MUHLENBERG, Heinrich Melchior, German-American clergyman, organizer of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: b. Eimbeck, Hanover, 6 Sept. 1711; d. New Provi dence (now Trappe), Montgomery County, Pa., 7 Oct. 1787. He was educated at the Univer sity of Gottingen (1735-37), studied theology there (1737-38) and at Halle (1738-39), was ordained in 1739, and from 1739 to 1741 was deacon of the church at Grosshennersdorf, Upper Lusatia. On 6 Sept. 1741 he was called as missionary to the Lutheran congregations of Pennsylvania, located at Philadelphia, New Providence (now Trappe), and New Hanover. At that time there was a large number of Lutherans in America; but they were unorgan ized and without pastors, and such religious meetings as they had were conducted by lay men. Muhlenberg, who arrived at Charleston, S. C., 22 Sept. 1742 and at Philadelphia. 25 November, was well qualified for the work of effecting union and order. He at once entered on the duties of his charge, and preached his first sermon in Pennsylvania in an unfinished log-building at New Hanover, 28 November. Though Muhlenberg's local pastorship was largely restricted to the three congregations which had summoned him, his activities were really those of a bishop. He traveled over a wide extent of territory, preached at Lancaster, York and other places in Pennsylvania, in New York, and also occasionally in New Jer sey, Maryland and among the Salzburger Lutherans of Georgia. "There was probably? thinks Stoever, "not a Lutheran church, in his day, in this country in which he had not officiated." He was at first looked upon as an intruder by Zinzendorf and other Moravians, with whom he was for a time involved in con flict. But so successful was he in his labors
that by 1745 there was real need for the rein forcement from Halle, consisting of the Rev. Peter Brunnholtz and the catechists Kurtz and Schaum. The first church edifice at Philadel phia, Saint Michael's, was completed in 1743, and on 25 June 1769 Zion's Church, then con sidered the largest and finest in the United States, was dedicated there. On 14 Aug. 1748 the first Lutheran synod in America was or ganized under the direction of Muhlenberg, who became its president. In 1754 Muhlenberg prepared the 'Kirchen Agende,' a directory for public worship, and in 1762 reoreanized the Philadelphia congregation under a constitution which became the basis of that of most con gregations later established. He identified him self with the American cause in the Revolu tion, and was in consequence subjected to many annoyances, particularly when Pennsylvania was the scene of war (1777-78). He was a linguist of high rank. versed in Hebrew, Greek and Latin (in which he made an address at the synod .of 1750), and proficient in English, Dutch, French, Bohemian and Swedish. His large foreign correspondence appeared at Halle in 1787. Consult 'Die erlaubte Klage iiher den Abschied treuer Knechte Gottes' (1788), a memorial sermon by J. H. C. Helmuth (with biographical sketch) ; Stoever, 'Memoir of the Life and Times of Muhlenberg) (1856); Mann, 'Life and Times' (1887), considered the best.