Religious Background of the Boehm Family of Lancaster Co., PAJacob Böhm (ca. 1693-1781), the Mennonite emigrant to Lancaster Co., PA, lived in a time of religious upheaval. Although the extant records indicate that Jacob was a devoutly religious man, within a few generations, this Boehm family changed religious affiliation several times. The family tradition, preserved by Rev. Henry Beam/Boehm in the book, Reminiscences, Historical and Biographical, of Rev. Henry Boehm, Rev. J. B. Wakeley, D.D., provides some of the following background information: 1. The grandfather of the immigrant, Jacob Böhm (ca. 1693-1781), also named Jacob Böhm, was a “Presbyterian” who lived in Switzerland. During the 17th century, this church was actually called the Reformed church (or Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche). The Reformed church in Switzerland developed through the efforts of Ulrich/Huldreich Zwingli during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. The Reformed church in Switzerland adhered to the religious doctrine developed by John Calvin. For more information on the history of the Reformed church, see:
Reformed churches 2. The father of the immigrant, Jacob Böhm (ca. 1693-1781), also named Jacob Böhm, converted to the Pietist faith during the three years when he was working as a journeyman craftsman. When he returned home, his religious zeal got him into trouble with the religious authorities and he was tried and convicted of heresy. He managed to escape with the help of one of his brothers and flee to the Palatinate, where there was greater religious tolerance at that time. The Pietist religious movement began during the 17th century through the work of Philipp Jakob Spener. The Pietist doctrine combined elements of both the Lutheran and Reformed churches, with an emphasis on individual piety and a vigorous Christian life. For further information on Pietism, see:
Pietism 3. The immigrant, Jacob Böhm (ca. 1693-1781), arrived in Pennsylvania with a group of Mennonite settlers ca. 1717. The extant data indicates that Jacob Böhm (ca. 1693-1781) was a Mennonite for his entire adult life. He was listed as an elder/deacon in the Mennonite church as early as 1755. The migration of Mennonites from Europe to Pennsylvania in the early 1700s occurred for several reasons, including: increasing religious persecution in Europe, destruction of property and starvation due to the continual warfare among the dominant European powers of that day, the availability of land in Pennsylvania, the sympathy of the English Quaker, William Penn, etc. The Mennonite denomination developed through the efforts of Menno Simons in the 16th century. The doctrine of the Mennonite religion is similar to the Anabaptist religion and in addition, Mennonites have historically been committed to pacifism. For additional information on the Mennonite religion, see:
Mennonite
Mennonites 4. Martin Beam/Boehm (1725-1812), the youngest surviving son of the immigrant Jacob Böhm (ca. 1693-1781), was chosen by lot to be a Mennonite minister in 1756. However, in 1761, he had a conversion experience and because of his evangelical zeal, he was ex-communicated from the Mennonite church. He was then active first in the United Brethren in Christ church and then toward the end of his life he became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Other sources state that the conversion experience of Martin Beam/Boehm may have occurred as early as 1758. Rev. Martin Beam/Boehm was evidently influenced by the preaching of George Whitefield. In 1767, he became associated with the Dutch Reformed minister, Philip William Otterbein, with whom he co-founded the United Brethren in Christ church. Rev. Martin Beam/Boehm's formal break with the Mennonite faith occurred ca.1777. Rev. Philip William Otterbein and Rev. Martin Beam/Boehm served as bishops in the United Brethren in Christ church until their deaths, although, they did not exercise anything more than ceremonial responsibilities after about 1805. The English speaking Methodist and the German speaking United Brethren in Christ churches were closely aligned and often shared in one another's services. In 1802, Rev. Martin Beam/Boehm became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Boehm's Chapel, which was built in 1791 on land that his father had obtained by patent. For further information on the United Brethren in Christ church, see:
United Brethren In Christ For additional information on the Methodist Episcopal (United Methodist) church, see:
United Methodist Church The religious tradition of the Boehm family of Lancaster Co., PA has been carried on by the many descendants of Jacob Böhm (ca. 1693-1781) who went into the ministry, including:
Henry Beam/Boehm (1775-1875) Henry Beam (1806-1874) Abraham Hershey Keagy Beam (1817-1915) Samuel S. Sherfy (1817-1896) Henry Abraham Beahm (1822-1899) Joseph Wine (1823-1903) Michael Beahm E. Kline (1826-1902) Joseph B. Bowman (1832-1910) Joel Sherfy (1841-1930) John Sherfy (1846-1925) Noah Beahm Sherfy (1848-1918) For those who are interested in further research on Mennonite history, doctrine, music, etc., there are numerous resources available in print and on the internet. Books about all facets of colonial Mennonite life are available
from the Masthof bookstore: Information on Mennonite hymnology is available from the Global
Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online: Mennonite choral music can be obtained from: There are numerous websites that provide MIDI files for some of the
hymns that would have been sung during the 18th century by
the Mennonite, United Brethren in Christ, and Methodist Episcopal
churches. A few of these websites are listed below: |