25
September 1835 A.D. Jackson Kemper Consecrated—Episcopal “Missionary” Bishop in
the Days When PECUSA/TEC Actually Believed
in Missions & Evangelism. Oh no!
Graves, Dan. “Frontier Bishop Jackson Kemper.” Christianity.com. Jul 2007.
http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1801-1900/frontier-bishop-jackson-kemper-11630437.html. Accessed 23 May
2014.
Brethren, we are assembled, under the protection of
Almighty God, to partake in, or to witness, the consecration of a missionary
bishop. It is a new office in this Church. The event has not occurred before.
What we are now to do will go on record, as a precedent..." With these
words, George Washington Doane, a Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church
signified the importance of events taking place in St. Peter's Church,
Philadelphia. On this day, Friday, September 25, 1835,
elderly Bishop William White, George Washington Doane and several other bishops
consecrated Jackson Kemper for work on the American frontier.
Jackson had already shown strong
interest in the west. In fact, he was the first clergyman of his church to
preach west of the Allegheny mountains. While stationed in Philadelphia, he
made missionary journeys into the wild areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio and
Virginia. Now he was being placed in charge of a vast region in the center of
the nation, supposedly encompassing just Indiana and Missouri. In actuality, he
labored far afield, expanding his work into Wisconsin and to the west.
Motivated by the urgency of
winning souls, Jackson traveled incessantly on horseback or in open wagons and
worked himself hard. (Right up to the last year of life, when he was over
eighty, he insisted on pushing himself to his limits.) What this cost him in
his personal life is indicated by painful lines in his journal: "It is now
4 weeks since I left my own dear home & precious children. About this time
I expected to be there again, & here I am at the farthest distance from
Norwalk, with no prospect for more than a fortnight yet of returning! God's
will be done."
Nonetheless, he exhorted fellow
Episcopalians to make greater efforts, too. Pointing out the singular
advantages enjoyed by the Episcopal church, he said, "Brethren! may it not
be our duty to convert the world--may not this high, this inestimable privilege
be offered to us! And are we prepared--are we doing at the present moment even
one tenth part of what we are capable?" He appealed for more
self-discipline, more self-sacrifice, and showed the way by regularly giving
away about two-thirds of his own small income.
Jackson discovered that his
recruits from the east did not adapt well to conditions in the west, and so he
founded a school to train priests from among western men. Kemper College, his
first venture, failed, owing to financial difficulties and faculty quarrels.
Later he founded Nashotah House and Racine College both of which succeeded
better.
His kindness, friendliness,
honesty, concern for souls, and good breeding won him many friends throughout
the vast territory of what was then called the Northwest. The extent of his
effort can be seen in the fact that he organized eight dioceses: California,
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin and founded
three colleges. In addition to this, he promoted mission work among the
Potowatami, Seneca, Oneida and Huron Indians with whom he worked. He pleaded
for translation of the Scriptures into their languages.
His last public work was a
confirmation service. Barely able to force himself through the rite, he returned
home feeling ill; and he weakened steadily until he died on May 24, 1870. His
last words to David Keene (who preached his funeral) were, "I hope I have
been faithful; I hope I have kept the faith."
Bibliography:
1. Cuff, Rev. Stephen. "Celebrating the Life and Ministry of Jackson
Kemper." http://www.episcopal-dso.org/pages/int2000/ 0006cuff.htm
2. Doane, George Washington. "The Sermon at the Consecration of The
Right Reverend Jackson Kemper, D.D., Missionary Bishop for Missouri and Indiana
in St. Peter's Church, Philadelphia, September 25, 1835." Project
Canterbury. http://justus.anglican.org/resources/pc/usa/
gwdoane/kemper.html
3. "Jackson Kemper, Bishop, Missionary." Episcopal
Calendar. http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/05/24b.html
4. Keene, David. "Funeral Sermon, the Rt. Rev. Jackson Kemper." Project
Canterbury. http://justus.anglican.org/resources/pc/usa/jkemper/
funeral1.html
5. Kemper, Jackson. "Journal of An Episcopalian Missionary's Tour to
Green Bay, 1834." http://justus.anglican.org/resources/pc/usa/ jkemper/greenbay.html
6. "Kemper, Jackson." Dictionary of American Biography. New
York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1928 - 1958.
Last updated July,
2007
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