John Peter Muhlenberg

Brought to you by American Minute

"In the language of the Holy Writ, there is a time for all things. There is a time to preach and a time to fight."

Thus ended the sermon of 30-year-old pastor John Peter Muhlenberg as he removed his clerical robes to reveal a uniform in the Continental Army.

After church, 300 men of his congregation rode off with him to join General Washington's 8th Virginia regiment.

Born OCTOBER 1, 1746, John Peter Muhlenberg died the same day in 1807.

After hearing Patrick Henry speak the famous words, "give me liberty or give me death," John Peter Muhlenberg approached General Washington and enlisted.

Promoted to Major-General, he endured the freezing winter of Valley Forge and fought at Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Stonypoint and Yorktown.

John Peter Muhlenberg was elected Congressman and Senator.

John's father, Henry Muhlenberg, was a founder of the Lutheran Church in America.

John's brother, Frederick, also an ordained minister, was elected the first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Both John and Frederick served in the first session of Congress which passed the First Amendment.

In 1889, Pennsylvania placed a statue of John Peter Muhlenberg in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall.


It's time to talk about the fact that the best of this country came from devoted Christian backgrounds.  We would not have the freedoms or the advances in this country without the great men who lived in the honor of Christianity.  To deny that those men contributed so deeply to our country will strip us of our heritage and our strength!  So...teach your children about the men presented in these short history lessons. 

I hope you choose to sit with your children at supper and discuss these lessons.  Here's a little more information I found on this great man.


"Brethren, we came to this county to practice our religious liberties, and if we don't get involved, we're going to lose them." John Peter Muhlenberg 1777  (Good advice for today)


The Black Robe Regiment arose from the pulpits across the colonies during the Revolutionary War. The movement had its beginnings with Reverend Peter Muhlenberg in 1776 concluding his Sunday sermon declaring "In the language of the holy writ, there was a time for all things, a time to preach and a time to pray, but those times have passed away. There is a time to fight, and that time is now coming!" Muhlenberg then removed his black robe reveling a full military uniform. Marching to the rear of his church he declared "Who among you is with me? On that day 300 men from his congregation stood up and joined Muhlenberg in the fight for liberty.


Dear God, please help me to have the same courage as our forefathers!

God loves you,

Debbie