APPII FORUM CHURCH
of
Cedar Creek
German Protestant Church
Richland County, Camden District,
State of South Carolina
Compiled by Brenda Helen Keck Reed
An excerpt from the History of the Lutheran Church in South Carolina states the following: "One story, already referred to, states that after the execution [of Jacob Weber], some of the Weberites, including Schmidt (Schmidt Peter) and Rubseman moved across the river and founded this church [that became Appii Forum] sometime after 1761. Their first minister was John Nicholas Martin (1761-1765). He was followed by Lewis Hochheimer (1765-1767), John N. Martin (1767-1775), John G. Friederichs (1775-1777), Christian Haucke (1777) and William Dubard (1777-1791)." Reverend John Nicholas Martin recounted the story of the Weberite heresy and provided Weber's confession to Reverend Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, patriarch of Lutheranism in America, in 1774 during his visit to South Carolina. Martin also served as pastor at the Zion Church at Saxe Gotha, possibly around the time of the Weberite murders (further proof needed).
History documents that Jacob and Hannah Weber, John Geiger, Jacob Bourghardt and the Weberites viciously murdered John George Smithpeter (Schmidtpeter) at Saxe Gotha on the 23rd or 24th of February in 1761 following some unusual spiritual practices. Therefore Captain John George Smithpeter is not the preacher named Schmidt (Schmidt Peter) who along with Rubseman founded the Appii Forum Church -- unless, of course and to everyone's amazement, Captain Smithpeter did rise from the dead and afterwards move across the river to Fairfield County or Richland County.
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Members who signed Appii Forum Church incorporation in 1788:
Charles Binnicker, AM
John Sholl
George Rehm
William Jaberth
Frederick Ensming[er]
George Sechner
Borthlow Rubseman [Turnipseed]
Hermon Kinesler
Andrew Dominy
Adam Hammiter
Jacob Rubseman (Turnipseed)
Felix Rubseman
Jacob Rubseman, Jun.
Jacob Gradick, Jun.
Nicholas Wirick
Jacob Nertz
George Lewe
1810 Census
Richland District
In order of neighborhood:
Thomas Watts
Frances Dubose esq.
John Byerson
John Croft
Mary Phillips
Jeffonary Smith
Peter Hemich
Hasley Ryals
Harriet for Jenkins
Aberhart Fetner
John P. Turnipseed (Repsimann)
Jacob Turnipseed
John Turnipseed
Andres Smith
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Copyright 2000, all rights reserved. Brenda Helen Keck Reed
A Special Thank You to Pelham Lyles, Director, Fairfield County Museum in Winnsboro, South Carolina, for generously providing documentation on the Appii Forum Church.
If you have any information on the families who participated in the Weberite sect, please contact me with your insights, additions, or corrections.
