the church in the fatherland. We 
 can easily imagine how earnestly they must have 
 prayed that the Lord would send laborers into this 
 part of his vineyard, and how often and anxiously 
 they must have discussed the question in their fam- 
 ily circles, and how the three congregations must 
 have often consulted as to the ways and means and 
 possibilities of securing a pastor from the far-away 
 fatherland. But between them and that land there 
 were three thousand miles of a deep and mighty 
 ocean, and the dreadful hardships and dangers of 
 such an ocean voyage, and the great sacrifice and 
 expense of such a "journey. But something must be 
 done. Their spiritual need must, in some way, be 
 supplied. It seemed impossible that things could 
 longer continue as they were. They very well knew 
 that, to send letters or petitions to Europe,, asking 
 for a pastor and a school-teacher, would accomplish 
 but little if anything; and that, therefore, the only 
 way that seemed to have any promise of success 
 was, to send a delegation that could make personal 
 appeal to the hearts of their brethren in the father- 
 land, describe the needs and necessities of their 
 congregations, answer questions as to the country 
 and its conditions, and petition for contributions to 
 help in establishing and carrying on the work in 
 this new land of America. But how this could be 
 
accomplished and who could or would go they, for a 
 long time, were unable to decide. Then, when it 
 seemed tot them that their darkest hour had come, 
 God intervened by putting it into the hearts of two 
 brave, true, consecrated christian men, to offer their 
 services, their time, their means, and, if need be, 
 cheir lives, to make the long and hazardous journey 
 at their own expense. 
 
 Their offer was gratefully and joyfully accepted 
 and Christopher Lyerly of St. John Church of Ca- 
 barrus County, and Christopher Rendelman of Or- 
 gan Church were commissioned to go to Germany 
 in search of a regular pastor and a well qualified 
 school-teacher, and to ask for financial assistance in 
 supporting them. They were instructed to apply to 
 the Consistory of Hannover, in preference to any 
 other, because at that time the Province of North 
 Carolina was under the government of the king of 
 England, who, at the same time, was Elector of 
 Hannover. 
 
 Supplied with the necessary credentials and es- 
 pecially with one from Governor Tryon who was, at 
 that time, governor of the province of North Caro- 
 lina bearing the great seal of the province, and with 
 a letter of recommendation from him to the "Society 
 for the spread of the gospel in foreign parts," at 
 London, tftfe commissioners left their homes in 1772, 
 traveled horseback to Charleston, South Carolina, 
 made a safe voyage across the Atlantic*, and went, 
 first, to England where they were most cordially 
 received and kindly treated. The Missionary Society 
 to which they appealed heartily endorsed their cause. 
 The king of England and numbers of the English 
 noblemen gave liberally of their means, and St. 
 James' Lutheran Chapel in London, gave them a 
 handsome sum of money for that dav, in all amount- 
 ing to more than eight hundred dollars. 
 
 6 
 

 In Germany they found the same hearty welcome 
 awaiting- them, where, beside offering of money, 
 they were presented with many Bibles, Hymn-books, 
 Catechisms and other publications; and to Organ 
 Church was presented a communion set which is 
 still in the possession of the congregation. 
 
 The Consistory of Hannover readily granted their 
 petition for a pastor and school-teacher, and at once, 
 officially called and commissioned the Rev. Adolphus 
 Nussman as pastor and Mr. John Gcdfried Arndt 
 as school-teacher, and also pledged the institution 
 to serve the brethren in North Carolina in the fu- 
 ture, by sending them additional ministers upon ap- 
 plication. The commissioners Lyerly and Rendel- 
 man, accompanied by Nussman and Arndt, soon 
 started on their return to America, where they ar- 
 rived in safety in the fall of 1773. 
 
 What a blessed work those two laymen accom- 
 plished! God alone knows what might have become 
 of the Lutheran Church in North Carolina if those 
 two had not volunteered to undertake the voyage 
 to Europe! We of today should honor their memory 
 as the preservers of Lutheranism in North Carolina. 
 
