Everett L. Fullam
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Everett Leslie "Terry" Fullam (July 1, 1930 – March 15, 2014) was a priest, biblical scholar, and teacher who gained prominence in the Episcopal Church in the
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, and in the
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,
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, and
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communities worldwide for his renewal ministries from 1972 to 1998.Slosser, Bob (1980). ''Miracle in Darien''. Alachua, FL: Bridge-Logos Publishers.Virtue, David W. (January 19, 2004)
“An Interview with Terry Fullam”
''Virtue Online''. Retrieved March 7, 2013.


Early life

Fullam was born in
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, to Rex Fullam and Mary Fullam (née Mary Frances Tewsksbury). After graduation from high school in Barre, Vermont, in 1948, Fullam began collegiate studies at the
Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. Established in 1921 by celebrated industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman, it was the ...
in
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. While there, he was also
choirmaster A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
at a nearby
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church, whose pastor gave Fullam a copy of
James Gilchrist Lawson James Gilchrist Lawson (1874–1946) was an American Baptist evangelist, prohibitionist, editor, author and compiler. He was born in Cleveland, Tennessee on September 10, 1874 to James J. and Margaret (Logan) Lawson. He visited the British Isles ...
’s ''Deeper Experiences of Famous Christians''; Fullam later credited the book with helping him to change the direction of his life. He withdrew from Eastman and matriculated at Gordon College in
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, from which he was graduated magna cum laude, with a baccalaureate in philosophy. He then did graduate work at both
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and
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...
, obtaining his master of arts in philosophy from Harvard, magna cum laude, in 1955. During the next sixteen years, Fullam held various teaching positions in several universities and colleges. He concluded his academic career as a professor at
Barrington College Barrington College was a four-year Christian liberal arts college located in Barrington, Rhode Island. It is no longer in operation. History Barrington College was founded by E. W. Kenyon, pastor of the New Covenant Baptist Church, in 1900 a ...
in 1972. Although Fullam never attended
seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...
, the
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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 ...
of
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ordained him an
Episcopal priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
in 1967. He was appointed rector of Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in
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, in 1972. In 1984, Fullam received a
Doctorate of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (i.e., Christian theology and ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the English-speaking world than elsewhere. In the United Kin ...
from Barrington College. In 1990, Gordon College awarded him the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.


Ministry

In 1972, Fullam accepted a call to become rector of Saint Paul’s parish in
Darien, Connecticut Darien ( ) is a coastal town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. With a population of 21,499 and a land area of just under , it is the smallest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Connecticut), Gold Coast. Situated on the Long Island ...
. By way of his leadership, Saint Paul’s became one of the most active and fastest growing churches in the United States. While rector, Fullam placed special emphasis on renewal for
clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
and
laity In religious organizations, the laity () — individually a layperson, layman or laywoman — consists of all Church membership, members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-Ordination, ordained members of religious orders, e ...
alike.Hein, David and Gardiner H. Shattuck (2005) ''The Episcopalians''. New York: Church Publishing Inc. As his reputation as a dynamic renewal leader grew, he received and accepted numerous invitations to teach around the nation and the world. Bob Slosser’s ''Miracle in Darien'', about Fullam, Saint Paul’s parish, and its ministry, was published in 1980. Reprinted and revised in 1997 (by Bridge-Logos Publishers), the book is recognized today as a leading text on church renewal. In 1980, too, Fullam’s core teaching was captured in two visually rich presentations produced by L. P. ("Whis") Hays. ''Jesus, Head of the Church'', became the most widely circulated film ever distributed by the Episcopal Radio-TV Foundation. A companion video, entitled ''What Do You Think of Christ?'', was circulated directly by Saint Paul’s and also enjoyed wide viewership. Fullam’s teaching was also captured in audio recordings which remain compelling and are still available online. In 1989, Fullam resigned his position as rector at Saint Paul’s in order to focus on ministering around the world. He conducted missions in more than 25 countries, including more than 50 travel and teaching missions to
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and the
Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
.Jeffreys, Emery (December 14, 1991)
Area Mideast Experts See Hope for Peace”
''The News-Journal'' (Daytona Beach, FL). Retrieved March 7, 2013.
But in 1998, he suffered a stroke and had to discontinue his teaching missions.


Works

Fullam wrote seven published books: ''Living the Lord’s Prayer'' (
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), ''Fit for God’s Presence'' (Chosen Books), ''Facets of Faith'' (Episcopal Radio/TV Foundation), ''Riding the Wind – Your Life in the Holy Spirit'' (Creation House), ''How to Walk with God'' ( Thomas Nelson), ''Thirsting – A Study on the Presence of God'' (Thomas Nelson), and ''Your Body God’s Temple'' (Chosen Books). He also authored an audio teaching library,
Life on Wings
', containing more than 550 titles.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fullam, Everett L. American biblical scholars 1930 births 2014 deaths People from Montpelier, Vermont Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Anglican biblical scholars Eastman School of Music alumni 20th-century American Episcopal priests Gordon College (Massachusetts) alumni