Eben Samuel Johnson
Encyclopedia
Eben Samuel Johnson was an English
-American Bishop
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
, elected in 1916.
, England
, he was a son of William and Catharine (née Sidwell) Johnson. His father was an English Methodist preacher. Bishop Johnson was also descended from one of John Wesley
's helpers. Eben married Sarah Tilsley, with whom he had children Samuel D., Arthur H., and Dorothea.
training course in England. He also attended the University of Oxford
. He taught school in London
for a time. He also engaged in newspaper
work from 1885-89.
Eben then emigrated to the United States of America
, where he earned both the A.B.
and the A.M. degrees from Morningside College
. Syracuse University later awarded him an honorary
Doctor of Divinity
degree.
Annual Conference
in 1889. As a Pastor he served the following appointments: Danbury, Wall Lake, Mapleton, Sac City, Webster City, and Rock Rapids. He then was appointed Superintendent
of the Ida Grove District. In 1909 he was appointed Pastor of the First Methodist Church
, Sioux City, where his address was 514 7th St., Sioux City.
He served his Annual Conference as the Secretary, then the Chairman of the Examining Board; as the President of the Conference Board of Education; and as a Members of M.E. General Conferences, 1904-16. He served as General Conference Journal Secretary for a time, as well. He also was a Trustee of Morningside College.
During the Spanish-American War
, the Rev. Johnson served as a Chaplain
in the 52nd Iowa Infantry Regiment, U.S. Voluteers. He also served in the 56th Regiment of the Iowa National Guard
, first with the rank of Captain, then Major (United States)
.
. In 1920 he was elected a Bishop.
Bishop Johnson died at the Veterans' Hospital in Portland, Oregon
. He was buried in Riverview Abbey in Portland.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-American Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
, elected in 1916.
Birth and Family
Born in WarwickshireWarwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, he was a son of William and Catharine (née Sidwell) Johnson. His father was an English Methodist preacher. Bishop Johnson was also descended from one of John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
's helpers. Eben married Sarah Tilsley, with whom he had children Samuel D., Arthur H., and Dorothea.
Early Career and Education
Eben took a teacherTeacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
training course in England. He also attended the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. He taught school in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for a time. He also engaged in newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
work from 1885-89.
Eben then emigrated to the United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he earned both the A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and the A.M. degrees from Morningside College
Morningside College
Morningside College is a private, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church located in Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1894 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, Morningside College is a private, four-year, co-educational liberal arts institution. Morningside has 21 buildings on a ...
. Syracuse University later awarded him an honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
degree.
Ordained Ministry
The Rev. Eben Samuel Johnson actually preached on an English circuit at the age of sixteen! In America he entered the Northwest IowaIowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
Annual Conference
Annual Conference
An Annual Conference in the United Methodist Church is a regional body that governs much of the life of the "Connectional Church." Annual conferences are composed primarily of the clergy members and a lay member or members from each charge . Each conference is a geographical division...
in 1889. As a Pastor he served the following appointments: Danbury, Wall Lake, Mapleton, Sac City, Webster City, and Rock Rapids. He then was appointed Superintendent
District Superintendent (United Methodist Church)
A District Superintendent, often abbreviated D.S., in the United Methodist Church is a clergyperson who serves in a supervisory position over a geographic District of churches providing spiritual and administrative leadership to those churches and their pastors...
of the Ida Grove District. In 1909 he was appointed Pastor of the First Methodist Church
First Methodist Church
First Methodist Church or variations with Building may refer to:in the United States* First Methodist Church , listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Lafayette County, Arkansas...
, Sioux City, where his address was 514 7th St., Sioux City.
He served his Annual Conference as the Secretary, then the Chairman of the Examining Board; as the President of the Conference Board of Education; and as a Members of M.E. General Conferences, 1904-16. He served as General Conference Journal Secretary for a time, as well. He also was a Trustee of Morningside College.
During the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, the Rev. Johnson served as a Chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
in the 52nd Iowa Infantry Regiment, U.S. Voluteers. He also served in the 56th Regiment of the Iowa National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
, first with the rank of Captain, then Major (United States)
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
.
Episcopal Ministry
The Rev. Eben Samuel Johnson was elected first in 1916 as a Missionary Bishop of the M.E. Church for AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. In 1920 he was elected a Bishop.
Bishop Johnson died at the Veterans' Hospital in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He was buried in Riverview Abbey in Portland.
Selected writings
- Emigration, Oxford degree thesis, in the Methodist Bishops' Collection at Southern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
. - Stenographic Report Lectures of R. L. Ottley, Regius Professor of Pastoral Theology, Oxford, 1906, and of W. Lock, Dean Ireland Professor of Exegesis, Oxford, 1906. also in the Methodist Bishops' Collection at Southern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
. - General Conference Reports and Writings, also in the Methodist Bishops' Collection at Southern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
.