he served as president of his church's board of foreign missions (1902–07), of the general council of lutherans (1899, 1902, 1904), of the american society of church history (1907–08), and of the pennsylvania german society (1910–11). he also translated various german theological works and editing the "lutheran church review" (1882–96), and "lutheran commentary" (1895-98). henry eyster jacobs, working with john a.w. haas, published "the lutheran cyclopedia" in 1899.