J. B. Chapman
Encyclopedia
James Blaine Chapman was a minister, president of Arkansas Holiness
and Peniel College
s, editor of the Herald of Holiness, and general superintendent
in the Church of the Nazarene
.
, the second son and fifth child in his family. The family moved to Oklahoma
when he was fourteen years old, where he was converted to Christianity
in 1899. Chapman's first academic instructor was his wife, a schoolteacher. When he took a pastorate at Vilonia, Arkansas
in 1908, he enrolled at the Arkansas Holiness College
there at age 24. After graduating in 1910, he left to pursue further study at Texas Holiness University in Peniel, Texas under president Roy T. Williams, where he received his bachelor's of divinity degree in 1913. Peniel College
later awarded him an honorary doctor of divinity
degree, in 1918, and Pasadena College did the same in 1927.
and then the Texas Holiness Association before forming his own Independent Holiness Church. He married Maud Frederick in 1903, at the church's first annual convention. His first pastorate was a church in Durant
, in Indian Territory
, which he organized in 1905 and would become part of the Holiness Church of Christ, but he also became pastor of a church in Pilot Point, Texas
in 1907, for which he left Durant in 1908. That same year the Holiness Church of Christ joined the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene, and Chapman moved again, this time to a pastorate at Vilonia, Arkansas
. He left in 1911 after graduating from Arkansas Holiness College
to pursue further education at Texas Holiness University. His only other pastorate would later be at Bethany, Oklahoma
from 1918-1919.
After enrolling at Peniel in 1910, Chapman instead became president of the Arkansas Holiness College, but returned to Peniel University in 1912 to teach there and became dean
of the college upon his arrival. After he graduated with his bachelor's of divinity degree in 1913, President Williams resigned and the college named Chapman president until 1918. At the time Chapman took the presidency, Peniel was ranked behind Asbury College
and Taylor University
as the third-best holiness college in the nation, but it eventually closed in 1920 to lend support to Oklahoma Nazarene College instead. As an educator, Chapman aided the General Board of Education of the Church of the Nazarene to establish educational policy. Chapman is quoted has having said:
Chapman would later become editor of the Herald of Holiness from 1921 to 1928 and was then elected general superintendent
. He joined the Nazarene community
of Quincy, Massachusetts
in 1930, and served as general superintendent until his death in 1947.
Arkansas Holiness College
Arkansas Holiness College was an educational institution located in Vilonia, Arkansas. It has since closed.-History:A school for children was founded 1900 by Fannie Suddarth. It was thought to have a Free Methodist affiliation but became a part of the Eastern Council of the Holiness Church of...
and Peniel College
Peniel College
-History:Texas Holiness University was founded by B. A. Cordell and E. C. DeJernett in 1898. It was then established on a 37-acre campus in 1899 by A. M. Hills and a small holiness community at Holiness, later called Peniel and now part of Greenville, Texas...
s, editor of the Herald of Holiness, and general superintendent
General Superintendent (Church of the Nazarene)
General Superintendent is the highest elected office within the Church of the Nazarene. General Superintendents are elected by the General Assembly of the denomination for a four year term to expire at the end of the next General Assembly....
in the Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
.
Early life and education
Chapman was born 1884 in Yale, IllinoisYale, Illinois
Yale is a village in Jasper County, Illinois, United States. The population was 97 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Yale is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
, the second son and fifth child in his family. The family moved to Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
when he was fourteen years old, where he was converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in 1899. Chapman's first academic instructor was his wife, a schoolteacher. When he took a pastorate at Vilonia, Arkansas
Vilonia, Arkansas
Vilonia is a town in Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. Its population was 2,106 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
in 1908, he enrolled at the Arkansas Holiness College
Arkansas Holiness College
Arkansas Holiness College was an educational institution located in Vilonia, Arkansas. It has since closed.-History:A school for children was founded 1900 by Fannie Suddarth. It was thought to have a Free Methodist affiliation but became a part of the Eastern Council of the Holiness Church of...
there at age 24. After graduating in 1910, he left to pursue further study at Texas Holiness University in Peniel, Texas under president Roy T. Williams, where he received his bachelor's of divinity degree in 1913. Peniel College
Peniel College
-History:Texas Holiness University was founded by B. A. Cordell and E. C. DeJernett in 1898. It was then established on a 37-acre campus in 1899 by A. M. Hills and a small holiness community at Holiness, later called Peniel and now part of Greenville, Texas...
later awarded him an honorary doctor of divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
degree, in 1918, and Pasadena College did the same in 1927.
