Frederick Bohn Fisher
Encyclopedia
Frederick Bohn Fisher was a Bishop
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
, elected in 1920. He also gained notability as a Pastor, a Missionary, an Author, and as an Official in Methodist Missionary and Men's movements.
. He was of English
ancestry, the son of James Edward and Josephine (née
Shirey) Fisher. He married Edith Jackson 4 February 1903. In 1924 he married Welthy Honsinger
.
, Indiana
High School
. He earned both B.S.
and A.B.
degrees from Asbury University in 1902. He studied at both Boston University
and Harvard Divinity School
, 1907-08.
of the M.E. Church, serving as Pastor
in Kokomo, Indiana
(1903). He then went as a Missionary
to Agra, India (the North West India
Conference), serving 1904-05. He transferred his conference membership to the New England Annual Conference
, serving the First M.E. Church in Boston
(1907).
Rev. Fisher then became the Eastern Field Secretary
for the Board of Foreign Missions
of the M.E. Church (1911–12). He was then appointed the General Secretary
of the Laymen's Missionary Movement of his denomination (1913–15), then the Associate General Secretary of the Laymen's Missionary Movement in the U.S.A. and Canada
(beginning in 1916), transferring his conference membership back to the North Indiana Conference in 1913. His office was located at 1 Madison Avenue, New York City
. He resided in Edgewater, New Jersey
.
Rev. Fisher was a delegate to the World's Missionary Conference in Edinburgh
, 1910. He was a Trustee of Asbury College, as well. In his official capacities, he organized conventions of Methodist Men in Indianapolis
(1913), Boston (1914), and Columbus, Ohio
(1915). The volumes Militant Methodism, New England Methodism, and The Challenge of Today were produced as a result.
. In 1930 he returned to the U.S.A. and became Bishop of the Detroit Area, residing in Ann Arbor, Michigan
. He resigned the Episcopacy in 1930. He died 15 April 1938 in Detroit.
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 1920. He also gained notability as a Pastor, a Missionary, an Author, and as an Official in Methodist Missionary and Men's movements.
Birth and Family
Fisher was born in Greencastle, PennsylvaniaGreencastle, Pennsylvania
Greencastle is a borough in Franklin County in south-central Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,722 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. He was of English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
ancestry, the son of James Edward and Josephine (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Shirey) Fisher. He married Edith Jackson 4 February 1903. In 1924 he married Welthy Honsinger
Welthy Honsinger Fisher
Welthy Honsinger Fisher was the American founder of and . Welthy was married to Frederick Bohn Fisher, a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, missionary, author, and Official in Methodist Missionary and Men's movements...
.
Education
He graduated from MuncieMuncie, Indiana
Muncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. He earned both B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
and 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...
degrees from Asbury University in 1902. He studied at both Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
and Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. The School's mission is to train and educate its students either in the academic study of religion, or for the practice of a religious ministry or other public...
, 1907-08.
Ordained Ministry and Missionary Service
Rev. Fisher entered the North Indiana Annual ConferenceAnnual 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...
of the M.E. Church, serving as Pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
in Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomo is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States, Indiana's 13th largest city. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Howard and Tipton counties....
(1903). He then went as a Missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to Agra, India (the North West India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
Conference), serving 1904-05. He transferred his conference membership to the New England Annual Conference
New England Annual Conference
The New England Annual Conference is an Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. This conference serves the congregations in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and eastern Connecticut, plus one congregation in Vermont...
, serving the First M.E. Church in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
(1907).
Rev. Fisher then became the Eastern Field Secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
for the Board of Foreign Missions
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
of the M.E. Church (1911–12). He was then appointed the General Secretary
General Secretary
The office of general secretary is staffed by the chief officer of:*The General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace, a government agency for the Greek regions of Macedonia and Thrace...
of the Laymen's Missionary Movement of his denomination (1913–15), then the Associate General Secretary of the Laymen's Missionary Movement in the U.S.A. and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(beginning in 1916), transferring his conference membership back to the North Indiana Conference in 1913. His office was located at 1 Madison Avenue, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He resided in Edgewater, New Jersey
Edgewater, New Jersey
Edgewater is a borough located along the Hudson River in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 census, the borough had a population of 11,513...
.
Rev. Fisher was a delegate to the World's Missionary Conference in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, 1910. He was a Trustee of Asbury College, as well. In his official capacities, he organized conventions of Methodist Men in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
(1913), Boston (1914), and Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
(1915). The volumes Militant Methodism, New England Methodism, and The Challenge of Today were produced as a result.
Episcopal Ministry
Rev. Fisher was elected to the Episcopacy in 1920 and assigned as Resident Bishop of the Calcutta Episcopal AreaEpiscopal Area
An Episcopal Area in the United Methodist Church is a basic unit of this denomination. It is a region presided over by a resident bishop that is similar to a diocese in other Christian denominations. Each annual conference in the UMC is within a single episcopal area; some episcopal areas...
. In 1930 he returned to the U.S.A. and became Bishop of the Detroit Area, residing in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
. He resigned the Episcopacy in 1930. He died 15 April 1938 in Detroit.
Selected Writings
- Editor, Militant Methodism, New York: Methodist Book Concern, 1913.
- Editor, New England Methodism, New York: Methodist Book Concern, 1914.
- Editor, The Challenge of Today, New York: Methodist Book Concern, 1915.
- The Way to Win, New York: Methodist Book Concern, 1915.