William Walter Peele
Encyclopedia
William Walter Peele was an American Bishop
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
and The Methodist Church, elected to said office in 1938. He also gained notability as a College Professor, a Pastor, and as the President of the Council of Bishops of his denomination. Bishop Peele was one of the last eight Bishops elected by the M.E. Church, South (at the final General Conference of this denomination).
(near the border with South Carolina
), the fourth son of Andrew H. Peele (1850-1914) and Nora Jane (née
Gibson) Peele (1856-1936).
In 1911 Walter married Elizabeth Lytch of Laurinburg, North Carolina
. The couple had no children. Nevertheless, Elizabeth was a pillar of strength throughout Walter's career.
), where he earned the B.A.
degree in 1903 and was elected Phi Beta Kappa. He was also awarded the honorary degree
of D.D. in 1928.
of Mathematics
at Rutherford College
in Conoly Springs. In 1906 at the age of twenty-five he became President
of Rutherford College, remaining in this position until 1909.
Also in 1906 Walter was ordained
to the ministry of the M.E. Church, South. In 1909 he was appointed Pastor
of the St. John's Methodist Church near his hometown of Gibson. Following St. John's, Walter was appointed to the Aberdeen-Biscoe Charge.
In 1915 the Rev. Peele became the Headmaster of the Trinity Park School in Durham, North Carolina
, the preparatory school
of Trinity College. He remained in this position until 1918. He entered Officers Training School at Plattsburgh, New York
during World War I
. Shortly before doing so he became Professor of Biblical Literature at Duke University. Following the war he returned to Duke as Acting Dean.
In 1918 the Rev. Peele also accepted the pastorate of the Edenton Street United Methodist Church
in Raleigh
, remaining five years. In 1923 he was appointed to Trinity Methodist Church in Durham. In 1928 Walter transferred his conference membership to the Western North Carolina Annual Conference
, being appointed Pastor of the First Methodist Church of Charlotte
. In 1937 he became Superintendent of the Greensboro District of that Conference, serving until 1938.
at the 1938 General Conference meeting in Birmingham, Alabama
, one of eight Bishops elected at that final General Conference of this denomination. He served at-large, as did the M.E.C.,S. Bishops.
When Methodist reunion took place in 1939, Bishop Peele was assigned the Richmond
Episcopal Area
, which at that time included fifty-six eastern counties of Virginia and North Carolina. He also spent a year as the President of the Council of Bishops of The Methodist Church.
Bishop Peele served as the Vice-President of the Board of Foreign Missions, and as Chairman of the Commission on Army and Navy Chaplains, of the Commission on Camp Activities, and of the Methodist Commission on Overseas Relief. He also served as the President of the North Carolina Council of Churches.
, where he lived out his years as one of the county's most distinguished citizens.
Bishop William Walter Peele died 1 July 1959 and was buried in his wife's family's Lytch Cemetery in Laurinburg, North Carolina
.
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 to said office in 1938. He also gained notability as a College Professor, a Pastor, and as the President of the Council of Bishops of his denomination. Bishop Peele was one of the last eight Bishops elected by the M.E. Church, South (at the final General Conference of this denomination).
Birth and family
William, known as Walter, was born 26 November 1881 near Gibson, North CarolinaGibson, North Carolina
Gibson is a town in Scotland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 584 at the 2000 census.Elected officials of the town include: Mayor Ronnie Hudson and town commissioners Charles "Freddie" Webb, Randy Pearson, Lula Adelle Cottingham, Stephen Hudson, and Mack "Pete" Wilkins.The...
(near the border with South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
), the fourth son of Andrew H. Peele (1850-1914) and Nora Jane (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Gibson) Peele (1856-1936).
In 1911 Walter married Elizabeth Lytch of Laurinburg, North Carolina
Laurinburg, North Carolina
Laurinburg is a mid-sized city in Scotland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Scotland County. Located in southern North Carolina near the South Carolina state border, Laurinburg is southwest of Fayetteville and is home to St. Andrews Presbyterian College...
. The couple had no children. Nevertheless, Elizabeth was a pillar of strength throughout Walter's career.
