25 September 1835 A.D. Jackson Kemper Consecrated—Episcopal “Missionary” Bishop
25 September 1835 A.D. Jackson
Kemper Consecrated—Episcopal “Missionary” Bishop
Graves, Dan. “Frontier Bishop Jackson Kemper.” Christianity.com. Jul 2007.
http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1801-1900/frontier-bishop-jackson-kemper-11630437.html. Accessed 23 May
2014.
Brethren,
we are assembled, under the protection of Almighty God, to partake in, or to
witness, the consecration of a missionary bishop. It is a new office in this
Church. The event has not occurred before. What we are now to do will go on
record, as a precedent..." With these words, George Washington Doane, a
Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church signified the importance of events
taking place in St. Peter's Church, Philadelphia. On this
day, Friday, September 25, 1835, elderly Bishop William White, George
Washington Doane and several other bishops consecrated Jackson Kemper for work
on the American frontier.
Jackson
had already shown strong interest in the west. In fact, he was the first
clergyman of his church to preach west of the Allegheny mountains. While
stationed in Philadelphia, he made missionary journeys into the wild areas of
Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia. Now he was being placed in charge of a vast
region in the center of the nation, supposedly encompassing just Indiana and
Missouri. In actuality, he labored far afield, expanding his work into
Wisconsin and to the west.
Motivated
by the urgency of winning souls, Jackson traveled incessantly on horseback or
in open wagons and worked himself hard. (Right up to the last year of life,
when he was over eighty, he insisted on pushing himself to his limits.) What
this cost him in his personal life is indicated by painful lines in his
journal: "It is now 4 weeks since I left my own dear home & precious
children. About this time I expected to be there again, & here I am at the
farthest distance from Norwalk, with no prospect for more than a fortnight yet
of returning! God's will be done."
Nonetheless,
he exhorted fellow Episcopalians to make greater efforts, too. Pointing out the
singular advantages enjoyed by the Episcopal church, he said, "Brethren!
may it not be our duty to convert the world--may not this high, this
inestimable privilege be offered to us! And are we prepared--are we doing at
the present moment even one tenth part of what we are capable?" He
appealed for more self-discipline, more self-sacrifice, and showed the way by
regularly giving away about two-thirds of his own small income.
Jackson
discovered that his recruits from the east did not adapt well to conditions in
the west, and so he founded a school to train priests from among western men.
Kemper College, his first venture, failed, owing to financial difficulties and
faculty quarrels. Later he founded Nashotah House and Racine College both of
which succeeded better.
His
kindness, friendliness, honesty, concern for souls, and good breeding won him
many friends throughout the vast territory of what was then called the
Northwest. The extent of his effort can be seen in the fact that he organized
eight dioceses: California, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, and Wisconsin and founded three colleges. In addition to this, he
promoted mission work among the Potowatami, Seneca, Oneida and Huron Indians
with whom he worked. He pleaded for translation of the Scriptures into their
languages.
His
last public work was a confirmation service. Barely able to force himself
through the rite, he returned home feeling ill; and he weakened steadily until
he died on May 24, 1870. His last words to David Keene (who preached his
funeral) were, "I hope I have been faithful; I hope I have kept the
faith."
Bibliography:
Cuff,
Rev. Stephen. "Celebrating the Life and Ministry of Jackson Kemper."
http://www.episcopal-dso.org/pages/int2000/ 0006cuff.htm
Doane,
George Washington. "The Sermon at the Consecration of The Right Reverend
Jackson Kemper, D.D., Missionary Bishop for Missouri and Indiana in St. Peter's
Church, Philadelphia, September 25, 1835." Project Canterbury.
http://justus.anglican.org/resources/pc/usa/ gwdoane/kemper.html
"Jackson
Kemper, Bishop, Missionary." Episcopal Calendar. http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/05/24b.html
Keene,
David. "Funeral Sermon, the Rt. Rev. Jackson Kemper." Project
Canterbury. http://justus.anglican.org/resources/pc/usa/jkemper/
funeral1.html
Kemper,
Jackson. "Journal of An Episcopalian Missionary's Tour to Green Bay,
1834." http://justus.anglican.org/resources/pc/usa/ jkemper/greenbay.html
"Kemper,
Jackson." Dictionary of American Biography. New York: Charles
Scribner's Sons, 1928 - 1958.
Last
updated July, 2007
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