River journey to restore journals

He's always been passionate about history and has a vast knowledge of historical places, dates, and times, and when the opportunity came to participate in a canoe trip to raise funds for a historical item, the Rev. Carl D. Shankweiler, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Valley View, was the first one in the canoe.

Shankweiler, along with Lutheran Bishop Samuel R. Zeiser, and the Rev. Bruce Osterhout, pastor of St. Luke's/Christ Partnership Parish, Reading, and his wife, Julie, set sail on the Schuylkill River last Thursday. They were participating in a canoe trip with a cause.

The journey from Hamburg to Reading was to bring awareness and hopefully raise funds for the restoration of the journals of 18th century pastor Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg, principal organizer of American Lutheranism.

River travel was the way in which Muhlenberg carried out his ministry and this trip was a creative way to raise funds for the project.

Shankweiler, who has been an archivist for the Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia, for the past 3.5 years says the Archives Center has held a precious treasure: the original Journals of Muhlenberg. The center received $93,191 from the "Saving American's Treasurer's grant from the National Park Service and is hoping to raise an additional $100,000 to match the grant.

With the morning sun beating down, Shankweiler left his Valley View home at 7:30 a.m. to travel to Hamburg where the canoes were launched into the Schuylkill River.

In true Shankweiler-style, the group that gathered to wish them well were treated to a show and tell and history lesson before the river journey began. Shankweiler displayed a book similar to that of Muhlenberg's diaries to show the group how time takes its toll on the condition of the books.

After donning his tan helmet, Shankweiler, with the help of Rev. Osterhout unloaded the canoe and took it to the shores of the Schuylkill.

"I don't really have much canoeing experience," said Shankweiler. "I have canoed on the Delaware River, but never on the Schuylkill. This is a first. As a matter of fact I have only owned this canoe for about two months. I bought it on E-bay from a man from St. Clair."

Shankweiler said he tested the canoe on his farm pond in Valley View, to make sure it had no leaks.

As the four readied themselves to launch the canoes, the gathering of supporters, all women ministers and assistants to the Bishop, sang a rendition of the old hymn 'Wade in the Waters.' Bishop Zeiser led the group in prayer.

When Shankweiler was asked what his hopes and expectations of the trip were, he answered frankly and honestly, to live. As he joked and laughed, he told the group that if his body gets washed up on the banks of the Schuylkill, it should be given to the Archive Center and be noted that he died in the line of duty.

Shankweilers body did indeed wash up on the banks of the Schuylkill, but thankfully it didn't need to be donated. Just south of Leeseport, Shankweiler and Bishop Zeiser hit some rapids and capsized the canoe.

"We were able to get close to the bank, dump the water from the canoe and set sail again," said Shankweiler. "Thankfully no one was injured."

The 23.4 mile canoe trip finally came to an end when they reached their destination point at Reading Area Community College. The trip lasted just over six hours.

"At this point we have raised $2000, but more pledges are still coming in," said Shankweiler. "We knew we weren't going to raise a large amount of funds, but this trip also drew awareness to the project."

Persons who would like to learn more about the project or see highlights of the canoe trip should visit youtube to watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVQAg2wvNT0. Persons who would like to make a donation for the project should make checks payable to Lutheran Archive Center and send them to Rev. Carl D. Shankweiler, c/o Lutheran Archive Center, PO Box 744, Valley View, PA 17983.

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