Welcome
Welcome to Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church. Built 1698 to 1703, this is the oldest church in Pennsylvania. Surprisingly, it isn’t the first building the congregation used for worship services. Their first church was dedicated 36 years before the founding of Pennsylvania. It was located a few miles from here.My name is Jeanette Woehr, and I’m the church historian and archivist. Together we’ll explore the lives of ministers who served this church from its beginnings to modern times. Among them: Lutherans appointed by the Church of Sweden to serve their colony in America. And Episcopalians who’ve led this congregation since its Swedish religious mission ended in the 19th century.Here’s what they all have in common. They were knowledgeable in the theology of their orders. They were excellent writers. And they were engaging orators. They had other talents, too. Some were fluent in multiple languages. Others were archivists, historians, botanists, scientists, geologists, geographers and composers.As ministers, they led their congregations through good times and bad. Some were here before the founding of this country. Others witnessed its birth. Let’s explore the church and graveyard together and learn about these fascinating religious leaders.
Stop 1: Johannes Campanius
Our tour begins with Johannes Campanius, the first priest to serve this congregation. Born in Stockholm, Campanius was ordained into the Lutheran ministry in 1633. He spent most of his career ministering to Swedes living in foreign lands. At first, Campanius served as a chaplain to a Swedish delegation in Russia. In 1642, he set sail for New Sweden, a colony of the Swedish Empire in North America, to minister to its fledgling community.
Stop 2: Jacob Fabritius
Tinicum Island was not an ideal place for a church and graveyard. It had a low water table and was constantly flooding. Eventually, the water issues caused enough damage to render it uninhabitable. The congregation needed to move …quickly.Sven Gunnarsson, an early settler of the New Sweden Colony, acquired over 1,000 acres of land a few miles north of Tinicum Island. He donated a small portion of it to the congregation for a new church. This wooden building — nicknamed the “blockhouse” — was designed to be a “church of spiritual defense.” In the event of an invasion, the colony could defend themselves inside. It was located just feet from where you are standing.
Stop 3: Andreas Rudman
For several years after Jacob Fabritius retired, the congregation was without a minister. Anders Bengstton, a congregant, became a lay reader so worship services could continue. But the congregation yearned for a new priest. Finally, their prayers were answered. And that minister changed the course of history. His name was Andreas Rudman.In 1697, Rudman left Stockholm to make his way to Philadelphia. During a layover in London, he visited Pennsylvania’s governor William Penn. The two men formed a lifelong friendship.
Stop 4: Johannes Dylander
When Andreas Rudman retired, the congregation was growing and thriving. 30 years later, it was on the verge of closing. Thanks to Johannes Dylander, its fortunes were restored.Dylander was born around 1709 in Stockholm, Sweden. He attended Uppsala University and became an assistant pastor. In 1737, he was assigned to Sweden’s former colony in Pennsylvania.Dylander joined the congregation at a critical juncture. With no pastor for five years, membership was dwindling, and the younger generation felt unconnected to their heritage. They spoke better English than Swedish. Dylander was undeterred. He rapidly honed his English language skills. And soon, the pews were filled with eager parishioners.
Stop 5: Olof Parlin
With grit and determination, Johannes Dylander restored the congregation to its former glory. Sadly, all of his hard work was undone by his successor, Gabriel Näsmam. Näsmam drove members away with his strict and inflexible approaches to theology. But even after he was recalled to Sweden, he refused to leave.In 1749, the Church of Sweden appointed Olof Parlin to serve this congregation. He braved the months-long journey across the Atlantic Ocean to find only 10 congregants in its pews. To make matters worse, Näsmam refused to vacate the rectory, so Parlin had nowhere to live.And there were problems galore. The church building, which had opened to much acclaim 50 years earlier, was falling apart. The roof had holes in it and many windows were missing. Even the organ was in bad shape after repeated exposure to rain.To pay for the building’s repairs as well as his own salary, Parlin turned Gloria Dei Church into a marriage mill. On average, he performed two ceremonies a month. He was so successful that in 1757, with the help of his assistant, 112 couples were married at this church.
Stop 6: Nils Collin
Nils (Nicolas) Collin was Gloria Dei’s last Lutheran pastor. After he died, the congregation joined the Episcopal Church.Collin was born in 1746 in Sweden. After being ordained, he was immediately sent to North America to minister to its Swedish churches.Collin arrived in New Jersey as tensions mounted with Great Britain. He tried to remain neutral while serving two congregations there. But, when war broke out, his neutrality caused him to be distrusted by both sides. Some Patriots temporarily imprisoned Colin and even threatened him with execution. Eventually released, Collin noted that "everywhere, distrust, fear, hatred, and abominable selfishness" reigned.
