William Passavant
Encyclopedia
William A. Passavant was a Lutheran
minister noted for bringing the Lutheran Deaconess
movement to the United States. He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints
of the Lutheran Church on November 24 with Justus Falckner
and Jehu Jones
. He is also honored with a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
on January 3.
.The house that William Passavant was born in is now on the National Register of Historical Places and listed as the Passavant House. He is buried in the cemetery of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Zelienople, PA.
Passavant attended Jefferson College
and later Gettysburg Seminary
in preparation for a career in the ministry. Although he was initially attracted to the then newer practices of Lutheranism, he was drawn back to a more conservative model later by theologian Charles Porterfield Krauth
.
William Passavant began his ministry in Baltimore, Maryland in 1842. He became a publisher of the first Lutheran Almanac and in 1845 The Missionary, which in 1861 was merged into The Lutheran of Philadelphia, where he remained for many years as co-editor. Dr. Passavant was pastor of Christ Lutheran Church of Baden, Pennsylvania
from 1858 until 1879, a period of 21 years.
The life of William Passavant was devoted principally to the founding and administration of benevolent institutions. William Passavant is credited with bringing the first deaconesses to the United States. During a trip to Germany he came in contact with Pastor Theodore Fliedner who, as founder of the modern diaconate, had opened a hospital and training school for deaconesses in Kaiserswerth. At Passavant's request, in 1849, Fliedner brought four German deaconesses to Pittsburgh to work in the Pittsburgh Infirmary (now Passavant Hospital).
Thiel College
, an independent institution related to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
started in 1866 followed a meeting between the Rev. Dr. William A. Passavant and A. Louis Thiel. At the Pittsburgh Synod convention in Greensburg, Pennsylvania
in 1869, it was decided that Thiel Hall would become a college and serve western Pennsylvania. Thiel College began its corporate existence on September 1, 1870.
Passavant would go on to found many other missions, hospitals, orphanages, colleges, and seminaries throughout the country. Many of the institutions he founded would later join together to help found the Lutheran Services in America
, the largest church social program in the United States.
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
minister noted for bringing the Lutheran Deaconess
Deaconess
Deaconess is a non-clerical order in some Christian denominations which sees to the care of women in the community. That word comes from a Greek word diakonos as well as deacon, which means a servant or helper and occurs frequently in the Christian New Testament of the Bible. Deaconesses trace...
movement to the United States. He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints
Calendar of Saints (Lutheran)
The Lutheran Calendar of Saints is a listing which details the primary annual festivals and events that are celebrated liturgically by some Lutheran Churches in the United States. The calendars of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod are from the...
of the Lutheran Church on November 24 with Justus Falckner
Justus Falckner
Justus Falckner was a Lutheran minister and the first Lutheran pastor to be ordained within the United States. He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church on November 24 together with Jehu Jones and William Passavant.-Background:Falckner was the fourth son of Daniel...
and Jehu Jones
Jehu Jones
Jehu Jones, Jr. was a Lutheran minister. He founded one of the first African-American Lutheran congregations in the United States, and was actively involved in improving the social welfare of blacks. He is commemorated as a priest in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church on November 24...
. He is also honored with a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
Calendar of saints (Episcopal Church in the United States of America)
The veneration of saints in the Episcopal Church is a continuation of an ancient tradition from the early Church which honors important people of the Christian faith. The usage of the term "saint" is similar to Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Those in the Anglo-Catholic tradition may...
on January 3.
Background
William Alfred Passavant was born in Zelienople, Pennsylvania, the youngest son of Phillipe Louis Passavant and Fredericka Wilhelmina Basse. His mother, known as Zelie Passavant, was the daughter of Baron Dettmar Basse. Baron Basse, a former diplomat, arrived during 1802 from Frankfurt, Germany to become the founder of the city of Zelienople, PennsylvaniaZelienople, Pennsylvania
Zelienople is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh. The population was 4,123 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which 98% is land and 1.35% is water....
.The house that William Passavant was born in is now on the National Register of Historical Places and listed as the Passavant House. He is buried in the cemetery of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Zelienople, PA.
