Isaac William Wiley (;

Pinyin Hanyu Pinyin, or simply pinyin, officially the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet, is the most common romanization system for Standard Chinese. ''Hanyu'' () literally means 'Han Chinese, Han language'—that is, the Chinese language—while ''pinyin' ...

: ''Huáilǐ'';

Foochow Romanized Fuzhou is the capital of Fujian, China. The city lies between the Min River estuary to the south and the city of Ningde to the north. Together, Fuzhou and Ningde make up the Mindong linguistic and cultural region. Fuzhou's population was 8 ...

: ''Huài-lā̤''; 29 March 1825 – 22 November 1884) was an American who distinguished himself as a

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

, a

Methodist 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 ...

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, a

pastor A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...

, as the

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

of a

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 ...

, as an editor, and as a

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 the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself nationally. In 1939, th ...

, elected in 1872.

Birth and early years

Isaac was born 29 March 1825 in Lewistown,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. He joined the Methodist Episcopal Church at ten years of age.

Education

Isaac had been preparing to enter the sophomore class at

Dickinson College Dickinson College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1773 as Carlisle Grammar School, Dickinson was chartered on September 9, 1783, ...

, but the affection of his throat being considered permanent, he commenced the study of medicine, instead. He was graduated in 1846 from the medical department of the University of New York. He pursued a course of classical study in the same institution.

Medical missionary

Dr. Isaac Wiley commenced the practice of medicine in Western Pennsylvania, subsequently moving to Pottsville in 1849. Shortly thereafter, at the request of Dr. Durbin, Isaac agreed to go as a medical missionary to

Fuzhou Fuzhou is the capital of Fujian, China. The city lies between the Min River (Fujian), Min River estuary to the south and the city of Ningde to the north. Together, Fuzhou and Ningde make up the Eastern Min, Mindong linguistic and cultural regi ...

. Isaac first was received into the ministry of the Genesee Annual Conference of the M.E. Church. He also attended an additional course of lectures in the University of New York. Finally, he sailed for

, March 1850, transferring his conference membership to the

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Conference.

Pastoral, academic, and editorial ministries

The Rev. Dr. Wiley returned from China in May 1854. He then was appointed to fill a pastoral vacancy on

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

. In 1855 he transferred his conference membership again, this time to the Newark Annual Conference. He was successively appointed to Newark and then

Jersey City Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

. In 1858 the Rev. Dr. Wiley took charge of the Pennington Seminary. He served this position until 1863. In 1864 he was elected editor of the '' Ladies' Repository'', an important periodical of his denomination. He was re-elected to this position in 1868. While editor, he also edited books for the M.E. Book Concern.

Episcopal ministry

The Rev. Dr. Isaac William Wiley was elected to the episcopacy of the Methodist Episcopal Church by the General Conference of 1872. As bishop he was one of the founders of

Wiley College Wiley University (formerly Wiley College) is a private historically black college in Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is one of the ...

, the first and oldest

historically Black college Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of serving African Americans. Most are in the Southern U ...

west of the Mississippi River, located in

Marshall, Texas Marshall is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Harrison County, Texas, Harrison County and a cultural and educational center of the Ark-La-Tex region. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the population of ...

. Wiley College was founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1873 and chartered by the Freedman's Aid Society of the M.E. Church in 1882 for the purpose of providing education to the ''"newly freed men"'' (following

emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure Economic, social and cultural rights, economic and social rights, civil and political rights, po ...

and the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

), preparing them for a new life. Bishop Wiley traveled extensively to the various U.S. States and Territories. In 1877 he made an extensive tour in support of the M.E. missions in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

and China. Bishop Wiley died in

, China, 22 November 1884. The funeral services took place the next day at Tieng Ang Tong.

Selected writings

* ''The Fallen Missionaries of Foo Chow.'' * ''The Religion of the Family.''
''China and Japan: a record of observations made during a residence of several years in China, and a tour of official visitation to the missions of both countries in 1877-78'' (1879)

Notes

References

*''Cyclopaedia of Methodism'', Matthew Simpson, D.D.,

LL.D. A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

, Ed., (''Revised Edition.'')

, Louis H. Everts, 188

Attribution *

External links

Institutional Background of Wiley College

The Mission Cemetery of Fuh-Chau

Isaac W. Wiley, Late Bishop of the M.E. Church
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiley, Isaac William American Methodist bishops Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church 1825 births 1884 deaths 19th-century American physicians Methodist missionaries in China Wiley University faculty Christian missionaries in Fujian American Methodist missionaries Christian medical missionaries American expatriates in China 19th-century American clergy