[1] He emigrated to the United States in 1870, and became a Lutheran pastor, jail chaplain, minister to the poor, and Bible translator.
In 1880, however, he was suspended by the LCMS, perhaps due to his involvement in activities outside the parish such as rescue mission, jail ministry, and Bible distribution.
Because of his great involvement in fighting drunkenness and in establishing a rescue mission for indigents, he had to resign from the church.
Among other social ministries, he worked with poor children of Knoxville, including tutoring them in school subjects.
His translation of the New Testament into English was published in Knoxville in 1917, the 400th anniversary of the start of the Lutheran Reformation.