Nolan Bailey Harmon
Encyclopedia
Nolan Bailey Harmon was a Bishop
of The Methodist Church and the United Methodist Church
, elected in 1956.
and died on Tuesday June 8, 1993, living to be over 100 years old. After his passing, there was a funeral held on Saturday June 12, 1993 at Druid Hills United Methodist Church. Then was buried in the Evergreen Burial Park in Roanoke, VA. He was the son, grandson and great-grandson of Methodist Preachers. Nolan had a wife named Rebecca Lamar who died at age 84 in 1980. His children were Nolan B. Harmon the third and G. Lamar Harmon. He himself was the Bishop of The Methodist Church and United Methodist Church elected in 1956.
in Mississippi. He was a member of the first class of the Candler School of Theology
, Emory University
in 1914. He also earned a Master of Arts
degree from Princeton University
in 1920. He received honorary degrees from Millsaps, Hamline University
, Western Maryland College, Mount Union College
and Wofford College
. In 1958 he received an honorary D.D. degree from Emory.
and the journal
Religion in Life. He also was General Editor
of the twelve volume Interpreters Bible.
Between 1960 and 1964 Bishop Harmon was a member of The Hymnal
Committee
of his denomination
, serving as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Texts.
He was elected by the Southeastern Jurisdiction Conference of The Methodist Church. As a Bishop he presided over the work of various Annual Conference
s in the Southeastern U.S.A. He retired from the active Episcopacy in 1964. In retirement he edited the Encyclopedia of World Methodism. Also in retirement, Bishop Harmon served on the faculty
of Emory University as a Visiting Professor, continuing there into his 96th year. Further into his retirement, Nolan taught classes on Government and History of Methodists. A friend of his drove him to and from classes, and he lived by the University at the time.
history when he, along with seven other white clergymen (including fellow-Methodist Bishop Paul Hardin Jr.), released a statement calling on African-Americans to stop taking part in demonstrations initiated by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. The statement called King's actions "unwise and untimely," and stated that only "slow, slow, slow" change should bring about equal rights. It was this statement that inflamed Dr. King, causing him to write his famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail
." In his 1983 autobiography, Bishop Harmon referred to the letter as a "propaganda move."
Bishop Harmon died June 1993, the first U.M. Bishop to live to be 100 (or more) since Bishop Herbert George Welch. He was also the oldest out of the eight white clergymen.
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 Church and the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, elected in 1956.
Birth and family
Nolan Bailey Harmon was born 14 July 1892 in Meridian, MississippiMeridian, Mississippi
Meridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...
and died on Tuesday June 8, 1993, living to be over 100 years old. After his passing, there was a funeral held on Saturday June 12, 1993 at Druid Hills United Methodist Church. Then was buried in the Evergreen Burial Park in Roanoke, VA. He was the son, grandson and great-grandson of Methodist Preachers. Nolan had a wife named Rebecca Lamar who died at age 84 in 1980. His children were Nolan B. Harmon the third and G. Lamar Harmon. He himself was the Bishop of The Methodist Church and United Methodist Church elected in 1956.
Education
Nolan graduated from Millsaps CollegeMillsaps College
Millsaps College is a private liberal arts college located in Jackson, Mississippi. Founded in 1890, the college is recognized as one of the country's best private colleges dedicated to undergraduate teaching and educating the whole individual. Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, Millsaps...
in Mississippi. He was a member of the first class of the Candler School of Theology
Candler School of Theology
Candler School of Theology, Emory University, is one of 13 seminaries of the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1914, the school was named after Warren Akin Candler, a former President and Chancellor of Emory University and a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South...
, Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
in 1914. He also earned a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1920. He received honorary degrees from Millsaps, Hamline University
Hamline University
-Red Wing location :Hamline was named in honor of Leonidas Lent Hamline, a bishop of the Methodist Church whose interest in the frontier led him to donate $25,000 toward the building of an institution of higher learning in what was then the territory of Minnesota. Today, a statue of Bishop Hamline...
, Western Maryland College, Mount Union College
Mount Union College
The University of Mount Union is a 4-year private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Alliance, Ohio.Mount Union enrolls 2200 undergraduates. Approximately 50 percent are women and 50 percent are men, representing more than 22 states and 13 countries. Mount Union has an active alumni base of...
and Wofford College
Wofford College
Established in 1854 and related to the United Methodist Church, Wofford College is an independent, Phi Beta Kappa liberal arts college of 1,525 students located in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. The historic campus is recognized as a national arboretum and features “The...
. In 1958 he received an honorary D.D. degree from Emory.
Career
In 1940 Harmon was elected Book Editor of the newly-reunited Methodist Church. He edited publications of Abingdon PressAbingdon Press
Abingdon Press is the book publishing arm of the United Methodist Publishing House which publishes sheet music, ministerial resources, Bible-study aids, and other items, often with a focus on Methodism and Methodists. Abingdon Press was begun in the early 1900s by The Methodist Church, and is...
and the journal
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
Religion in Life. He also was General Editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of the twelve volume Interpreters Bible.
Interpreter's Bible series
The Interpreter's Bible series is a Biblical criticism series published by United Methodist Publishing beginning in the 1950s...
Between 1960 and 1964 Bishop Harmon was a member of The Hymnal
Hymnal
Hymnal or hymnary or hymnbook is a collection of hymns, i.e. religious songs, usually in the form of a book. The earliest hand-written hymnals are known since Middle Ages in the context of European Christianity...
Committee
Committee
A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...
of his denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
, serving as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Texts.
He was elected by the Southeastern Jurisdiction Conference of The Methodist Church. As a Bishop he presided over the work of various 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...
s in the Southeastern U.S.A. He retired from the active Episcopacy in 1964. In retirement he edited the Encyclopedia of World Methodism. Also in retirement, Bishop Harmon served on the faculty
Faculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
of Emory University as a Visiting Professor, continuing there into his 96th year. Further into his retirement, Nolan taught classes on Government and History of Methodists. A friend of his drove him to and from classes, and he lived by the University at the time.
Civil Rights Involvement
In April 1963 Bishop Harmon made civil rightsCivil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
history when he, along with seven other white clergymen (including fellow-Methodist Bishop Paul Hardin Jr.), released a statement calling on African-Americans to stop taking part in demonstrations initiated by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. The statement called King's actions "unwise and untimely," and stated that only "slow, slow, slow" change should bring about equal rights. It was this statement that inflamed Dr. King, causing him to write his famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail
Letter from Birmingham Jail
The Letter from Birmingham Jail or Letter from Birmingham City Jail, also known as The Negro Is Your Brother, is an open letter written on April 16, 1963, by Martin Luther King, Jr., an American civil rights leader...
." In his 1983 autobiography, Bishop Harmon referred to the letter as a "propaganda move."
Bishop Harmon died June 1993, the first U.M. Bishop to live to be 100 (or more) since Bishop Herbert George Welch. He was also the oldest out of the eight white clergymen.
Selected writings
- Ministerial Ethics and Etiquette
- The Famous Case of Myra Clark Gaines
- General Editor, Encyclopedia of World Methodism, Nashville: United Methodist Publishing House, 1974.
- General Editor, Interpreters Bible
- Understanding the Methodist Church
- Doctrines and Descipline of the Methodist Church 1948
- The Pastors Ideal Funeral Manual
- The Encyclopedia of World Methodism, volume 1
- The Encyclopedia of World Methodism, volume 2
- The Famous Case of Myra Clark Gaines
- The Organization of the Methodist Church: Historic Development and Present Working Structure