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Archiver > BRETHREN > 2004-01 > 1072976822


From: "Gale Honeyman" <>
Subject: [BRE] Peter Becker
Date: Thu, 1 Jan 2004 12:07:55 -0500
In-Reply-To: <ce.431564b0.2d24763a@aol.com>


>From "A History of The German Baptist Brethren in Europe and America"
1899, reprint 1961, by Martin Grove Brumbaugh, with the dedication page
reading "To Brother Abraham H. Cassel, great-great grandson of
Christopher Sower and great-great grandson of Peter Becker, whose
life-long devotion to the history of the church, and whose unequaled
collection of original manuscripts make this volume possible, this work
is dedicated as a token of love and gratitude."

"There's a stormy voyage in 1719, a landing at Philadelphia, a
procession to Germantown, a dispersion of the twenty families of German
Baptist Brethren, and in 1722 a revival spirit: public preaching
collects the scattered souls.." p 155 Unfortunately the families are
not named, however a partial accounting attended the 1723 love feast. Of
those attending, several were single brothers.

There was a period between 1719 and 1723 when members who came with
Becker did not meet for services, a story unto itself. On Christmas
evening 1723 in the home of John Gomorry in Germantown, the
Tunkers/Dunkers met for the first love feast in PA. Those attending
were: Peter Becker, John Jacob Price, Stephen Koch, John Hildebrand,
Henry Trout, Henry Holsapple, Jeremiah Traut, Balser Traut, Daniel
Ritter, John Kempfer, Jacob Koch and George Balser Gans who gathered
around the men's table and on the sister's side were Maria Hildebrand,
Magdalene Traut and Anna Gomorry. pp 159-160

Earlier that same day, these members had gathered along the banks of the
Wissahickon Creek in Chester County and received into membership by
baptism Martin Urner, his wife Catherine, Henry Landis and his [unnamed]
wife, Frederick Lang and John Mayle. These six completed the number
attending the love feast. p155 These six were the first converts among
the Tunkers/Dunkers in America and were likely the first baptisms of
adult believers by trine emersion in the Colonies.

Keep in mind that Brumbaugh chose for the most part to use the English
spelling of these German names.





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