Rev. Friederichs is often considered the Patriarch of Lutheranism in South Carolina as he appears to be the first Lutheran pastor in the state (NCS, 75). On his way from Hanover, Germany to the Santee, SC settlements to form a congregation, when he landed in Charleston - and for reasons still unclear - Rev. Friederichs stopped and formed what was to become the St. John's congregation. While he vocally indicated he wished to have a brick church constructed, the deacons constructed a "quaint wooden structure probably modeled after some village church of their native land." (Horn, 1884, p. 262) Why he decided to leave soon after placing the cornerstone of the new church is also not known, though some have suggested that he was trying to honor his commitment to the Santee settlements. He formed the St. Matthews, Amelia, congregation from 1760 to an unknown date.