Stop 7: Jehu Curtis Clay
After Nils Collin died, the Church of Sweden ended its mission at Gloria Dei Church and the congregation became Episcopalian. Jehu Curtis Clay was its first Episcopalian rector. He served this church from 1831 to 1863. He also guided the congregation through an era of impressive growth and fundamental changes.The son of a minister, Clay spent time at various congregations in North Carolina, Maryland and Pennsylvania. In 1831, he arrived at Gloria Dei Church, and spent the rest of his life there.At his start, the church was in a feeble, depressed condition. There seemed little prospect of building up the parish. To make worship there more appealing, Clay installed comfortable pews and replaced the high, old-fashioned pulpit. These changes created a huge impact — the congregation grew rapidly and was soon in danger of outgrowing the building.
Stop 8: Isaac Martin
By the 1880s, this congregation was so large it had two pastors. Isaac Martin served as an assistant pastor here.Martin was born in England in 1826. At 25 years of age, he emigrated to Philadelphia. Besides practicing medicine, he was also ordained as a minister.In 1856, when Martin was called to serve Methodist Episcopal Churches in Missouri, the state was sharply divided on slavery; its churches were, too. When the Civil War began, a bloody neighbor-against-neighbor intrastate war ensued. Martin, who was against slavery, received threats against his own life.After the war ended in 1865 and slavery was abolished, Martin resumed his ecclesiastical studies – aligning himself with the Protestant Episcopal Church. He returned to Philadelphia, where he was eventually ordained.Martin soon found a new mission at the Seamen’s Church. This church offered salvation for mariners who were “notorious for their ungodly behavior.” Martin visited ships, boarding houses and barracks providing “moral and religious gain to many inquiring seamen."
Stop 9: Snyder Binns Simes
Snyder Binns Simes served Gloria Dei Church for 47 years, longer than any other pastor. A marvelous leader, he steered the congregation through rapid growth to great prosperity.Simes, who was born in 1842, later became a Protestant Episcopal minister. In 1868, he accepted the pastorship at Gloria Dei Church.But Simes’s early years were quite challenging. After 191 years of continuous use, the church property desperately needed repairs. All its buildings — inside and out — were in bad shape. And the graveyard constantly flooded. Because the church lacked funds for repairs, Simes secured a bank loan and repaid it through fundraising. He also planned for future expenses by establishing a successful endowment program.Best known for his ability to grow the congregation, Simes established several traditions that are still observed. A monthly "Service of Song" featured selected hymns for singing along. An early morning Easter Day service, the only kind in the city, attracted people from all over. Finally, he organized “coffee hour” every Sunday after worship so congregants could socialize.After 10 years of his officiating, all pews were rented, and the church was cleared of debt. The Hook and Hastings organ – which still remains today – was installed during this period. Perhaps his biggest triumph was Sunday School. With 26 teachers and 600 scholars, the school offered Bible classes, Men’s Bible Study, a Mother’s Meeting and Sewing classes for children and adults. Simes died in 1915 at the age of 73. A local newspaper lauded his successes: "Strange to say, never in its long history was Gloria Dei in such a prosperous condition as at present. Its sittings are nearly all taken ... Its Sunday Schools and Bible Classes are full to overflowing, so that no place can be found large enough to accommodate them when combined. Few parishes in the diocese give more evidence of life and activity than Old Swedes.' "
Stop 10: John Craig Roak
John Craig Roak served as rector of Gloria Dei Church from 1933 to 1972. He guided this congregation through the end of the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War and all but the very end of U.S. involvement in Vietnam.Major social changes during his tenure included: the Great Migration of Blacks from the South, the Great Society, and increased immigration from Southeastern Asia and Latin America.While keeping the congregation alive, Roak revived interest in Gloria Dei’s Swedish history and culture. In 1938, he began Lucia Fest, an annual candlelit musical pageant that still is an essential part of its culture today.
Conclusion
This concludes our tour of some of the ministers who served Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church. I hope you have enjoyed this tour and you’ll consider supporting future projects like this. Please donate today at www.preserveoldswedes.org and help preserve this incredible historic site for future generations.