Career and ministry
He began to preach at the age of sixteen, uniting with the World's Faith Missionary Association of Shenandoah, IowaShenandoah, Iowa
Shenandoah is a city in Fremont and Page Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 5,546 at the 2000 census.Once referred to as the "seed and nursery center of the world," Shenandoah is the home to Earl May Seed Company and the radio station KMA, founded by Earl May...
and then the Texas Holiness Association before forming his own Independent Holiness Church. He married Maud Frederick in 1903, at the church's first annual convention. His first pastorate was a church in Durant
Durant, Oklahoma
Durant is a city in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 15,877 at the 2010 census. Durant is the principal city of the Durant Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 42,416 in 2010...
, in Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
, which he organized in 1905 and would become part of the Holiness Church of Christ, but he also became pastor of a church in Pilot Point, Texas
Pilot Point, Texas
Pilot Point is a city in Denton County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,538 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pilot Point is located at ....
in 1907, for which he left Durant in 1908. That same year the Holiness Church of Christ joined the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene, and Chapman moved again, this time to a pastorate at Vilonia, Arkansas
Vilonia, Arkansas
Vilonia is a town in Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. Its population was 2,106 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. He left in 1911 after graduating from Arkansas Holiness College
Arkansas Holiness College
Arkansas Holiness College was an educational institution located in Vilonia, Arkansas. It has since closed.-History:A school for children was founded 1900 by Fannie Suddarth. It was thought to have a Free Methodist affiliation but became a part of the Eastern Council of the Holiness Church of...
to pursue further education at Texas Holiness University. His only other pastorate would later be at Bethany, Oklahoma
Bethany, Oklahoma
Bethany is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 20,307 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bethany is located at ....
from 1918-1919.
After enrolling at Peniel in 1910, Chapman instead became president of the Arkansas Holiness College, but returned to Peniel University in 1912 to teach there and became dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the college upon his arrival. After he graduated with his bachelor's of divinity degree in 1913, President Williams resigned and the college named Chapman president until 1918. At the time Chapman took the presidency, Peniel was ranked behind Asbury College
Asbury College
Asbury University, formerly Asbury College, is a Christian liberal arts institution located in Wilmore, Kentucky. Although it is a nondenominational school, the college's foundation stems from a Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. The school offers 50 majors across 17 departments. Primarily a four-year...
and Taylor University
Taylor University
Taylor University is a private, interdenominational, evangelical Christian college located in Upland, Indiana. Founded in 1846, it is one of the oldest evangelical Christian colleges in America....
as the third-best holiness college in the nation, but it eventually closed in 1920 to lend support to Oklahoma Nazarene College instead. As an educator, Chapman aided the General Board of Education of the Church of the Nazarene to establish educational policy. Chapman is quoted has having said:
It was originally the plan to call every school we started a “university”... It was our ultimate aim to have universities and our schools were named according to our vision of future developments. But I am, personally, convinced that we should definitely abandon the idea of building any universities, that we should drop these names from our schools...[Moreover,] it is my conclusion that we... cannot permanently maintain academies and they do not meet our need, that a special Bible school does not meet our needs and that we should express ourselves on this conviction.... That the College, with the necessary fitting school and Bible department[,] is the school that we need and will build."
Chapman would later become editor of the Herald of Holiness from 1921 to 1928 and was then elected general superintendent
General Superintendent (Church of the Nazarene)
General Superintendent is the highest elected office within the Church of the Nazarene. General Superintendents are elected by the General Assembly of the denomination for a four year term to expire at the end of the next General Assembly....
. He joined the Nazarene community
Eastern Nazarene College
The Eastern Nazarene College is a private, coeducational college of the liberal arts and sciences in Quincy, Massachusetts near Boston, in the New England region of the United States. Known for its strong religious affiliation, distinctive liberal arts core curriculum, and excellence in science...
of Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
in 1930, and served as general superintendent until his death in 1947.