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The St. John's (German Evangelical Lutheran) Church of Ghent, Columbia County, New York By Capt. Franklin Ellis376 1878 In 1850 the Rev. Pohle organized a small German congregation in the English Lutheran church at Ghent, of which the Rev. G. Borchert became pastor the following year. The place of meeting was changed to the Waltermire school-house, and the congregation soon increased to such numbers that it was deemed advisable to build a house of worship. Half an acre of ground was purchased of Henry Pulver in the southern part of the town, on which was erected a plain frame house, twenty-four by thirty feet. It was dedicated in 1855 by the Rev. Schifterling, and the church with its present name became connected with the ministerium of New York. In 1869 the house was enlarged by the addition of eighteen feet to its length, and on the 6th of June, of that year, was re-dedicated by the Rev. A. E. Frey. It is now a comfortable place of worship, worth $2500. The church numbers seventy-five members, and maintains a Sunday-school having thirty members. The pastoral connection has been as follows: 1850, Rev. Pohle; 1852-53, Rev. G. Borchert; 1854, Rev. Werner; 1855, Rev. Schifterling; 1856-60, Rev. Clasen; 1861, Rev. Zahn; 1862-68, Rev. Clasen; 1868-71, Rev. Lehman; 1872-76, Rev. Leddin; 1877, Rev. C. A. Stopel.
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