By Rev. Ronald Jansen
Yesterday was the day to remember first pastors. For many of us in the LCMS Lutheran history in the Americas begins in 1838-39 when the Saxon immigrants landed in New Orleans and came up river to St. Louis and Perry County.
However, the first Lutheran pastor in the New World was Rasmus Jensen who came as a ship’s chaplain. In 1619, King Christian IV of Norway and Denmark sent two ships and 64 men to search for the Northwest Passage to India. They made it as far as the western shore of Hudson Bay. Locked in by ice, they spent the winter, and were ravaged by scurvy. The ship’s captain Jens Munk noted in his log that pastor Jensen celebrated Christmas. On January 23rd, already ill, he gave his last sermon. In the evening of February 20 Rasmus Jensen died. Only four seamen were strong enough to sit up and hear the captain read a homily for Good Friday
The next Lutheran pastors in the New world were Magister Rhodius who was preaching in the West Indies in 1656. Kjeld Jensen Slagelse was pastor on St. Thomas in the Virgin Island from 1665 until 1672.
Reorus Torkillus arrived in Delaware, originally a Swedish colony, in 1639. John Campius worked with the Delaware Indians from 1643. He translated Luther’s Small Catechism. The first Lutheran pastor ordained in the Americas was Justus Falckner, in 1703.
Most gracious God, we thank you for your servants Rasmus Jensen and all other ministers who have accompanied Christians traveling to distant, desolate, or perilous places, seeking to minister to those they accompanied and to those they met, sharing their hardships in the name of him who humbled himself to share ours, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
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