Merriman Colbert Harris
Encyclopedia
Merriman Colbert Harris (July 9, 1846 – May 8, 1921) was a Missionary Bishop
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
, elected in 1904.
, the son of Colbert and Catherine Elizabeth (Crupper) Harris. Merriman married Flora L. Best October 23, 1873, in Meadville, Pennsylvania
. They had two daughters, Florence and Elizabeth.
in the 12th Ohio Cavalry
in the American Civil War
(1863–65), gaining the rank of corporal.
Merriman attended the Washington Academy in Ohio
, and the Harlem Springs
Seminary. He then attended Scio College
, earning the B.A.
degree (1873) and the M.A.
degree (1877) from Allegheny College
.
Annual Conference
of the M.E. Church in 1869, serving as a pastor
and a missionary
. He was sent to Japan
in 1873, and later he established Japanese
missions on the Pacific Coast of the U.S.
and in Hawaii
. He became the Superintendent of Japanese Missions in San Francisco, California
in 1886. He also served as Superintendent of all Pacific Coast
Japanese Missions of his denomination
, including the Hawaiian Islands
, in 1890.
and Japan.
As a Missionary Bishop
he served with distinction in Hawaii and Japan. He was twice decorated with the Order of the Sacred Treasure
by the Emperor of Japan
.
He died May 8, 1921 in Aoyama, Tokyo
, Japan in a home given to him by the Japanese. He was buried in Aoyama as well.
Missionary Bishop (Methodist Church)
A Missionary Bishop is one assigned in the Anglican Communion to an area that is not already organized under a bishop of a church. The term was also used in the Methodist churches at one time, but this was discontinued in 1964.-Anglican churches:...
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...
, elected in 1904.
Birth and family
Merriman was born July 9, 1846 in Beallsville, OhioBeallsville, Ohio
Beallsville is a village in Monroe County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 423.The village gained national attention during the Vietnam War by having lost six of its 475 citizens to the war, the worst per-capita loss of life experienced by any place in the...
, the son of Colbert and Catherine Elizabeth (Crupper) Harris. Merriman married Flora L. Best October 23, 1873, in Meadville, Pennsylvania
Meadville, Pennsylvania
Meadville is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is generally considered part of the Pittsburgh Tri-State and is within 40 miles of Erie, Pennsylvania. It was the first permanent settlement in northwest Pennsylvania...
. They had two daughters, Florence and Elizabeth.
Military service and education
Merriman served for three years as a soldierSoldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
in the 12th Ohio Cavalry
12th Ohio Cavalry
The 12th Ohio Cavalry was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 12th Ohio Cavalry was organized at Camp Taylor in Cleveland, Ohio and mustered in November 24, 1863 for a three years under the command of Colonel Robert W...
in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(1863–65), gaining the rank of corporal.
Merriman attended the Washington Academy in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, and the Harlem Springs
Harlem Springs, Ohio
Harlem Springs is an unincorporated community in central Lee Township, Carroll County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 44631. It lies along State Route 43...
Seminary. He then attended Scio College
Scio College
Scio College was an institution of higher education in Ohio in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Parts of it merged into Mount Union College, while its pharmacy school merged with what would become the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy....
, earning 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 (1873) and the M.A.
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
degree (1877) from Allegheny College
Allegheny College
Allegheny College is a private liberal arts college located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the town of Meadville. Founded in 1815, the college has about 2,100 undergraduate students.-Early history:...
.
Ordained ministry and missionary service
Merriman entered the ministry of the PittsburghPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
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 M.E. Church in 1869, serving 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"....
and a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
. He was sent to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1873, and later he established Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
missions on the Pacific Coast of the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. He became the Superintendent of Japanese Missions in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
in 1886. He also served as Superintendent of all Pacific Coast
Pacific Coast
A country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...
Japanese Missions of his denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
, including the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
, in 1890.
Episcopal ministry
Merriman Colbert Harris was elected a Missionary Bishop by the 1904 General Conference of the M.E. Church. He was assigned KoreaKorea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and Japan.
As a Missionary 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...
he served with distinction in Hawaii and Japan. He was twice decorated with the Order of the Sacred Treasure
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
by the Emperor of Japan
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
.
He died May 8, 1921 in Aoyama, Tokyo
Aoyama, Tokyo
is a neighborhood of Tokyo, located in the northeastern Minato Ward. During the Edo Period, Aoyama was home to various temples, shrines, and samurai residences. The name Aoyama derived from a samurai named Aoyama Tadanari who served the Tokugawa Shogunate and held his mansion in this area...
, Japan in a home given to him by the Japanese. He was buried in Aoyama as well.
Selected writings
- Address: Japanese Buddhism, San Francisco, 1887. Typed, in Methodist Bishops' Collection.
- Christianity in Japan, 1907.
- Save Korea, Quarterly-Centennial Documents, 1910.
- Contributor, Japan Proverbs.
- Statement in Competent Witnesses on Korea as a Mission Field, Korea Documents, with others.