Education
Walter attended Gibson High School. He then attended Trinity College (now Duke UniversityDuke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
), where he 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 1903 and was elected Phi Beta Kappa. He was also awarded the honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of D.D. in 1928.
Ordained and academic ministries and military service
Upon college graduation, Walter began a career in teaching as a ProfessorProfessor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
at Rutherford College
Rutherford College, North Carolina
Rutherford College is a town in Burke County, North Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,293. It is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area....
in Conoly Springs. In 1906 at the age of twenty-five he became 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 Rutherford College, remaining in this position until 1909.
Also in 1906 Walter was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
to the ministry of the M.E. Church, South. In 1909 he was appointed 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"....
of the St. John's Methodist Church near his hometown of Gibson. Following St. John's, Walter was appointed to the Aberdeen-Biscoe Charge.
In 1915 the Rev. Peele became the Headmaster of the Trinity Park School in Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, the preparatory school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
of Trinity College. He remained in this position until 1918. He entered Officers Training School at Plattsburgh, New York
Plattsburgh (city), New York
Plattsburgh is a city in and county seat of Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 19,989 at the 2010 census. The population of the unincorporated areas within the Town of Plattsburgh was 11,870 as of the 2010 census; making the population for the immediate, urban Plattsburgh,...
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...
. Shortly before doing so he became Professor of Biblical Literature at Duke University. Following the war he returned to Duke as Acting Dean.
In 1918 the Rev. Peele also accepted the pastorate of the Edenton Street United Methodist Church
Edenton Street United Methodist Church
Edenton Street United Methodist Church is a historic United Methodist church in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Edenton Street Church is one of the largest United Methodist Churches in Raleigh and was the first United Methodist Church built in the city. Edenton Street Church is located on...
in Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, remaining five years. In 1923 he was appointed to Trinity Methodist Church in Durham. In 1928 Walter transferred his conference membership to the Western North Carolina Annual Conference
Western North Carolina Annual Conference
The Western North Carolina Conference is an Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. This conference serves the western half of the state of North Carolina, with its administrative offices and the office of the bishop being located in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, being appointed Pastor of the First Methodist Church of 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...
. In 1937 he became Superintendent of the Greensboro District of that Conference, serving until 1938.
Episcopal ministry
William Walter Peele was elected a Bishop of the M.E. Church, S.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...
at the 1938 General Conference meeting in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, 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...
, one of eight Bishops elected at that final General Conference of this denomination. He served at-large, as did the M.E.C.,S. Bishops.
When Methodist reunion took place in 1939, Bishop Peele was assigned the Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
Episcopal Area
Episcopal 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...
, which at that time included fifty-six eastern counties of Virginia and North Carolina. He also spent a year as the President of the Council of Bishops of The Methodist Church.
Bishop Peele served as the Vice-President of the Board of Foreign Missions, and as Chairman of the Commission on Army and Navy Chaplains, of the Commission on Camp Activities, and of the Methodist Commission on Overseas Relief. He also served as the President of the North Carolina Council of Churches.
Historical assessment
Author Grady L.E. Carroll wrote this about Bishop Peele:- None of the high honors that came to him caused him to lose the "common touch" which he prized so high. Bishop Peele never forgot the sacrifices his parents made to educate their large family. He never lost his deep sense of humility and gratitude for the opportunities he received, to serve God and his fellow-man.
Retirement, death and burial
Bishop Peele retired at the 1952 meeting of the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference of The Methodist Church. He made his retirement home on X-Way Road near Rockdale in Scotland County, North CarolinaScotland County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 35,998 people, 13,399 households, and 9,674 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 people per square mile . There were 14,693 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
, where he lived out his years as one of the county's most distinguished citizens.
Bishop William Walter Peele died 1 July 1959 and was buried in his wife's family's Lytch Cemetery in Laurinburg, North Carolina
Laurinburg, North Carolina
Laurinburg is a mid-sized city in Scotland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Scotland County. Located in southern North Carolina near the South Carolina state border, Laurinburg is southwest of Fayetteville and is home to St. Andrews Presbyterian College...
.