Martin Boehm
Encyclopedia
Martin Boehm was an American clergyman and pastor. He was the son of Jacob Boehm and Barbara Kendig who settled in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
. Boehm married Eve Steiner in 1753 and in 1756 he was chosen by lot to become the minister of the local Mennonite
church.
Although raised a Mennonite, he lacked the assurance of the presence and power of Jesus Christ
in his life and he prayed for a heart-warming experience, to deepen his personal faith. Then one day, after many months of prayer and meditation he had an epiphany. After this, Martin preached with confidence and fervor. In 1761, Martin was advanced to the office of bishop in the Mennonite tradition.
In 1791, Boehm donated land to the Methodists to build some type of religious buildings. That same year a church was built and named Boehm's Chapel.
In 1800, after being expelled by the Mennonites for being too evangelical, Boehm along with Philip William Otterbein
, formerly a pastor at First Reformed Church, Lancaster, formed the Church of the United Brethren in Christ
, and they became the sect's first two bishops. They first met on May 10, 1767, in a Great Meeting held at Long's Barn in Lancaster, Pa. Otterbein was so impressed with Boehm's passionate message that he embraced Boehm and declared, "Wir sind bruder" (We are brethren). In 1802, Boehm joined the Methodist Episcopal Church
while still a bishop of the United Brethren.
He was a descendent of Jakob Boehme. His youngest child of eight children, Henry Boehm
, also became a clergyman.
Martin Boehm died on March 23, 1812. Bishop Francis Asbury
and Henry Boehm conducted a memorial service for Boehm on April 5, 1812.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
. Boehm married Eve Steiner in 1753 and in 1756 he was chosen by lot to become the minister of the local Mennonite
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
church.
Although raised a Mennonite, he lacked the assurance of the presence and power of Jesus Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
in his life and he prayed for a heart-warming experience, to deepen his personal faith. Then one day, after many months of prayer and meditation he had an epiphany. After this, Martin preached with confidence and fervor. In 1761, Martin was advanced to the office of bishop in the Mennonite tradition.
In 1800, after being expelled by the Mennonites for being too evangelical, Boehm along with Philip William Otterbein
Philip William Otterbein
Philip William Otterbein was a U.S. clergyman. He was the founder of the United Brethren in Christ, a group that is a forerunner of today's United Methodist Church.-Biography:...
, formerly a pastor at First Reformed Church, Lancaster, formed the Church of the United Brethren in Christ
Church of the United Brethren in Christ
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Huntington, Indiana. It is a Protestant denomination of episcopal structure, Arminian theology, with roots in the Mennonite and German Reformed communities of 18th century Pennsylvania, as well as close...
, and they became the sect's first two bishops. They first met on May 10, 1767, in a Great Meeting held at Long's Barn in Lancaster, Pa. Otterbein was so impressed with Boehm's passionate message that he embraced Boehm and declared, "Wir sind bruder" (We are brethren). In 1802, Boehm joined the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
while still a bishop of the United Brethren.
He was a descendent of Jakob Boehme. His youngest child of eight children, Henry Boehm
Henry Boehm
Henry Boehm was an American clergyman and pastor. The son of noted clergyman Martin Boehm, Henry preferred to be a traveling preacher, going to different churches and lecturing about various religious topics....
, also became a clergyman.
Martin Boehm died on March 23, 1812. Bishop Francis Asbury
Francis Asbury
Bishop Francis Asbury was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, now The United Methodist Church in the United States...
and Henry Boehm conducted a memorial service for Boehm on April 5, 1812.
External links
- Biography
- Boehm, Martin (1725-1812) at Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia OnlineGlobal Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia OnlineThe Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online is an online encyclopedia of topics relating to Mennonites and Anabaptism. The mission of the project is to provide free, reliable, English-language information on anabaptist-related topics....
- The Ancestry of Martin Boehm
- Listing at Find-a-Grave
- The Story of Boehm and Otterbein, from the Church of the United Brethren in Christ website