Lloyd Christ Wicke
Encyclopedia
Lloyd Christ Wicke was an American Bishop
of The Methodist Church and the United Methodist Church
, elected in 1948. When he died in 1996 he was the oldest of the 117 active and retired United Methodist Bishops at that time, as well as the last one elected during the decade of the 1940s.
, the son of John and Katherine Christ Wicke. Lloyd married Gertrude Jane Allen of Waterville, New York
in 1924. Mrs. Wicke died 2 January 1978 in Fort Myers, Florida
after a long illness. The Wickes had taken up residence in Fort Myers following the Bishop's retirement
in 1972. In addition to her husband, Mrs. Wicke was survived by their two daughters (of Basking Ridge, New Jersey
and Fort Wayne, Indiana
, respectively), and by a sister, Mrs. Charles McClean of Waterville. Mrs. Wicke was interred in the Waterville Cemetery
.
In 1979 Bishop Wicke married Eunice LeBourveau Ensley, the widow
of fellow U.M.
Bishop F. Gerald Ensley. She graduated from Boston University
in 1932 and taught school before marrying Francis Gerald Ensley. He died in 1976. She was President of the Methodist Council of Bishops' Wives at one time, as well as active in the Alpha Phi
and P.E.O. sororities. She was a member of the North Broadway U.M. Church in Columbus, Ohio when she died 11 July 2002. She was survived by four children and their spouses: Frederick and Jean Ensley, Philip and Cynthia Ensley, Elizabeth and Roger Grime, and Charlotte and Robert Linville; by a stepdaughter, Elaine Wicke Cowan; and by eleven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A memorial service celebrating her life was held 18 July 2002 at the Westminster Thurber Retirement Community http://www.oprs.org/communities/Westminster_Thurber/Westminster_Thurber_Community.aspx?section=Communities in Columbus.
degree in 1923 from Baldwin Wallace College, Berea, Ohio
. He then earned his B.D.
and Ph.D.
degrees from The Theological School at Drew University
, Madison, New Jersey
.
graduation
, the Rev. Wicke served two years in the Central German
Annual Conference
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
as a Pastor
in Terre Haute, Indiana
and in Chili, Ohio. During his final year of seminary, Rev. Wicke served the East Side Terrace Church in Paterson, New Jersey
. Following seminary
graduation, he was ordained in the Newark
Annual Conference. Between 1926 and 1943 he served churches in Lafayette, Alpine
, and Leonia
, New Jersey
. He was appointed Superintendent of the Jersey City District, 1941–43. Then he was appointed to the Mt. Lebanon
Methodist Church in the Mt. Lebanon suburb of Pittsburgh.
, where he served until 1960. During the time of his episcopacy, the Pittsburgh Area included the western third of Pennsylvania
and most of the State of West Virginia. In 1960, Bishop Wicke was assigned to the New York
Area, serving until his retirement
in 1972. During the time of his episcopacy, the New York Episcopal Area included the Troy
Annual Conference in northeastern New York, and the entire State of Vermont.
Bishop Wicke served as President
of the General Boards of Church and Society and of Global Ministries of the U.M. Church at different times during his episcopacy. He was the President of the Methodist Council of Bishops, 1964–65.
of The Methodist Church that drew up the proposal leading to the 1968 denominational merger with the Evangelical United Brethren Church
(E.U.B.). During the uniting service in Dallas, Wicke symbolically clasped hands with E.U.B. Bishop, Reuben H. Mueller, across a table bearing the Plan of Union. As they did, they prayerfully said together:
This prayer was then repeated, in turn, by two children of each denomination, two adolescents, two adults, six clergy
representing the two Churches around the world
, and finally by the 1,200 delegates to the Uniting Conference from fifty Nations, who stood and joined hands as they voiced this same declaration.
at the age of ninety-five. He was survived by his wife, Eunice Ensley Wicke; by his two daughters, Shirley Jane Shoaf and Elaine Nalda Cowen; and by seven grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren, four stepchildren
and eleven step-grandchildren.
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 Church and the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, elected in 1948. When he died in 1996 he was the oldest of the 117 active and retired United Methodist Bishops at that time, as well as the last one elected during the decade of the 1940s.
Birth and family
Lloyd was born 22 May 1901 in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, the son of John and Katherine Christ Wicke. Lloyd married Gertrude Jane Allen of Waterville, New York
Waterville, New York
Waterville is a village in Oneida County, New York, United States. According to the 2000 census, its population was 1,721.-Geography:Waterville is located at ....
in 1924. Mrs. Wicke died 2 January 1978 in Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
after a long illness. The Wickes had taken up residence in Fort Myers following the Bishop's 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 1972. In addition to her husband, Mrs. Wicke was survived by their two daughters (of Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Basking Ridge, New Jersey
- Demographics :As Basking Ridge is not an independent municipality, the following demographic data is based on the United States Census Bureau figures for the ZIP Code Tabulation Area for the 07920 ZIP Code...
and Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
, respectively), and by a sister, Mrs. Charles McClean of Waterville. Mrs. Wicke was interred in the Waterville Cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
.
In 1979 Bishop Wicke married Eunice LeBourveau Ensley, the widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
of fellow U.M.
