Christian Fräncke
“The Bethabara Burial Register Entry Concerning Christian, also known as Fränck c. 17391789”. The Morovain Archives, Trans. Frances Cummock. Winston-Salem, North Carolina,
1989.
Name: Christian, also known as Fräncke
Age: 50 (when he died)
Date of Birth: 1739
Sex: Male
Place of Birth: Guinea
The Bethabara Burial Register Entry Concerning Christian, also known as Fräncke c. 17391789”. Translated from the German manuscript volume in the Moravian Archives, WinstonSalem, North Carolina, by Frances Cummock, Archives Translator, December, 1989. © The
Archives of the Moravian Church in America, Southern Province. All rights reserved.
No. 82 [1789]
The Negro, Christian, otherwise called Fränck, was born in Guinea. When a child, he was
sold by one of his female kinfolk (Anverwandtinnen) onto a ship and brought to South Carolina.
A[nn]o [in the year] 1771 on the 12th of October he was bought by one of the Brothers and
employrt [employed] August, 1780, and attained Holy AMal on 23February, 1782. A[nn]o 1783
he married the present widow Nancy in Salem and entered into service at the inn there. A[nn]o
1787 they moved here for the same purpose. In general we can bear witness that he remained in
trusting intimacy with the Savior, being joyful and thankful that he had been brought in such a
wonderful manner to [the Saviour’s] folk. He was faithful and diligent in his work, and thus was
loved by everyone. On 19 September, A[nni] C[urrentis, of this year], he sustained a hard fall
and so injured his head that his suffering increased despite all remedies that were used. He often
lost awareness (nicht bey sich war). This situation continued until the morning of the 28th, when
the dear Saviour made an end of all his distress and blessedly brought [his life] to a close. His
age was about fifty years.
NB. He was the first Negro Brother to have heimgegangen in Wachovia and likewise the
first [Brother] whose Heimgang was announced from the Gallery of the new church with
trombones, in the customary way. [2]
Account of the Baptism of Fräncke, baptized name Christian, As Given in the Bethabara Diary,
27 August, 1780. Translated from the German manuscript volume in the Moravian Archives,
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, © The Archives of the Moravian Church in America, Southerns
Province. All rights reserved.
….The meeting for the baptism of our Negro Fräncke was held at about 2 o’clock. So many
people were present from Salem and Bethania, as well as from our general neighborhood, that
our Saal could hardly contain them. Br. Reichelt sang [the following hymn stanzas]: Du segnest
ja so gern, p[ergo, and so on]: O Jesu voller Gnad auf dein Gebet u[nd] Recht, p[ergo]; Durch
dein unschuldigs Blut die Schöne Rohte Fluhte, p[ergo]. Then Br. Reichelt preached on Romans
6. 3, 4: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized
into his death? This point, if we are baptized into Jesus Christ, we are therefore baptized into his
death. Secondly, it follows therefrom that we are to walk with Christ in a new life. [Reichelt]
recommended emphatically that on such an occasion as this we examine ourselves with regard to
whether we stand in the baptismal [state of] grace and whether we too are walking in the new life
in the grace that comes to pass through baptism. If we find that we are lacking therein and do not
live in grace, on such an occasion as this we should allow the grace of the Holy Spirit to enter
our hearts.
Then he particularly addressed the candidate for baptism. He told him what would be
imparted to him through holy baptism, saying that by this means he would be cleansed from all
his sins, and so forth. Then [the hymn stanza] Das Aug dass Wasser sieht, p[ergo], was sung. The
Gem. Stood up and the baptismal water was brought into the Saal by two Brothers. When the
baptismal candidate knelt, Br. Reichelt stepped before him, along with Brs. Marschall, Lorenz,
Kühnast, and the two Brs. Brätzel and Petersen, who sat beside him. [Br. Reichelt made a fervent
prayer to the dear Saviour before this poor sinner, asking for his cleansing [3] from all his sins,
and then absolved him in the name of Jesus with the laying on of hands. Br. Reichelt then asked
the Gem. : “How are you baptized who are baptized in Jesus Christ?” [Answer]: “Into his death.”
[Then he said]: “Into [this] death I baptize you Christian in the name of God the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit.” At the words: “Thus are you now buried with him through baptism into his
death,” the Brothers who were standing near him with the baptizer laid their hands upon his
head, and the Gem. Said: “In the name of Jesus, amen.” The water was taken away as the
baptized man fell upon his face to pray during the singing of some [hymn] stanzas. During the
stanza Lass Ihm in der blutigen Gnade, p[ergo], he arose from his prayer. Br. Reichel [sic]
stepped before him and spoke the words of the Church Blessing (Kirchen Seegen) over him as he
blessed him with the laying on of his hands. The Gemeine responded with an amen in the name
of Jesus. After he had received the Kiss from the two Brothers who has brought him into the
Saal, they took him back out of the Saal. Thus ended a meeting and act of baptism that had been
accompanied and blessed by the near presence of the Head of the Gemeine.