Background
Falckner was the fourth son of Daniel Falckner, a Lutheran pastor at Langenreinsdorf, a subdivision of Crimmitschau in Saxony.
Lutheran minister Lutheran pastor
Falckner was the fourth son of Daniel Falckner, a Lutheran pastor at Langenreinsdorf, a subdivision of Crimmitschau in Saxony.
In 1693, he entered the University of Halle, where he studied theology under August Hermann Francke. He completed his studies, but determined that he was not truly prepared to follow a career in the ministry.
In 1701, 10,000 acres (40 km²) of land along the Manatawny Creek were sold to Swedish Lutheran Pastor Andreas Rudman and other Swedish settlers. After working with Pastor Rudman, Falckner reconsidered entering the ministry. His first pastoral assignment was with the settlers on the Manatawny Creek in New Hanover Township, Pennsylvania.
Shortly thereafter, Falckner was reassigned by Rudman to serve as the pastor of Lutheran congregations in New York and Albany.
Falckner succeeded Joshua Kocherthal in ministry to German Lutheran immigrants. Falckner evidently believed that music was a very important element of missionary work.
He wrote to Germany to ask for an organ, which he said would attract more Native American converts. Falckner wrote hymns such as "Rise, Ye Children of Salvation" (German: Auf! ihr Christen, Christi Glieder) which he composed while a student at the University of Halle in 1697.
Falckner"s published works include Grondlycke Onderricht which first appeared in New York during 1708.