 Thus the Rev. Adolphus Nussman became the 
 pioneer Lutheran minister of North Carolina. Like 
 Luther, he was a converted Roman Catholic monk 
 of the Franciscan order. He had been converted to 
 Christianity some years before he came to America. 
 After his conversion he completed his literary and 
 theological studies in the Georgia Agusta Depart- 
 ment of the University of Goettingen, and was or- 
 dained to the Gospel Ministry. He was thirty-three 
 years old when he accepted the call to the Lutheran 
 churches in North Carolina. He was a learned, de- 
 vout and self-sacrificing christian minister, and 
 soundly Lutheran both in faith and practice. He 
 
was a man who won and held the confidence, praise 
 and love, not only of those with whom he lived and 
 labored, but of all who had any knowledge of him. 
 He easily could have risen to places of honor and 
 distinction and power among his own people, in his 
 own native land, but for the loV*e of Christ and His 
 kingdom, willingly gave himself to severe self-sac- 
 rificing labors among the destitute Lutherans of 
 North Carolina, amid the privations and hardships 
 of a pioneer life, in a foreign land. 
 
 Upon his arrival here in North Carolina, he, at 
 first, made his heme in the vicinity of Organ Church, 
 and served as pastor of that church, and St. John 
 Church in Salisbury, and occasionally visited and 
 ministered to the spiritual needs of St. John Church 
 in Cabarrus County. 
 
 The school-teacher, Arndt, taught the children of 
 Organ church for two years, and was then ordained 
 to the Gospel Ministry, and became the second pas- 
 tor of Organ Church, the Rev. Nussman removing to 
 Cabarrus Ccunty and becoming the pastor of St. 
 John Church in that County, which he served faith- 
 fully and well until his death, November 8, 1794, 
 being a little over fifty five years of age. His 
 earthly remains lie in the old graveyard of St. John 
 Church. An old slate-stone formerly marked the 
 spot, upon which was a German inscription, the 
 translation of which is "For me to live is Christ; to 
 die is gain. The memory of the righteous is 
 blessed. Here lie the remains of tWe Faithful 
 preacher, Adolphus Nussman; Born in Germany, 
 August, 1739, Died November 3, 1794." The old 
 slatestone was rapidly crumbling away and was brok- 
 en off at the ground, when, a few years ago, some in- 
 terested persons replaced it with a simple marble 
 head-stone. Otherwise the grave might soon have 
 
been lost. The old slate-stone is preserved in St. 
 John Church. This synod could not do a more wor- 
 thy deed than to erect a handsome monument at the 
 grave of the first pioneer Lutheran preacher in 
 Norh Carolina. 
 
 While living in Cabarrus County, Nussman was 
 united in marriage with Miss Barbara Lyerly, a 
 daughter of Christopher Lyerly, one of the commis- 
 sioners who was instrumental in bringing him over 
 to America. With her he lived in peace and happi- 
 ness for many years, and was the father of several 
 sons and daughters, none of whom are now living; 
 but his lineal descendants, to the fourth and fifth 
 generations, are still living in North Carolina, of 
 whom I have had the honor of being their pastor. 
 
 While he was pastor of St. John Church he was 
 very active in Missionary work, making frequent 
 visits among the Lutherans in what are now David- 
 son, Guilford, Orange, Stokes and Forsythe Coun- 
 ties, preaching the Word wherever opportunity of- 
 fered, baptizing the children, catechising the young 
 people, and organizing numbers of congregations 
 that are still connected with the synod. 
 
 Mr. John Godfried Arndt, the school-teacher, as 
 already stated, came to North Carolina with Nuss- 
 man in 1773. He was a graduate of the Teacher's 
 Seminary in the city of Hannover, in Germany and 
 was appointed as teacher for North Carolina on Oc- 
 tober 16, 1772. Upon his arrival in North Carolina, 
 he immediately began the work of instructing the 
 children of Organ Church; which work he continued 
 until 1775, that is for two years, when, on August 
 28th of that same year, he was ordained to the Gos- 
 pel Ministry by the Rev. Joachim Beulow of Saluda 
 
 9 
 
River of South Carolina, pastor of St. Paul Luther- 
 an Church of Newberry County, South Carolina, and 
 as he signed the certificate of ordination, "Mission- 
 ary and Inspector of South and North Carolina." 
 
 No records have 'ever been found as to who this 
 man was, nor upon what authority he acted as "Mis- 
 sionary and Inspector." The only thing known of 
 him beside that which I have stated is that, at one 
 time, he was a clerk in a store in Charleston, South 
 Carolina. 
 
