Alpheus Waters Wilson (February 5, 1834 – November 21, 1916) was an American

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

for the

Methodist Episcopal Church, South The Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MEC, S; also Methodist Episcopal Church South) was the American Methodist denomination resulting from the 19th-century split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC). Disagreement ...

from 1882 to his death in 1916.

Early life

Alpheus Waters Wilson was born on February 5, 1834, in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, Maryland, to Cornelia Laurence (née Howland) and Norval Wilson. His father was a preacher and elder of the

Methodist Church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

. Wilson attended public schools in Baltimore and graduated from

Columbian University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a private federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress and is the first un ...

(later George Washington University).

Career

In 1853, Wilson was received on trial in Baltimore Conference Methodist Episcopal Church. He served four years as junior preacher and two years as pastor of circuits. From 1859 to 1870, Wilson was a supernumerary member of the conference. He practiced law sometime during this period. Around 1866, Wilson and the Baltimore Conference moved to the

. He founded Trinity Church, the first Southern Methodist church in Baltimore. From 1870 to 1873, Wilson was presiding elder of the Washington District. From 1873 to 1877, he was pastor of Mount Vernon Place Church in

Washington City Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

. He was a pastor of Calvary Church in Baltimore from March 1877 to May 1878. In 1878, Wilson was made secretary of the board of missions and in 1882, he was consecrated as a bishop. From 1898 to his death, Wilson was senior bishop, succeeding Bishop

John Christian Keener John Christian Keener (February 7, 1819 – January 19, 1906) was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, an author and an editor, and the superintendent of C.S.A. chaplains west of the Mississippi River during the American ...

. He also served as president of the board of missions and chairman of the

College of Bishops College of Bishops, also known as the Ordo of Bishops, is a term used in the Catholic Church to denote the collection of those bishops who are in communion with the Pope. Under Canon Law, a college is a collection (Latin collegium) of persons ...

. In 1886, 1888 and 1890, he took bishop tours around the world. He traveled to Japan, Korea and China in 1898–1900 and 1907. He was a delegate to the ecumenical conference in London in 1881 and 1901. He was also a delegate to the ecumenical conference in Washington, D.C., in 1891 and Toronto in 1911. Wilson visited Brazil on mission inspection from 1892 to 1903. Wilson wrote religious articles and papers, including the book "Mission: Witnesses to Christ".

Personal life

Wilson married Susan B. Lipscomb, daughter of a Methodist preacher, on March 4, 1857. His wife died in 1908. They had three daughters, Maybelle, Nina and Mrs. William L. Weber. Wilson had

asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...

. He died from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

and

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to Cardiac cycle, fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF ...

on November 21, 1916, at his home at 1600 Park Place in Baltimore. He was buried in

Loudon Park Cemetery Loudon Park Cemetery is a historic cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland. It was incorporated on January 27, 1853, on of the site of the "Loudon" estate, previously owned by James Carey, a local merchant and politician. The entrance to the cemetery ...

in Baltimore.

References

External links

*
SMU Libraries: Alpheus Waters Wilson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Alpheus Waters 1834 births 1916 deaths Religious leaders from Baltimore George Washington University alumni American Methodist Episcopal, South bishops