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Jacob Albright
Jacob Albright (also spelled Jakob Albrecht; May 1, 1759 – May 18, 1808) was an American Christian leader, founder of Albright's People (Die Albrechtsleute) which was officially named the Evangelical Association (Evangelische Gemeinschaft) in 1816. This church as a denomination is still in existence, headquartered in Myerstown, Pennsylvania.
Albright was born May 1, 1759, to John Albright (Johannes Albrecht) and his wife, in the region of Fox Mountain (Fuchsberg) in Douglass Township, now Montgomery County, northwest of Pottstown, Pennsylvania and was baptized into the Lutheran Church. His parents were German immigrants from the Palatine Region of Germany, but sources disagree on when they immigrated to the United States. Johannes Albrecht and his wife, Anna Barbara, both born in either Austria or Palatine depending on the source, came to America on the ship Johnson in 1732. There were seven children: Jacob, aged 5 among them. This Johannes and his family settled in Bern Township, Berks County where Johannes died in 1751 or 1752. His son, Jacob, left Berks County in 1760. Albright was educated in a German school where he learned reading, writing and arithmetic. In addition to speaking Pennsylvania Dutch, he spoke German and taught himself enough English so he could deliver a sermon in that language.
During the American Revolution, Jacob Albright served in Captain Jacob Witz's Seventh Company, Fourth Battalion, Philadelphia Militia as a drummer boy and later as a guard for the Hessian prisoners at Reading, Pennsylvania. Although uncertain, several sources indicate that he served through 1786.
In 1785, he married Catherine Cope and they had six (or nine) children. Only three children survived to adulthood: Sarah, wife of Noah Ranck; Jacob Jr., who died childless;[citation needed] and David, married to Mary Riedenbach (Raidenbach or Raidabaugh), who had children with descendants still living today. The young family moved to Earl Township, Lancaster County, and they lived near Ephrata, Pennsylvania, where the Jacob took up farming and was in the business of manufacturing tiles and bricks.
A German Lutheran in his heritage, he was converted after 1790 to Methodism, when several of his children died of dysentery, causing him to go through a religious crisis. Lutheranism did not give him comfort. He asked Anthony Houtz, a Dutch Reformed pastor affiliated with a study group organized by Philip William Otterbein (Otterbein's groups eventually formed the United Brethren in Christ Church) to conduct the funeral. Albright was so moved by his funeral sermon that he continued discussions with a neighbor who was a lay preacher in Otterbein's followers. Albright then joined a Methodist class (a religious meeting held in a private home). That class authorized him as an "exhorter," or lay preacher.
He felt called by God to take the message of Methodism to the German-speaking people. In 1796, Albright began carrying his message to the German-speaking residents of south-eastern Pennsylvania. He was licensed by the Methodist Church but was not permitted to preach in the German language, so he set out on his own.
Although he felt that he was unfit to preach, contemporary records reveal that he was a powerful and moving speaker, converting many to Methodism. By 1800 he had formed two classes in Bucks County, north of Philadelphia, and one other. By 1803 he had organized three more classes.
Albright had never given any indication that he was interested in forming a new organization or church, but in 1803, at the insistence of the leaders of his classes, he called a general meeting of the lay leaders and preachers for November 1803. Besides himself, two preachers and 14 lay leaders attended. The group drew up a license and the two pastors ordained Albright. The group wrote a brief statement of faith.
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Jacob Albright
Jacob Albright (also spelled Jakob Albrecht; May 1, 1759 – May 18, 1808) was an American Christian leader, founder of Albright's People (Die Albrechtsleute) which was officially named the Evangelical Association (Evangelische Gemeinschaft) in 1816. This church as a denomination is still in existence, headquartered in Myerstown, Pennsylvania.
Albright was born May 1, 1759, to John Albright (Johannes Albrecht) and his wife, in the region of Fox Mountain (Fuchsberg) in Douglass Township, now Montgomery County, northwest of Pottstown, Pennsylvania and was baptized into the Lutheran Church. His parents were German immigrants from the Palatine Region of Germany, but sources disagree on when they immigrated to the United States. Johannes Albrecht and his wife, Anna Barbara, both born in either Austria or Palatine depending on the source, came to America on the ship Johnson in 1732. There were seven children: Jacob, aged 5 among them. This Johannes and his family settled in Bern Township, Berks County where Johannes died in 1751 or 1752. His son, Jacob, left Berks County in 1760. Albright was educated in a German school where he learned reading, writing and arithmetic. In addition to speaking Pennsylvania Dutch, he spoke German and taught himself enough English so he could deliver a sermon in that language.
During the American Revolution, Jacob Albright served in Captain Jacob Witz's Seventh Company, Fourth Battalion, Philadelphia Militia as a drummer boy and later as a guard for the Hessian prisoners at Reading, Pennsylvania. Although uncertain, several sources indicate that he served through 1786.
In 1785, he married Catherine Cope and they had six (or nine) children. Only three children survived to adulthood: Sarah, wife of Noah Ranck; Jacob Jr., who died childless;[citation needed] and David, married to Mary Riedenbach (Raidenbach or Raidabaugh), who had children with descendants still living today. The young family moved to Earl Township, Lancaster County, and they lived near Ephrata, Pennsylvania, where the Jacob took up farming and was in the business of manufacturing tiles and bricks.
A German Lutheran in his heritage, he was converted after 1790 to Methodism, when several of his children died of dysentery, causing him to go through a religious crisis. Lutheranism did not give him comfort. He asked Anthony Houtz, a Dutch Reformed pastor affiliated with a study group organized by Philip William Otterbein (Otterbein's groups eventually formed the United Brethren in Christ Church) to conduct the funeral. Albright was so moved by his funeral sermon that he continued discussions with a neighbor who was a lay preacher in Otterbein's followers. Albright then joined a Methodist class (a religious meeting held in a private home). That class authorized him as an "exhorter," or lay preacher.
He felt called by God to take the message of Methodism to the German-speaking people. In 1796, Albright began carrying his message to the German-speaking residents of south-eastern Pennsylvania. He was licensed by the Methodist Church but was not permitted to preach in the German language, so he set out on his own.
Although he felt that he was unfit to preach, contemporary records reveal that he was a powerful and moving speaker, converting many to Methodism. By 1800 he had formed two classes in Bucks County, north of Philadelphia, and one other. By 1803 he had organized three more classes.
Albright had never given any indication that he was interested in forming a new organization or church, but in 1803, at the insistence of the leaders of his classes, he called a general meeting of the lay leaders and preachers for November 1803. Besides himself, two preachers and 14 lay leaders attended. The group drew up a license and the two pastors ordained Albright. The group wrote a brief statement of faith.
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