Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/500

 426 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY GERMAN METHODISM. The first missionary to work among the Germans in the United States was Dr. William Xast. The territory assigned to him was the whole state of Ohio, and his salary the first year was $100. The first society was organized in Cincinnati, Ohio, and had thirty members, among whom were many who became very influential in church work in later years. Mention might be- made here of Rev. Henry Xuelsen, whose son, Rev. John L. Nuelsen, D. D.. was the first German to be elected a bishop of the Metho- dist church. He was elected bishop by the General Conference in May. 1908. The field of labor among the Germans was so large and promising that other missionaries were sent out, and soon societies were organized throughout the state of Ohio, and, follow- ing the course of immigration westward, it has expanded, till now German Methodism comprises ten general conferences, with 605 preachers and 63,500 communicants. It was about fifty-five years ago that large numbers of Ger- mans came to Minnesota in search of new homes. As there were no railroads, the majority of them settled along the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. The pioneer preachers followed them, to preach to them the Gospel, to minister to their spiritual needs and to organize them into societies. The first preacher in Minne- sota was Jacob Haas. who. in the fall of 1850, was sent to St. Paul, and organized the first German Methodist Society in Minne- sota, and built a small church. The first presiding elder was Rev. John Plank, a resident of the state of Iowa, who made a journey of four hundred miles to St. Paul and vicinity to hold communion services and quarterly conferences. Societies were organized in Minnesota before the German work became a separate branch of the Methodist church. The first preachers were members of the Upper Iowa Conference, and were organizers of some of our most prosperous societies. The work grew rapidly, and societies were formed at "Winona, Red Wing, St. Paul, Stillwater, Salem. St. Anthony (now Minneapolis), Jordan, Le Suer, New Ulm, etc. It soon became evident that the work could be carried on more effectually if it were under German supervision. The General Conference therefore, in 1864, organized German conferences. The societies in Minnesota, Wisconsin, northern Iowa, and northern Illinois, including Chicago, formed the North- west German Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Eight years later a division was made, and Wisconsin and the Chicago district were organized as the Chicago German Confer- ence. Sixteen years later another division of the Northwest German Conference was advisable. The southern part retained the old name, while the northern part was organized as the