The Patriarch of the Lutheran Church in North America:
Henry Melchior Muhlenberg

"Different from the field of missionary activities of the Hallenser for North America one biography suffices: Henry Melchior Muhlenbergs life and work is the history of Hallenser in North America."
Wilhelm Germann (1840-1902), author of biographies on Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg, Heinrich Plütschau, Friedrich Schwartz and Johann Philipp Fabricus, who were missionaries in the Talmulian Countries ( = Tamul Nadu, South-Eastern India), quoted from the introduction of his book on H.M. Muhlenberg.

Hallunken
Dorothea Chr. Erxleben
Curt Goetz
& Hallenser
Johann Friedrich Struensee
BIOGRAPHY
Youth at Einbeck I Studies at Göttingen University I Establishment of a Poor´s School I First personal contact with the Francke Foundations I Inspector at Großhennersdorf I The Call to Pennsylvania I Good-bye Germany I Voyage across the Channel and acceptance of the Call
Muhlenberg (born: Sept. 6th 1711) had had no easy youth. After the death of his father, from his 15th to his 18th year of his life, he worked hard to survive. Nevertheless his relatives gave him allowance to be on his own in the evening hours to read. With 21 years of age Muhlenberg sat in the uppermost class of Einbeck school "between half grown up youngsters". His talents had been discovered.

LITERATURE

Heinrich Melchior Mühlenberg: Patriarch der Lutherischen Kirche Nordamerika´s, Wilhelm Germann (Hrsg.), 1881
Paul Raabe: Pietas Hallensis Universalis. Weltweite Beziehungen der Franckeschen Stiftungen im 18. Jahrhundert (Kataloge 2), 1995

In 1733 Muhlenberg followed the advice of his teacher and moved onto the Harz-Highschools, Clausthal and Zellerfeld. Until Easter 1734 he taught miner's children. The young man from Einbeck got immatriculated at the newly founded University of Göttingen on March, 19th 1735. He could only afford the studies by a grant given to him by his home town. In 1782, meanwhile risen to rank, honour and nearness to God, the patriarch threw back a critical glance at his student´s days in Göttingen:
Franckesche Stiftungen, Inner Court (1750)
"A young jovial man, with unenlighted judgement, wrong will and confused inclinations and sensual appetites, with the sword at his side, who had heard in his life nothing else but that one studies for bread, honour etc. and one had to go crazy ("ausrasen") at schools and universities, now enters the realm of the newly opened High School…"(5)

Here he heard for the first time the name of Francke´s Foundations, an enormous orphanage, east of the Harz mountains, in Prussia. Three young students, known to Muhlenberg since his youth in Einbeck, told him of the lectures in Human Studies ("Humaniora") they had been given in Halle (Saale). As early as 1736 Muhlenberg started his engagement for poor children. Comparable with what August Hermann Francke had done 40 years earlier in Halle, Muhlenberg began on a small scale. Together with two fellow students he taught "poor unlettered beggar-children in spelling, reading, writing and in the catechism." (6) The three students created - by support of Count Reuß XI of Greiz - the fundaments of the Göttingen orphanage.
As a member of the theological seminar Muhlenberg in 1737 met the "jew-missionaries" Wideman and Manitius. They managed to convince the 23-year-old student to take part in their mission. Before he could accompany Wideman and Manitius, Muhlenberg had to go to Halle - so he was told - in order to learn the Hebrew language at Prof. Johann Heinrich Callenberg´s (1694-1760) Institutum Judaicum.