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
Bishop F. Gerald Ensley. She graduated from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
in 1932 and taught school before marrying Francis Gerald Ensley. He died in 1976. She was President of the Methodist Council of Bishops' Wives at one time, as well as active in the Alpha Phi
Alpha Phi
Alpha Phi International Women's Fraternity was founded at Syracuse University on September 18, 1872. Alpha Phi currently has 152 active chapters and over 200,000 initiated members. Its celebrated Founders' Day is October 10. It was the third Greek-letter organization founded for women. In Alpha...
and P.E.O. sororities. She was a member of the North Broadway U.M. Church in Columbus, Ohio when she died 11 July 2002. She was survived by four children and their spouses: Frederick and Jean Ensley, Philip and Cynthia Ensley, Elizabeth and Roger Grime, and Charlotte and Robert Linville; by a stepdaughter, Elaine Wicke Cowan; and by eleven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A memorial service celebrating her life was held 18 July 2002 at the Westminster Thurber Retirement Community http://www.oprs.org/communities/Westminster_Thurber/Westminster_Thurber_Community.aspx?section=Communities in Columbus.
Education
Lloyd earned the B.A.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 in 1923 from Baldwin Wallace College, Berea, Ohio
Berea, Ohio
- History :The first European settlers were originally from Connecticut. Berea fell within Connecticut's Western Reserve and was surveyed and divided into townships and ranges by one Gideon Granger, a gentleman who served as Postmaster General under President Thomas Jefferson...
. He then 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....
and Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
degrees from The Theological School at Drew University
Drew University
Drew University is a private university located in Madison, New Jersey.Originally established as the Drew Theological Seminary in 1867, the university later expanded to include an undergraduate liberal arts college in 1928 and commenced a program of graduate studies in 1955...
, Madison, New Jersey
Madison, New Jersey
Madison is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the population was 16,530. It also is known as "The Rose City".-Geography:Madison is located at ....
.
Ordained ministry
Following collegeCollege
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
graduation
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
, the Rev. Wicke served two years in the Central German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
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...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist 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...
as a Pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
in Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
and in Chili, Ohio. During his final year of seminary, Rev. Wicke served the East Side Terrace Church in Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
. Following seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
graduation, he was ordained in the Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
Annual Conference. Between 1926 and 1943 he served churches in Lafayette, Alpine
Alpine, New Jersey
Alpine is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located northwest of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 1,849....
, and Leonia
Leonia, New Jersey
Leonia is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,937. It is located near the western approach to the George Washington Bridge....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He was appointed Superintendent of the Jersey City District, 1941–43. Then he was appointed to the Mt. Lebanon
Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Mt. Lebanon is a home rule municipality, formerly a township, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 33,137 at the 2010 census....
Methodist Church in the Mt. Lebanon suburb of Pittsburgh.
Episcopal ministry
The Rev. Dr. Lloyd Christ Wicke was elected to the Episcopacy of The Methodist Church by the 1948 Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference. He was assigned to the Pittsburgh Episcopal AreaEpiscopal Area
An Episcopal Area in the United Methodist Church is a basic unit of this denomination. It is a region presided over by a resident bishop that is similar to a diocese in other Christian denominations. Each annual conference in the UMC is within a single episcopal area; some episcopal areas...
, where he served until 1960. During the time of his episcopacy, the Pittsburgh Area included the western third of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and most of the State of West Virginia. In 1960, Bishop Wicke was assigned to the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Area, serving 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 1972. During the time of his episcopacy, the New York Episcopal Area included the Troy
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
Annual Conference in northeastern New York, and the entire State of Vermont.
Bishop Wicke 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 General Boards of Church and Society and of Global Ministries of the U.M. Church at different times during his episcopacy. He was the President of the Methodist Council of Bishops, 1964–65.
Church merger
One of the highlights of Bishop Wicke's career was chairing the committeeCommittee
A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...
of The Methodist Church that drew up the proposal leading to the 1968 denominational merger with the Evangelical United Brethren Church
Evangelical United Brethren Church
The Evangelical United Brethren Church was an American Protestant church which was formed in 1946 by the merger of the Evangelical Church with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ...
(E.U.B.). During the uniting service in Dallas, Wicke symbolically clasped hands with E.U.B. Bishop, Reuben H. Mueller, across a table bearing the Plan of Union. As they did, they prayerfully said together:
- Lord of the Church, we are united in Thee, in Thy Church and in the United Methodist Church.
This prayer was then repeated, in turn, by two children of each denomination, two adolescents, two adults, six clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
representing the two Churches around the world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
, and finally by the 1,200 delegates to the Uniting Conference from fifty Nations, who stood and joined hands as they voiced this same declaration.
Death
Bishop Lloyd Christ Wicke died 29 December 1996 in Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
at the age of ninety-five. He was survived by his wife, Eunice Ensley Wicke; by his two daughters, Shirley Jane Shoaf and Elaine Nalda Cowen; and by seven grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren, four stepchildren
Stepfamily
A stepfamily, also known as a blended family or reconstituted family, is a family in which one or both members of the couple have children from a previous relationship...
and eleven step-grandchildren.