Justus Falckner
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Justus Falckner (November 22, 1672-1723 was a Lutheran minister, and the first Lutheran pastor ordained in the United States. He is commemorated as a priest in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church on November 24 with Jehu Jones and William Passavant.
He was the fourth son of Daniel Falckner, a Lutheran pastor at Langenreinsdorf in Saxony. In 1693, he entered the University of Halle, where he studied theology under A. H. Francke. He completed his studies, but determined that he was not truly prepared to follow a career in the ministry.
He went to Rotterdam, where he and his brother Daniel accepted power of attorney to sell the land of William Penn in Pennsylvania. In 1701, 10,000 acres of land along the Manatawny Creek were sold to Andreas Rudman and other Swedes. After working with Rudman, Falckner reconsidered entering the ministry, and was ordained on November 24, 1703, in the Swedish Church of Wicacoa in Philadelphia.
His first pastoral assignment was with the Dutch settles on the Manatawny Creek near New Hanover Township, Pennsylvania. Shortly thereafter, he was reassigned by Rudman to serve as the pastor of Lutheran congregations in New York and Albany.
His published works include Grondlycke Onderricht (New York, 1708.)
