Clare Purcell
Encyclopedia
Clare Purcell was an American
Bishop
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
and the Methodist Church, elected in 1938.
. Clare's family was of a very old connection in North Carolina
, described in the Lumber River Scots. His mother was descended from Skelton Smith, a 15-year-old soldier of the Revolutionary War
. His father was in the 13th North Carolina
Regiment of the Confederate States Army
and served in battle. Clare married Ida West (whom he met in college) 28 December 1910 and they had three children: John Robert (b. 02 Jul 1915), William Wood Rowe (b. 19 Dec 1911) and Ida Claire (b. 05 Jan 1921).
, and Columbus, Georgia
, in 1906 he enrolled at Emory University
. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta
while at Emory. However, health problems prevented him from completing his degree.
In 1907 Rev. Purcell enrolled in the Bachelor of Divinity
program at Vanderbilt University
. He earned his B.D.
degree in 1916. He also earned an A.B.
degree from Birmingham College
the same year.
Annual Conference
, serving a one year appointment on the Wedowee
Circuit. He was ordained Deacon in 1911 and Elder in 1913. Between 1911 and 1918 Rev. Purcell served the following appointments: Madison
Circuit, the Owenton Church (later renamed McCoy Memorial) in Birmingham, and First Methodist Church
of Sylacauga
.
In 1918 Rev. Purcell entered service as a Chaplain
in the 131st Infantry of the U.S. Army during World War I
. He spent the winter of 1918 in Luxembourg
. Upon his return from military service, Rev. Purcell was appointed to the First Methodist Church of Hartselle
. In 1920 he was appointed to Talladega
, and in 1924 to Tuscaloosa
. In 1927 Rev. Purcell as appointed Presiding Elder of the Jasper
District. In 1931 he became the Pastor of the First Methodist Church of Gadsden
, where he remained until 1938.
Rev. Purcell also served the greater Church as a member of the Commission on Methodist Unification (1934-38).
and the Methodist Protestant Church
. Bishop Purcell was assigned to the Charlotte
Episcopal Area (1938-48), and to the Birmingham Episcopal Area from 1948 until his retirement
in 1956. He served as President
of the Council of Bishops of The Methodist Church, 1955-56.
In retirement, Bishop Purcell remained in Birmingham, where he served as President of the Board of Directors of Carraway Methodist Hospital. Bishop Purcell died 8 February 1964.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Bishop
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 Episcopal Church, South
Methodist Episcopal Church, South
The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, or Methodist Episcopal Church South, was the so-called "Southern Methodist Church" resulting from the split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church which had been brewing over several years until it came out into the open at a conference...
and the Methodist Church, elected in 1938.
Birth and Family
Clare was born 17 November 1884, the youngest of six children of William Henry and Mary Ellen (Callen) Purcell of Roanoke, AlabamaRoanoke, Alabama
Roanoke is a city in Randolph County, Alabama, United States.Roanoke is served by a weekly newspaper, The Randolph Leader. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 6,563.-Geography:Roanoke is located at ....
. Clare's family was of a very old connection in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, described in the Lumber River Scots. His mother was descended from Skelton Smith, a 15-year-old soldier of the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. His father was in the 13th North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
Regiment of the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
and served in battle. Clare married Ida West (whom he met in college) 28 December 1910 and they had three children: John Robert (b. 02 Jul 1915), William Wood Rowe (b. 19 Dec 1911) and Ida Claire (b. 05 Jan 1921).
Education
Clare was educated at Roanoke Normal College, graduating in 1903. After working for the Georgia Railroad in Roanoke and Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, and Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
, in 1906 he enrolled at 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...
. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
while at Emory. However, health problems prevented him from completing his degree.
In 1907 Rev. Purcell enrolled in the Bachelor of Divinity
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
program at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
. He earned his B.D.
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
degree in 1916. He also earned an A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Birmingham College
Birmingham-Southern College
Birmingham–Southern College is a 4-year, private liberal arts college located three miles northwest of downtown Birmingham. Founded in 1856, it is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Approximately 1400 students from 30 states and 23 foreign countries attend the college...
the same year.
Ordained Ministry
Rev. Purcell was granted a Local Preacher's License in 1906 by the Lafayette District Conference of the M.E. Church, South. In November of that year he was admitted on trial to the North AlabamaAlabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
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...
, serving a one year appointment on the Wedowee
Wedowee, Alabama
Wedowee is a town in Randolph County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 818. The city is the county seat of Randolph County.-History:...
Circuit. He was ordained Deacon in 1911 and Elder in 1913. Between 1911 and 1918 Rev. Purcell served the following appointments: Madison
Madison, Alabama
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,329 people, 11,143 households, and 8,067 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,266.5 people per square mile . There were 12,121 housing units at an average density of 523.4 per square mile...
Circuit, the Owenton Church (later renamed McCoy Memorial) in Birmingham, and First Methodist Church
First Methodist Church
First Methodist Church or variations with Building may refer to:in the United States* First Methodist Church , listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Lafayette County, Arkansas...
of Sylacauga
Sylacauga, Alabama
Sylacauga is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 12,616.Nicknames for Sylacauga include: "The Marble City," "Buzzard's Roost" and "Sly Town"....
.
In 1918 Rev. Purcell entered service as a Chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
in the 131st Infantry of the U.S. Army during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He spent the winter of 1918 in Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. Upon his return from military service, Rev. Purcell was appointed to the First Methodist Church of Hartselle
Hartselle, Alabama
Hartselle is the second largest city in Morgan County, Alabama, United States, about south of Decatur, and is included in the Decatur Metropolitan Area, and the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2006 census estimates, the population of the city is 13,479. Hartselle was...
. In 1920 he was appointed to Talladega
Talladega, Alabama
Talladega is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 15,143. The city is the county seat of Talladega County. Talladega is approximately 50 miles east of Birmingham, Alabama....
, and in 1924 to Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
. In 1927 Rev. Purcell as appointed Presiding Elder of the Jasper
Jasper, Alabama
Jasper is a city in Walker County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 14,659. As of 2011 the population had was 13,857. The city is the county seat of Walker County, and once ranked among the world's leading producers of coal....
District. In 1931 he became the Pastor of the First Methodist Church of Gadsden
Gadsden, Alabama
The city of Gadsden is the county seat of Etowah County in the U.S. state of Alabama, and it is located about 65 miles northeast of Birmingham, Alabama. It is the primary city of the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 103,459. Gadsden is closely associated with the...
, where he remained until 1938.
Rev. Purcell also served the greater Church as a member of the Commission on Methodist Unification (1934-38).
Episcopal Ministry
The Rev. Clare Purcell was elected to the Episcopacy 3 May 1938, by the General Conference of the M.E. Church, South, following a well-received speech in which he argued in favor of union with the Methodist Episcopal ChurchMethodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
and the Methodist Protestant Church
Methodist Protestant Church
The Methodist Protestant Church is a regional Church body which was officially formed in 1828 by former members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, remaining Wesleyan in doctrine and worship, but adopting congregational governance....
. Bishop Purcell was assigned to the Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
Episcopal Area (1938-48), and to the Birmingham Episcopal Area from 1948 until his retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
in 1956. He served as President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Council of Bishops of The Methodist Church, 1955-56.
In retirement, Bishop Purcell remained in Birmingham, where he served as President of the Board of Directors of Carraway Methodist Hospital. Bishop Purcell died 8 February 1964.