LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW - Concordia Lutheran Seminary

88 LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW XII
questions for Ziegenhagen are twofold: Is there a dire need? And, is the
purpose “to lead them to Christ”. 113
Boltzius was also troubled with having to deal with “non-spiritual”
matters in the course of his pastoral functions. Turning again to Ziegenhagen
for advice, he was told that the more he tries to flee and avoid the secular
tasks that do not really belong to his office, the more they will fall upon him
and follow him as a shadow does a body. 114
The special affection with which the Georgian colonists regarded
Ziegenhagen is seen in the fact that they celebrated his birthday, according to
Boltzius’ journal, on at least two separate occasions. None of the other
“fathers” of the colony appear to have been given this honour. 115
VI
About the same time that Ziegenhagen was involved with the settlement of
the Salzburg Lutherans in Georgia, the stage was being set for his
involvement in the ministry to German Lutherans in the established colonies
in Pennsylvania and other American states to the north. In fact the first
requests for help from these northern states had come prior to the Georgia
project—in 1724, only months after Ziegenhagen arrived in London. 116 Two
years later, a two-man delegation had arrived in London to ask for a pastor,
but had to return empty-handed. 117 A full decade passed before a concrete
link was forged between Halle Pietists in Germany and German Lutherans in
the north-eastern states. The initiative came from German Lutherans in the
three Pennsylvania communities of Philadelphia, Neu Hannover, and
Providence, who sent a three-man delegation to Ziegenhagen and Gotthilf
Francke in 1734. This led Ziegenhagen and Francke to decide to make Halle
and the German Court Chapel in London responsible for providing pastors
for the German congregations in America. Even then, it took seven more
years before a pastor could be located for the Pennsylvania parish. 118 This
pastor was Heinrich Melchior Muehlenberg.
In 1739, Muehlenberg had committed himself to go as a missionary to
India. At Francke’s urging, however, he had accepted a call to serve instead
as a deacon in a congregation and as the inspector of an orphanage in
113 Jones 15:49.
114 Jones 15:277.
115 Jones 16:49; 17:139.
116 Ziegenhagen to A. H. Francke, London, 24 November 1724.
117 Ziegenhagen to A. H. Francke, London, 4 November 1726.
118 Brunner 68.