Muhlenberg arrived at Halle in May 1738. Here he was introduced to Gotthilf August Francke, son of the founder, and not to Callenberg. Retrospectively Muhlenberg saw this as a dispensation of Providence:
AHF: Wie die Kinder zur Wahren Gottseligkeit und Christlichen Klugheit..., 1748
May 1738:
First personal contact
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 "This then had been a new appearance which was brought about by God´s most gracious anticipation through high-ranking mediators without any merit and worthiness of his own." (9)
Intent upon putting into action Christian charity and Christian visions of education, Muhlenberg returned to Göttingen, bade farewell to his professors and fellow students, only to be back in Halle as soon as possible. In Halle Muhlenberg worked at the Weingarten and Mittelwache Schools, before he became teacher at the orphanage. As an inspector of a sick-room he got acquainted with Prof. Johann Juncker (1679-1759). After Juncker had established the Foundation's Hospital in 1720/21, it became one of "the best European training grounds for practising physicians" (Piechocki). Here Dorothea Erxleben (1715-1762), first German lady doctor, and Johann Friedrich Struensee (1737-1773), Minister of State to the Danish King Christian VIII., graduated in 1754 respectively 1757. Here Muhlenberg - in his own words - received "some discernment into human maladies and remedies." (10) Ludwig Johann Cellarius, closest adviser to Francke, was Muhlenberg´s intimate friend and patron.
Elm Tree Alley to Großhennersdorf (2000)

In 1739 letters from Göttingen reached Halle in which Muhlenberg was requested to come back "home" in order to continue his work at the poor´s school. Cellarius, aware of Muhlenberg´s importance for missionary work in India, advised him not to go. At the same time Graf Reuß XI invited Muhlenberg to come to Großhennersdorf (Oberlausitz) as an inspector of the local orphanage. Gotthilf August Francke, although remembering Muhlenberg´s mission to India, confirmed him to follow the wish of his patron from Göttingen. Henry Melchior spend three years as diaconus and inspector of the Großhennersdorf orphanage in south-east Saxony. The decline of that institution pressed him into looking around for future work. Again it was Count Reuß XI. who led the way: Muhlenberg should not go back into his hometown Einbeck, but to Halle. There, the Count meant, Francke had to be asked for advice.

Francke received Muhlenberg not without preparation. Exactly on Muhlenberg´s 30th birthday (6.9.41) the son of the Great Founder asked the future Patriarch if he wanted "to accept a call to the scattered Lutherans in Pennsylvania" (15). Muhlenberg did not respond directly, but left Halle in order to hear the Count´s opinion. Reuß strongly recommends Francke´s idea. Muhlenberg accepted the following conditions before he prepared his journey:

1. "That he shall take the call to Pennsylvania as an attempt for three year and that he shall have the freedom to come thereafter."
2. "That travel expenses from Oberlausitz to America, and if he shall wish to return, shall be granted to him."
3. "That as well as travel expenses scanty salary shall be given to him from collections deposited at His Right Reverend Sir Ziegenhagen."

Muhlenberg said good-bye to Großhennersdorf on December, 16th 1741 and travelled via Bautzen, Dresden, Oschatz, Leipzig and Altenburg to Köstritz. Here he rested some days at the expense of Count Reuß XI, before he continued his voyage via Langendorf to Halle. With frozen hands, seen as a hint by God, he arrived on January, 9th 1742. Muhlenberg´s third and last sojourn in Halle took four weeks. Francke and Cellarius tried to prepare the young man for the crossing of the Atlantic and the work that he had to face there. Both of them knew, that the work lying ahead in America would mean immense toil for only one man. Francke wanted to put a helping hand at Muhlenberg´s side, but "there was none to be found". (19)

Via Einbeck (17.2.-17.3.42) Muhlenberg continued to Amsterdam, where he arrived April, 10th 1742. Here he heard "for the first time the English language so contracted, speedily spoken and whispered, that he could not understand it." (30) Barely had he managed the "little sea-voyage" across the Channel - he suffered from sea-sickness - that he met with Johann Michael Ziegenhagen, the Lutheran preacher at the English court. Ziegenhagen repeated his wish, to see Muhlenberg in America:

"The poor Muhlenberg felt his weakness and inability to such a call, to a vineyard or field, that has no fence and which is beleaguered with little foxes and all kinds of wild animals, in all its real size and was very much depressed but the Court preacher cheered him up…" (35)

On June, 11th 1742 Muhlenberg left London destined for Pennsylvania. There he should become the Patriarch of the Lutheran Church of North America.

September 6th 1741:
The Call to Pennsylvania
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