My Genealogy Hound

REV. JAMES FRANKLIN LAMBERT, A. M., B. D., is pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, the largest congregation in Catasauqua. He is an able and most intelligent man, who is rapidly increasing the membership by his earnestness, eloquence and genial magnetism. He has only been in charge of this congregation since the 2d of July, 1892, but has won a host of friends and is accounted one of the best pastors in his denomination in the country.

The paternal grandfather of our subject, William H. Lambert, was born in Northampton County, and was a son of Leonard Lambert, a farmer by occupation, and also a native of Pennsylvania, who lived to the extreme old age of ninety-two years. The father of the latter came to this country from Scotland with the English army, but after a time deserted their side, his sympathies being with the oppressed Colonists. The family trace their ancestry back to one John Michael Lambert, of Wurtemberg, Germany, the name being formerly spelled Lamborth. The parents of Rev. Mr. Lambert were Amandus M. and Charlotte A. (Hendricks) Lambert, natives respectively of Lancaster and Lehigh Counties. The former was born May 15, 1837, and in 1850 removed to Northampton County, settling near Hellertown, where he became a farmer and butcher. He is still living, now well along in years, on the old homestead. The mother of our subject was the daughter of David Hendricks, whose birth occurred in this county, and who followed his trade as a carpenter and builder. His grandfather came over with the English army during the Revolutionary War and left the service, afterward removing to Lehigh County. Mr. and Mrs. Amandus Lambert became the parents of five children, only two of whom are living. The younger, Prof. Sylvanus E., is engaged in teaching in Milwaukee, Wis.

The subject of this sketch was born in Friedensville, September 15, 1863, and was reared in Hellertown, Northampton County, on his father’s farm. He made the most of his school advantages, which were not of the best, however, and was only fifteen years of age when he obtained a certificate and began teaching at Lehigh Gap, there remaining for six months. Next he taught in the Bethlehem High School as an assistant for one term, thence going to Bucks County, where he became a teacher at Trach’s Academy, at the same time continuing his studies. The next year he took a school in the home district, after which, in 1883, he entered Ulrich’s Preparatory School to Lehigh University at Bethlehem for a year’s study. In 1884 he became a member of the Freshman class at Muhlenberg College, graduating four years later with the degree of Bachelor of Arts and the third honors of his class. In his Sophomore year, completed in 1886, he received the Eliza Botanical prize for the best illustrated essay on “Reproduction of Plants.” He received honorable mention in 1888 in connection with the contest for the Butler Analogy prize, and honorable mention for German oration in the Junior oratorical contest in 1887. In 1888 he was editor-in-chief of The Muhlenberg, and in the fall of that year entered the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Mt. Airy, Philadelphia, from which institution he was graduated in 1891 with the degree of Bachelor of Divinity. He has also received the degree of Master of Arts from his Alma Mater, Muhlenberg College.

On commencing his ministerial work Rev. Mr. Lambert was given charge of the Church of the Incarnation, at Forty-sixth Street and Kingsessing Avenue, Philadelphia, subsequent to his ordination, which took place at Pottstown, Pa., May 26, 1891. During his seminary course in Philadelphia he had been connected (in order to obtain a practical experience) with the church just mentioned, and with them remained for a year after his ordination, during which time a fine church structure was erected. The congregation of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, with which our subject is now connected, was organized in 1852, and occupies a substantial brick building, situated on the Howertown Road, between Church and Bridge Streets. The membership is now about seven hundred, the largest congregation in the city, and in addition to the church they have a substantial parsonage and two flourishing mission chapels in East Catasauqua and Fullerton. Rev. Mr. Lambert preaches in both the English and German languages, in each of which he is a finished scholar, and by those best qualified to judge he is considered a man of much more than ordinary ministerial ability.

June 22, 1891, the subject of this biography was married, in Allentown, to Miss Ella L. Ochs, a native of that place and a daughter of John Ochs, who was engaged in running a book and stationery store in that city, where his death occurred. Dr. and Mrs. Lambert are the parents of one child, Marie C. Mrs. Lambert is of great assistance in the work of the church and in aiding her husband, being identified with the Ladies’ Social and Missionary Bands. In his political affiliations Dr. Lambert deposits his ballot in favor of the principles set forth by the Republican party.