Rev. John Christoph Gobrecht ^{2 3 4 5}

   FamilySearch ID: LZKN-WVJ.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Arrival: 11 Sep 1753, in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. ²

2. Book: History of the Reformed Church in the United States, 1725-1792. Bio of John Christopher Gobrecht, 1899. ²
John Christopher Gobrecht was born at Angerstein, near Gottingen, October 11, 1733. He was a weaver by trade, and came to Philadelphia in 1753. He qualified September 11, 1753, with his father. After being in this country for ten years he was led by God's Spirit to study for the ministry. He studied two years under Alsentz. He was examined and ordained in the Tohickon church, says Harbaugh, September 28, 1766, and took charge of the Tohickon, Indian Field and Great Swamp congregations. In 1770 he was called to the Muddy Creek charge. He preached his farewell sermon at Tohickon, December 9, and entered on his labors in the new charge, December 15, 1770. In 1779 he became pastor at Hanover, Christ church, Abbottstown and Bermudian, where he labored 27 years. He died at Hanover, November 6, 1815. He lacked the excellent preparation of a university course, but proved a plain, effective preacher, and left a blessed influence behind. He was president of the coetus in 1776, and must have been a man of good judgment for they put him on the committee to try and harmonize the Baltimore congregation.

3. Book: HIstory of York County: bio of Rev. John Christopher Gobrecht, 1907. ⁴
Emmanuel Reformed. Rev John Christopher Gobrecht, the second pastor, was born in Germany, came America when a young man of years, and at the age of thirty three enetered the ministry. In 1779 he was called Lancaster County to Hanover, where continued twenty eight years, when he was compelled by the infirmities of age, to retire from active service. He died at at the age of eighty-two. His remains rest in the burial ground belonging to the congregation. Rev Gobrecht was an ardent patriot of the Revolution, and a servant of the church. His field of labor in the Hanover charge, already large when he entered it, was increased by the addition other congregations. The log church displaced by a brick structure. Rev. Gobrecht, a son, entered the ministry of the Reformed Church.

4. Magazine: The Pennsylvania-German: article about bibles of John Christopher Gobrecht and John Beecher owned by N.A. Gobrecht, Apr 1908, , , PA. ⁷ N. A. Gobrecht, Altoona, Pa., has in his possession a German Bible printed at Zurich, Switzerland, by Emanuel and Johann Rudolff, printers, 1729. It was brought over by John Christopher Gobrecht, the ancestor born October, 1733, at Angerstein, Hanover, Germany; landed September 11, 1753, at Philadelphia, from the ship "Queen of Denmark," Geo. Parish, captain; settled in Bucks county; studied theology under Rev. John George Alsentz, and was licensed 1764 as the first Reformed student under the care of Coetus in Pennsylvania; died at Hanover in 1815. He has also another German Bible printed by Christopher Sauer, Germantown, Pa., 1763, having family record of John Beecher and Elizabeth Keplinger, the ancestors of the numerous Beecher families in Adams and York counties, Pa. John Beecher was a soldier of the Revolution, died in his 90th year, August 1838, and was buried at Arendtsville, Pa. This Bible comes to N. A. Gobrecht by his wife, who is a Beecher descendant of the third generation. Both German Bibles are in good condition and are in the hands of a worthy member of the Pennsylvania German Society of Pennsylvania and are cherished by him as family heirlooms.

5. Book: History of the John Christopher Gobrecht Family in America, 1977. ¹
Excerpts from the book...

On the flyleaf of the Gobrecht Family Bible dated March 20, A D 1766 the following entry was inscribed: "I, John Christopher Gobrecht was born of Chistian parents, October 11, 1733. My beloved Father was Daniel Gobrecht, and my Mothers name was Anna Catherine, who was bora a native of Hesse. My parents lived and I was born in the village of Angerstein in the domain of Gottingen in Germany."

"When I came to the age of manhood, I was prompted by the Spirit of God to emigrate to America, realizing his guiding and providental care during the whole journey. I landed at Philadelphia in the year 1753 and very soon after my arrival was led by my Creator and dear Lord and Savior, to have a desire to enter upon the work of the Holy Ministry, that I might become a Servant and Ambassador of the Savior Jesus Christ, to proclaim His name, to praise and honor Him; and to win souls to His service. This was my only object. "I, therefore, after due reflection, decided to prepare myself for this work. For this purpose I placed myself under the instruction of Rev. John George Alsent in 1764 and after two years of study under him, I was ordained at Tohikon, September 1770,1 was called to serve the charge, composed of Mode Creek, Cocalico and Zeltenreich Congregations in Lancaster County, Pa."

"My wife, Elizabeth, was bora November 2, 1746. Her father was John Sentz (Sands) and her mother was Catherine Grinder and resided in Berks County, Pa. Elizabeth died October 2, 1801 and is buried in Emmanuel Reformed Cemetery, Hanover, Pa."

Rev. Gobrecht was called to his rest and reward in 1815 after about nine years in retirement. On his tombstone in the Emmanuel Reformed Church burying ground in Hanover, is the following beautiful memorial: "Sanft schlummert einer frohan anferstehung ertagegen der Ehrw Johann Christopher Gobrecht Viel jaehriger reformirter Jrediger. Gebohren in Deutschland den llten October 1733. Gestorben den6ten November 1815. Seines alter 82 Jahren, 3 wochen und 5 Tage"

Translated it reads as follows: "Peacefully slumber, looking forward to a happy awakening, the Honorable John Christopher Gobrecht. Many years Reformed Pastor. Born in Germany the 11th day of October seventeen 2G1 2G2 2G3 2G4 2G5 2G6 2G7 2G8 2G9 Daniel John David William Samuel Elizabeth Christian Joseph Catherine 2G10 Sarah 1733, died the 6th of November 1815. His age, 82 years, 3 weeks and 5 days."

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John married Elizabeth Sands on 28 May 1771.¹ (Elizabeth Sands was born on 2 Nov 1746 in Reading, Berks, PA,^{5 6 8} died on 2 Oct 1801 in Hanover, York, PA ^{5 6 8} and was buried in Hanover: Old Reformed Church Graveyard, York, PA ^{6 8}.)