Passavant attended Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, also known as W & J College or W&J, is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States, which is south of Pittsburgh...
and later Gettysburg Seminary
Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg
The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg is America's oldest Lutheran seminary and a site of 1863 Battle of Gettysburg military engagements.-History:...
in preparation for a career in the ministry. Although he was initially attracted to the then newer practices of Lutheranism, he was drawn back to a more conservative model later by theologian Charles Porterfield Krauth
Charles Porterfield Krauth
Charles Porterfield Krauth was a pastor, theologian and educator in the Lutheran branch of Christianity. He is a leading figure in the revival of the Lutheran Confessions connected to Neo-Lutheranism in the United States.- Education and parish ministry :He was born in Martinsburg, Virginia...
.
William Passavant began his ministry in Baltimore, Maryland in 1842. He became a publisher of the first Lutheran Almanac and in 1845 The Missionary, which in 1861 was merged into The Lutheran of Philadelphia, where he remained for many years as co-editor. Dr. Passavant was pastor of Christ Lutheran Church of Baden, Pennsylvania
Baden, Pennsylvania
Baden is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, along the Ohio River. The population was 4,377 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Baden is located at...
from 1858 until 1879, a period of 21 years.
The life of William Passavant was devoted principally to the founding and administration of benevolent institutions. William Passavant is credited with bringing the first deaconesses to the United States. During a trip to Germany he came in contact with Pastor Theodore Fliedner who, as founder of the modern diaconate, had opened a hospital and training school for deaconesses in Kaiserswerth. At Passavant's request, in 1849, Fliedner brought four German deaconesses to Pittsburgh to work in the Pittsburgh Infirmary (now Passavant Hospital).
Thiel College
Thiel College
Thiel College is a private, liberal arts, sciences and professional studies college related to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Thiel provides affordable high-quality college experience with dedicated faculty, numerous leadership opportunities and a wide variety of student activities and...
, an independent institution related to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
started in 1866 followed a meeting between the Rev. Dr. William A. Passavant and A. Louis Thiel. At the Pittsburgh Synod convention in Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Greensburg is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city is named after Nathanael Greene, a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War...
in 1869, it was decided that Thiel Hall would become a college and serve western Pennsylvania. Thiel College began its corporate existence on September 1, 1870.
Passavant would go on to found many other missions, hospitals, orphanages, colleges, and seminaries throughout the country. Many of the institutions he founded would later join together to help found the Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America is a not-for-profit corporation that coordinates the work of nearly 300 independent Lutheran health and human service organizations affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America or recognized by The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. It is headquartered in...
, the largest church social program in the United States.
Selected List of Institutions Organized
- The Orphan's Home and Farm School in Zelienople, Pennsylvania (now Glade Run Lutheran Services)
- The Passavant Epileptic Home in Rochester, Pennsylvania (now Passavant Memorial Homes)
- Passavant Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (now UPMC Passavant Hospital)
- Passavant Hospital in Chicago, Illinois (now Passavant Memorial Hospital)
- Passavant Hospital in Jacksonville, Illinois (now Passavant Area Hospital)
- Passavant Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (now Aurora Sinai Medical Center)
- Wartburg Orphans’ Farm SchoolThe Wartburg Adult Care CommunityThe Wartburg Adult Care Community is a non-profit, Lutheran organization located in Mount Vernon, New York that provides a continuum of care to older adults through residential and community-based programs and services. The Wartburg was originally founded in 1866 as an orphanage and farm school and...
in Mount Vernon, New YorkMount Vernon, New YorkMount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:...
(now The Wartburg Adult Care CommunityThe Wartburg Adult Care CommunityThe Wartburg Adult Care Community is a non-profit, Lutheran organization located in Mount Vernon, New York that provides a continuum of care to older adults through residential and community-based programs and services. The Wartburg was originally founded in 1866 as an orphanage and farm school and...
)
Other sources
- Jennings, Zelie Some account of Dettmar Basse, the Passavant family and their arrival in America (Zelienople Historical Society. 1988)