American churches.

"2. The name of the second order in German is either Diacon or
Vorsteher; the former name probably more ecclesiastical, the latter more
popular.

"3. The term of office was always fixed, but the period varied in
different congregations. There was no life term, except in the ministry.

"4. The mode of selection probably varied in different churches as it
does now. I imagine that in most churches the most prominent members met
on an appointed day to hold the annual 'Kirchenrechnung,' and then
quietly 'made out,' without a formal election, who were to fill the
vacancies in the consistory. Very frequently, no doubt, retiring members
nominated their own successors, to be approved or rejected by the
congregational meeting." This clear description of German Reformed usage
shows how great similarity there was in this respect between the
American Reformed descendants of Hollanders and Germans. These Swedish
and Reformed modes of congregational organization were here fully in
operation in the territory on which our earliest German congregations
were established.

3. _The Lutheran Congregations at Amsterdam and London._ The
constitution of the Lutheran Church at Amsterdam is the most important
and influential original source of Lutheran congregational organizations
in America. It is the model from which the constitution of the Dutch
Lutheran Churches in New York and New Jersey are directly derived. It is
the original source of the constitution of the Savoy Church in London,
which claims to be a simple translation of it, with some modifications.
The Amsterdam constitution was, therefore, the immediate basis of the
congregations in New York City, Albany, Loonenburg, Hackensack, on the
Raritan, and of other congregations in New York founded by Falckner,
Berkenmeyer and Knoll. The London constitution was the on which the
congregations founded by Kocherthal at East and West Camp, Rhinebeck,
Newburg, Schoharie, and those which grew out of them all along the
Hudson and Mohawk rested, modified by the influence of the previously
existing organizations, based on the Amsterdam constitution. So that is
may be said that the Amsterdam constitution, with the modifications made
at London, is the source of organization for all the older congregations
in New York and upper New Jersey. In Pennsylvania, if my surmise that
the Swedish Wicaco Church received its constitution through Fabritius
from New York be correct, the Amster