 Arndt thus became the first Lutheran Minister 
 ever ordained in North Carolina, and the second pas- 
 tor of Organ Church. He served that congregation 
 for eleven years and then removed to Lincoln Coun- 
 ty, then called Tryon, and became the acknowledged 
 founder of the Lutheran Church west of the Cataw- 
 ba River, where he lived and labored until his death, 
 July 9, 1807, at the age of sixty-six years, six 
 months and twenty-eight days. 
 
 He was one of the organizers of the North Car- 
 olina Synod and was its first president. For several 
 years he was perfectly blind, but continued his min- 
 istrations up to his last illness and death. A mai- 
 den daughter, Elizabeth , was his house-keeper, his 
 wife having preceded him to the spirit land, and 
 also his guide and assistant, leading him wherever 
 he went and reading the scripture lessons and hymns 
 in his church services. He was a thoroughly con- 
 secrated minister, deeply pious, devoted wholly to his 
 calling, and was loved and honored by all who knew 
 him. His earthly remains were interred under the 
 pulpit of what was then known as the "Old White 
 Meeting-house" in Lincolnton, of which he had been 
 pastor for many years. Later, in 1892, the church 
 was destroyed by fire. In rebuilding, the new 
 church occupied the old site, so that his remains are 
 
 10 
 
still under the pulpit of that church which is now 
 known as Emmanuel Church, on S. Aspin street, 
 Lincolnton, N. C. 
 
 In 1894 I became pastor of Organ Church. At 
 that time there were twenty or more very old peo- 
 ple in the congregation; none of them less than 
 eighty, and several otf them, between ninety and 
 one hundred years of age; and one of them ninety- 
 eight. 
 
 I had frequent conversations with them concern- 
 ing the early history of Organ Church. The memory 
 of some of them reached back to the year 1800, and 
 they remembered things related to th'em by their 
 parents, who personally knew the Rev. Arndt. 
 
 They told me that he was very particular as to 
 his personal appearance, always being neatly dressed 
 according! to the fashions of the day, and wearing 
 gloves wherever he went; something very unusual 
 among the hardy people of that time. He is said 
 to have been a very handsome man, Chesterfieldian 
 in his manners, of fair complexion, blue eyes and 
 light auburn hair which hung in ringlets reaching 
 his shoulders, and of which he was very proud. 
 
 It is impossible to rightly estimate the legacy of 
 heroism bequeathed to us by ithose two pioneers of 
 Lutheranism in North Carolina. Their vigorous 
 faith, their christian heroism, their holy zeal and 
 their self-sacrificing labors are deserving of our 
 most profound gratitude and admiration. Eternity 
 alone can reveal the good that they accomplished 
 and the many souls that they led into the saving 
 knowledge of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus, and 
 who are today rejoicing together with them in the 
 blissful home on high. There is no rule of man by 
 which to compute the results of the faithful labores 
 
 11 
 
of God's ministering servants. Not until we have shuf- 
 feled off this mortal coil and have gone to the bourn 
 whence no traveller returns, and have been made to 
 stand face to face, and see eye to eye, can we 
 know the whole story. To them, no doubt, laboring 
 as they did under such difficulties and disadvantages, 
 their success often seemed doubtful, and, at best 
 dreadfully slow; but their work was well done, and, 
 under the blessings of Almighty God, was lasting 
 and today, after the lapse of one hundred and fifty 
 years, we know, can see and are enjoying the fruits 
 of their labors. 
 
 No one can read the story of their sufferings, 
 isolation, incessant toil and privations without re- 
 ceiving instruction and profit. They were, indeed, 
 devout and consecrated men whose precious memory 
 should be cherished by us who are their successors 
 in the great work of preaching the truth of God's 
 Word, as it is interpreted by our dear old Lutheran 
 Church. God help each one of us faithfully to learn 
 the lesson of their lives and labors, and, strengthen- 
 ed thereby, to go f orth to the work that is committed 
 to our hands with renewed faith, zeal and energy, 
 and to faithfully perform the work given us to do, 
 and thus hand down to the generations that are to 
 come, as they have left for us, a history that shall 
 grow brighter and brighter as the centuries go by! 
 
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