Jehu Jones, born September 4, 1786 in Charleston, South Carolina, is the first African American to be ordained a a Lutheran pastor.
After being involved in the Episcopal Church, he became a member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Charleston. His pastor Reverend John Bachman encouraged him to go to New York to be ordained by the New York Synod. In 1832, he went to Liberia to help freed slaves transition.
After his return he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania ministry appointed him "to labor as a Missionary...among the colored people in Philadelphia..."
Jones founded St. Paul's Lutheran Church and on February 16, 1834, the congregation decided to build a church. Jones laid the cornerstone later in 1834.
He passed away in 1852.
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