Background
John Dylander was born in 1709 in Sweden.
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John Dylander
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John Dylander was assistant pastor at Borstil, Sweden, in 1737 when he was appointed by Archbishop Steuchius and the Consistory of Upsala to succeed Gabriel Falck as pastor of the Swedish Lutheran congregation at Wicacoa, Pennsylvania (now Southwark, Philadelphia). Accompanied by William Malander of Rosland, a student of theology, he sailed from Stockholm on July 13 and landed at Philadelphia on November 2. Four days later he was installed by his compatriot, the Reverend Peter Tranberg, as pastor of Gloria Dei Church. His ministry, though of only four years' duration, left a deep impression not only on his own people but on his English and German neighbors.
He restored the discipline and finances of his congregation, catalogued the church library, which consisted of thirteen folio and thirty-three-quarto volume of substantial Lutheran theology and church history, and established a fund for the relief of the poor. Holding that his duty extended to all whom he had strength to serve, he ministered in their own language to the Germans at Philadelphia, Germantown, and Lancaster, and with astonishing rapidity learned to preach acceptably in English. He often delivered as many as sixteen sermons a week. In his own church, for more than a year, it was his practice to have a service at 8 a. m. in German, the main service in Swedish, and vespers in English.
In 1741 Benjamin Franklin published a tract for him entitled Free Grace in Truth: The XXIV Meditation of Dr. John Gerhard Translated from Latin into English, with Notes for the Better Understanding of the Author's Meaning. On the authorization of the Upsala Consistory he and Tranberg arranged to ordain Malander on November 2, 1741, but on that very day Dylander died.
Achievements
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John Dylander is best remembered as a pastor of Gloria Dei Church. His ministry, though of only four years' duration, left a deep impression not only on his own people but on his English and German neighbors. Peter Kalm, the famous Swedish naturalist, records that he found Dylander everywhere beloved.
Connections
John Dylander married a daughter of the merchant, Peter Koch (Kock, Cook).
