Sixth Session of the Synod meeting at St. John's Church, Lincoln County, now Catawba County, North Carolina, September 5, 1825
Obituary of Rev. Paul Henkel.-Rev. Paul Henkel was a son of Jacob Henkel who was a son of Justus Henkel who was a son of Rev. Gerhard Henkel who was a German Court preacher, and came to America about 1718, and located at Germantown, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rev. Gerhard Henkel was a descendant of Count Henkel, of Poeltzig, who was instrumental in sending Rev. Muhlenberg to America. Count Henkel was a descendant of Johann Henkel, D. D., LL. D., born in Leutschau, Hungary, and was Father Confessor to Queen Maria about 1530. He sympathized with Protestantism, and maintained friendly relations with Melanchthon, Erasmus, Spalatin, and others who were engaged in the Reformation of the sixteenth century.
Rev. Paul Henkel was born on the Yadkin River, Rowan County, North Carolina, December 15, 1754. Whilst he was a youth, his parents, with their family, moved to Western Virginia. About the year 1776, Paul Henkel determined to prepare himself for the Gospel Ministry, placing himself under the instruction of Rev. Kruch, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church at Fredericktown, Maryland. After having taken a course in the German, Latin, and Greek languages, and other studies necessary to the ministerial office, he applied to the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Pennsylvania and adjacent States, the only Lutheran Synod then in existence in this country. He was examined and licensed to preach. Having received a call from congregations in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, at and near New Market, Shenandoah County, he accepted, and located at New Market, Virginia, and extended his labors into other sections, as Augusta, Madison, Pendleton, Wythe, &c., where he laid the foundations of a large number of congregations. On the 6th of June, 1792, he was solemnly set apart to the office of Pastor, in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His ordination was performed by Rev. John Frederick Schmidt, pastor of a church in that city. He afterward located in Staunton, Augusta County, Virginia, and labored in that section about three years. He then returned to New Market, Virginia, and resumed his labors among his former congregations. In 1800 he received a call to congregations in Rowan (his native County), North Carolina. He accepted it, but even there, as in Virginia, he did not confine his labors simply to those congregations, but extended them to other places in the surrounding counties. But finding that section unhealthy, on account of chills and fever, he returned in 1805 to New Market, Shenandoah County, Virginia, and became an independent missionary. Not depending for a support on any special missionary fund, but on the promises of his Master and the good will of those to whom he ministered, he made several tours through Western Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio, gathering the scattered members of the Church, administering to them the Word and Sacraments, instructing and confirming the youth, and, as far as practicable, organizing new congregations. During the War of 1812-1815 he took up his residence at Point Pleasant, Mason County, Virginia, and organized several congregations in that section, but at the close of the war, he returned to his old residence at New Market, Virginia, and resumed his missionary labors.
In 1803, whilst he resided in North Carolina, he, with several other ministers, formerly belonging to the Pennsylvania Synod, organized the North Carolina Synod. In October, 1812, while he resided at Point Pleasant, about ten of the brethren of the Pennsylvania Synod held their first special conference west of the Alleghany Mountains, in Washington County, Pennsylvania. To this conference he was invited, but for certain reasons was unable to attend. But at the conference which was held the next year at Clear Creek, Fairfield County, Ohio, he was present, and was recognized as one of their body, although he still belonged to the Synod of North Carolina. In 1818 he took part in the organization of the Ohio Synod, and in 1820, in that of the Tennessee Synod.
In 1809 he published a small work in the German language, on Christian Baptism and the Lord's Supper. This work was afterwards translated into the English. In 1810 he published a German hymnbook for the benefit of the Church, containing two hundred and fortysix hymns. In 1816, he published another hymn-book in the English language, which was afterwards enlarged and improved, and contains four hundred and seventy-six hymns,-a portion of which are adapted to the Gospels and Epistles of the Ecclesiastical Year. A considerable number of these hymns both German and English, were composed by him. In 1814, he published his German Catechism, and not long afterwards his English Catechism, for the especial benefit of the young, not changing the substance of Luther's Catechism. To these Catechisms be appended an explanation of all the Fast and Festival Days observed in the Church. Soon after this, his little work, written in rhyme, entitled Zeilvertreib (Pastime) made its appearance, to the amusement of some, and the annoyance of others,-it was a satirical rebuke to fanaticism and superstition, vice and folly.
He was well proportioned, large and erect, standing about six feet, with well developed physical organs, full of energy and perseverance. His mind was well balanced. His attainments were liberal. As a citizen, he was kind, affectionate, and forbearing. As a neighbor, he was universally esteemed and beloved. As a preacher, he had few superiors in his day. He was animated and often eloquent. His soul was in his Master's cause. Few ministers performed more arduous, faithful, efficient labor than he did. In all the relations of life, he was true, faithful, pious, reliable, and upright.
On the 20th of November, 1776, he entered into the holy estate of matrimony with Miss Elizabeth Negley, who, with her father's family, had emigrated from New Jersey to Virginia. They became the parents of nine children,-six sons and three daughters. The oldest son entered the medical profession, and the other five, the ministerial, becoming Lutheran ministers.
He preached his first sermon in Pendleton County, Virginia, now West Virginia, in the year 1781, on Phil. 2, 5, and his last one, in New Market, Shenandoah County, Virginia, Oct. 9, 1825, on Luke 2, 34.
After faithfully serving his generation for many years, it pleased the great Head of the Church to call him from his labors here to his reward in the Church triumphant. He died of paralysis, on the 17th day of November, 1825; aged 70 years, 11 months, and 11 days, and was buried at New Market, Shenandoah County, Virginia; Rev. Geo. H. Riemenschneider officiating. The sermon was based on Phil. 1, 21.
In speaking of the Rev. Paul Henkel, John G. Morris, D. D., LL, D., says, in his work, "Fifty Years in the Ministry," he "was, in early life and for many years, a laborious missionary among the scattered Anglo-German population in the South. He may indeed be considered as one of the pioneers of the church in that region, which was in those days truly desolate. His narrative, which was printed, has all the interest of romance, and if he had performed the same self-denying labors in the service of any other church he would have received a great earthly reward."
